Icarus, 17, works for his father, Angus, an art restorer and forger. Part of his job is to regularly break into Mr. Black’s mansion to replace art pieces with forgeries Angus made. Because their lives demand secrecy, intelligent and socially savvy Icarus (white) maintains distance from kids at school, curating acquaintanceships with strict emotional and physical parameters. Secretly plotting to flee home and their life of crime when he turns 18, Icarus’s plans are upended when he discovers Mr. Black’s teenage son, Helios, is a literal captive—wearing an ankle monitor and unable to escape Mr. Black’s house or abuse. Lonely Helios promises to keep Icarus’s thefts secret if Icarus continues to visit. Icarus does, and the two become friends and then fall in love. At the same time, Icarus is surprised to discover that the school relationships he thought he could so carefully control are something else altogether—they’re friendships. And it turns out his friends have been worried about him—a realization that is transformative for Icarus and Helios both. This suspenseful, richly layered novel full of symbolism and suspense explores themes of abuse and trauma, families and friendship. But at its heart it’s a tender, hopeful story about kids taking care of one another, a theme further buoyed by the author’s note discussing how teens are often first to notice when a peer is having problems, and can often be the first (and sometimes only) ones to lend support.

* FIVE STARRED REVIEWS *

Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, this suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of the man he’s been stealing from—think Portrait of a Thief for YA readers.

Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.

Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.

As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both could be his greatest triumph—or it could be his downfall.

"The sparse prose in this unconventional, must-read of a trauma-infused borderline thriller is packed with emotional breadth." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"In this intimate poetic reimagining of the Icarus myth, Ancrum crafts a subversive triumph that is a love letter both to healing from trauma and to the importance of connection and empathy." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Beautifully written...Psychologically acute, subtle, and sophisticated." —ALA Booklist (starred review)

"In her extraordinary fifth novel, Icarus, K. Ancrum performs a confident high-wire act, balancing the weighty manifestations of connection, desire, and contradiction." —BookPage (starred review)

“Gradually, many secrets are revealed, suspense builds, and the romantic tension between the characters ratchets up—all of it enhanced by the vivid prose in this refreshingly succinct novel.” —The Horn Book

"Both romance and thriller fans will likely be gripped by this memorable love story, tinged with mythology, built around a mystery made up of bitter secrets between the two families." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)