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YA Cover Makeovers: A Gallery of New Paperback YA Looks

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I’ve been writing about YA book cover changes here for the 10+ years we’ve been here at STACKED. Generally, I like to pick out a handful and talk about them in-depth. But this year’s gotten away from me a bit. I’ve been collecting book cover changes, still, but haven’t written about them quite like I have in the past. They’ve stacked up in my files, and rather than parse them out in numerous posts, it feels better to wipe the slate clean and share them in one big pile.

Because of that, I’m not going to offer much insight, other than a note about when the new paperback edition becomes available, as well as what cover I prefer based on nothing but my immediate reaction.

Cover designs change for many reasons, and often, authors have little to no control over it. In some cases, the paperback redesign is much stronger than the hardcover, and in other cases, the hardcover is better. Still in other situations, both covers are completely fine — maybe even worthy of thinking about why the change needed to occur at all — and in others, neither cover quite captures the story or reaches the intended audience.

I’d love to know which of these covers you prefer. Descriptions for the books come from Goodreads, which I think has better descriptions than the short blips from Amazon. As always, the original hardcover is on the left, with the new paperback edition on the right.

 

10 Things I Can See From Here (January 28, 2020)

Think positive. Don’t worry; be happy. Keep calm and carry on.

Maeve has heard it all before. She’s been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it’s not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom—the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through—is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver.

Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn’t seem to worry about anything. Between her dad’s wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?

For me, this one is tough. I don’t love ether one of them, but I like the pink and gold combination of the cover and lettering on the paperback. 

 

American Panda (Paperback available now)

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

The color combination — as well as the fact that the girl on the cover looks more like a 17-year-old — makes me prefer the paperback by leaps and bounds. It captures the mood and feel of the book more accurately. 

 

Analee In Real Life by Janelle Milanes (Available in paperback now)

Ever since her mom died three years ago, Analee Echevarria has had trouble saying out loud the weird thoughts that sit in her head. With a best friend who hates her and a dad who’s marrying a yogi she can’t stand, Analee spends most of her time avoiding reality and role-playing as Kiri, the night elf hunter at the center of her favorite online game.

Through Kiri, Analee is able to express everything real-life Analee cannot: her bravery, her strength, her inner warrior. The one thing both Kiri and Analee can’t do, though, is work up the nerve to confess her romantic feelings for Kiri’s partner-in-crime, Xolkar—aka a teen boy named Harris whom Analee has never actually met in person.

So when high school heartthrob Seb Matias asks Analee to pose as his girlfriend in an attempt to make his ex jealous, Analee agrees. Sure, Seb seems kind of obnoxious, but Analee could use some practice connecting with people in real life. In fact, it’d maybe even help her with Harris.

But the more Seb tries to coax Analee out of her comfort zone, the more she starts to wonder if her anxious, invisible self is even ready for the real world. Can Analee figure it all out without losing herself in the process?

The paperback coloring and font design remind me of YA in the late 00s era, but the hardcover doesn’t tell me anything, really, abot the book. The use of a mouse makes me feel like the story is dated or is meant to feel old school itself (I don’t get the role playing gaming from it). I don’t love either one of them. 

 

 

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak (October 8)

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.

At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle.

The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?

I think the paperback is far more eye catching, though it definitely looks like an adult book and not a YA book. 

 

 

Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe (January 7, 2020)

Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A black French Canadian, he knows from watching American sitcoms that those three things don’t bode well when you are moving to Austin, Texas. Plunked into a new high school and sweating a ridiculous amount from the oppressive Texas heat, Norris finds himself cataloging everyone he meets: the Cheerleaders, the Jocks, the Loners, and even the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Making a ton of friends has never been a priority for him, and this way he can at least amuse himself until it’s time to go back to Canada, where he belongs.

Yet, against all odds, those labels soon become actual people to Norris. Be it loner Liam, who makes it his mission to befriend Norris, or Madison the beta cheerleader, who is so nice that it has to be a trap. Not to mention Aarti the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, who might, in fact, be a real love interest in the making. He even starts playing actual hockey with these Texans.

But the night of the prom, Norris screws everything up royally. As he tries to pick up the pieces, he realizes it might be time to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions and start living his life—along with the people who have found their way into his heart.

The hardcover design for this book is so good. But that paperback? Maybe slightly better. We don’t see enough black boys front and center on a book cover, and we certainly don’t see them like socially awkward teenagers. 

