NEED TO KNOW

The Children takes a look at the eerie side of childhood — and its mysteries that can flow through adulthood

Melissa Albert's novel sees two siblings reckon with the death of their mother —who wrote them into her novels — 20 years after the fateful fire that killed her

The Children will be available June 2, 2026

A seemingly picturesque childhood takes an eerie spin in The Children .

Bestselling author Melissa Albert 's adult debut, The Children , begins with the death of an author who wove her children's lives into her novels. Her children, now estranged, must return home to cope with looming questions about her loss, legacy, memory and magic.

The novel's protagonist, Guinevere Sharpe, has two childhoods: the one she lived, in which she and her brother grew up

See Full Page