Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Bag of Gold | 2009 | David Estes | Buy |
| 2 | I Am Touch | 2015 | David Estes | Buy |
| 3 | Strings | 2016 | David Estes | Buy |
| 4 | The Rescue of Nadia Marie | 2021 | David Estes | Buy |
| 5 | The Imagination Tree | 2024 | David Estes | Buy |
David Estes’s standalone output covers a wider range than his series work. A Bag of Gold, his first published book from 2009, is a fantasy novel that predates his shift toward YA dystopian fiction. The later standalones vary considerably: I Am Touch (2015) is a science fiction story about a boy with the ability to see into the future through touch; Strings (2016) is a contemporary fantasy; The Rescue of Nadia Marie (2021) is a thriller novella; and The Imagination Tree (2024) is a children’s picture book.
The standalones give a broader picture of Estes’s range as a writer. While his series work tends to follow recognizable genre conventions for YA or adult fantasy, the standalone books sometimes take more experimental directions. Strings, in particular, is a departure from his usual style — it deals with fate and connection in a modern setting rather than a constructed world.
For readers who want to sample Estes without committing to a multi-book series, the standalones offer a lower-stakes entry point. I Am Touch is the most representative of his science fiction sensibility outside of the Slip trilogy, and it stands alone cleanly.