 

Fire Color One by Jenny Valentine (February 4, 2020)

Sixteen-year-old Iris itches constantly for the strike of a match. But when she’s caught setting one too many fires, she’s whisked away to London before she can get arrested—at least that’s the story her mother tells. Mounting debt actually drove them out of LA, and it’s greed that brings them to a home Iris doesn’t recognize, where her millionaire father—a man she’s never met—lives. Though not for much longer.

Iris’s father is dying, and her mother is determined to claim his life’s fortune, including his priceless art collection. Forced to live with him as part of an exploitive scheme, Iris soon realizes her father is far different than the man she’s been schooled to hate, and everything she thought she knew—about her father and herself—is suddenly unclear. There may be hidden beauty in Iris’s uncertain past, and future, if only she can see beyond the flames.

I’m usually partial to more simple covers like the hardcover, but because of how different it is — and how rare the blue/orange color combination is — something about the paperback for this one really sings. I also think the girl on it is striking. 

 

Fireworks by Katie Cotugno (January 7, 2020)

It was always meant to be Olivia. She was the talented one, the one who had been training to be a star her whole life. Her best friend, Dana, was the level-headed one, always on the sidelines, cheering her best friend along.

But everything changes when Dana tags along with Olivia to Orlando for the weekend, where superproducer Guy Monroe is holding auditions for a new singing group, and Dana is discovered too. Dana, who’s never sung more than Olivia’s backup. Dana, who wasn’t even looking for fame. Next thing she knows, she and Olivia are training to be pop stars, and Dana is falling for Alex, the earnest, endlessly talented boy who’s destined to be the next big thing.

It should be a dream come true, but as the days of grueling practice and constant competition take their toll, things between Olivia and Dana start to shift . . . and there’s only room at the top for one girl. For Olivia, it’s her chance at her dream. For Dana, it’s a chance to escape a future that seems to be closing in on her. And for these lifelong best friends, it’s the adventure of a lifetime—if they can make it through.

Set in evocative 1990s Orlando, New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno’s Fireworks brings to life the complexity of friendship, the excitement of first love, and the feeling of being on the verge of greatness.

This book actually already came out in paperback, and it had the same cover as the hardcover. But in January, it’s getting a new look and going to an illustrated look. I didn’t care at all for the hardcover, even though it is absolutely spot on with 90s teen culture, so the paperback for me feels much fresher and more interesting. Though honestly, neither especially evoke what the book is about. 

 

Four-Letter Word by Christa Desir (Paperback Available Now)

Eight friends. One game. A dozen regrets. And a night that will ruin them all, in this high stakes gripping story of manipulation and innocence lost, from the author of Bleed Like Me.

Chloe Sanders has wasted the better part of her junior year watching her best friend Eve turn away from her for the more interesting and popular Holly Reed. Living with her grandparents because her parents are currently serving as overseas volunteers, Chloe spends her days crushing on a dark-haired guy named Mateo, being mostly ignored by Eve and Holly, and wishing the cornfields of Iowa didn’t feel so incredibly lonely.

But shortly after spring break, a new girl transfers to her high school—Chloe Donnelly. This Chloe is bold and arty and instantly placed on a pedestal by Eve and Holly. Now suddenly everyone is referring to Chloe Sanders as “Other Chloe” and her social status plummets even more.

Until Chloe Donnelly introduces all her friends to a dangerous game: a girls vs. guys challenge that only has one rule—obtain information by any means necessary. All the warning bells are going off in Other Chloe’s head about the game, but she’s not about to commit social suicide by saying no to playing.

Turns out the game is more complicated than Other Chloe thinks. Chloe Donnelly hates to lose. She’s got power over everyone—secrets she’s exploiting—and she likes to yank their strings. Only soft-spoken Mateo is sick of it, and when the game turns nasty, he chooses Other Chloe to help him expose everything Chloe Donnelly has done. But neither realize just how much the truth could cost them in the end.

The paperback is a real winner here. It says so much more about the tone of the book and the story than the hardcover. 

 

Here To Stay by Sara Farizan (Paperback Available Now)

For most of high school, Bijan Majidi has flown under the radar. He gets good grades, reads comics, hangs out with his best friend, Sean, and secretly crushes on Elle, one of the most popular girls in his school. When he’s called off the basketball team’s varsity bench and makes the winning basket in a playoff game, everything changes in an instant.

But not everyone is happy that Bijan is the man of the hour: an anonymous cyberbully sends the entire school a picture of Bijan photoshopped to look like a terrorist. His mother is horrified, and the school administration is outraged. They promise to find and punish the culprit. All Bijan wants is to pretend it never happened and move on, but the incident isn’t so easily erased. Though many of his classmates rally behind Bijan, some don’t want him or his type to be a part of their school. And Bijan’s finding out it’s not always easy to tell your enemies from your friends . . .

I think both of the covers are great, but if forced to choose, I really think the action in the paperback edition captures Bijan slightly better. 

 

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.

In the aftermath of Tariq’s death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.

Tariq’s friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.

 

The hardcover was the same package as the original paperback when that released a few years ago. But with the upcoming companion novel to this one, the paperback is getting a gorgeous refresh. I love the original a lot and maybe more than the paperback redesign, but it fits really nicely with Light It Up, coming in late October. 

 

 

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone (Paperback Available Now)

Next-door neighbors and ex-best friends Hannah and Emory haven’t spoken in months. Not since the fight—the one where they said things they couldn’t take back.

Now, Emory is fine-tuning her UCLA performing arts application and trying to make the most of the months she has left with her boyfriend, Luke, before they head off to separate colleges. Meanwhile, Hannah’s strong faith is shaken when her family’s financial problems come to light, and she finds herself turning to unexpected places—and people—for answers to the difficult questions she’s suddenly facing.

No matter how much Hannah and Emory desperately want to bridge the thirty-six steps between their bedroom windows, they can’t. Not anymore.

Until their paths cross unexpectedly when, one night, Hannah finds Luke doubled over in his car outside her house. In the aftermath of the accident, all three struggle to understand what happened in their own ways. But when a devastating secret about Hannah and Emory’s argument ultimately comes to light, they must all reexamine the things they hold true.

In alternating chapters, a skeptic and a believer piece together the story of their complex relationship and the boy caught somewhere in the middle. New York Times best-selling author Tamara Ireland Stone deftly crafts a moving portrait of faith, love, and friendship.

I really like both covers. The original doesn’t tell me a whole lot about the story, but even with having a person on it with a bedroom, the paperback also doesn’t explain too much about the story. Maybe in terms of thinking about the story, the hardcover conveys the art aspect. The paperback, with the new tagline, digs into the friendship aspect. 

 

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Paperback available now)

“I’m not saying this is Sawyer’s fault,” the prim and proper one said delicately. “But.”

Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother’s “society” might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father’s identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn’t expect to find is friendship, but as she’s drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn’t the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother’s glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer’s search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.

Set in the world of debutante balls, grand estates and rolling green hills, Little White Lies combines a charming setting, a classic fish-out-of-water story, and the sort of layered mystery only author Jennifer Lynn Barnes can pull off.

The original hardcover looks like it’s trying to be like The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton in terms of the debutant ball feel, but it definitely doesn’t stand out among other shattered rose book covers. The paperback, though, is fantastic. The debutant feel is there, and the fact the girls are holding various tools — scissors, a wrench, and handcuffs — really get at the thriller aspect. 

 

 

Out Of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez (Paperback Available Now)

“This is East Texas, and there’s lines. Lines you cross, lines you don’t cross. That clear?”

New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them.

“No Negroes, Mexicans, or dogs.”

They know the people who enforce them.

“They all decided they’d ride out in their sheets and pay Blue a visit.”

But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.

“More than grief, more than anger, there is a need. Someone to blame. Someone to make pay.”

Ashley Hope Pérez takes the facts of the 1937 New London school explosion—the worst school disaster in American history—as a backdrop for a riveting novel about segregation, love, family, and the forces that destroy people.

I love the solemn feel of the hardcover on this one. While the illustrated cover for the paperback might attract new readers, it’s a little jumbled and confused for me. It might be the fact the characters are off-center without something clearly between them to make that placement clear. 

 

See No Color by Shannon Gibney (Paperback Available Now)

For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Alex Kirtridge has known two things:

1. She has always been Little Kirtridge, a stellar baseball player, just like her father.

2. She’s adopted.

These facts have always been part of Alex’s life. Despite some teasing, being a biracial girl in a white family didn’t make much of a difference as long as she was a star on the diamond where her father—her baseball coach and a former pro player—counted on her. But now, things are changing: she meets Reggie, the first black guy who’s wanted to get to know her; she discovers the letters from her biological father that her adoptive parents have kept from her; and her body starts to grow into a woman’s, affecting her game.

Alex begins to question who she really is. She’s always dreamed of playing pro baseball just like her father, but can she really do it? Does she truly fit in with her white family? Who were her biological parents? What does it mean to be black? If she’s going to find answers, Alex has to come to terms with her adoption, her race, and the dreams she thought would always guide her.

