Category: Young Adult Fiction
Description: In the realm of Jinn, enchantments and magical abilities are conceived and often exploited. At 17-years-old, Jezebel has developed a powerful shape-shifting Gift—and she’s determined to keep it a secret.
When her friends find a portal to the human world, she reluctantly follows. There, she’s tempted to embrace her Gift. After all, no one but the humans will see. Unfortunately, one of her friends witnesses her secret, and he won’t let it go. He pushes her to explore the full extent of her ability, no matter the cost.
But Jezebel hits her breaking point when he crosses a line. She has to decide if she’ll continue letting others use her like she’s always feared, or find a way to shift her future in a new direction.
The Secret Gift is a villain origin story that can be read as a standalone, or before or after The Stolen Kingdom Series. Over a century before the evil Queen Jezebel crosses paths with Arie, Rena, and Nesrin, she’s just an innocent Jinni girl… who was betrayed.
Author: 
Bethany Atazadeh is best known for her young adult fantasy novels, The Stolen Kingdom Series, which won the Best YA Author 2020 Minnesota Author Project award. She is obsessed with stories, chocolate, and her corgi puppy, Penny.
Using her degree in English with a creative writing emphasis, Bethany enjoys helping other writers through her YouTube channel with free writing and publishing advice, as well as a business as a writing coach over on Patreon, dedicated to helping other authors write and publish their novels.
Bethany’s Local Library: Hennepin County Library
Winners will be announced at the 2022 Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference.