Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald has published 7 books. The recommended reading order starts with Back to Blackbrick (2013).
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is an award-winning teacher and novelist who writes for young adults and children. Born in New York and raised in Dublin, Ireland, she lives and works as an academic in Limerick. Fitzgerald wrote constantly in secret for years before publishing her debut novel, Back to Blackbrick. She is an avid reader, married with three children, and also enjoys cycling. You can follow her on Twitter at @SmooreFitz.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Standalone Novels
- TagsfantasychildrenDescriptionCosmo stands at the rusted gates of Blackbrick Abbey, clutching a key his grandfather pressed into his palm during a rare moment of clarity. The air smells of damp stone and forgotten things. Behind him, the gates clang shut—when he turns, they're locked tight, crusted with years of rust that weren't there seconds before. Inside the crumbling house, he meets a young man with his grandfather's eyes. Time has folded in on itself, and Cosmo is no longer sure which century he's standing in. This is a story soaked in grief and threaded with impossible hope. Cosmo's brother Brian is dead. His mother buries herself in work. His grandfather, who taught him everything about horses and gave him a companion named John, is slipping away into dementia. But Blackbrick offers something dangerous and seductive: the chance to rewrite the past, to undo the losses that have hollowed out his family. Sarah Moore Fitzgerald weaves a haunting debut that asks whether we'd change our history if we could—and what we'd lose in the process. It's a book about the weight of memory, the stubbornness of love, and the strange, slippery nature of time itself.Publication dateSeptember 3, 2013Amazon rating4.5/5Print length208LanguageEnglishPublisherMargaret K. McElderry Books
- TagschildrencrimemysteryDescriptionWhat do you do when your best friend slips away from you, not through distance or time, but through something darker you can't quite name? Oscar Dunleavy used to be fearless, the kind of friend who made everything feel possible. But now he's silent, unreachable, and fourteen-year-old Meg is left grasping at memories of who he used to be. She refuses to believe he's gone for good, even when everyone else seems ready to give up. So Meg does what any determined friend would do: she bakes. An apple tart, to be exact—Oscar's favorite, the one his mother used to make. It's a small act, maybe even a foolish one, but it becomes her lifeline, her way of holding onto hope when the world feels like it's crumbling. Sarah Moore Fitzgerald crafts a tender, aching story about friendship, loss, and the quiet bravery it takes to keep believing in someone when all the signs say you shouldn't. This isn't a loud book or a flashy one, but it's deeply felt, with prose that lingers like the scent of cinnamon and warmth from an oven. It's about the power of small gestures and the stubborn, beautiful refusal to let go.Publication date2014Amazon rating4.2/5LanguageEnglishPublisherOrion Childrens Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
- Tags---DescriptionMinnie's world tilts when her older sister Effie falls into a coma after a riding accident. The hospital room smells like antiseptic and fear. Time moves differently here. Minnie refuses to believe the doctors who say Effie might never wake up. She starts talking to her sister. Reading aloud. Playing music. Minnie believes—needs to believe—that Effie can hear her, that somewhere inside that still body her sister is fighting to come back. As days blur into weeks, Minnie discovers reserves of hope she didn't know she had. This is a story about the fierce love between sisters, about the stories we tell ourselves to survive impossible situations, and about the very good chance that exists even when everyone else has stopped looking for it. Fitzgerald writes with tenderness and restraint, never tipping into sentimentality. The result is quietly devastating and ultimately hopeful.Publication dateSeptember 8, 2016Amazon rating4.2/5Print length240LanguageEnglishPublisherOrion Children's Books
- Tagsnon-fictionchildrenfantasyhorrorDescriptionSarah Moore Fitzgerald delivers a standalone novel that examines the quiet architecture of courage in ordinary lives. A Strange Kind of Brave operates in that delicate register where young adult fiction meets something more universal—the question of what it means to be brave when the world offers no clear enemies, only the slow accumulation of difficult choices. The narrative unfolds with Fitzgerald's characteristic attention to emotional nuance, tracing the contours of a protagonist who must navigate terrain where bravery looks nothing like the stories promise. This is not courage that announces itself with fanfare. It's the kind that emerges in small gestures, in the decision to speak or stay silent, in the daily work of showing up when everything argues for retreat. Fitzgerald writes with precision about the weight of expectation and the strange relief of finally naming what frightens us most. The prose moves between introspection and action, creating a rhythm that mirrors the protagonist's own uncertain progress toward something like strength.Publication dateApril 2, 2025Amazon rating4.4/5Print length240LanguageEnglishPublisherOrion Children's
- Tagsnon-fictionchildrenDescriptionWhat would you do if you discovered that the foundation of your family's fortune was built on something morally unforgivable, something that could unravel everything you thought you knew about the people you love most? Sarah Moore Fitzgerald crafts a world where privilege and conscience collide with devastating force, where the gleaming surface of wealth conceals secrets that refuse to stay buried. The atmosphere here is thick with unease, a slow-building tension that permeates every comfortable room and carefully maintained facade. This is a story that asks us to sit with discomfort, to examine the price we pay for security and the courage it takes to walk away from everything when staying means compromising who we are. Fitzgerald writes with a keen eye for the small moments that reveal character, the quiet conversations that change everything, the weight of choices that can never be unmade. At its heart, this is a novel about moral reckoning and the complexity of family loyalty when those two forces stand in opposition. The prose moves with deliberate grace, allowing readers to feel the full weight of each revelation, each moment of clarity that demands action. Fitzgerald doesn't offer easy answers or tidy resolutions, instead trusting her readers to grapple alongside her characters with questions that matter deeply: What do we owe to truth? What do we owe to each other? And when does silence become complicity?Publication dateApril 2, 2025Amazon rating4.2/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherOrion Children's