This book fell under the radar when it came out so seeing this makeover in paperback thrills me, thinking about how new readers will discover it. Both covers work well for me, but there’s something about the stance in the paperback of the girl that really resonates with me. In addition to the light pink, the fun title font, the paperback is a total win  — and how neat the girl’s profile and expression in the paperback mirrors the original. 

 

The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig by Don Zolidis (Paperback Available Now)

Janesville, Wisconsin (cold in the sense that there is no God)
1994

The worst thing that’s ever happened to Craig is also the best: Amy. Amy and Craig never should’ve gotten together. Craig is an awkward, Dungeons & Dragons-playing geek, and Amy is the beautiful, fiercely intelligent student-body president of their high school.

Yet somehow they did. Until Amy dumped him. Then got back together with him. Then dumped him again. Then got back together with him again. Over and over and over.

Unfolding during their senior year, Amy and Craig’s exhilarating, tumultuous relationship is a kaleidoscope of joy, pain, and laughter as an uncertain future-and adult responsibility-loom on the horizon.

Craig fights for his dream of escaping Janesville and finding his place at a quirky college, while Amy’s quest to uncover her true self sometimes involves being Craig’s girlfriend?and sometimes doesn’t.

Seven heartbreaks. Seven joys.Told nonsequentially, acclaimed playwright Don Zolidis’s debut novel is a brutally funny, bittersweet taste of the utterly unique and utterly universal experience of first love.

Another book that is sorely under-the-rdar but so good. The paperback redesign isn’t much different than the original hardcover, except for the placement of the title and the background color. It’s also using color polariods, as opposed to black and white. I prefer the hardcover, though — the book is set in the early 90s, and the doodles on the red cover evoke that a bit more. 

 

The Apocalypse fo Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson (Paperback Available Now)

Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth.

This can be scientifically explained (it’s called parthenogenesis), but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal Freddie, the girl she’s had a crush on for years, from a gunshot wound in a Starbucks parking lot. Or why the boy who shot Freddie, David Combs, disappeared from the same parking lot minutes later after getting sucked up into the clouds. What also can’t be explained are the talking girl on the front of a tampon box, or the reasons that David Combs shot Freddie in the first place.

As more unbelievable things occur, and Elena continues to perform miracles, the only remaining explanation is the least logical of all—that the world is actually coming to an end, and Elena is possibly the only one who can do something about it.

This book is weird, and both of those covers reflect that. But something about the color choices in the new cover really make it stand out for me. The coffee cup is where the story begins (well, a coffee shop), so that it’s front and center is especially noteworthy in my eyes. 

 

The Girl King by Mimi Yu (February 11, 2020)

Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal for readers of Sabaa Tahir and Alwyn Hamilton.

All hail the Girl King. 

Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty’s first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead—a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally—and an army—if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…

Alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens—a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other.

The cover change is that the title was moved and background color made different. And yet, I feel like the paperback is far more appealing. 

 

The Story of Owen by EK Johnston (Paperback Available Now)

Listen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival. There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition. But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected. Such was Trondheim’s fate until Owen Thorskard arrived. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible odds armed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard. Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I alone know the story of Owen, the story that changes everything. Listen!

Much as I appreciate the dragon in the hardcover, the fact the dragon is front and center in the paperback and spitting fire — and the flames glowing against the deep blue/purple background — makes it pop. I’m partial to the paperback here. 

 

The War Outside by Monica Hesse (Paperback Available Now)

It’s 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado–until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan.

Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a “family internment camp” for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day, and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family whole as her mother’s health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father becomes a man who distrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis.

With everything around them falling apart, Margot and Haruko find solace in their growing, secret friendship. But in a prison the government has deemed full of spies, can they trust anyone–even each other?

I’m not a big fan of World War II books, and I think part of it is that they all sort of look the same to me visually. The hardcover here reminds me of tons of other similar books, as does the paperback redesign. My gut reaction is that the hardcover is a little more distinct, and perhaps that’s because of the body expressions and the bike. 

 

So what do you think? Favorites? Some that are less impressive? I’d love to know! 

Cybils 2019

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I’m thrilled to be a panelist for the Cybils Awards again this year. I love the Cybils because the award recognizes books that demonstrate both literary merit as well as teen appeal. You can read more about the award here.

