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YA Book Cover Makeovers: 7 Hardcover-to-Paperback Redesigns To Consider

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I will never grow tired of looking at and talking about YA book covers. Even more specifically, I love looking at redesigned covers and considering what it is that went into the thought process behind changing a book’s initial design into something different for its paperback release. Authors generally have little to no say in these redesigns, but rather, they often come about as a result of marketing direction changes or suggestions.

Let’s take a peek at seven upcoming YA book covers getting a new look in paperback. I’ve included a wide swath of titles here, showcasing some of the good, some of the bad, and some of the really questionable when it comes to YA hardcover-to-paperback redesigns.

Original hardcover designs are on the left, with the refreshed cover on the right.

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

After the splashy cover reveal for Forman’s latest YA book, it was surprising to me how little this book seemed to be buzzed about. I read it and while it wasn’t my favorite — I tend to find myself unable to really fall into her stories — I know she’s got a legion of fans and admirers, and given the elements present in this particular book, I anticipated more. Part of me wonders if the cover, which is pretty bland and forgettable in a sea of covers that make use of a font-driven design, made people bypass it. It looks like an adult book, rather than a YA book, and the title itself isn’t one that’s easy to remember. Working in favor of this cover, though, is that it looks nice on a screen; it’s easy to read and understand.

That last part is what made me do a triple take on the paperback cover: it doesn’t translate on screen. The white boarder, coupled with the text messaging along the bottom, made me think I was looking at a private text message someone was sending with a pretty confusing image on it. I think that it’s great to see a girl of color on the cover, but where is she walking? The book is set in New York City but it also looks like she’s walking through a dirt pit. Interestingly, the paperback makes the font for the title and the author name the same size, though my eye is more easily drawn to the author’s name because it’s a different color than the girl’s shirt.

Like the hardcover, aside from the confusing framing, the paperback isn’t especially memorable or distinct, either. I’ve seen this cover a few times and immediately thought of the Jessa Halbrook series (one of Saundra Mitchell‘s pen names).

I don’t love either cover but the hardcover is less confusing and less confused over all, with a more cohesive design. I Have Lost My Way comes out in paperback April 16.

 

Illegal by Bettina Restrepo

I’ve always wondered what happened to this book. I read it when it came out as a debut in early 2011, and it’s a book about a family that illegally crosses the Mexican border and heads to Houston for work, security, and pursuit of a better future. The book disappeared not long after it was published, which, given how much immigration has been a major topic prior to that time and after, surprised me. So I’m really pleased to see that it’ll be getting a paperback reissue on August 27.

There’s not a whole lot to say about the original cover except that it really captures the spirit of the story — as well as the spirit of YA book cover design in 2011. It’s a real model and, though we can’t see her face, she appears to be a girl of color. We have the city skyline in the background, with a title font that features a wire fence design within it.

The paperback design is a study of contemporary cover trends. We have a teen of color facing out, and it’s illustrated. The girl looks quite young in the image, which I like, as the book itself features not just a younger teen protagonist but also, it reads as younger YA. Maybe my favorite part of the redesign is one of the smaller pieces: the tag line above the title, “We are all immigrants.” Although the book cover and title certainly make it clear what the book is about in both covers, that small line really makes clear that this is a story for non Native Americans for non Native Americans.

I’m eager to pick up the book with a new forward from the author eight years after its original publication. The paperback redesign here is fresh and I’m suspecting it’ll ignite a lot of new interest.

 

 

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Series redesigns always raise a lot of conversation. Readers who like their series to look cohesive often mention that they become frustrated with changes, while it becomes clear in some instances that the redesign of the series better reflects the way the series progresses or simply looks more interesting on shelves.

Which is why I’m fascinated by the cover changes that have happened with Zoraida Cordova’s Labyrinth Lost.

The hardcover design is one I really dig, in part because it plays homage to the lore within the book itself. The face painting, reminiscent of sugar skulls, is part of the fantasy in the book and something that Cordova digs into a little bit in her author’s note at the end of the book. It’s a very catchy cover, and it’s one that immediately speaks to the fantasy, the magic, and the traces of horror that the story holds. The font works for the title, though Zoraida’s name seems to get a bit buried on the cover. Shoved in between the author name and the title of the book is a blurb from Danielle Paige, but what’s fascinating in the design of those words is how her title and accolades actually take more real estate up on the cover than Zoraida’s name or the blurb itself. It almost feels like a well-thought tag line would be better there to really give a sense of the story’s content to readers.

The original paperback redesign in the center reminds me so much of the redesigned covers for Libba Bray’s “The Diviners” series. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because I think the two series would make for great read alikes to one another, making the cover similarities work in favor of both. The font for the title remains the same in that redesign, but we’re given something new in terms of an image: the gate which the characters go through during the course of the story. There’s definitely a placement of this book into the fantasy/magical realism realm with the design. Zoraida’s name is a little bigger and more easy to spot on this design, and while the blurb from Paige appears again, it’s been better laid out so that it takes up less real estate on a book that’s not her own.

The final image is the second paperback redesign and it’s wildly different from the previous iterations. The title font is something different, but once again, Zoraida’s name is really small beneath it. However, big points in favor of the redesign are noting Zoraida’s own credentials (“award-winning author” below her name) and the fact that the blurb which took up so much real estate from the cover is now gone. Instead, we get a tag line: “The first lesson of being a Bruja: Magic always has a price.” It’s perfect and captures so much about the story’s genre, about the stakes, and about the cultural the story takes place in. The image and design itself don’t especially stand out to me but those textual elements are knockout.

All three of the covers do a good job, and all of them seem to be angling toward the same audience. It took me longer to pick up this book than I wished, and I wonder if the new look will prompt other readers who held off to give it a chance (it’s a fun read!).

 

 

Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Speaking of books I know are fun reads but that I haven’t picked up yet: Rachel Hawkins’s Royals came out last May and has been a book that I’ve again heard very little about. It’s a romantic comedy and the reviews have all mentioned how funny it is — something I believe, given that Hawkins is known for writing with humor. The original cover was very pink and blingy, which I think shows off a lot of what the contents are meant to do. They’re a little over the top but grounded in a real-life fantasy for readers. Hawkins’s name is big on the cover with a different tone of pink from both the background and from the note that she’s a New York Times bestselling author. The tag line is cute, too: “He’s no prince, but he sure is charming.” Readers who love royal-themed stories will know without question this book is for them.

