The Kingdom
by Jess Rothenberg

A half-android, half-human girl is accused of murder in Jess Rothenberg's tautly-paced YA thriller, The Kingdom, perfect for fans of Westworld and The Lunar Chronicles.

"Wildly addictive and beautifully terrifying... Readers will leave this glittering theme park forgetting what is real."―Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles

Welcome to the Kingdom… where "Happily Ever After" isn’t just a promise, but a rule.

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species―formerly extinct―roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty―and what it truly means to be human.

JESS ROTHENBERG is a writer and freelance editor who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. A former senior editor of books for young readers, including the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series, Jess lives in New York City with her family. Her debut novel for teens, The Catastrophic History of You & Me, has been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Jess Rothenberg

  • "Wildly addictive and beautifully terrifying... Readers will leave this glittering theme park forgetting what is real."

    ―Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles

  • "Reading The Kingdom feels like a dark treasure hunt. Rothenberg interweaves profound existential questions with breakneck twists and turns to create a story that's both unputdownable and unforgettable."

    ―Sara Holland, New York Times-bestselling author of Everless

  • "This sublime blend of The Stepford Wives and Westworld is richly composed and intricately plotted."

    ―Kirkus Reviews

  • "The Kingdom is essentially Disney on steroids, and Rothenberg brings the idea of a place built on fantasy to its inevitable conclusion: what happens when those fantasies aren’t so nice, and at whose cost are those fantasies fulfilled?"

    ―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

  • "This highly accessible title is recommended to both science fiction fans and teens who don’t normally read in this genre, and to readers who enjoyed titles such as Lauren Oliver’s Replica and S.J. Kincaid’s The Diabolic."

    ―School Library Journal

  • "Through flashbacks, trial transcripts, and evidence exhibits, Ana's story, and greater revelations about the world around her, unfold in tantalizing pieces. A layered and fast-paced mystery with an ethical backbone."

    ―Booklist

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