Collectors (West)

Even the smallest wish can be dangerous. That's why the Collectors are always keeping watch. The Collectors sweeps readers into a hidden world where wishes are stolen and dreams have a price. Fast-paced, witty, and riveting, this contemporary fantasy adventure has magic woven through every page. It's the first book in a two-book series from Jacqueline West, the New York Times–bestselling author of The Books of Elsewhere series. For fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak, The Isle of the Lost, and The Secret Keepers. Van has always been an outsider. Most people don't notice him. But he notices them. And he notices the small trinkets they drop, or lose, or throw away-that's why his collection is full of treasures. Then one day, Van notices a girl stealing pennies from a fountain, and everything changes. He follows the girl, Pebble, and uncovers an underground world full of wishes and the people who collect them. Apparently not all wishes are good and even good wishes often have unintended consequences-and the Collectors have made it their duty to protect us. But they aren't the only ones who have their eyes on the world's wishes-and they may not be the good guys, after all. Jacqueline West, author of the New York Times–bestselling Books of Elsewhere series, draws readers into a story about friendship, magic, and the gray area between good and evil. The Collectors is for fans of Cassie Beasley's Circus Mirandus and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener.

Discover a secret society where wishes are stolen, and dreams have a price. In the spellbinding sequel to New York Times best-selling author Jacqueline West's The Collectors, 11-year-old Van Markson embarks on a quest full of magic and adventure to rescue his best friend from a dangerous wish collector. This contemporary fantasy is just right for fans of Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Secret Keepers and Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener. It’s been only a few weeks since Van uncovered a magical secret - that wishes really can come true, and that a mysterious society called the Collectors protects us from the dire consequences even the smallest wish can have. Van knows only too well how wishing can go awry: His mother is recovering from a broken leg, his friend Pebble has been stolen away by the evil wish collector Mr. Falborg, dozens of dangerous creatures called Wish Eaters have escaped into the world, and Van himself has almost died - twice - all because of wishes. When Van's mother is offered a position at the renowned Fox Den Opera, located in the quiet, beautiful forest a few hours north of the city, she whisks Van away with her, hoping this will be a safer home for their family of two. But Fox Den is home to an ancient Wish Eater - a powerful creature with the ability to grant wishes that have catastrophic consequences; a Wish Eater Mr. Falborg would love to get his hands on. Van must team up with the Collectors and find a way to stop him before he makes a wish that leaves the world in chaos.