Ava is a firebug-she can start fires with her mind. Which would all be well and good if she weren't caught in a deadly contract with the Coterie, a magical mafia. She's one of their main hit men . . . and she doesn't like it one bit. Not least because her mother's death was ordered by Venus-who is now her boss.

When Venus asks Ava to kill a family friend, Ava rebels. She knows very well that you can't say no to the Coterie and expect to get away with it, though, so she and her friends hit the road, trying desperately to think of a way out of the mess they find themselves in. Preferably keeping the murder to a minimum.

Firebug by Lish McBride is an irresistible YA novel that blends a heady, supernatural twist into a modern gang story with a distinctive bite of snarky humor.

Lish McBride is an author, bookseller, and all-around ne'er-do-well living in the Seattle area. She has an MFA from the University of New Orleans, which she is sure they'd like to take back. The poor people stuck with her include her long-suffering Man Friend, her son, and her furry legion, which number many. (Well, three.) When she isn't working, which is most of the time, and reading, which is the rest of the time, you can probably find her whining on Twitter about how she needs a nap.