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Michael Buckley

Mysterious beings appear on the shores of dystopian Brooklyn in a saga blending action, suspense, and romance, by the author of the Sisters Grimm series.

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. 

When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s best chance for survival? 

Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

“Overflows with innovative, terrifying monsters—human, emotional and undersea. … Reads like an action movie. ”—E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars

“Crashes over you in waves of emotion, allowing glimpses of family and loyalty, before dragging you into the depths of human prejudice, cultural mistrust, and political corruption. ”—A.G. Howard, New York Times–bestselling author of the Splintered series

“A solidly entertaining adventure with the perfect amount of romance and danger…. Buckley has created a phenomenal new heroine. Smart and snarky, with rough edges and a killer fashion sense, Lyric is a girl to be celebrated. ”—SLJ, starred review

HMH Books for Young Readers

The Undertow Trilogy

Undertow

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Undertow, the aquatic, dystopian saga continues as a teen on the run must lead the fight to save the world.

In the first book of Michael Buckley’s Undertow trilogy, the Alpha arrived and the world was never the same. At the start of the second book, most of south Brooklyn is in ruins from a massive tidal wave, and the nation is terrified. Nearly everyone that Lyric Walker loves is either missing or presumed dead, including the mesmerizing prince Fathom. It’s up to Lyric to unite the Alpha before the second wave of a cataclysmic invasion wipes out mankind for good. And a new nightmare is approaching…

“Watery fun right up to the cliffhanger. ”—Kirkus Reviews

“The second book in [the] series, and it somehow manages to raise the stakes and the action to an unprecedented level. ”—Hypable

"Fans of the first title will clamor for this sequel. ”—SLJ

Raging Sea

In the epic conclusion of this dystopian trilogy, nail-baiting action and romance abound as a half-human teen faces terrifying monsters from the deep.

After seven months as a captive of Minerva, the insane Alpha queen, Lyric Walker has escaped to the surface. Her only goal is to warn the world about the Great Abyss. When she finally arrives back in Coney Island, she discovers a world she never expected, one where humans and Alpha are finally working hand in hand to rebuild the country. But she soon discovers that an old enemy allied with an old friend may kill them all before the monsters get their turn. There’s no telling where Lyric’s loyalties, and her heart, will lead her…

“A series ender packed with action, scary enemies, and satisfying character arcs. ”—Kirkus Reviews