That said, the redesign hits both the royal-themed story lovers and those who want a more straightforward YA romance read. First thing to note: there’s a title change. No longer is the book called Royals (which always made Lorde’s song get stuck in my head). It’s instead being renamed Prince Charming. True to charm, the font choice is cute, it’s a deep pink or red, depending on your resolution, and the “A” features a sweet little heart inside. The way that the two teens on the cover are standing and slightly overlapping the title is clever, as if they were there first before the title came toward them. It gives the cover some movement, which is important given how stark the two teens look being in sketched grayscale. We have another illustrated cover here, continuing to stay in line with the trend that’s been big in YA for a few years. Check out the chucks on the girl, too: it’s a nice nod to the fact that the heroine might be a little bit more quirky than she lets on.

Both covers are quite good. Readers who aren’t familiar with Hawkins likely would fall into two camps on this one: those who love their books royal-themed knowing that the hardcover is for them and those who think the redesign is super cute, feminine, and romantic and dive right in. Given that this is a series, though, the paperback ekes out slightly for me because the sequel takes a similar design approach. It hits shelves on March 5. Check out the sequel’s cover here, which adds itself to my ever-growing list of YA book covers featuring sunglasses.

 

 

Top Ten by Kate Cotugno

The hardcover for Top Ten is one I’m not a huge fan of, but that’s entirely for personal reasons. It’s a very 1990s style cover, which is way cooler among young people than it is with me. It is also super white in terms of the couples shown, with neon signs, chucks, and lights. The title is almost easy to miss here, since there’s so much going on, though Katie’s name is nice and easy to find. There’s no tagline and no blurb on this so it’s hard to say what the book is about, though the images suggest it’s a summer story about a group of friends.

I’ve mentioned before that illustrated covers are the thing in book cover design and have been since Eleanor & Park. I’m also not a huge fan of them because they tend to blend together so easily. That plays out in Top Ten, as I feel like I’ve seen this same design on about ten other YA books that hit shelves recently or will be hitting shelves soon. While the people are still all white-presenting, there is at least more array in body shape and size, as well as complexion and hair. It’s a bit more representative of today’s teens across a broader spectrum than the hardcover is. The title is much bigger and more obvious, and the font and color of it match the author’s name. Bonus: we get a tagline. “The unlikeliest of friends…or something more.” I like that it gives a sense of the story, but it also makes me a little confused when it comes to who is on the cover. Is it one couple that keeps looking different? Is it a lot of couples who are “something more?”

Neither of these covers really do it for me. Not having read the book yet, I can’t suggest which one is truer to story.

Top Ten comes out in paperback January 15.

 

 

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Spoiler alert on this cover makeover: I love both of these covers very much and think both are excellent.

The hardcover for Anderson’s novel is really different. It takes a lot of the elements that are synonymous with today’s teens: enamel pins and denim jackets. This same trendy style is a throwback to the 90s and girl power culture, which fits in perfectly with the title and story itself. Without question, given the homage to new age beliefs (crystals and tarot cards) and the two zombie hands making the pinkie swear salute, this is clearly a book that’s a little bit horror, a little bit fun, and a whole lot about girls being good to other girls. The title being put into an enamel pin is clever, as is the way that Anderson’s name looks like it’s embroidered on the denim jacket.

The paperback cover also nails it. This is a book with a fat protagonist who has brown skin. That cover model is perfect, and not only is she perfect, but her stance and attitude speak volumes for what the tone of the book is. If you look closely, you’ll not only notice she’s wearing a denim jacket, but the pins that were on the original cover? They’re also on the jacket itself. If it weren’t for the fact that the pins on the hardcover were on one side of the jacket and on the opposite of the jacket in the paperback, you’d think this was simply a zoomed out take from the original design session. The title font is perfect here: it has a 90s clip art feel to it (and specifically, Word Art!). The font for Lily’s name is very modern though and is one I associate with contemporary cover trends, making this a nice mashup of today’s culture and nostalgic. The zombie hands? They’re just plain fun, and the tagline “We’re back, witches,” tells so much story in and of itself.

Both covers rock for different reasons. If pressed to pick one I like more? I’d say paperback, simply because it leans fully into girl power, feminism, and that cover model is just perfect. You can grab the paperback on May 14.

(Interesting to note that two redesigns are very pink covers. A trend to keep an eye on through 2019, maybe?)

 

 

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

Last, but not least, is one I’ll keep short and sweet. I love the original cover for Perkins’s book and I’m also really feeling the redesign for paperback. Not only does the redesign highlight that it’s a National Book Award nominee, but it also brings all of the elements that were inside the dancing woman on the hardcover and brings them to the outside. Look closely: the buildings. The grandeur. The feeling of connection to past and present. The dancers themselves. It still keeps the title the focus, but it also brings even more to the forefront. I’m also a big fan of the fact that the author name is even larger and more prominent in the redesign. My only critique is a tiny one, which is that the blurb on the bottom takes what is a well-thought out busy cover almost a little over the top in terms of putting a lot of things into a small space.

Perkins has a new book coming out this spring, too, and the cover design for that one has the same feeling as the new paperback redesign. You can peep Forward Me Back To You here.

 

So what do you think? Which covers are speaking to you? Which aren’t? Let’s talk in the comments!

The Ultimate List of YA Book Lists

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The Massive Mega List of Young Adult Book Lists (AKA: Any Kind of YA Book List You Could Desire)

Kelly Jensen and Kimberly Francisco have been writing for STACKED books (stackedbooks.org) for nearly ten years and both of us are trained librarians. We make a lot of young adult book lists, and  know how useful they are for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes. More than that, they’re useful for readers itching for a good book.

The best way to navigate this list is by doing a keyword search. It’s Kelly’s hope as curator to eventually develop a basic spreadsheet to make searching even easier.

This list was updated December 2018.

The ultimate guide to young adult book lists for YA readers | book lists | ya book lists | ya books | books for young adults | book lists for young adult book lovers | #YALit

 

The Ultimate Guide to YA Book Lists

 

Get Genrefied Series

All of these lists focus on specific genres or subgenres within YA fiction and were created by Kelly Jensen and Kimberly Francisco at STACKED. They each talk about the defining characteristics of the genre (or format!), followed by a big book list, and other websites and blogs to explore that delve even further into the specified genre. This series ended in mid-2015, so more recent titles may not be listed, but this is a goldmine for back list titles!

