The Kaleidoscope Sisters

"In this affecting first novel about family, love, and sacrifice, 15-year-old Quinn discovers the lengths she will go to to save her sister, Riley...Stephens' poetic writing is beautiful...and deftly blends realism and fantasy."
--Booklist Online
"This novel is a heartrending story of the deep love of family and the hardships of terminal disease and loss. In his debut, Stephens has created a touching novel that is Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper mixed with Michael Ende's The Neverending Story or Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. VERDICT A unique story for teens who enjoy fantasy and tragedy. Give this to fans of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or If I Stay by Gayle Forman."
--School Library Journal
"Simultaneously odd and intriguing."
--Kirkus Reviews
The Kaleidoscope Sisters is a debut novel hinging on the indomitable spirit of young women. It centers on fifteen-year-old Quinn and her younger sister, Riley, who is dying from a degenerative heart defect. As the novel opens, Riley is weeks away from her seventh birthday, and her decline is obvious. Years in and out of hospitals have left the family with no support system, but Quinn is determined to save her younger sister. In her quest, Quinn discovers a portal to another realm peppered with characters based in history, all of whom disappeared mysteriously. Aiding Quinn throughout her journey in the Other Realm is Meelie. Quinn learns that a new heart for Riley can be harvested in the Other Realm, but not without sacrifice. While Meelie helps Quinn come to terms with an impossible decision, Quinn uncovers the truth about Meelie's disappearance and why she never returned home. The book chronicles Quinn's journey, focusing on the inevitability of loss and the realization that no matter what Quinn decides, her mother must lose one of her daughters.
The Kaleidoscope Sisters is the second release in the Oddities Kaylie Jones Books series, an e-first line that focuses on unconventional, edgy, risk-taking novels that boldly defy the traditional forms and conventions of the literary novel, with a focus on YA, horror, and mystery.

Ronnie K. Stephens is a full-time educator and father of five, with a strong interest in poetry, fiction, and activism. He recently completed an MA in creative writing and an MFA in fiction at Wilkes University. During his time at Wilkes, he was awarded two scholarships and won the Etruscan Prize. Stephens has published two full-length poetry collections, Universe in the Key of Matryoshka and They Rewrote Themselves Legendary, with Timber Mouse Publishing out of Austin. The Kaleidoscope Sisters is his first novel.