Toxic Heart: A Mystic City Novel (Mystic City Trilogy) - Hardcover

Lawrence, Theo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385741626 ISBN 13: 9780385741620

Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2014

Synopsis

The second MYSTIC CITY novel . . . it's Romeo & Juliet in a dystopic Manhattan.

A city in flames. A trust betrayed. A perfect love destroyed. Has Aria lost Hunter, her one true love?

Ever since rebellion broke out in Mystic City, pitting the ruling elite against the magic-wielding mystics, Aria has barely seen her boyfriend. Not surprising, since Hunter is the leader of the mystic uprising, and he'll do whatever it takes to win freedom for his people—even if that means using Aria.

But Aria is no one's pawn. She believes she can bring the two warring sides together, save the city, and win back the Hunter she fell in love with.

Before she can play peacemaker, though, Aria will need to find the missing heart of a dead mystic. The heart gives untold powers to whoever possesses it, but finding it means seeking out a fierce enemy whose deepest desire is for Aria to be gone—forever.

"Recommended for dystopian fans."--School Library Journal

About this title

About the Author

Theo Lawrence is a graduate of Columbia University, the Juilliard School, and Fordham University, where he recently completed his master’s degree in English literature. A Presidential Scholar in the Arts, he has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, as well as Off-Broadway and at 54 Below.

Mystic City—which Kirkus Reviews called “a gripping Romeo-and-Juliet exploration of deception, espionage, revolution, the greater good and love conquering all”—has been translated into over ten languages and was an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee. Theo splits his time between Manhattan and Rhinebeck, New York.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Aria Rose is still on the run. Considered a fugitive by her immediate family and her ex-fiancé, Thomas Foster, she has been taken in by a group of mystics loyal to her boyfriend Hunter. She has also become a figurehead to the poor and disenfranchised trapped in the Depths of what used to be Manhattan. Meanwhile, Hunter has been broadcasting edited footage of their intimate, private conversations. As he continually becomes distant and harder to reach, Aria grows closer to his best friend, the lithe, motorcycle riding Turk, who is charged with keeping her safe. Despite the threats to her safety and well-being, Aria learns that her former servant and best friend Davida may hold the key to end the war, even in death. Davida's mystic heart has lived on, brimming with power, and promising untold majesty to the one that is able to locate and harness its energies. As Aria and a reluctant Turk seek the heart, Hunter engages in peace talks with respectable, powerful families of the Aeries. In this sequel to Mystic City (Delacorte, 2012), the protagonist is continuously fighting, often in nonphysical ways. She attempts to combat the growing perception that those in the Depths have of her as a savior, struggles to hang on to her feelings for Hunter despite his behavior, and tries to resist her burgeoning attraction for Turk. While Aria's romantic conflicts take up a good portion of the narrative, there's enough here to push the story's momentum. Recommended for dystopian fans.—Ryan P. Donovan, New York Public Library

About this edition

• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0385741626
• ISBN 13: 9780385741620
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 368