This is my ninth year running as a participant in the Cybils! This will be my seventh year serving in the Young Adult Speculative Fiction category and my fifth as a Round 1 panelist. As a part of Round 1, along with my fellow panelists, I’m responsible for reading as many nominated books as possible and choosing a shortlist of up to seven titles. I’d really like to read some excellent books, which means I need your help: please nominate! Nominations opened yesterday, October 1. Any speculative fiction book published for young adults between October 16, 2018 and October 15, 2019 is eligible. Unsure what counts as speculative fiction? Here’s the category description. Each person can nominate one book per category.

The following is a list of books I suggest for nomination. These are either books I’ve already read and liked or books that are noteworthy in some way (critical acclaim, lots of teen appeal, under the radar gems, etc.). None of them had been nominated by the time I scheduled this post, but be sure to check the most current list of nominations before you nominate.

 

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Lovely War by Julie Berry

Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron

The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Caster by Elsie Chapman

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton

Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Rise by Ellen Goodlett

The Waning Age by S. E. Grove

The Afterward by E. K. Johnston

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich

Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Red Skies Falling by Alex London

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera

Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer

Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black by Marcus Sedgwick

Amber & Dusk by Lyra Selene

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells

Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi by F. C. Yee

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

 

 

 

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

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Are you familiar with the concept of a book hangover? You read a book so good that after you finish, you have trouble getting through any other book, because nothing can compare. Fireborne gave me just such a book hangover. Since I finished reading it, I’ve read a chapter or two of five other books and have found myself putting them down and instead ruminating on Fireborne some more and wondering when the sequel will be out (sometime in 2020, I suppose). It’s the kind of book that reminds me why I love reading so much. It is that good.

In a previous life, before the revolution that toppled the ruling Triarchs and instituted a more equitable society where anyone – not just the nobility – could be chosen by a dragon and rise in society, Annie was a serf. Her family worked the land for a Triarch, one of the three rulers of the land who commanded great fire-breathing dragons. If serf families didn’t have enough of a harvest to tithe, they were punished. After a famine wipes out Annie’s family’s crops, the Triarch makes an example of them: he has his dragon burn them alive and makes six year old Annie watch.

Lee is the son of a ruling Triarch, a man who was murdered in his palace during the revolution, along with the rest of Lee’s siblings. Like Annie, child Lee watched it happen. He was almost murdered too, but the Protector – the leader of the Revolution – discovered what was happening and stopped it at the last moment. He quickly forgot about Lee, who was taken to an orphanage and from then on kept his true identity secret, for fear he would be executed if discovered.

Both children met at the same orphanage and grew close, having experienced similar traumas. Annie is the only one who knows who Lee really is, though neither has ever said it outright. They are now teenagers, chosen by dragons and in training to serve as Guardians, dragonriders who protect their nascent country of Callipolis. On the horizon are a series of battles that will determine who will be Firstrider – leader of the dragon fleet and likely next Protector. But this is not a book about a flying and fighting competition, though that aspect is certainly thrilling. Or rather, it’s not only about that. War is on the horizon – the ousted Triarchs may be dead, but some of their families made it out alive – and that fact will put strain on the baby country, with its high ideals and their imperfect implementation.

This is such a fun book. I’m writing about how fun it is first, because I want to emphasize that part of what makes this book so good is because it is a joy to read. It’s almost unbearably suspenseful at times. It had me racing through the pages, reading faster and faster at certain points so I could know what happened, but not wanting to read ahead because I might miss something equally important in the sections I skipped over. Munda is a top-notch plotter, and I was amazed and impressed by how the story twisted and turned but never felt anything less than authentic and genuinely motivated by her characters and their situations.

Munda’s world-building is fascinating and completely immersive. It’s some of the best fantasy world-building I’ve read in years, the kind that makes you sink into it and absorb it without even trying, without the need to backtrack and take notes and look at family trees and maps on endpapers (though don’t get me wrong, I love those kinds of things). I felt like I was living and breathing Callipolis. And despite the surface similarities to other dragon books, most notably in my experience Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, Munda’s dragons and her dragonriders feel fresh. They have different magical rules and an interesting culture as backdrop. She introduces the concepts of sparking and spilling over, both of which are completely new to me and help define this living, breathing world. (You’ll have to read the book to learn what they mean!)

And then there’s the deep stuff. Munda writes in her author’s note that she was inspired in large part by Plato’s Republic, which I have not read, but also by the concept in general of what happens after a revolution. Teens in young adult fiction often help to start revolutions, but what happens when the revolution is over? What happens when the revolutionaries have won and they have to turn their efforts to building a new, better government? Shades of the French and Russian revolutions and their subsequent aftermaths tinge her book, though there’s no direct parallel (so you can’t really look to history to guess what’s going to happen next). Munda unpacks all the possible problems that could arise, from the seemingly small (leftover prejudice against lower classes), to the potentially huge (family members of slaughtered rulers wanting revenge), to the most earth-shattering of all (what if the new regime isn’t any better than the old?).

