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Amari and the Night Brothers

B.B. Alston (Goodreads Author)

4.88 · Rating details · 26 ratings · 17 reviews

Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into someth ...more

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Hardcover, 416 pages

Expected publication: January 19th 2021 by Balzer + Bray

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Lists with This Book

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Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Middle Grade Novels of 2021

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Middle Grade & Young Adult Books Written by African-American Authors for 2021

34 books — 14 voters

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Average rating 4.88 ·

Rating details

· 26 ratings · 17 reviews

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May 27, 2020 B.B. Alston added it · (Review from the author)

I hope you all like it!

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Aug 25, 2020 TL rated it liked it

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own.*

Well written story that is well thought out and fun. Amari is a great heroine and I loved the idea of the world the author created.

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Jun 16, 2020 Fanna marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2021-releases

June 16, 2020: The cutest, prettiest, magical cover of this book has just been revealed and it's UMMM, PERFECTTTT. ...more

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May 20, 2020 Simant | Flipping Through the Pages marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2021-releases

June 17, 2020: So the cover has been revealed and it's perfect!

May 20, 2020: I came to know about this book today on Twitter and I can't wait to see the cover!
- #ownvoices middle grade trilogy
- A paranormal fantasy
- with magical competition
- a magician villain
- siblings love
seems right up my alley. ...more

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Aug 16, 2020 Cass Moskowitz rated it it was amazing

Amari is a girl whose brother has been missing for a few months, but she KNOWS he's out there somewhere. He had a mysterious job he never gave details about, and she's sure it had something to do with that. Turns out she might be right when she discovers he was part of a Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, and now Amari gets a chance to join that same program. She's smart and never gives up and with some new friends she's going to get her brother back.

I adored every second of reading this book, it ...more

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Aug 21, 2020 Cortney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021-favorites

Amari And The Night Brothers is a magical journey for modern times. A delightful and joyous experience about finding the courage to embrace your destiny and forge your own path regardless of the obstacles placed in your way.

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Aug 05, 2020 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kids-books

Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC and making me feel like I won the lottery!

Have you ever experienced something and it made you realize you had unknowingly been missing something in your life? That's what it's like to finish Amari and the Night Brothers. I have missed a fantasy kid adventure written for kids, not persnickety adults. I have missed the breeziness of a good plot. I have missed a nuanced heroine who gets to be real without some weirdness around her being normal as if that was a fatal ...more

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Aug 23, 2020 Rebecca Morrell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for-the-5th-graders

Thank you, Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC before the release of the novel in exchange for an honest review. Many would compare this book to the Harry Potter or Men in Black franchises. In fact, Amari and the Night Brothers, as I understand, has been optioned for film rights before the release of this first text in January 2021, but I do believe this has all the potential to be the next big thing in the minds and imaginations of children.
As we meet the main character, Amari Peters, s Thank you, Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC before the release of the novel in exchange for an honest review. Many would compare this book to the Harry Potter or Men in Black franchises. In fact, Amari and the Night Brothers, as I understand, has been optioned for film rights before the release of this first text in January 2021, but I do believe this has all the potential to be the next big thing in the minds and imaginations of children.
As we meet the main character, Amari Peters, she lives with her hard-working mom and is coping with the disappearance of her brother. Police are giving up on ever finding Quinton Peters who they presume dead via illegal activities without the slightest bit of evidence. Amari is soon to find out that Quinton had a most dangerous job indeed working as an agent with Supernatural Affairs chasing down the mysterious Night Brothers, criminal masterminds and magicians when she herself is invited into the Bureau. Protecting the world and erasing memories as they go, the Bureau ensures average people and the supernaturally inclined don't collide. They also run a summer camp for young people invited into the Bureau like Amari.
Amari is determined to follow in her brother's footsteps and become a Junior Agent, but will she be able to discover the truth when there is a bigger secret about to be uncovered about herself?
This story is an epic fantasy with parts of Harry Potter, Men in Black and Percy Jackson all coming together in a glorious new story that I never knew how much my students needed. Teachers can't go wrong buying this one for their classrooms and I am sure will sell itself right into student hands. The character's are complex and multifaceted like anyone you would meet in life. I always say if a side character does more than move a plot, it is a story that must be read; and Amari is no exception. You have Elise, a were-dragon and Amari's roommate, Magnus and Fiona agents and trainers, and even Jayden--once taught by Quinton in tutoring soon follows a life of crime in the absence of his friend.
There is truly so much to love about this text. Rich themes about systematic racism and the need for everyone to be loved and understood run throughout the text and it is clear that Alston is a gifted writer.
As I read this, as a teacher of fifth grade, I was thinking about a beginning of the year activity in which the students enhance their own talents as the characters in the Bureau do by touching the crystal ball. There is so much you can do--regardless of the content area. I teach ELA, so I was thinking of tying in gamified units based on texts like Amari.
Even if you are a student or parent looking for a text that is fun and engaging, look no further than this highly recommended middle grade fiction that will be enjoyed by tweens and early teens alike. ...more

