Hitting the Road: YA Roadtrips in 2016

May 2, 2016 |

Since I’ve started doing those huge round-up/previews of YA titles each quarter at Book Riot, I can’t help but notice themes and topics that show up again and again. 2016 is undoubtedly the year of romance in YA. They aren’t all the same, of course, but romance at the core of YA seems to be bigger this year than in recent memory recalls.

Another interesting observation so far this year, though, has been the road trip. Road trips are perennially popular in YA, though they go through lulls and resurgences. This year, we’re in a pretty big upswing.

Road trips offer the chance for teens to be free, to have an adventure, and to literally follow an arc from start to finish. It’s a journey of discovery and growth. But, it is worth noting that teens who pursue road trips tend to be white more than anything else. It’s rare to find teens of color on the road; this is, of course, not surprising given that the challenges of being a person of color on a road trip when you’re 17 or 18 are much more life-threatening than if you’re a white teen on a road. I’ve started a list somewhere in my drafts of books that offer this in YA and I’ll have to revisit it here in the near future.

In the mean time, why don’t we take a look at the 2016 YA books where road trips play a part in the story? If you can think of others hitting shelves this year, drop the title in the comments. I have included epic quests in this list, so those are welcome additions, too. Get ready to hit the road.

All descriptions are from Goodreads.

Catacomb by Madeleine Roux (technically this came out at the end of 2015, but go with it here)

Sometimes the past is better off buried.

Senior year is finally over. After all they’ve been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they’re just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan’s uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they are apparently being followed.. And Dan starts receiving phone messages from someone he didn’t expect to hear from again—someone who died last Halloween.

As the strange occurrences escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence, but fate—a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister connection with a notorious killer from the past. Now, Dan’s only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive.

Drag Teen by Jeffery Self

Jeffery Self takes us on a road trip with an insecure high school senior who has one goal: to be the first in his family to leave Clearwater, Florida, and go to college. The problem is, he has zero means of paying for school — until his friends convince him to compete in a drag teen competition for a college scholarship.

The Haters by Jesse Andrews

For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It’s pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It’s three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they’re in Ash’s SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.

How Not to Disappear by Clare Furniss (Hit shelves at the tail end of 2015)

Hattie’s summer isn’t going as planned. Her two best friends have abandoned her: Reuben has run off to Europe to “find himself” and Kat’s in Edinburgh with her new girlfriend. Meanwhile Hattie is stuck babysitting her twin siblings and dealing with endless drama around her mum’s wedding.

Oh, and she’s also just discovered that she’s pregnant with Reuben’s baby…

Then Gloria, Hattie’s great-aunt who no one previously knew even existed comes crashing into her life. Gloria’s fiercely independent, rather too fond of a gin sling and is in the early stages of dementia.

Together the two of them set out on a road trip of self-discovery – Gloria to finally confront the secrets of her past before they are wiped from her memory forever and Hattie to face the hard choices that will determine her future.

In Real Life by Jessica Love

Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know everything there is to know about one another.

There’s just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met.

Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she’s supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to Las Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him.

Hannah’s surprise romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and finds out that Nick has been keeping some major secrets. Hannah knows the real Nick can’t be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then.

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark (November 8)

The last time Jess saw her father, she was a boy. Now she’s a high school graduate, soon to be on her way to art school. But first she has some unfinished business with her dad. So she’s driving halfway across the country to his wedding. He happens to be marrying her mom’s ex-best friend. It’s not like Jess wasn’t invited; she was. She just never told anyone she was coming. Surprise!

Luckily, Jess isn’t making this trip alone. Her best friend, Christophe-nicknamed Chunk-is joining her.

Along the way, Jess and Chunk learn a few things about themselves-and each other-which call their feelings about their relationship into question.

Land of 10,000 Madonnas by Kate Hattemer (less a road trip and more a backpacking trip)

Five teens backpack through Europe to fulfill the mysterious dying wish of their friend.

Jesse lives with his history professor dad in a house covered with postcards of images of the Madonna from all over the world. They’re gotten used to this life: two motherless dudes living among thousands of Madonnas. But Jesse has a heart condition that will ultimately cut his life tragically short. Before he dies, he arranges a mysterious trip to Europe for his three cousins, his best friend, and his girlfriend to take after he passes away. It’s a trip that will forever change the lives of these young teens and one that will help them come to terms with Jesse’s death.

The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely (September 13)

The point of living is learning how to love.

That’s what Gpa says. To Hendrix and Corrina, both seventeen but otherwise alike only in their loneliness, that sounds like another line from a pop song that tries to promise kids that life doesn’t actually suck. Okay, so: love. Sure.

The thing about Corrina—her adoptive parents are suffocating, trying to mold her into someone acceptable, predictable, like them. She’s a musician, itching for any chance to escape, become the person she really wants to be. Whoever that is.

