{"product_id":"the-children-novel-melissa-albert-9780063487437","title":"The Children | Melissa Albert","description":"\u003csection class=\"product-description\" style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 15px; border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eThe Children: A Novel\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Praise\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAdult Fiction Debut:\u003c\/strong\u003e A highly anticipated and intoxicating new entry from \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Melissa Albert.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAtmospheric Masterpiece:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hailed as a haunting story that blurs the line separating magic and memory.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eGuinevere Sharpe has two childhoods. In one, she lives in the wooded shadow of her family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, she lives in the pages of her mother’s world-famous \u003cem\u003eNinth City\u003c\/em\u003e books, where her magical adventures have made her a household name. In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother’s readers imagine. She and her older brother grow up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the lichen-clotted woods they’ve made their playland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eAs Edith Sharpe’s books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame—until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith’s series unfinished and her children the sole survivors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eNow an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother announces an upcoming installation titled \u003cem\u003eMother\u003c\/em\u003e. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere’s childhood begin to surface. Her public facade starts to crack, forcing her to confront the questions she's spent the last twenty years running from: What really happened the night of the fire, and what dark history lies behind their mother’s creative genius?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMelissa Albert\u003c\/strong\u003e is a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author widely recognized for her captivating and atmospheric storytelling. \u003cem\u003eThe Children\u003c\/em\u003e marks her haunting, masterful debut into the realm of adult fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eReader Targeting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFans of gothic thrillers and atmospheric dark fantasy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eReaders who love complex family dramas exploring the dark side of fame and legacy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAnyone fascinated by stories that blur the lines between childhood memory, reality, and fiction.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eBibliographic \u0026amp; Physical Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"table-responsive\" style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 25px; -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; min-width: 650px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 0.95em; table-layout: fixed;\"\u003e\n      \u003cthead\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"background-color: #f8f9fa; border-bottom: 2px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 12px 10px; color: #2c3e50; width: 30%; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eSpecification\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 12px 10px; color: #2c3e50; width: 70%; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/thead\u003e\n      \u003ctbody\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003e9780063487437\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eSKU (ISBN-10)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003e0063487438\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eWilliam Morrow\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eJune 2, 2026\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eFormat\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eHardcover (Hardbound, Dust Jacket Included, Used Condition)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003ePage Count\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003e416\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eBISAC Categories\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eFICTION \/ Gothic; FICTION \/ Literary; FICTION \/ Fantasy \/ Dark Fantasy\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;\"\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; vertical-align: top;\"\u003e9.0 x 6.0 x 1.4 inches \/ 21.5 oz\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is The Children about?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe novel centers on Guinevere and Ennis Sharpe, the estranged adult children of a legendary author, as they are forced to confront the dark legacy and hidden truths behind the magical book series that defined their traumatic childhood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a Young Adult novel?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo, \u003cem\u003eThe Children\u003c\/em\u003e marks Melissa Albert's highly anticipated debut in adult fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the main themes of the book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story deeply explores the mythic weight of childhood memory, the destructive consequences of fame, the complexities of family legacies, and the blurry line between magic and reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": [\"Book\", \"Product\"],\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/the-children-novel-melissa-albert-9780063487437#book\",\n        \"name\": \"The Children: A Novel\",\n        \"author\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Person\",\n          \"name\": \"Melissa Albert\"\n        },\n        \"description\": \"Read The Children by Melissa Albert. 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