 

Beyond the Bestsellers

At Book Riot, Kelly Jensen ran a series called “Beyond the Bestsellers,” offering suggestions of lesser-known titles to read after you’ve read a well-known, bestselling YA book or author. This series was revisited in 2018 and will continue being updated. 

 

3 On A YA Theme

Also at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen has been writing a weekly column called “3 On A YA Theme” for many years. It takes one theme and highlights at least three books that fit. Kelly discontinued writing the series in early 2018, handing it over to Tirzah Price (and her lists are excellent, too!). 

As this has been a long-running series, older posts feature older titles and may not have the most current titles listed. Many of these lists are ripe for revisiting, and many are goldmines for backlist reads.

 

Other YA Book Lists

These thematic lists come from both Book Riot and from STACKED, and they’re authored by Kelly Jensen or Kimberly Francisco, unless otherwise noted. Some are very current, while others are older and feature backlist titles exclusively.

 

 

Top 10 Reads of 2018

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My annual Goodreads goal is 100 books, which I normally hit with no problem. Alas, this year was an off year for me in terms of pure numbers. By the end of the day on December 31, I estimate I’ll have read 80 books total. Still, my 2018 reading year was full of really great stuff. Here, in no particular order, are the ten titles I loved best, the ones that most affected me and that I find myself recommending to friends, family, and library patrons over and over again.

Books for Teens

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

McCullough’s debut novel is about Artemisia Gentileschi, a real painter from 17th century Rome who was raped as a teenager by a painter her father hired to tutor her. She  chose to prosecute her rapist, participating in the trial – an even more rare and difficult thing then than it is now. The transcripts of the trial survive to this day. Blood Water Paint is mainly a verse novel, but McCullough skillfully threads prose sections featuring Artemisia’s mother, who died when she was a small child, telling her the stories of Biblical heroines Susannah and and Judith throughout. The real Artemisia painted these two women many times, in ways that show their strength and autonomy rather than their victimhood or vulnerability. The technique is successful, placing Artemisia in a context where she believes she, too, can choose to embrace her power where she can find it.

The book is not all about the rape, though. It’s also about art, specifically painting, and about Rome in the 1600s and how women and girls navigated the limited paths available to them. Artemisia’s voice is young, sometimes naive, but never oblivious. She’s intelligent, angry, unsure, and enormously talented. McCullough never makes her too “modern;” she was really as remarkable as the book makes her out to be. McCullough’s verse is a just reflection of Artemisia’s artistic ability: technically excellent, expressive, and innovative. Readers who finish the book wondering what happened to Artemisia afterward will be happy to know that she lived a long time, that she continued to paint, and that her work hangs in museums all over the world.

 

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan

This book is so good, it’s the only title that can be found on both my and Kelly’s lists. I loved Pan’s writing, which is so lovely and lyrical and literary without becoming so dense that it’s a struggle to read. Her protagonist Leigh’s story of grief, infused with magical realism amidst her search for family and identity, is beautifully drawn. This is a thick book that flies by, a good crossover pick for literary-minded teens who don’t normally read genre fiction and vice versa.

 

 

The Place Between Breaths by An Na

An Na’s book is an example of the idea that the shorter a novel is, the more difficult it can be to unpack. The Place Between Breaths has a lot in common with The Astonishing Color of After on the surface: it’s about a mother with mental illness who disappeared or died, and the daughter left behind to heal. Na’s protagonist, Grace, helps her father in his work at a lab that’s dedicated to finding a cure for schizophrenia, the illness that took her mother away from her. But the story is also about a lot more, and it’s told by Na in pieces, out of order, from contradictory perspectives that require the reader to re-read and puzzle things out. The book’s structure is meant to be a reflection of the illness itself, and while I don’t have any personal ties to anyone with schizophrenia (that I know of), the feedback I’ve received from readers who do have the disease is positive. This is a book for someone who likes a challenging read, one that will surprise them and move them in equal measure.

 

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

I loved so much about this book: the irresistible hook (a girl from a conquered people is taken prisoner to be the body double of a hated princess), Daud’s lovely writing, the gradual deepening of the relationship between protagonist Amani and the princess Maram, the Moroccan-inspired setting in space and Amani’s people’s culture (clearly drawn from Daud’s own experiences but still unique to this story). It manages to be an exciting story that also tackles big themes of the evils of colonization and the possibility of redemption and change. And that cover is a stunner.

 

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer

When it comes to horror, I’m much more likely to read books for teens than adults. I’m a bit squeamish (no horror movies for me at all!), and I find that YA horror novels usually have the right amount of scares for me. Rebecca Schaeffer did her best to prove me wrong – Not Even Bones is pretty gruesome, and it doesn’t shy away from describing in detail its setting of a market that sells body parts of unnaturals (humanoids with special abilities) and how those body parts are removed from and then used. The book is essentially an escape plot as our protagonist, Nita, finds herself imprisoned, awaiting sale in the market after freeing an unnatural her mother had planned to kill and sell for parts. I loved the relationship between Nita and her sometimes-ally Kovit, an unnatural who must eat human pain in order to survive. The plot is tense and exciting, with a fantastic twist near the end. Read my full review here.

 

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

Revis’ book, a fantasy about an alchemist-in-training named Nedra who desperately searches for a cure to a wasting plague that is decimating her homeland, is a meditation on grief, and it’s heartbreaking and tragic and beautiful. Her writing is gorgeously mournful, telling the story of a good person’s descent into darkness in the midst of almost unbearable pain. Good speculative fiction always functions as a metaphor for things that are real, and Give the Dark My Love is a prime example of this. We as readers follow Nedra’s journey from hardworking girl with a purpose into obsession and finally into a darkness from which she cannot return. All the while, she is propelled by something very real and very human that affects all of us. Revis’ writing is such that we feel everything right alongside Nedra – and alongside Revis herself. Don’t skip reading her acknowledgments at the end. Read my full review here.

 

Black Wings Beating by Alex London

I loved this fantasy about a culture that reveres falconry and birds of prey and the pair of twins caught up in a treacherous quest to capture the Ghost Eagle, the most majestic and valuable bird of all. Their quest is fraught with many different dangers: a matriarchal society of Owl Mothers that live in the mountain they must traverse who want the twins for their own purposes; the de facto rulers of their town who threaten them with death if they fail in their quest; a warring sect of religious killers who intend harm upon anyone who worships the birds; and more. The relationship between the twins, a brother and sister who are very different from each other but are bonded by love and common experience, is well-wrought, as is the culture that has developed around the birds, whom readers will come to respect almost as much as the characters in the story. Read my full review here.

