Amari and the Night Brothers

Amari Peters is a Black girl from a low-income housing project with a lot of heart.

Yet when she’s sent to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and discovers the world of the supernatural, she must compete with other students who have enjoyed a lot of privilege. It isn’t just that the world around Amari is spectacular and well-built, but we’re getting a glimpse into her challenges both at home and at this new school.

I loved being in the perspective of someone who never thought they could be a hero before. Someone who looks at things from a different lens… show more.

I like a solid magical adventure with a strong female character. There weren’t very many books like this when I was growing up, so I love getting a chance to read them now. Amari and the Night Brothers also has a lot of fun magical elements, including the idea that there are magical creatures that live among us but are kept hidden. I love the idea that my neighbor might be a witch, or a were, or some other fantastical creature. Or maybe I could be the magical creature hidden from them. What a fun idea. Plus, we get a… show more.

This book will ignite a reading rush no matter the age. It’s books like these that make you appreciate how words can draw such vivid pictures in our heads. With a mystery at its core, a determined young girl at its lead, and a spectrum of supernatural influences as its backdrop, Amari and the Night Brothers will awaken the imagination in anybody. It’s fun, action-packed, and a crossover of old fantasy meets modern. 

With Amari as the feisty young underdog driving this story, in a world where the real collides with magic in an everyday setting, it’s hard not to love this book. It’s a reminder of the possibility that lives in the impossible and a heart-warming, racy fantasy adventure that is at once empowering and enthralling. I don’t want to give too much away but it doffs its hat at the magical world of Harry Potter with a twist of the uncanny undercover agents in the film Men in Black and it does it beautifully. B.B. Alston reminds us that there’s a… show more.

It’s such a fun fantasy adventure! When Amari begins training as a junior agent at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she discovers a whole new world of were-dragons, mermaids, and more. Amari is a brilliant protagonist – she’s clever, spirited, and brave and I loved her determination to find her missing brother, Quinton.