Jennifer Sommersby Books In Order

Publication Order of AVRA-K Books

Publication Order of Girl Without A Phone Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Jennifer Sommersby is the bestselling American author of young adult novels with greatest influencers in her life being William Shakespeare, Tom Perrotta, Flannery O’Connor, Suzanne Collins, and J.R.R Tolkien. Apart from writing, Jennifer Sommersby is a part-time copy/line editor and a full time dedicated mom, cat person bibliophile and a Superman freak.

In 2007, Sommersby wrote a short story for a workshop via the Writers Studio- it was a different piece than what Sleight is today- the main feedback she received from those who read her short story is that her protagonist (then named Frankie) was too big for her age. She abandoned the story for a while until she had a conversation with a young magician friend of hers. They discussed how magic in the old days used to be a healing heart rather than a hocus-pocus thing. It was this discussion that set her “brain gears” spinning and prompted her to research about witchcraft and magic dating back to the ancient days of recorded history.

According to an interview, Jennifer Sommersby admitted that her greatest physical inspiration that led her to write, Sleight was her daughter’s best friend. For years, Sommersby would sit around writing fluff stories that would bore her halfway until her daughter’s best friend named Alysha finished her debut novel two weeks before her fifteenth birthday. Additionally, the circus-inspired the author to write her debut novel. The circus is one of the things that seem “romantic” on the front end/ or in theory because only a few of us ever get to see the behind the scenes- full of hard living conditions, the stress of continuous performance, and backbreaking working environment. The smaller traveling circuses have unfortunately gone the way of the dodo, and it is an integral part of the history that has not survived the tough and inflexible economic realities of the last five decades. Sleight appeared in Top 20 Amazon Top-Rated List for YA/Children’s Lit.

Sleight

Sleight is the first book in AVRA-K series for a young adult. The novel introduces the reader to Gemma Flannery; a young woman used to live a life on the road- traveling with the Cinzio Travelling Players. However, for the first time in Gemma’s life, the show has decided not to leave town.

Living in one place and an attending a local high school is enough to challenge to overcome. Being rubbernecked at and often called a freak by the local town’s folks is nothing new for any circus performers. However if her secret she has been keeping ever got out (she has the ability to see the dead)- she would rubberneck at and become a freak on a whole new level.

Always being on the move made Gemma keep her secret safe, and it also means that she never had worries about falling in love and losing her heart to someone. Moving from one town to another, one city to the next, and across the country, she never stayed at one place to fall in love- until now.

From the moment she first saw Henry Dmitri- the man who made her heart skip a beat and caused her cheeks to flush- she has been thinking about him. Not only was Henry a drop-dead handsome young man but also the son of the town’s wealthiest man- the man who convinced Cinzio to stay in the local town for a while. Unlike Ash, Gemma’s childhood crush, Henry seemed the perfect guy for her since he seemed interested in her.

However, when Gemma discovers secrets about Henry and his wealthy family, she does not know what to believe anymore. Moreover, when things begin getting from bad to worse, not only Gemma’s heart is in the crossfire but also her life too.

Sleight is a well-woven and simulating story full of powerful magic, dark secrets- and apparently, almost everyone in the local town has skeletons in his/her closet. The narrative flows smoothly as the mystery behind the AVRA-K and its ancient history are revealed. The narrative will grab you from its first line, and you will be drawn deeper into Gemma’s adventurous tale with every single turn of the page. The story is intricate but not complex, with plenty of room to dive further into the magical elements and discover more about the rich history of the AVRAKEDVRA in the future novels in the series.

Jennifer Sommersby’s debut novel is suffused with interesting descriptive and beautifully woven passages that will definitely transport the readers into the detailed world Jennifer created, only to be transported as the story reaches its cliffhanger in the last pages. What makes Jennifer’s story unique and exciting is the fact that it is longer than many stories in the same genre by other authors and is also steadily paced, moving along smoothly reaching climax swiftly.

Jennifer Sommersby’s characterization is brilliantly done,- she introduces her characters and their worlds beautifully. While there is an evident instant connection that happens, the relationship between Henry and Gemma is given space and time to grow nice, at a pace that readers can relate. You will also love the connections that families have (both the bad and the good) which offers an exciting balance of danger and support from all sides. You will also enjoy how these families are so intertwined and how everything keeps blowing off in their faces.

The plot is beautifully woven, with the author spicing it up with pieces and bits of other people’s stories to make and also grow her main characters. You will get a deeper understanding of the circus lore, magic history, and the twist and turns that will keeps the readers anticipating for more. The main characters are interesting and beautifully crafted- Gemma is a strong, intelligent, and capable heroine while Henry, is handsome, courageous, and loving man.

The story is filled with good and bad magic, many ghosts and above all love that will send you in an adventure of a lifetime with Henry and Gemma as they try to weave their destiny in one place and also try to save humanity from ultimate destruction. If you love reading Young Adult paranormal, then Jennifer Sommersby AVRA-K series is worth your time.