 

 

Books for Adults

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware has published four books so far, and she’s yet to write a dud. Her mysteries are nail-biting thrillers with compelling characters and twists I almost never see coming. The Death of Mrs. Westaway, her most recent, might be my favorite of hers to date. It’s about a woman, Hal, who receives a letter in the mail stating that her grandmother has died, and she is to report to her grandmother’s house to learn what she’s inherited, along with her other relatives. The only problem is, Hal knows that she’s not the intended recipient of the letter; it’s an unfortunate mistake due to a mix-up with the names. But Hal is desperate, unable to make ends meet on her own, and decides to impersonate this other person and see if she can claim the money after all.

Ware’s latest requires a lot of careful thought on the part of the reader. One main plot point relies heavily on the way certain things are said by certain people, and judging from some of the Goodreads reviews, it threw a lot of readers for a loop, and they’re still trying to puzzle it out. But for the careful reader, one who is perhaps willing to flip back and analyze and try to figure things out on her own as she reads, this is a real treat. I recommend this for fans of intricately-plotted mysteries.

 

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

Lawrence Wright published this in 2006, five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. I was a teenager when the attacks happened and in college when the book was published; at the time, the whole event was so awful for me, I avoided most mentions of it for years aside from very surface-level mainstream news sources: brief reports on nightly news, headlines on CNN. But this is not a great way to learn about any topic with any sort of depth or nuance, particularly one so important and world-changing as 9/11. Seventeen years later, I found myself able and willing to read Wright’s book, the standard-bearer in scholarship on 9/11 and a very readable, challenging, and even fascinating book. I read this on audiobook, which Wright himself narrates, and he does a good job. I got the sense that he was telling me the story of 9/11 as he wrote it, as he discovered it, and it drives home just how much the United States government and its various intelligence agencies knew, how inadequate the attempts were to prevent such an attack (when the focus was on it at all), how much misinformation was spread afterward, and how catastrophic the United States’ response was. This should be required reading for all Americans.

 

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones

Ever since I read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, I’ve been on the hunt for a great literary sci-fi novel that matches it. While The Salt Line doesn’t quite measure up, it comes close. Jones is a master of the ensemble novel format. She gives multiple characters their own third-person points of view, engendering sympathy on the part of the reader even for those characters who are hard to like or commit detestable acts. She’s interested in the themes of parenthood or the lack thereof (motherhood most strongly, but fatherhood as well), as most of the characters’ motivations involve their children or their desire to not have children, as well as surrogate parent-child bonds. As someone who isn’t particularly interested in having children myself, I liked the focus Jones placed on one character’s decision to not have kids. This character’s reasons go beyond the stereotypical and dig into themes of sacrifice and how a person claims ownership of her life. It’s rare to find a book that treats lack of motherhood as an equally fulfilling avenue for its female characters.

 

12 Of My Favorite Books of 2018

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I read an unbelievable amount of great books this year. As I begin brainstorming this post of favorites from 2018, I’m at nearly 200 books read. Engaging in audiobook listening, which I wrote about earlier this year, really added more reading to my life, especially in the way of adult nonfiction. Winnowing down my favorites from this year was a challenge because the more I read, the more I’m better able to only read books I suspect I’m going to like. At the end of the year, having enjoyed nearly 200 books? Makes picking just a few really tough.

My criteria for favorites isn’t scientific or brilliant. Rather, these are books that stood out to me for one reason or another and that I wanted to highlight as ones worth remembering as among my best reads. I’ve stuck to books published this year, since I could easily add dozens more when I look at backlist titles I read this year.

Along with audiobooks playing a significant part in my reading life this year, I’ve once again utilized the amazing spreadsheet one of my Book Riot colleagues created. This allowed me to really see the landscape of my reading life in new and useful ways. I don’t use every functionality it offers, choosing instead to customize and pay attention to the things that matter most to me. I also make a lot of notes in the final column, especially in regards to interesting aspects of a book that wouldn’t mean much in a review but could be useful for me in writing or recommending specific titles for readers.

Some of the notes below are ones I shared on Goodreads while others are fresh, reflective insights months after finishing the books. Some are longer, some are shorter, but all of these books are ones that I’ll remember as highlights from my 2018 year in reading.

 

All That I Can Fix by Crystal Chan

Ronney is 15, and he’s got a lot of baggage to carry around. While he loves his family — his little sister in particular — he’s utterly frustrated and angry with his father. His father attempted suicide two years ago, and since, everyone in the family has carried the weight of what they saw in the aftermath. Father doesn’t work and rarely leaves home. It looks like he’s not moving forward at all.

Then there’s Ronney’s best friends George and Jello. Turns out, even though Ronney has a little bit of a crush on George, she’s been secretly dating Jello. Both have been lying to Ronney about this.

And then there’s the kid who is stalking him. Begging for his jeans. What young kid follows you and begs for your jeans? It’s one of Mina’s friends, whose older brother went missing. Those jeans? They’re the product of his family sending everything of his brother’s to the resale shop. Ronney and the boy develop a bond, despite Ronney’s best efforts not to. The goal? Find Nick, the older brother, who had an alcohol problem and ran away from home to avoid an abusive father.

That’s not everything though.

A backyard zoo full of animals escaped during a major storm, and cheetahs, camels, pythons, and more are on the loose. Oh, and then the gun control advocates and gun rights advocates are in town, too. Each jockeying for stage during this animal outbreak.

In many ways, this book reminded me of John Corey Whaley’s Where Things Come Back. But the voice in this book is really what stands out. Ronney is full of love and compassion, but he’s also very angry and very hurt by those he cares most about. He’s young and carrying so much pain inside him that it’s impossible not to understand where his attitude and behaviors come from. But at the same time, it’s impossible not to want to shake him and tell him let go and move on.

What resonated most for me was the way this book looks at depression from the point of view of an outsiders. Ronney is angry with his dad and doesn’t understand why he doesn’t “do” anything. Why he tried to hurt his family. Meanwhile, in the moments when we see dad, we’re given insight into how hard he really is trying to be better. Even when he can’t be because his illness is in charge.

There is a lot of smart and at times snarky commentary about race, about small town life, and about the current political climate throughout the book, but it’s all written in a way a 15-year-old boy would look at those things. More, Ronney’s feelings about relationships and romance are all spot on, and they serve as a nice contrast to those big-picture challenges.

