Bloom

chapter one

 

Anaya

 

Anaya woke up, blind. 

With a sigh, she touched her fingertips to her eyelids. Glued shut. She sat up in bed and sneezed seven times in a row. The inside of her nose was granular with dried snot. She stood and expertly felt her way to the bathroom. She found the stack of washcloths by the sink, and turned on the hot water. The first few times she d woken up like this, she d freaked out. By now she was used to it, especially at the height of spring allergy season. Patiently she held the moist, warm cloth against each eyelid in turn, melting away the gunk. She slowly pried her eyes open and stared blearily into the mirror.

Where have you been all my life, you thing of beauty? she said to her reflection.

Her face was puffy around her eyes. Normally, she thought her eyes were one of her best features, but right now they looked piggy. The end of her nose was chafed and flaky from blowing it all the time. To jazz things up just a little more, a new bouquet of pimples had blossomed across her skin.

The fading echo of a headache pulsed in her skull, and reminded her of last night s dream. It was one she d had many times. She d been running really fast, and it was exhilarating, even if it did always seem to leave her with a headache. 

She opened the crammed medicine cabinet. Special cleansers and ointments for her acne, extra puffers for asthma, plastic vials of monster pills for her allergies. She slugged back two. This was definitely a two-pill day. 

Anaya started to wash her face, then stopped. What was she doing? She wanted to look as rough as possible. She should ve left at least one eye glued shut. 

She dragged herself down to the kitchen, trying to shamble like a hunchback. With her nose plugged up, it was pretty hard to smell anything--but she could definitely smell the toast. She imagined a piece of thin, crisp bread

KENNETH OPPEL is one of the most highly regarded authors of middle-grade fiction writing today. Some of his best-known titles are Inkling, The Nest, Airborn, a 2005 Printz Honor Book, and Silverwing. Find him online at www.kennethoppel.ca and @KennethOppel.

"What a story! Kenneth Oppel has written a thriller so exciting that the pages might well have been printed with adrenaline." Wall Street Journal

"The book rockets off, and Oppel never eases up on the gas." The New York Times

"A phenomenal kickoff to an enthralling trilogy. The conclusion is especially powerful, delivering an overwhelming roller-coaster ride of relief and horror." School Library Journal, starred review

Wilderness survival and alien invasion combine for an exciting page-turner. Booklist

Action-thriller led by three characters whose backstories continue to unfurl with intriguing detail  will leave readers satisfied. The Bulletin

"In this fast-paced thriller, Oppel spins a richly drawn, incredibly fascinating world. Beginning with the brilliantly unique premise of a botanical alien invasion, the plot unravels satisfyingly, building readers' curiosity by creating 10 new questions for every answer given. A thrilling alien-invasion novel based on a chillingly nefarious premise." Kirkus Reviews

"BLOOM is a lightning-paced adventure that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. This book is ridiculously fun ... and by 'fun' I mean terrifying!" Jonathan Auxier, author of The Night Gardener

"Absolutely riveting. Superb storytelling, great characters and an environmental crisis readers will hardly be able to wait for the second book in the trilogy." The Globe and Mail

Steadily adds new horrors, potently escalating the story s pace, stakes, and anxiety as the plants crowd out food crops, explosively release allergy-causing pollen, and begin exhibiting carnivorous tendencies."  Publishers Weekly