The Deep Space Between by Cassandra Stirling

SPFBO9

A deep slash crossed out the total population of the “Welcome to Merricott” sign. Underneath it, a new number appeared in white, drips of paint streaking the sign like tears. Forty-two flames extinguished, her mother, father, uncle, and grandfather among them. Seraphina clenched her jaw, wiping away her tears. It was just a town. Her hands clenched into fists on her lap. She forced them to relax. It was just a town. Maybe if she repeated it enough, it’d be true. Seraphina Lastra Covington had never planned to set foot in the Magical Community of Merricott, New Hampshire again. When she reluctantly returns after a twelve-year absence, she finds that the town has changed: the bustling square she once knew is quiet, and a Magic Wielding child has gone missing. It is not until she starts heeding advice from the voice inside of her head that she realizes everything in her childhood home is not as it seems. The Deep Space Between is a character-driven urban fantasy that explores friendship, grief, and identity while unearthing Merricott’s — and the Lastra family’s — deepest secrets.