Blurb: The first time I saw him, I mistook him for something unnatural...
Lucas Rowland knows from the start that Emory Avalon is unique, but he has no idea how Avalon—the person and the place—will impact his life. Surrounded by wealth and eccentricity, Lucas strives to make the connections his father says will benefit him as he looks ahead to his senior year of high school and, eventually, college. To Lucas’ surprise, his rich peers seem readily willing to accept him… Though, when he discovers why, he’s forced to ask himself whether he believes in destiny and who he truly is.
Review: Lucas Rowland hoped for a relaxing summer at the lake, but when he meets Emory Avalon, he is suddenly thrown into a strange modern Arthurian court. Though Lucas only wants to be unnoticed, it becomes impossible when suddenly he's thrust into the middle as king.
This is an incredibly well-written YA modern retelling of the Arthurian legends. It's difficult to do a big review of this one because I feel anything I might say might give too much away. I don't often read YA books, because teens annoy me, but Amanda Innes writes more mature and layered teenage characters than what is usually found in the genre. Lucas and his younger sister Fay arrive at Lake Avalon for the first time for the summer. They don't understand the importance of all the play on Arthurian myths, and the other teens in the area quickly wrap them up in it despite Lucas' unwillingness to be involved. The Avalon family has long been part of it all, and Lucas can't deny the bond he feels with Emory. Yet everything is much more layered than that, and I'm trying not to give anything away because of the marvelous twists the plot takes.