Annie and Lee face really hard choices – and they don’t always make the right ones. Lee in particular is torn between loyalty to his family (and the visceral memory of what was done to them) and loyalty to a new way of life that he now mostly believes in. Annie has her own struggles, including an equally vivid memory of an atrocity committed upon her family. The choices these two teenagers must make in the midst of an impossible situation literally made me gasp out loud at a few points. And each choice leads to another, which leads to another, each more heartrending than the last. You will read this book with your heart in your throat.

All of the pieces of a really great fantasy come together in Fireborne: complex characters, interesting plot, vivid world-building, thorny themes, and elegant writing. And Munda makes it all seem effortless. I got lost in this book; I hope you will too.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. Fireborne publishes October 15.

Debut YA Novels: September 2019

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It’s here! It’s here! Get your September debut YA novels here!

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Amazon, unless otherwise noted. If I’m missing any debuts that came out in September from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title,  with publication dates in parentheses. Starred titles are the beginning of a new series.

September 2019 Debut YA Novels

*The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate M. Williams (9/17)

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil. 

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it’s kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she’s good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let’s just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She’s Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria cooking. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme’s babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra’s mother left her: “Find the babysitters. Love, Mom.”

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they’re about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

Dear Haiti, With Love by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite (9/3)

When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime…

You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything?

Actually, a lot.

Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I’m spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a “spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own…and to hide a rather devastating secret.

All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks…like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse.

You know, typical drama. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.

 

Frankly In Love by David Yoon (9/10)

Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?

Frank Li has two names. There’s Frank Li, his American name. Then there’s Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.

Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl–which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.

As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he’s forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don’t leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he’s left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.

In this moving debut novel—featuring striking blue stained edges and beautiful original endpaper art by the author—David Yoon takes on the question of who am I? with a result that is humorous, heartfelt, and ultimately unforgettable.

 

Have A Little Faith In Me by Sonia Hartl (9/3)

“Saved!” meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that takes a meaningful look at consent and what it means to give it.

When CeCe’s born-again ex-boyfriend dumps her after they have sex, she follows him to Jesus camp in order to win him back. Problem: She knows nothing about Jesus. But her best friend Paul does. He accompanies CeCe to camp, and the plan―God’s or CeCe’s―goes immediately awry when her ex shows up with a new girlfriend, a True Believer at that.

Scrambling to save face, CeCe ropes Paul into faking a relationship. But as deceptions stack up, she questions whether her ex is really the nice guy he seemed. And what about her strange new feelings for Paul―is this love, lust, or an illusion born of heartbreak? To figure it out, she’ll have to confront the reasons she chased her ex to camp in the first place, including the truth about the night she lost her virginity.

 

Hope Is Our Only Wing by Rutendo Tavengerwei (9/10)

Set in Zimbabwe, Rutendo Tavengerwei’s unforgettable novel offers a beautiful and honest look at adolescence, friendship, and the capacity for courage.

For fifteen-year-old Shamiso, hope is nothing but a leap into darkness. Grief-stricken and confused after her father’s mysterious death in a car crash, Shamiso moves with her mother from England to Zimbabwe in order to pick up the pieces—returning to an extended family and a world she hardly remembers. For Tanyaradzwa, a classmate whose life has been turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis, hope is the only reason to keep fighting.

As an unexpected friendship blossoms between them and the two girls navigate the increasingly uncertain political situation in Zimbabwe, Tanyaradzwa helps Shamiso confront her fear of loss. In opening herself to someone with a potentially fatal illness, Shamiso knows that she might be opening herself to more pain. Yet Tanyaradzwa is the only one who gives her the strength to ask the burning question: What really happened to her father?

 

*The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen (9/24)

Lauren Shippen’s The Infinite Noise is a stunning, original debut novel based on her wildly popular and award-winning podcast The Bright Sessions.

Caleb Michaels is a sixteen-year-old champion running back. Other than that his life is pretty normal. But when Caleb starts experiencing mood swings that are out of the ordinary for even a teenager, his life moves beyond “typical.”

Caleb is an Atypical, an individual with enhanced abilities. Which sounds pretty cool except Caleb’s ability is extreme empathy―he feels the emotions of everyone around him. Being an empath in high school would be hard enough, but Caleb’s life becomes even more complicated when he keeps getting pulled into the emotional orbit of one of his classmates, Adam. Adam’s feelings are big and all-consuming, but they fit together with Caleb’s feelings in a way that he can’t quite understand.