 

 

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan

There is not a single thing in this book I did not love. The lush writing. The use of color. The exploration of family secrets and stories. Of culture. Or belief.

But the thing that hit hardest was the way depression is rendered. This is a book about grief in the wake of suicide that comes from a depressive episode (or series of them, in this instance). There is no “reason” here. There’s no boogeyman moment, wherein we get the why of suicide. Rather, we’re forced, like Leigh is, to wrestle with the lack of answers. We’re forced to understand not everything makes sense. That magical thinking is both a good thing — when it can help you work through grief, when it can help you find the things you’re looking for, the dreams you want to achieve — and a bad thing — when you believe what it is your brain tells you about your worth and value.

I’m going to hold on to this for a long, long time. One of the best YA books I’ve read this year, and certainly one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Perfect for fans of Nova Ren Suma or Laura Ruby. Our main character is a Taiwanese/Chinese American girl, and her story involves a trip to Taiwan to meet her grandparents for the first time.

But it is so, so much more than that.

 

Creative Quest by Questlove

I listened to this title on audiobook after poring over it in a local Barnes & Noble. I didn’t buy it in print that day, choosing instead to pick up a few other books. But I used my audible credit to try it on audio and frankly, that was the better decision.

This is a book about creativity, and the way it was performed aurally was outstanding. It was a piece of art. It takes risks and chances, which is one of the key takeaways of the book. It’s okay to try and to fail and to try without any end goal in mind.

So what’s it about? It’s about the creative process. About how there’s no single way to get it right when it comes to being creative. It’s about the ways famous and less-famous creatives have worked, have thrived, and have had down times. It’s inspiring and heartening, and it’s the kind of book that actually encourages, rather than discourages, since there thrust of the book is that there’s no one way to get it right. Too many books about creativity and art focus on what works and how to work that way for maximum productivity. This one isn’t that — it’s about the ugly stuff, too.

I know little about Questlove, and that didn’t matter one bit. He shares pieces of his own experiences that makes his story universal, regardless of the level of success or talent towards which one may aim.

 

Dare To Lead by Brene Brown

Brown is one of the best thinkers on leadership and confidence, and this book is no different. There are strategies here for being a better person, for developing empathy (which is a wonderfully deep section in the book — a lengthy discussion of empathy vs. sympathy helps conceptually define the two ideas and showcases actions that define each). I’m a big believer that part of success comes from understanding people are people, and Brown’s big mantra throughout the book is “people, people, people.” Everyone has a story and everyone’s minds make up stories to help them get through the day. When we remember this simple thing, it becomes easier to be a leader and to be an advocate for what it is you want, what you need, and where you fit into the grander scheme of your life. Because this book isn’t about leadership in organizations only; sure that’s there. But it’s a book about being a leader in your life and showing up, day after day, for yourself.

Maybe my favorite of hers so far. It incorporates a lot of what research she did in previous books but adds even more depth to them. I also enjoyed being reminded to reconsider what my core values are and I’m itching to get into her worksheets to suss those out. We all operate from a set (and yes, SET) of core values and when we can remember them, we can show up for ourselves again and again.

Brown reads the audio and performs it less like a stiff reader and more like she’s giving a TED talk or having a conversation with a group of people in an organization. There are good breaks and laughs, and I just really like hearing these ideas and seeing what sticks from the verbal explanation. I’m eager to revisit this in a year or so in print and read it with pen in hand.

 

 

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Perhaps the closest novel I’ve read which captures my own feelings and experiences living with depression. But even more than that: this book is just freaking great.

Darius has always felt like the wrong piece of a puzzle. His dad is white and not like him at all. His mom is Iranian, but she’s fair skinned and doesn’t “look” Persian. Though he doesn’t look like his heritage, Darius is an outsider because people know he’s “not like them” in his Portland school. When his mother’s dad is nearing the end of his life, the family chooses to take a trip to Iran to reconnect. And it’s here where Darius really comes to understand he is an important piece of the puzzle in her family, in his community, and in the bigger world. Sohrab, the new friend-more-than-a-friend Darius makes in Iran, calls this what translates from Farsi into “your place was empty,” and that sentiment really resonated not only for Darius and his place in the world, but also, his place inside himself.

The relationship that develops between Darius and Sohrab is powerful and moving. It’s a best friendship, but it’s also something more. It’s not a physical romance, but there’s absolutely an emotionally romantic part of it for both of them, even if we only see it through Darius’s eyes. It was hard not to root for them through and through.

This book reminded me of a blend of Here to Stay and All That I Can Fix — two excellent books out this year that deal with race and culture, as well as feeling like an odd shaped puzzle piece (and ATICF also takes on mental illness and the way it can challenge a father/son relationship, while HTS has a similar flavor of humor as this title).

An outstanding read and unbelievable debut novel. Can’t wait for more from Khorram.

 

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist

This book ticked every one of my boxes by description and then delivered on each.

Set in west Texas in 1877, the story follows Willie (real name: Daisy, but that’s too dainty for her) as she has to find her father, as he’s stolen a load of money from McAlister. McAlister promises revenge if that money is not returned.

The thing is: no one steps out of Glory alone. Outside of the gates are the shakes. The shakes are hungry, vicious, and will turn you into one of them in an instant. Willie has little money, but needs to hire herself a hunter to help her track down her father in another town. Enter the Garrett brothers.

Willie leaves behind her brother and twin brother and sister as she goes, but not for long. Micah can’t stand the idea of her venturing alone, even with the hunters, and he, along with neighbor Sam, catch up with the crew on the journey.

Enter the shakes.

Berquist’s first novel is the perfect blend of western and horror. The pitch “True Grit” meets “28 Days Later” is absolutely spot on. From page one, I was riveted and loved the entire arc of Willie’s story and character. The exploration of grief and guilt is thoughtful and thought-provoking, particularly as Willie sees herself to blame for a lot of the mess that occurs. Saying more would be a spoiler, of course.

The writing is pitch perfect, with descriptions of desolation in the desert palpable. Every minute I was not reading this, I was thinking about it and thinking about Willie.

Bonus: there is not a romance in this book. Sure, there’s a kinship that emerges between Sam and Willie at the end, but we know nothing more will be coming of it.

And then there’s what happens when they find Pa and ask him what happened to that money. And what happens when they return to Glory to face McAlister again.

