Melanie Figueroa

I’m drawn to voice-driven general and commercial fiction with book club appeal, often with a touch of a genre element—speculative, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, or historical. I like accessible, high-concept stories with strong themes, emotional undercurrents, and crossover potential into women’s fiction.

Middle Grade

I’m looking for timeless, immersive middle grade stories that feel transportive. Some of my favorite middle grade stories are The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, Pax by Sara Pennypacker, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani, and Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. I’m looking for a wide range of stories within this category. I love an animal/spirit character, explorations of history and culture, fantastical settings, horror and mystery elements.

Young Adult

My primary focus in young adult literature is speculative, horror, mysteries/thrillers, romance, and some literary fiction. I love a high stakes plot, fantasy settings with accessible worldbuilding and smart magic systems, a sense of humor, characters who are a little mean or vicious. Some of my favorite young adult books are Sadie by Courtney Summers, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez, and Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson.

Adult

Speculative Fiction

I represent a wide range of adult speculative fiction, including fantasy, horror, and books with sci-fi elements.

In fantasy, I’m looking for sweeping romances, dark fantasy, cozies, epics, and stories rooted in untold mythologies. I like accessible worldbuilding—think relationships I can follow without my finger tracing the lines of a family tree. Some of my recent favorites are Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, The Poet Empress by Shen Tao, The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer, and Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.

In science fiction, I prefer stories that are grounded, character-driven, and light on the sci-fi jargon. Some recent favorites are The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, Recursion by Blake Crouch, and Homebound by Portia Elan.

I’m also looking for magical realism or fabulism stories that appeal to a general or literary fiction reader. Some recent favorites are Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.

In horror, I’m looking for all subgenres—psychological, supernatural, sci-fi, folk, body, gothic, you name it. I’d love a horror project that includes epistolary elements or an otherwise inventive structure, like Max Brook’s Devolution.

I love general, upmarket fiction with a foot in the genre world. I’m drawn to sharp, voice-driven poignant writing and a hooky premise. I like stories that use the lens of a specific moment in history, friendships and family, a social or class issue, and romance—stories about power, intimacy, and ambition, particularly those set in academic, artistic, or high-pressure environments. I’m also interested in multi-generational fiction that bridges timelines, exploring memory and the ways personal and cultural legacies are carried forward. Some favorites in this space are Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess, Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, Lucky by Marissa Stapley, and The Wedding People by Alison Espach.

I’m also drawn to literary leaning thrillers and mysteries, like The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka, and coming of age stories like Marlena by Julie Buntin.