And Hendrix, he’s cool. Kind of a poet. But also kind of lost. His dad is dead and his mom is married to her job. Gpa is his only real family, but he’s fading fast from Alzheimer’s. Looking for any way to help the man who raised him, Hendrix has made Gpa an impossible promise—that he’ll get him back east to the hill where he first kissed his wife, before his illness wipes away all memory of her.

One hot July night, Hendrix and Corrina decide to risk everything. They steal a car, spring Gpa from his assisted living facility, stuff Old Humper the dog into the back seat, and take off on a cross-country odyssey from LA to NY. With their parents, Gpa’s doctors, and the police all hot on their heels, Hendrix and Corrina set off to discover for themselves if what Gpa says is true—that the only stories that last are love stories.

Life Before by Michele Bacon (June 7)

Seventeen years is a long time to keep secrets, so Xander Fife is very good at it: everyone believes he has a normal family. If he can just get through this summer, he’ll start his real life in college with a clean slate–no risk, no drama, no fear.

Xander’s summer plans include pick-up soccer, regular hijinks with friends, an epic road trip, and—quite possibly— the company of his ideal girlfriend, the amazing Gretchen Taylor.

Instead of kicking off what had promised to be an amazing summer, however, graduation day brings terror. His family’s secrets are thrust out into the open, forcing Xander to confront his greatest fear. Or run from it.

Armed with a fake ID, cash, and a knife, Xander skips town and assumes a new identity. In danger hundreds of miles from home, one thing is clear: Xander’s real life is already in progress and just getting through it isn’t enough.

The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno (July 5)

LOST:
Frannie and Louis met in an online support group when they were both younger. They have never met face-to-face. They don’t even know each other’s real names. All they know is that they both have a mysterious tendency to lose things. Well, not lose them, exactly. Things just seem to…disappear.

FOUND:
They each receive news in the mail that sets them off on a road trip to Austin, Texas, looking for answers—and each other. Along the way, each one begins to find, as if by magic, important things the other has lost. And by the time they finally meet in person, they realize that the things you lose might be things you weren’t meant to have at all, and that you never know what you might find if you just take a chance.

A Million Times Goodnight by Kristina McBride (July 5)

One night. Two paths. Infinite danger.

On the night of the big spring break party, seventeen-year-old Hadley “borrows” her boyfriend Ben’s car without telling him. As payback, he posts a naked picture of her online for the entire senior class to see.

Now Hadley has a choice: go back to the party and force Ben to delete the picture or raise the stakes and take his beloved car on a road trip as far away from their hometown of Oak Grove, Ohio, as she can get.

Chapters alternate to reveal each possible future as Hadley, her ex-boyfriend, Josh, and her best friends embark on a night of reckless adventure where old feelings are rekindled, friendships are tested, and secrets are uncovered that are so much worse than a scandalous photo.

The Swan Riders by Erin Bow (September 20)

Greta Stuart had always known her future: die young. She was her country’s crown princess, and also its hostage, destined to be the first casualty in an inevitable war. But when the war came it broke all the rules, and Greta forged a different path.

She is no longer princess. No longer hostage. No longer human. Greta Stuart has become an AI.

If she can survive the transition, Greta will earn a place alongside Talis, the AI who rules the world. Talis is a big believer in peace through superior firepower. But some problems are too personal to obliterate from orbit, and for those there are the Swan Riders: a small band of humans who serve the AIs as part army, part cult.

Now two of the Swan Riders are escorting Talis and Greta across post-apocalyptic Saskatchewan. But Greta’s fate has stirred her nation into open rebellion, and the dry grassland may hide insurgents who want to rescue her – or see her killed. Including Elian, the boy she saved—the boy who wants to change the world, with a knife if necessary. Even the infinitely loyal Swan Riders may not be everything they seem.

Greta’s fate—and the fate of her world—are balanced on the edge of a knife in this smart, sly, electrifying adventure.

The Way Back To You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott (May 3)

Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident.

Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken.

Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore.

As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they’re barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers that Ashlyn’s organs were donated after her death and the Montiel family has been in touch with three of the recipients, she does something a little bit crazy and a lot of out character: she steals the letters and convinces Kyle to go on a winter break road trip with her, from Oregon to California to Arizona to Nevada. Maybe if they see the recipients—the people whose lives were saved by Ashlyn’s death—the world will open up again. Or maybe it will be a huge mistake.

With hundreds of miles in front of them, a stowaway kitten, and a list of people who are alive because of Ashlyn, Cloudy and Kyle just may find their way to back to her…and to each other.

This Week at Book Riot

April 29, 2016 |

It’s been busy behind the scenes at Book Riot, so only two posts from the last two weeks (so busy I apparently forgot to link through last Friday).