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Aug 27, 2020 michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, 2020-books, fantasy, middle-grade, multicultural-childrens-literature

* Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for a digital review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was ah-maz-ing! It felt something like a cross between Nyxia and Men in Black. Amari is a great main character with a bucket load of courage and a good understanding of the world around her.

At the beginning, all we know is that Amari's brother is missing. By now, everyone thinks Quintin is probably dead, but Amari stands firm in her belief that her brother is stil ...more

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Aug 23, 2020 Desiree rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade

My first question after finishing this book is, "When is the next one coming out?" I found myself delaying as I got nearer the end because I did not want to be done with the story.

Amari could easily be one of my students. Her personality pops off the page and I can almost hear her voice. She is courageous, honest, and not afraid of trouble. When her big brother goes missing, she will do anything it takes to get him back. Her entry into a supernatural world filled with mythical creatures and supe ...more

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Aug 17, 2020 Lorie Barber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-buy-for-our-classroom

WHY CAN I ONLY GIVE THIS MAGICAL MASTERPIECE 5 STARS??

Amari and the Night Brothers has everything kids are looking for in a middle grade fantasy.
Relatable, relevant main character? Check.
A meaningful quest? Check.
Original, incredible settings and a unique entry into a supernatural, magical world? Check and check.
Plot twists? Check.
Supporting characters you both root for and love to hate? Check!

Most importantly, to me as a teacher, Amari represents everything we need in fantasy. She’s Black, ...more

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Aug 15, 2020 Lisa Hoffman rated it it was amazing

Amari is the kind of heroine I want to read several series about. She is smart, kind, creative, loyal, and wants to do what is right even when it is hard. She deals with racism at school and discrimination at the Bureau, and comes out still wanting to help others be better.

This book is action-packed, mysterious, full of wonder and wonderful characters. The social situations are relatable, even when the supernatural may not be. I cannot wait for book two, and book one isn't even out yet.

I receiv ...more

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Sep 09, 2020 Catherine rated it it was amazing

I loved every minute I spent immersed in this world. Amari is a young girl who embarks on a hero’s journey; we know this story. It manages to be both familiar and fresh at the same time. The ceremony where the junior agents get their powers cracked me up. This book is funny, fun, beautiful, and I can’t wait for the rest of the series! This is a must have for any classroom library for teachers of grades 5-8. I’m significantly older than an 8th grader, and I loved this book, so HS libraries might ...more

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Aug 15, 2020 Soup rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, scifi-fantasy, netgalley, favorites

Absolutely excellent A+ YA fantasy series featuring a diverse cast that seriously engages in real world issues like racism, poverty, and the impact of bias. 13-year-old Amari Peters is introduced into the world of magic and myth that lives, hidden, alongside the "normal" world of mundane humanity as she seeks her missing brother, Quinton. Think Harry Potter mashed up with Nevermoor/Morrigan Crow and add characters and creatures from myth and fiction around the world. I'm already impatient for Bo ...more

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Sep 12, 2020 Ciannon Smart marked it as to-read · review of another edition

A fun, magical read with brilliant world building and villains I cant wait to see more of in future books - though I am ALWAYS rooting for Amari

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Jul 05, 2020 hood elle woods marked it as to-read

such a cute cover!

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Jun 15, 2020 Tim Armstrong rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s

Simply fantastic. The best kids books, in the genre, since Harry Potter. Yep, I know, a big call, but it’s that good. Tell me I’m wrong - this is going to be huge!!

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