The Urban Legend of the Gold Key - A Novel

In this paranormal YA tale, perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell, ’80s teen Cate dreams of two things––belonging and an MTV moment with her band––but when she suddenly gains access to a cosmic portal, she learns that power attracts adversaries.

As a high school student in 1985, there’s no social media—just one’s instincts and chance encounters where destiny seems to play a hand. Cate Smith Cruz is drawn to the mysterious things in life––the complexity of love, ghosts, and a stable home, to name a few. Most of all, after too many moves, she just wants to belong.

Cate’s junior year is supposed to be about forever friends, forming a breakout band, and finding her place in the world. Instead, the heirloom piano she’s just inherited begins giving her prophetic dreams about humanity’s fate and she crosses paths with a music award with alleged magical powers, which lands her on her new school’s Queen Bee’s radar. As the school year unfolds, Cate’s relationships are tested, secrets land into the wrong hands, and she faces life-altering decisions about whether to conform . . . or suffer.

Full of heart and magic, this paranormal coming-of-age story reveals how curiosity can be a superpower and demonstrates that no matter what demons we face, finding happiness is always possible.