This week’s “3 On A YA Theme” was all about math lovers in YA fiction.

Last week’s “3 On A YA Theme” talked about homeschooling in YA fiction, with a little wondering why we see so many boarding school teens and so few who are home/alternately schooled.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

April 27, 2016 |

What if the Sherlock Holmes stories were real?

Brittany Cavallaro explores this idea in her debut novel, A Study in Charlotte, set in a private boarding school in Connecticut and featuring the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. James (called Jamie, despite his protestations) Watson has been sent to the American high school on a rugby scholarship, and it just so happens that it’s the same school attended by Charlotte Holmes, a direct descendant of Sherlock. The two resemble their ancestors in personality, and just like Sherlock and John, they strike up a tense sort of friendship. When a student is found murdered and suspicion thrown on the them, they start investigating it on their own in order to clear their names.

Cavallaro has a ton of fun with her source material. The story is narrated by Jamie, who writes poetry and wants to be a writer like John (Arthur Conan Doyle is referred to as John’s literary agent, a fun little detail). Charlotte, like her famous relative, is a drug user and not very good with people, though she is a brilliant detective. The murders and attacks on the students at the school are all copycats of the cases the original Watson wrote about at the turn of the 19th century, which is fun not only for readers familiar with the originals, but will also spur those unfamiliar with them to pick them up. And of course, the Moriarty family makes an appearance as well. No prior knowledge is required as Jamie recaps the essentials needed to understand what’s going on.

Though the central mystery is quite good, with a number of red herrings and a couple of nice sub-mysteries, it’s the relationship between Jamie and Charlotte that provides the real sparkle and makes this a standout read. It’s a rocky relationship throughout, but it’s also deep and caring. At multiple points in the book, Jamie suspects that Charlotte may have actually committed the acts she’s suspected of, but that doesn’t prevent him from caring for her. For her part, Charlotte freely admits she is not a good person, but the fact that she knows this and tries to counteract it is what makes her press on. Cavallaro has done something pretty remarkable: made her Sherlock Holmes descendant different from her forebear in important ways (she’s not quite as antisocial, not quite as callous to Watson, admits to deeper feelings, and so on), but just as interesting.

Of course, this is all told entirely through Jamie’s eyes until the very end, where Charlotte makes a postscript, ragging a bit on Jamie’s sentimentality and correcting a few of what she sees as his errors. These dueling narratives add a bit of unreliability to the story – just how good or bad is Charlotte, really? – which I always enjoy. This unreliability is paralleled in the original Conan Doyle stories as well.

This should appeal to fans of the Sherlock Holmes stories, which are enjoying a bit of a mini-Renaissance, though they’ve always been popular. Teens on the hunt for a good mystery with interesting sleuths would love this too, even if they have zero knowledge of the source material. This is a better than average mystery and debut: it’s tons of fun with a lot of depth to its plotting as well as its characters. And that title is just perfect. Highly recommended.

Debut YA Novels, April Edition

April 25, 2016 |

It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month. Like always, 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 WorldCat or Goodreads, unless otherwise noted. If I’m missing any debuts out in February from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. Get ready to get reading. It’s a busy month!

The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander

Since her twin brother, Eddie, drowned five years ago, sixteen-year-old Elsie Main has tried to remember what really happened that fateful day on the beach. When cute, mysterious Tay introduces Elsie to the world of freediving, she vows to find the answers she seeks at the bottom of the sea.

Consider by Kristy Acevedo

As if 17-year-old Alexandra Lucas’ anxiety disorder isn’t enough, mysterious holograms suddenly appear, heralding the end of the world. They bring an ultimatum: heed the warning and step through a portal-like vertex to safety, or stay and be destroyed by a comet that is on a collision course with Earth. The holograms, claiming to be humans from the future, bring the promise of safety. But without the ability to verify their story, Alex is forced to consider what is best for her friends, her family, and herself. To stay or to go. A decision must be made.

Crossing The Line by Meghan Rogers

Jocelyn Steely was kidnapped as a child and trained as a North Korean spy, but the tables turn when she becomes a double agent for the very American spy organization she has been sent to destroy.

Daughters of Ruin by K. D. Castner

As a war begins, four princesses of enemy kingdoms who were raised as sisters must decide where their loyalties lie: to their kingdoms, or to each other.

Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer

When a nearby mountaintop removal mine is suspected of contaminating the water and sickening the residents of a small Kentucky town, sixteen-year-old Liberty Briscoe searches for answers.

Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan

To his great surprise, uncool eleventh-grader Max Cobb is invited to join the Chaos Club, an exclusive group of students responsible for some of the biggest pranks at his high school.

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Experiencing dreams about her soulmate all of her life, Alice meets the real boy, Max, when she moves to a new school and finds that their real relationship is more complicated than their dream one.