Caleb’s therapist, Dr. Bright, encourages Caleb to explore this connection by befriending Adam. As he and Adam grow closer, Caleb learns more about his ability, himself, his therapist―who seems to know a lot more than she lets on―and just how dangerous being an Atypical can be.

 

The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson (9/10)

Piper was raised in a cult.
She just doesn’t know it. 

Seventeen-year-old Piper knows that Father is a Prophet. Infallible. The chosen one.

She would do anything for Father. That’s why she takes care of all her little sisters. That’s why she runs end-of-the-world drills. That’s why she never asks questions. Because Father knows best.

Until the day he doesn’t. Until the day the government raids the compound and separates Piper from her siblings, from Mother, from the Aunts, from all of Father’s followers–even from Caspian, the boy she loves.

Now Piper is living Outside. Among Them.

With a woman They claim is her real mother–a woman They say Father stole her from.

But Piper knows better. And Piper is going to escape.

 

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron (9/3)

The lush world building of Children of Blood and Bone meets the sweeping scale of Strange the Dreamer in this captivating epic YA fantasy debut.

Born into a family of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. But each year she fails to call forth her ancestral powers, while her ambitious mother watches with growing disapproval.

There’s only one thing Arrah hasn’t tried, a deadly last resort: trading years of her own life for scraps of magic. Until the Kingdom’s children begin to disappear, and Arrah is desperate to find the culprit.

She uncovers something worse. The long-imprisoned Demon King is stirring. And if he rises, his hunger for souls will bring the world to its knees… unless Arrah pays the price for the magic to stop him.

Inspired by tales of folk magic in her own community, Rena Barron spins a darkly magical tale perfect for fans of Three Dark Crowns or Shadow and Bone, about a girl caught between gods, monsters, and her own mother’s schemes.

 

Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan (9/10)

When it comes to being social, Athena Graves is far more comfortable creating a mixtape playlist than she is talking to cute boys—or anyone, for that matter. Plus her staunchly feminist views and love of punk rock aren’t exactly mainstream at St. Ann’s, her conservative Catholic high school.

Then a malicious rumor starts spreading through the halls…a rumor that her popular, pretty, pro-life sister had an abortion over the summer. A rumor that has the power to not only hurt Helen, but possibly see her expelled.

Despite their wildly contrasting views, Athena, Helen, and their friends must find a way to convince the student body and the administration that it doesn’t matter what Helen did or didn’t do…even if their riot grrrl protests result in the expulsion of their entire rebel girl gang.

 

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin (9/3)

Bound as one, to love, honor, or burn. Book one of a stunning fantasy duology, this tale of witchcraft and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Sara Holland.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.

Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

 

Slay by Brittney Morris (9/24)

Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for Black gamers.

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the Black man.”

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

 

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus (9/17)

Told in two distinct and irresistible voices, Junauda Petrus’s bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both.

Trinidad. Sixteen-year-old Audre is despondent, having just found out she’s going to be sent to live in America with her father because her strictly religious mother caught her with her secret girlfriend, the pastor’s daughter. Audre’s grandmother Queenie (a former dancer who drives a white convertible Cadillac and who has a few secrets of her own) tries to reassure her granddaughter that she won’t lose her roots, not even in some place called Minneapolis. “America have dey spirits too, believe me,” she tells Audre.

Minneapolis. Sixteen-year-old Mabel is lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out why she feels the way she feels–about her ex Terrell, about her girl Jada and that moment they had in the woods, and about the vague feeling of illness that’s plagued her all summer. Mabel’s reverie is cut short when her father announces that his best friend and his just-arrived-from-Trinidad daughter are coming for dinner.

Mabel quickly falls hard for Audre and is determined to take care of her as she tries to navigate an American high school. But their romance takes a turn when test results reveal exactly why Mabel has been feeling low-key sick all summer and suddenly it’s Audre who is caring for Mabel as she faces a deeply uncertain future.

 

Stormrise by Jillian Boehme (9/10)

If Rain weren’t a girl, she would be respected as a Neshu combat master. Instead, her gender dooms her to a colorless future. When an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight, Rain takes her chance to seize the life she wants.

Knowing she’ll be killed if she’s discovered, Rain purchases powder made from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy. Then she hurries to the war camps, where she excels in her training―and wrestles with the voice that has taken shape inside her head. The voice of a dragon she never truly believed existed.

