(S)Kin

Description

(S)Kin.

A finalist for the 2025 National Book Award and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, this powerful contemporary fantasy debut from award-winning author Ibi Zoboi blends Caribbean folklore, magical realism, and a deeply moving exploration of identity, family, and inherited power.

Written in verse, this unforgettable story explores the complicated bonds between generations and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of freedom, belonging, and the life we truly desire.

Fifteen-year-old Marisol carries a secret legacy. As the daughter of a soucouyant, she has inherited an ancient magic passed down through generations. With every new moon, she sheds her human skin and transforms into a fiery witch who must take from others to survive. But after moving from the islands to Brooklyn, Marisol finds herself trapped between two worlds. The city’s concrete walls, locked doors, and unfamiliar surroundings leave little room for the traditions she once hoped her family could escape. And as long as her mother holds tightly to the past, Marisol struggles to break free from the magic that binds them both.

Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is searching for answers of her own. As she adjusts to life as an older half sister to newborn twins, she battles exhaustion, a painful skin condition, and a mysterious emptiness she cannot explain. Late at night, she finds herself drawn to the darkness above, longing for something she cannot name. When a new nanny enters her home and reveals a hidden connection to Marisol, Genevieve begins uncovering family truths that reshape everything she thought she knew.

As the two girls’ lives become intertwined, they discover that the secrets they carry—and the identities they struggle to embrace—may hold more power than either imagined. The magic beneath their skin is not only a force of transformation, but a spark capable of changing the relationships, choices, and futures around them.

With lyrical storytelling, rich Caribbean mythology, and a haunting exploration of heritage and self-discovery, this groundbreaking novel asks what we inherit, what we fight against, and what it truly means to become ourselves.

Finalist for the National Book Award