Mega appeal to fans of westerns, of zombie stories, and to books that are fast paced and action-packed (but without making your head spin). The 500 pages speed by, and it’s a stand alone, perfectly contained read.

 

Dream Country by Shannon Gibney

This is an incredible story of a family impacted by the African diaspora. The book is told in a non-linear fashion, as seen through the eyes of one of the contemporary members of the family. We begin in today’s Minneapolis area with a boy named Kollie, whose parents send him back to the land from where he was a refugee — Liberia. From there, we travel back to family that grew up in Liberia, then back even further to family which had been indentured servants in the US prior to the Civil War; their freedom came when they left the US and headed back to Liberia. We move, then, to the parents of Kollie and what they endured in Liberia.

What’s remarkable about this book, aside from the heartache and hope seen through the characters, is the history that we never learn about. Gibney’s extraordinary research (& powerful author’s note) explain how when black freed people went back to Liberia, they brought with them the same tools used against them to harm, enslave, and colonize the native Liberians. This book shows that through this family.

I couldn’t stop thinking about pairing this book with Homegoing. Like with Gyasi’s book, some characters will resonate more than others for readers; I found Kollie and Angel’s stories (especially her’s, despite being the smallest part — done purposefully) to be the most compelling. Note that some of the characters are a bit beyond their teen years, and in many ways, this book read to me as less YA and more adult. That doesn’t mean YA readers won’t love it, but rather, it’d be an awesome and easy sell to adult readers, too.

Powerful, moving, vital, and one that is going to mean a LOT to a lot of readers.

 

The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson

I loved every single second of this true crime book about a man who becomes so obsessed with fly-tying that he breaks into a museum to steal their rare birds to sell the feathers for profit. The premise of this sounds like it might be boring, but it’s anything but. Johnson’s attention to details and passion for cracking the mystery of the still-missing birds is propulsive, and the way this looks at a very specific community’s passion — in this case, the fly-tying community’s passion for very specific bird feathers — was fascinating. There’s a lot here, too, about ethics and about the ways people throughout history have sought what’s not theirs, starting with how those birds and feathers ended up in the British Museum of Natural History in the first place.

Highly recommended, especially for readers who want to love true crime but can get put off by blood, guts, and human death. None of that is here!

The images in this one, tucked near the back of the narrative, added a ton. I was surprised to see images of Edwin himself, who wasn’t at all what I expected (like Johnson himself had said just pages earlier), and seeing what these fly-ties looked like and the birds that drew such lust from those hobbyists made the crime all that more fascinating.

 

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao

I wrote about this one over on Book Riot’s Best Books of 2018!

This is about friendship: the fierce, fiery kind of friendship that exists between two girls who understand their place in the world as girls, their place in society as girls in India of a lower class, their place in society as girls who can only rely and depend upon one another. Savitha and Poornima only spend a small portion of the book together, but it’s the spark between them that keeps them connected through tragic event after tragic event.

What I loved most is what they carried of one another inside them. Poornima saw Savitha as the brave, self-assured girl, but in the end, Poornima pulls that same energy to find Savitha again, who has found herself in a situation not unlike the one Poornima was in during her marriage. Lost. Adrift. Alone.

Great writing and great voices really make this one sing. Not a YA book, but it likely has some great YA crossover appeal to readers eager for a book set primarily outside of America — it’s India for over half of the book — about female friendship.

 

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

Secrets go many, many ways, and Abbott explores this in her deliciously dark, twisted prose. Kit and Diane form a quick bond, but when Diane drops a bombshell secret on Kit, Kit distances herself. Until, that is, many years later, when Diane is back in her life. The two of them, once great lab partners and excellent science students in high school, earn prestigious places on a research project about PMDD with a renowned scholar.

Kit can’t be lured back in, but she is. The secret she knows still swirling inside her. The secret she knows that she’s not always kept secret, but that’s led to more secrets. The way secrets can spiral out of control, just like that. The way friendships sometimes turn toxic, but you’re too drawn in to turn away without consequences. Without a body count.

Two complex female leads, neither of whom are particularly “likable” nor “good,” Abbott’s prose sears and her storytelling is compulsively engaging. I’d have read this in a single sitting if I hadn’t had to do things like work.

Excellent crossover appeal for young adult readers and something that fans of Gillian Flynn will love.

 

A Heart In A Body In The World by Deb Caletti

*Spoiler on this one! But the spoiler is a big reason why this book resonated with me, so I’m keeping it there.

An all-too-timely feminist YA novel about the ways toxic masculinity harms each and every one of us. Annabelle has been victim of a controlling boy who believes she belongs to him and only him and she’s triggered in an incident months after his attack at a party. To clear her head and try to do something, she begins to run. And suddenly, she decides her goal is to run from Seattle to Washington, DC. She has no real plan but knows this is deeply what she needs and what she wants.

Along the way, Annabelle connects deeply with her grandfather, who follows along in an RV. She connects deeply with the country and the people populating it. There’s a fantastic scene in Marengo, Illinois, just minutes from where I live, and the love and heart there was so palpable.

This is a tough-to-read book because it’s too real. Caletti populates the book with such authentic, well-rounded characters, even the smallest ones throughout. It’s a book that girls today will relate to deeply and intensely. They shouldn’t have to.

As much as this is a book about tough things and real life and how awful the world is, it’s also a book complete with hope and humanity.

I just attended a Florence and the Machine concert, and one of the things Florence said during the show was that hope is an action. I couldn’t stop thinking about that line throughout this. Annabelle takes action on a physical, spiritual, and mental level. But her actions, as small as she feels they are (she doesn’t think her run is a big deal or anything special), have this massive ripple effect on the world around her. She takes back her power.

A great look at mental health, too, including anxiety and PTSD. There is no resolution. There is only working your way through, day by day.

 

The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig by Don Zolidis

This is the epitome of the kind of love story I love in YA: there’s an ending that feels utterly deserved and that you’re told right away would happen (it’s not a romance with a capital R), and both of the characters have good and not-so-good qualities to them. Zolidis tells this story in a nonlinear fashion, taking us from the middle of Amy and Craig’s rocky relationship, then to the beginning, and then through to the end. We see both characters become well-fleshed, and we see their flaws in powerful ways.

