The Prestige meets What If It’s Us in Before We Disappear, a queer ahistorical fantasy set during the 1909 Seattle Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, where the two assistants of two ambitious magicians find themselves falling in love amidst a bitter rivalry designed to tear them apart.
Jack Nevin’s clever trickery and moral flexibility have served him well his entire life—making him the perfect assistant to the Enchantress, one of the most well-known stage magicians in early-twentieth-century Europe. Without Jack’s steady supply of stolen tricks and copycat sleight-of-hand illusions, the Enchantress’s fame would have burned out long ago—not that she would ever admit it.
But when they’re forced to flee the continent for America, the Enchantress finds a new audience in Seattle at the 1909 Alaska–Yukon–Pacific World’s Fair Exposition. She and Jack are set to make a fortune until a new magician arrives on the scene. Performing tricks that defy the imagination, Laszlo’s act threatens to overshadow the Enchantress and co-opt her audience. Jack has no choice but to hunt for the secrets behind Laszlo’s otherworldly illusions—but what he uncovers isn’t at all what he expected.
What makes Laszlo’s tricks possible is, unbelievably, a boy that can seemingly perform real magic. Wilhelm’s abilities defy all the laws of physics. His talents are no clever sleights-of-hand. But even though Laszlo and Wilhelm’s act threatens to destroy the life Jack and the Enchantress have built, Jack and Wilhelm have near-instant connection. As the rivalry between the Enchantress and Laszlo grows increasingly dangerous and dire, Jack finds he has to choose between the woman who gave him a life and the boy who is offering him love. It's a new star-crossed romance about the magic of first love from acclaimed author Shaun David Hutchinson.Author’s note.
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Gr 9 Up-Jack and Wilhelm, the teenage protagonists of this dual narrative, have a lot in common. They are both wards of conniving adults, have unique talents that their guardians manipulate for their own benefits, and are currently working as magician's assistants at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, a World's Fair that really took place in Seattle in 1909. Jack's guardian, The Enchantress, is a gifted magician who uses Jack's skills at showmanship and sleight-of-hand, respectively, to perform-and steal-amazing illusions. Wilhelm's guardian, Teddy, kidnapped him years ago when he discovered Wil's talent for Traveling: spontaneously transporting himself or others to spaces far away. Teddy comes to the Expo disguised as a gifted magician who seems to have particularly nefarious plans, though of what, Wil is unsure. As their lives become intertwined, Jack and Wil fall in love, and Jack plots to free Wil of Teddy's clutches. Interesting subplots include Jack's surrogate sister's pursuit of respect from The Enchantress, the sweet love story between Jack's friend Ruth and Teddy's assistant Jessamy, and The Enchantress's and Teddy's attempts to swindle rich paramours out of their money. In the final act, all of these subplots convene for a show-stopping magic show. Hutchinson's detailed historical research is evident; the Expo is so lively that it almost feels like a character of its own. An author's note describes Hutchinson's process, including his choice to celebrate queer joy despite the historical inaccuracies. Ruth is Black, and all other major characters are white. VERDICT A lovely, fun, rollicking book that belongs in every library serving teens.-Shira Pilarski