“Pick the Lock” by A.S. King

A.S. King, winner of numerous awards and described by the New York Times as one of the best young adult writers working today, brings her latest novel, “Pick the Lock,” to Red Balloon Bookshop on Thursday.

A.S. King (Courtesy of Dutton Books for Young Readers)

It’s the story of teenager Jane Vandermaker-Cook, living in a Victorian mansion with her younger brother, their deceitful father, and their punk-rock mother, who’s confined to a system of pneumatic tubes. Jane’s world is turned upside down when she gains access to a lifetime of security camera footage that questions the reality of her entire life’s story. This surreal revelation propels her on a transformative journey as she discovers painful truths about her family and the toxic dynamics that have shaped her existence. Her quest for liberation leads her to compose a punk opera, offering a vehicle for self-expression and rebellion.

“Pick the Lock” (Dutton Books for Young Readers, $19.99), received a a starred review from Booklist, which called the novel “another remarkable, character-driven book that sizzles with its originality.” The Pennsylvania-based author describes it as “a story of confinement, a story of lying, a story of what it’s like to be the last to know about your own life.” With the help of magical realism, the story addresses the normalization of domestic violence and the societal pressures that force women to diminish themselves.

Among King’s critically acclaimed books are the novel “Dig” and the anthology “The Collectors,” winners of the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in writing for young adults. She’s also recipient of the ALA’s Margaret A. Edwards award for significant contribution to YA literature.

King will introduce her novel at 6 p.m. Thursday at Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul. Free, but seating is limited and registration is suggested: redballoonbookshop.com/event/. She will be in conversation with her editor, Andrew Karre, executive editor at Dutton Books for Young readers.

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