Craig is funny, and throughout, his humor shines through. It doesn’t feel forced nor does it feel fake. This is a dude who really loves Amy but also knows he’s imperfect and immature and in a family that’s struggling financially, so some of his plans for the future are in question. Amy is adopted, and one of the through lines in the story is about her close relationship with her adoptive mother, as well as her toying with the idea of connecting with her birth mother.

The book is set in Janesville, Wisconsin, which is a community I’m really familiar with. It’s spot on in describing things and for hitting real great Wisconsin humor (the Perkins! The cow! Parker Pens and their layoffs! The GM plant!). It also is a love story to gaming and D&D, which began just a few miles down the road from Janesville and it also highlights Gen Con, back when Gen Con was still in Milwaukee (but after Lake Geneva, of course!). It was refreshing to see this all through Craig’s eyes, especially, because I knew so many people who grew up in Janesville not too many years after this story is set, and I know how much it rings true.

The dialog here is great, and both characters feel like actual teens. Zolidis writes plays for high school performers, and his eye for staging, for speech, and for mannerisms shines through.

Pass along to readers who like love stories told in non-linear ways, who love books with a funny male protagonist at the helm, and who like a book that makes them laugh and feel sadness throughout. It’s set in the 1990s, so it’s one that’ll appeal to readers who love that setting. It reminded me a big of A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, which would be a nice pairing. Readers who pick this up and love and/or are fascinated by the setting would do well with reading JANESVILLE, which highlights things like GM and the Parker Pen company and their role in building Janesville to being what it is; it’ll also give insight into the off-handed comments Craig makes, particularly about how Janesville is very white (it is, and that’s by racist design).

 

2018: The Year of Time Travel

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Was 2018 the year of time travel in YA? It certainly seems that way to me, based on the number of times I ran across one while reading reviews of new releases. I’m not one to complain – I’ve always loved the concept, and I think it’s such a great topic to mine for imaginative plots. In 2018, I counted 14 titles where time travel was the main plot driver, and I read a few of them myself for the Cybils award this year. Almost none of them were published by a big 5 publisher, which I think is interesting. Unfortunately, it’s not a very diverse list; here’s hoping 2019 will bring more diversity to the time travel theme.

Future Lost by Elizabeth Briggs

It’s been a year since Elena and Adam were first recruited by Aether Corporation and six months since they destroyed the accelerator, finally putting an end to Project Chronos and their involvement with Aether. Now they’re trying to move on with their lives. Elena’s in college and Adam is working on making genicote, his cure for cancer, safe for the public.

But genicote has become a dangerous fixation for Adam. He’ll do anything to figure it out, and when he goes missing, Elena realizes that he’s done the unthinkable: he went to Aether for help with the cure. To Elena’s horror, she discovers that Aether has created a new accelerator. Adam betrayed her trust and has traveled into the future to find the fix for his cure, but he didn’t come back when he was supposed to. Desperate to find him, Elena decides to risk future shock and time travels once more.

This future is nothing like they’ve seen before. Someone has weaponized Adam’s cure and created a dangerous pandemic, leading to the destruction of civilization. If Elena can’t find Adam and stop this, everyone is at risk. And someone will do anything to keep her from succeeding.

 

The Genesis Flame by Ryan Dalton

The timeline is burning. No one knows why.

Teenage twins Malcolm and Valentine Gilbert have defeated doomsday machines, ice monsters, and time-traveling supervillains. Yet their full potential remains out of reach. The Chrona is elusive, and without her guidance they struggle to grow in their abilities and to choose the course of their lives.

When an enemy invades from the future, he brands the twins as war criminals. Amidst a war between ages, the twins must uncover the real truth about themselves, their accuser, and the secrets that brought him to their town. At all costs, they must unlock their true power before the enemy breaks the timeline completely. If they fail, it could mean the end of Time itself.

 

Valiant by Merrie Destefano

The Valiant was supposed to save us. Instead, it triggered the end of the world.

Earth is in shambles. Everyone, even the poorest among us, invested in the Valiant’s space mining mission in the hopes we’d be saved from ourselves. But the second the ship leaves Earth’s atmosphere, our fate is sealed. The alien invasion begins. They pour into cities around the world through time portals, possessing humans, forcing us to kill one another.

And for whatever reason, my brother is their number one target.

Now the fate of the world lies in the hands of me, a seventeen-year-old girl, but with the help of my best friend, Justin―who’s suddenly starting to feel like more―maybe if we save my brother, we can save us all…

 

The 48 by Donna Hosie

Henry VIII’s Tudor court meets time-traveling teen assassins in a riveting YA novel.

Twins Charlie and Alex Taylor are the newest time travelers recruited to the Forty-Eight, a clandestine military group in charge of manipulating history. The brothers arrive in 1536 feeling confident, but the Tudor court is not all banquets and merriment: it is a deep well of treachery, torture, lust, intrigue, and suspicion. The boys’ mission to prevent Henry VIII from marrying Jane Seymour is further complicated when Alice, a fellow trainee, appears under mysterious and brutal circumstances–and when whispers of an uprising within the Forty-Eight reach their ears. Told in alternating perspectives among Charlie, Alex, and sixteen-year-old Lady Margaret, a ladies’ maid to Queen Anne Boleyn with an agenda of her own, The 48 captures the sights, smells, sounds, and hazards of an unhinged Henry VIII’s court from the viewpoint of one person who lived that history–and two teens who have been sent to turn it upside down.

 

Afterimage by Naomi Hughes

A horrific explosion levels part of the city and Camryn Kingfisher is the sole survivor.

Amidst controversy, conspiracy theories, and threats from government officials, Camryn longs for the truth. But the only person who she can turn to is a transparent boy in a lab coat named Quint. Unsure whether he’s a hallucination or a ghost, Camryn has no choice but to trust him as they become embroiled in a plot that is bigger than either of them realize.

In a race where the fabric of time and space is at stake, they must figure out who caused the explosion before the culprit comes back to finish Camryn―and her city―off for good.

 

The Last Beginning by Lauren James

Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives.

But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove’s investigation?

For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future, and failure could cost the world everything.

 

Me and Me by Alice Kuipers

It’s Lark’s seventeenth birthday, and although she’s hated to be reminded of the day ever since her mom’s death three years ago, it’s off to a great start. Lark has written a killer song to perform with her band, the weather is stunning and she’s got a date with gorgeous Alec. The two take a canoe out on the lake, and everything is perfect—until Lark hears the screams. Annabelle, a little girl she used to babysit, is drowning in the nearby reeds while Annabelle’s mom tries desperately to reach her. Lark and Alec are closer, and they both dive in. But Alec hits his head on a rock in the water and begins to flail.

