The Twelve

WINNER OF THE NERO PRIZE FOR CHILDREN’S FICTION • A Financial Times and Guardian Book of the Year

A girl must travel back in time to save her sister in this “haunting and resonant” Young Teen fantasy perfect for fans of Susan Cooper and Alexandra Bracken (The Guardian).

It's supposed to be a treat for Kit, a winter holiday by the Welsh coast with her sister Libby and their mum. But as the solstice moon rises high in the sky, Kit and Libby are drawn to a mysterious white tower, only to face disaster when Libby vanishes. The world has rewritten itself, leaving Kit to navigate a reality where her sister has never existed. Even their mum doesn't remember her.

But then Kit meets Story, a local boy who remembers Libby perfectly. They team up to embark on a perilous journey across time, through a world steeped in ancient folklore and fraught with dangers beyond their wildest imagination. Will they be able to uncover the secret of the Twelve and rescue Libby before Time itself vanishes?

Set against the mystical backdrop of the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, The Twelve is a dark and dreamy time travel fantasy that explores how we can care for both each other and our planet in the face of the rising climate emergency. With 30 stunning black and white illustrations interspersed throughout its pages, this modern classic in the making from award-winning author Liz Hyder draws on folklore, ritual and mystery to create an utterly mesmerizing fantasy book for teens ages 13-15.

Liz Hyder has been making up stories ever since she can remember. She has a BA in drama from the University of Bristol and, in early 2018, won the Bridge Award/MoniackMhor's Emerging Writer Award. Her first novel, Bearmouth, won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Readers, the Branford Boase Award, and was The Times's Children's Book of The Year.

"Marrying wild magic with a passionate love for the natural world, this work holds strong appeal for fans of David Almond, Susan Cooper, and Cornelia Funke... An intense, timeless work that’s both literary and inviting."
—Kirkus Review, Starred

"Rich descriptions of the natural world enrich the slow, atmospheric mood and show human impact without being preachy. Illustrations at the chapter headings add to the ageless folkloric mood."
—School Library Journal