- TagsfantasychildrenDescriptionGrace knows the difference between what's real and what isn't—or at least she thought she did. When her grandfather Enzo begins slipping into dementia, the boundaries between memory and imagination, truth and story, start to blur in ways that unsettle everything she's counted on. Enzo insists he once knew a famous artist, that he lived a life far grander than the quiet one Grace has always known him to have, and she doesn't know whether to believe him or grieve the person he's becoming. Sarah Moore Fitzgerald writes with a tenderness that never tips into sentimentality, capturing the particular ache of watching someone you love disappear by degrees. This is a story about what we owe to the people who raised us, about the stories we tell to make sense of our lives, and about the courage it takes to hold on to love when the person you're loving keeps changing. Grace's journey—to separate fact from fiction, to honor her grandfather's past while accepting his present—will break your heart and mend it again. A quiet, necessary book about family, memory, and the real things that matter when everything else falls away.Publication dateApril 2, 2025Amazon rating4.3/5Print length224LanguageEnglishPublisherOrion Children's
- TagschildrenmysteryDescriptionSome scars run deeper than skin, and some fears circle back no matter how far you swim from them. Sarah Moore Fitzgerald crafts a story that understands the weight of trauma and the courage it takes to face what haunts you. This is a novel about a young person grappling with an event that has left both physical and emotional marks—a scar that tells a story they're not ready to share. The shark in the title isn't just a creature; it's a symbol of the terror that lingers, the thing that changed everything. Fitzgerald writes with the kind of quiet intensity that makes you feel every ripple of anxiety, every small victory. What sets this apart is how it refuses easy answers. The journey here isn't about erasing the past or becoming fearless overnight. It's about learning to live with what happened, finding language for the unspeakable, and discovering that healing doesn't mean forgetting. Fitzgerald has a gift for capturing the interior life of young people without condescension or sentimentality. Her prose is clear-eyed and tender, attuned to the way fear can reshape a life and the way connection—however tentative—can begin to reshape it again. This is a book that respects its readers enough to sit with difficult feelings, and it lingers long after the final page.Publication dateMay 27, 2025Amazon rating4.9/5Print length320LanguageEnglishPublisherOrion Children's
Frequently Asked Questions about Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald writes standalone novels. Because her books are not part of a series, readers can begin with any title. The books are listed in publication order here, which is one way to approach her work. Another way is to choose based on the year they were published. For example, The Apple Tart of Hope was published in 2014, and A Very Good Chance was published in 2016. Readers might also choose a book based on its title or the brief description of its subject matter. The order in which you read them does not affect your understanding of the individual stories.
A good starting point for Sarah Moore Fitzgerald's books is Back to Blackbrick, which was published in 2013. This was her debut novel. Another option is to begin with The Apple Tart of Hope, published in 2014. This book was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Both are standalone novels, so readers can begin with either and move on to other titles without needing to follow a specific sequence. Choosing a book based on its title or the year of publication is also a valid approach.
No, readers do not have to read Sarah Moore Fitzgerald's books in order. She writes standalone novels, meaning each book tells a complete story and does not depend on knowledge from previous books for comprehension. Readers can start with any of her novels and enjoy them independently. Publication order is often provided for reference, but it is not a requirement for understanding the narratives. You can select a book based on its title, the year it was released, or any other personal preference.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald writes standalone novels. This means that each book she has published tells a complete and independent story. Readers do not need to follow a specific order when reading her books, nor do they need to worry about missing plot points from earlier novels if they pick up a later one. Each title can be enjoyed on its own merits. While she has written multiple books, they are not connected as part of a larger series.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald has written at least eight books. Her published works include Back to Blackbrick (2013), The Apple Tart of Hope (2014), A Very Good Chance (2016), and All the Money in the World (2025). There are also two additional titles listed as upcoming, A Strange Kind of Brave (2025) and another unnamed book also due in 2025. The exact total number of published and upcoming books is not fully detailed, but the list indicates a significant body of work.
The first book Sarah Moore Fitzgerald wrote was Back to Blackbrick, published in 2013. This novel marked her debut as an author. It is a standalone story, and readers can approach it without any prior knowledge of her other works. Following this debut, she continued to publish other standalone novels, each offering a distinct narrative. Back to Blackbrick introduces readers to her style of writing and the kinds of stories she tells.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald has two books scheduled for release in 2025: A Strange Kind of Brave and another unnamed title. All the Money in the World is also slated for 2025. As of now, the most recently published book is A Very Good Chance, released in 2016. However, with multiple books planned for 2025, the upcoming titles will soon become her most recent works. Readers can anticipate new stories from her in the near future.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald writes young adult fiction. Her novels often explore themes of family, friendship, and finding one's place in the world. While specific genre labels are not always definitive, her work generally falls within contemporary young adult fiction, sometimes with elements of mystery or adventure. The Apple Tart of Hope, for instance, was recognized with a nomination for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Her stories tend to be character-driven and emotionally resonant.
We verified the reading order for Sarah Moore Fitzgerald's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: April 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Sarah Moore Fitzgerald Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/sarah-moore-fitzgerald