The Story
Harriet the Spy meets Black Mirror in The Genie Game, the start of a thrilling new middle-grade series from Jordan Ifueko, author of the New York Times bestselling fantasy Raybearer.
Four starred reviews! "Positive, powerful, and action-packed." (Kirkus)
Valentine Adesanya has two missions: 1) become a Feared and Fabulous Film Director and 2) find her missing big sister, Mango. She suspects The Trio Trust, a collection of creepy mega-companies that now rule the United States, made Mango disappear.
A text lures Valentine to a magical boba shop, which comes to life and tells Valentine she is now a GENIE: a member of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, an underground workforce run by the Trio Trust. Genies may only leave their bottles to grant the wishes of mortals. With each granted wish, The Trio Trust gains more magic, and so the Trio hosts a glamorous wish-granting competition, rewarding top players with fabulous prizes. The twist?
The greedy Trio forbids genies from using magic. Genies must grant wishes using nothing but smarts, luck, and elbow grease.
To free her sister Mango and escape the Genie Game, Valentine must score more wish-granting points than any other Genie. But how did the Trio Trust get so powerful in the first place? Why is a magical monster stomping through her home city of Gloss Angeles?
And why does the Trio Trust seem so afraid of 13-year-old Valentine Adesanya?
Author: Jordan Ifueko
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 04/21/2026
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.12h x 5.36w x 1.27d
ISBN: 9781419764370
Audience: Young Adult
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026
School Library Journal 03/01/2026 pg. 66
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2026 pg. 62
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026
About the Author
Jordan Ifueko is the New York Times bestselling author of the Raybearer series. She's a Nebula Award, Ignyte Award, Audie Award, and Hugo Lodestar finalist, and she's been featured in People magazine, NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, and ALA Top Ten. She writes about magical Black girls who aren't magic all the time, because honestly, they deserve a vacation.
Description
Harriet the Spy meets Black Mirror in The Genie Game, the start of a thrilling new middle-grade series from Jordan Ifueko, author of the New York Times bestselling fantasy Raybearer.
Four starred reviews! "Positive, powerful, and action-packed." (Kirkus)
Valentine Adesanya has two missions: 1) become a Feared and Fabulous Film Director and 2) find her missing big sister, Mango. She suspects The Trio Trust, a collection of creepy mega-companies that now rule the United States, made Mango disappear.
A text lures Valentine to a magical boba shop, which comes to life and tells Valentine she is now a GENIE: a member of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, an underground workforce run by the Trio Trust. Genies may only leave their bottles to grant the wishes of mortals. With each granted wish, The Trio Trust gains more magic, and so the Trio hosts a glamorous wish-granting competition, rewarding top players with fabulous prizes. The twist?
The greedy Trio forbids genies from using magic. Genies must grant wishes using nothing but smarts, luck, and elbow grease.
To free her sister Mango and escape the Genie Game, Valentine must score more wish-granting points than any other Genie. But how did the Trio Trust get so powerful in the first place? Why is a magical monster stomping through her home city of Gloss Angeles?
And why does the Trio Trust seem so afraid of 13-year-old Valentine Adesanya?
Author: Jordan Ifueko
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 04/21/2026
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.12h x 5.36w x 1.27d
ISBN: 9781419764370
Audience: Young Adult
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026
School Library Journal 03/01/2026 pg. 66
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2026 pg. 62
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026
About the Author
Jordan Ifueko is the New York Times bestselling author of the Raybearer series. She's a Nebula Award, Ignyte Award, Audie Award, and Hugo Lodestar finalist, and she's been featured in People magazine, NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, and ALA Top Ten. She writes about magical Black girls who aren't magic all the time, because honestly, they deserve a vacation.