The End of FUN by Sean McGinty

Seventeen-year-old Aaron is hooked on FUN, a new augmented reality experience that is as addictive as it is FUN. But when he sets off on a treasure hunt, left by his late grandfather, Aaron must navigate the real world and discover what it means to connect–after the game is over.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry

Spending the summer with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico, seventeen-year-old Lucas turns to a legendary cursed girl filled with poison when his girlfriend mysteriously disappears.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

After her mother dies, Lina travels to Italy where she discovers her mothers’s journal and sets off on an adventure to unearth her mother’s secrets.

Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey

In the early 1800s, when her father sends her to London for a season, eighteen-year-old Juliana Telford, who prefers researching ladybugs to marriage, meets handsome Spencer Northam, a spy posing as a young gentleman of leisure.

My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul

Hank Kirby can’t catch a break. He doesn’t mean to screw up. It just happens. Case in point: his attempt to ask out the girl he likes literally goes up in flames when he spelled “prom”” in sparklers on Amanda Carlisle’s lawn…and nearly burns down her house, without ever asking her the big question. Hank just wants to pretend the incident never happened. And he might’ve gotten away with it–except there is awitness. Peyton Breedlove, brooding loner and budding pyromaniac, saw the whole thing, and she blackmails Hank into an unusual friendship. Sure, Hank may be headed for his biggest disaster yet, but it’s only when life falls apart that you can start piecing it back together.

One Silver Summer by Rachel Hickman

Still grieving for her mother, sixteen-year-old Saskia has come from Brooklyn to Cornwall to live with her uncle where she discovers a beautiful silver-colored horse named Bo, and a boy, Alex, who describes himself as the horse’s trainer–but as their friendship deepens into something more she discovers that Alex is hiding a secret about himself and his family that could affect their relationship.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

When Scarlett’s beloved TV show is canceled and her longtime crush, Gideon, is sucked out of her orbit and into the dark and distant world of Populars, Scarlett turns to the fanfic message boards for comfort. This time, though, her subjects aren’t the swoon-worthy stars of her fave series — they’re the real-life kids from her high school.

South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf

In Sunshine, Tennessee, the main event in town is Friday night football, the biggest party of the year is held in a field filled with pickup trucks, and church attendance is mandatory. For Kaycee Jean McCoy, life in Sunshine means dating guys she has no interest in, saying only “yes, ma’am” when the local bigots gossip at her mom’s cosmetics salon, and avoiding certain girls at all costs. Girls like Bren Dawson. Unlike Kaycee, Bren doesn’t really conceal who she is. But as the cool, worldly new girl, nobody at school seems to give her any trouble. Maybe there’s no harm if Kaycee gets closer to her too, as long as she can keep that part of her life a secret, especially from her family and her best friend. But the more serious things get with Bren, the harder it is to hide from everyone else. Kaycee knows Sunshine has a darker side for people like her, and she’s risking everything for the chance to truly be herself.

Tripping Back Blue by Kara Storti

Finn is a gentle, tortured dealer and addict whose life is slipping away. When he finds an almost magical drug called Indigo, he thinks it will let him break free, but he’s dead wrong.

Feminism For The Real World: An Update!

April 23, 2016 |

How about a quick update about the anthology I’m editing? Well, you’re in luck since I’ve got one!

First: we have a slightly altered title. After going back and forth for a few weeks about the title as it was, my editors and I decided having a title to go before Feminism for the Real World would be catchier than the title as-is. So after bouncing ideas, this one came up and I love it. Feminism for the Real World is now . . .

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World

It captures the spirit of the anthology, the voice and tone of the pieces inside it, and the way I’ve set up the different sections of the book. It’s inclusive and inviting.

Second: a tentative publication date. Due to a million factors, this could change, but as of now, I have what might be the best publication date possible . . .

3/14/17 . . . Pi(e) Day

It’s perfect not just because it’s pi(e) day, but the big picture behind the book is that feminism is about having the whole damn pie. About letting everyone enjoy it. About not settling for crumbs but enjoying the entire thing.

I’m so thrilled with how the book has come together. We’re in the copyediting stage right now, and all of the pieces are phenomenal. I’m thrilled with how hard all of the contributors worked and what they brought to the collection. Each piece is powerful, thoughtful, and an exciting look at feminism. I’m so, so excited to share this book with teenagers of all genders because it is, without question, a book I would have wanted as a teenager.

You can add the book to Goodreads by clicking here. I will, of course, write again when there are preorder opportunities.

If you want a little more of a look behind the covers of putting the collection together, you can read this interview I did with Amparo Ortiz about the anthology.

I am proud of this anthology and am so grateful to be able to hold my dream project in my hands in a mere 10.5 months.