A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

This book is bananas, and I mean that in the best way. It’s about a war between fairies, gnomes, and creatures called tight-ropers in which humans are completely absent, and it’s told by an unreliable narrator in such a way that you’re never quite sure what really happened – until it all begins to come together. Moskowitz took a ton of risks with this story, both in the way she chose to tell it and in its content, which is violent and at times macabre (for example, the fairies are immortal, which means that when they’re eaten by their natural predators the gnomes, they continue to feel the bits of themselves being digested). Her risks paid off. This book is utterly entrancing from beginning to end. It’s rare to see a fantasy written with this level of creativity, especially one that is so successfully executed, and I’ll be recommending it for years to come.

Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond

Bond’s book is just plain fun. It’s about a teenage Lois Lane, who tends to get into scrapes wherever she goes, and she goes a lot of places thanks to her general father. At her new school, she’s promised to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble – but we all know that’s not going to happen. On her first day there, she witnesses a brilliant girl being bullied by a strange group of students whose behavior is eerily in sync. When the principal refuses to do anything about it, Lois decides to leverage her new job as a reporter for the Daily Scoop – the junior version of the Daily Planet – to figure out what’s really going on. The mystery is interesting and lightly flavored with science fiction. Superman makes brief cameos as Lois’ online friend SmallvilleGuy, and knowing that he’s Superman when Lois doesn’t adds to the fun. Fallout is full of action and personality, just like its main character; the comparison to Veronica Mars is apt.

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

I love Hodge’s writing and her unique way of manipulating the fairy tales we all know in interesting, and frequently dark, ways. This story, which uses elements of Little Red Riding Hood, is a bit grimmer than Cruel Beauty and lighter on romance. I wrote more about it here.

Burning Nation by Trent Reedy

Considering the recent events in Oregon, it’s accurate to say there’s no YA writer more prescient than Trent Reedy. This is the sequel to Burning Nation, which I also really liked. The audiobook makes this a standout. I wrote more about it here.