As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, secret unit tasked with rescuing the High King, she begins to realize this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory. For the dragons that once guarded her land have slumbered for centuries . . . and someone must awaken them to fight once more.

 

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring (9/24)

A haunted Argentinian mansion.
A family curse.
A twist you’ll never see coming.
Welcome to Vaccaro School.

Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi―a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother―it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls.

Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house―despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored… and one of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence.

 

*There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Poole (9/3)

The Age of Darkness approaches.
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it . . . or unleash it?

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. With chaos on the horizon, five souls are set on a collision course:

A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.

One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer? Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Children of Blood and Bone, and An Ember in the Ashes.

 

We Speak In Storms by Natalie Lund (9/3)

It’s been more than 50 years since a tornado tore through a drive-in movie theater in tiny Mercer, Illinois, leaving dozens of teens — a whole generation of Mercerites — dead in its wake. So when another tornado touches down in the exact same spot on the anniversary of this small-town tragedy, the town is shaken. For Brenna Ortiz, Joshua Calloway, and Callie Keller, the apprehension is more than just a feeling. Though they seem to share nothing more than a struggle to belong, the teens’ paths continue to intersect, bringing them together when they least expect it, and perhaps, when they need it most. Both the living and the dead have secrets and unresolved problems, but they may be able to find peace and move forward–if only they work together.

A beautifully told, haunting yet hopeful novel about pushing past the pain, facing the world, and finding yourself.

YA Book Title Trend: Full Names

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It began innocently.

A full name here, a full name there.

 

 

But in the year 2017, something happened.

 

 

 

 

 

It continued in 2018.

 

 

 

And in 2019? 2020? It hit fever pitch: the full name on YA book titles.

 

 

Full names have always been part of book titles. They’ve also always been part of the YA book title landscape — not included above include Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and Here’s To You, Rachel Robinson, among others. But until 2017, it was only a few titles per year making use of a full character’s name. Since 2017, it’s exploded into a trend in titles that deserves a little recognition and a little discussion.

Full names on YA titles is a trend I am so into. It’s really a way to differentiate book titles, as after years of titles featuring “Girl” or “Girls,” “Noun of Noun and Noun,” or the single word title. Certainly, it’s easy for all of them to blend together. But, they also stand apart because those names are unique.

Something that makes full name titles special is the moment of recognition that readers may have with them, especially as we’re finally seeing YA books that better represent the inclusive world we live in. A reader browsing a book shelf and spotting a name that looks like their own is powerful. And that’s possible — Hispanic surnames, as well as Asian surnames (from all across the continent, East and West) — are right there for readers to see and connect with immediately.

There’s also a feeling of epic storytelling that comes along with a character’s full name in the title. Tirzah Price brought this up during an episode of Hey YA where we talked about this trend, and there’s a lot here to chew on. Since full names have been part of literary title history (Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders, A History of Tom Jones, Jane Eyre, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Anna Karenina, and even up to more modern classics like Harry Potter), using it for a book title infuses the sense of history and legacy before the reader even opens the cover. That more diverse names is especially noteworthy here, as the literary world becomes more inclusive and allows characters to be part of this history while also questioning why they haven’t been part of the history all along.

Though the representation here isn’t huge, there are a handful of YA titles, particularly in the last three years, that invoke the full name of a well-known figure. The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, not pictured above, is one example, as are Dear Rachel Maddow and Jack Kerouac Is Dead To Me. Worth noting that Grover Cleveland is like the president, but not the actual president, whereas for Jack Kerouac and Rachel Maddow do refer to the actual well-known people.

Maybe one of the most interesting aspects of this trend, though, is when the titular character isn’t the main character. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is one example; The Summer of Jordi Perez and Tyler Johnson Was Here are two more examples. The name sparks connection or intrigue with the reader, but the twist in that not being the main character adds an additional layer.

2020 has a pile more full name YA book titles hitting shelves that aren’t included here, as this trend doesn’t seem like it will be dying down any time soon. A book display of these titles, both old and new, would be eye-catching and engaging. Liz G, who tweets at CosLibrarian, did one in her library and it’s hard not to love:

Obviously, the above-listed titles aren’t comprehensive. It is, however, a deep dive into the trend. What do you think? Love ’em? Hate ’em? If you make a display or a book list with these or similar titles, I’d love to see them!

 

Bonus: want to read more about these books or other books featuring full names in the title? I made you a handy Goodreads list — “What’s My YA Name Again?” You’re welcome to add to it!