Alec and Annabelle are drowning. And Lark can save only one of them.

Lark chooses, and in that moment her world splits into two distinct lives. She must live with the consequences of both choices. As Lark finds herself going down more than one path, she has to decide: Which life is the right one?

 

The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell

Esta’s parents were murdered. Her life was stolen. And everything she knew about magic was a lie. She thought the Book of Mysteries held the key to freeing the Mageus from the Order’s grasp, but the danger within its pages was greater than she ever imagined.

Now the Book’s furious power lives inside Harte. If he can’t control it, it will rip apart the world to get its revenge, and it will use Esta to do it.

To bind the power, Esta and Harte must track down four elemental stones scattered across the continent. But the world outside the city is like nothing they expected. There are Mageus beyond the Brink not willing to live in the shadows—and the Order isn’t alone in its mission to crush them.

In St. Louis, the extravagant World’s Fair hides the first stone, but an old enemy is out for revenge and a new enemy is emerging. And back in New York, Viola and Jianyu must defeat a traitor in a city on the verge of chaos.

As past and future collide, time is running out to rewrite history—even for a time-traveling thief.

 

Rewind by Carolyn O’Doherty

Sixteen-year-old Alex is a Spinner–she has the ability to rewind time to review past events. Hated and feared because of their ability to find the truth, the small population of Spinners is restricted to Centers–compounds created to house and protect them. Alex’s society uses the Spinners’ skills to solve major crimes, but messing with time comes with consequences: no Spinner lives past the age of twenty. At sixteen, Alex is in her prime–until time sickness strikes early. When she is offered an experimental treatment, Alex sees a future for herself for the first time. But the promising medication offers more than just a cure–it also brings with it dire consequences.

 

The Echo Room by Parker Peevyhouse

Rett wakes on the floor of a cold, dark room. He doesn’t know how he got there, only that he’s locked in. He’s not alone—a girl named Bryn is trapped in the room with him. When she finds a mysterious bloodstain and decides she doesn’t trust Rett, he tries to escape on his own—

Rett wakes on the floor of the same cold, dark room. He doesn’t trust Bryn, but he’ll have to work with her if he ever hopes to escape. They try to break out of the room—

Rett and Bryn hide in a cold, dark room. Safe from what’s outside.

But they’re not alone.

 

When a Ghost Talks, Listen by Tim Tingle

Ten-year-old Isaac, now a ghost, continues with his people as they walk the Choctaw Trail of Tears headed to Indian Territory in what will one day become Oklahoma. There have been surprises aplenty on their trek, but now Isaac and his three Choctaw comrades learn they can time travel–making for an unexpected adventure. The foursome heads back in time to Washington, D.C., to bear witness for Choctaw Chief Pushmataha who has come to the nation’s capital at the invitation of Andrew Jackson.

 

But Not Forever by Jan Von Schleh

Could she be everything you aren’t, but somehow―still be you?

It’s the year 2015 and Sonnet McKay is the daughter of a globe-trotting diplomat, home for the summer from her exotic life. Everything would be perfect if not for her stunning sister, whose bright star has left her in the shadows. In 1895, Emma Sweetwine is trapped in a Victorian mansion, dreaming of wings to fly her far from her mother, who gives her love to her sons, leaving nothing for her daughter. Fate puts them in the same house at the same moment, 120 years apart, and the identical fifteen-year-olds are switched in time. In their new worlds, Sonnet falls in love with a boy, Emma falls in love with a life, and astonishing family secrets are revealed. Torn, both girls want to still go home— but can either one give up what they now have?

But Not Forever is an enchanting story of love and longing, and the heart’s ultimate quest to find where it belongs.

 

Strange Days by Constantine Singer

Alex Mata doesn’t want to worry about rumors of alien incursions – he’d rather just skate and tag and play guitar. But when he comes home to find an alien has murdered his parents, he’s forced to confront a new reality: Aliens are real, his parents are dead, and nobody will believe him if he says what he saw. On the run, Alex finds himself led to the compound of tech guru Jeffrey Sabazios, the only public figure who stands firm in his belief that aliens are coming.

At Sabazios’ invitation, Alex becomes a “Witness”—one of a special group of teens gifted with an ability that could save the Earth: they can glide through time and witness futures. When a Witness sees a future it guarantees that it will happen the way it’s been seen, making their work humanity’s best hope for controlling what happens next and stopping the alien threat. Guided by Sabazios, befriended by his fellow time travelers, and maybe even falling in love, Alex begins to find a new home at the compound — until a rogue glide shows him the dangerous truth about his new situation.

Now in a race against time, Alex must make a terrible choice: save the people he loves or save the world instead.

 

Pemmican  Wars by Katherena Vermette

Echo Desjardins, a 13-year-old Métis girl adjusting to a new home and school, is struggling with loneliness while separated from her mother. Then an ordinary day in Mr. Bee’s history class turns extraordinary, and Echo’s life will never be the same. During Mr. Bee’s lecture, Echo finds herself transported to another time and place—a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie—and back again to the present. In the following weeks, Echo slips back and forth in time. She visits a Métis camp, travels the old fur-trade routes, and experiences the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars.

Pemmican Wars is the first graphic novel in a new series, A Girl Called Echo, by Governor General Award–winning writer, and author of Highwater Press’ The Seven Teaching Stories, Katherena Vermette.

 

Bonus: Forthcoming in 2019

The Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.

But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves.

 

Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins

Seattle, 1913 // Dorothy is trapped. Forced into an engagement to a wealthy man just so she and her mother can live comfortably for the rest of their days, she’ll do anything to escape. Including sneaking away from her wedding and bolting into the woods to disappear.

New Seattle, 2077 // Ash is on a mission. Rescue the professor—his mentor who figured out the secret to time travel—so together they can put things right in their devastated city. But searching for one man means endless jumps through time with no guarantee of success.

When Dorothy collides with Ash, she sees it as her chance to start fresh—she’ll stow away in his plane and begin a new life wherever they land. Then she wakes up in a future that’s been ripped apart by earthquakes and floods; where vicious gangs rule the submerged city streets and a small group of intrepid travelers from across time are fighting against the odds to return things to normal. What Dorothy doesn’t know is that she could hold the key to unraveling the past—and her arrival may spell Ash’s ultimate destruction.