Bitter spent much of her childhood in foster care. Now she’s at Eucalyptus, a residential school for young artists run by the regal and mysterious Miss Virtue. Outside the walls of Eucalyptus, the fight for racial and economic justice in the city of Lucille is fierce, with young activists from a group called Assata regularly holding peaceful, forceful protests that the police often respond to violently. Bitter doesn’t want anything to do with the protests. It’s not that she doesn’t care, but she’s overwhelmed by her past and the chaos; Eucalyptus is a safe haven she doesn’t want to leave. But when one of the protesters with whom she’s friends is seriously hurt, and another is killed, Bitter expresses her rage through art and then uses her own blood to bring her creation to life. The beings she’s created this way in the past have always been ephemeral and harmless. This creature is neither. It insists Bitter (Black) call it by the name she chose in her head—the feeling driving her as she created it—Vengeance. And it insists on being sated, drawing others into its sphere of influence along the way. But what kind of world does Vengeance want to create? This prequel to Pet, featuring Pet’s parents, Bitter and Aloe, as teens, looks at big questions about social justice while illuminating how protest movements encompass many kinds of activism, including art and music as forms of resistance and unity. (Age 12 and older)

From National Book Award finalist Akwaeke Emezi comes a companion novel to the critically acclaimed PET that explores both the importance and cost of social revolution--and how youth lead the way.

After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille.

Bitter’s instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren’t willing to settle for a world that’s so far away from what they deserve. Pulled between old friendships, her artistic passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn’t sure where she belongs—in the studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?

This timely and riveting novel—a companion to the National Book Award finalist Pet—explores the power of youth, protest, and art.