Indies Introduce

Gabriela Alemán’s debut, Poso Wells, is “poised to have a longstanding impression on readers for years to come,” said Rebecca George of Volumes Bookcafe.

The Ruin is “a compelling story that spans two decades and multiple mysteries and examines the ways that public servants can provide resources for those in need or fail them utterly — or worse,” said Maryelizabeth Yturralde of Mysterious Galaxy.

In Beatty’s middle-grade debut fantasy, Heartseeker, Only Fallow has a secret ability to see lies, a power that forces her from provincial life into the service of a king and court she does not trust.

Ely Watson of A Room of One’s Own called Convenience Store Woman “a strong commentary on obsessive work culture” and praised its “calculated, removed prose and unique narrative and characters.”

“This delightful graphic novel is a game of Dungeons & Dragons, a superhero story, and a kaiju match all in one,” said Destenie Fafard of Cellar Door Books.

Louise Marshall of Rakestraw Books calls The Bird and the Blade, Megan Bannen’s debut young adult novel and an Indies Introduce Summer/Fall 2018 selection, “intricately crafted, superbly written, and beautifully tragic.”

MEM by debut author Bethany C. Morrow imagines a world where humans have found a way to extract unwanted memories and implant them in another being that looks and sounds just like the original.

“This madcap adventure is possibly the zaniest I have ever encountered,” said Katie McGinley of Wild Rumpus about Heider’s debut, The Mortification of Fovea Munson.

Matilda Woods’ middle grade debut, The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker, “reads like a newly discovered folktale that, once found, becomes essential,” said Sam Miller of Carmichael’s Bookstore.

Publishers are once again offering specials on 10 adult and 10 children’s titles chosen by panels of ABA member booksellers from across the U.S. as the top debuts of the upcoming publishing season.