STACKED

books

This Week at Book Riot

|

I was in California last week with my coworkers for a retreat and completely spaced on linking last week’s goods. Enjoy an extra helping of links from Book Riot this week…

 

  • One of my favorite pieces in a long time: How does generation z read? I talked with some of the experts — teenagers themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s also a new episode of Hey YA up. Tune in and listen to Eric and I talk about the YA books we’ve read that no one else has read and we highlight a range of excellent books perfect for Women’s History Month.

Booklist: Hugs are Hard

|

Life is tough in picture books. If you’re not in imminent danger of being devoured, you might be weathering the challenges of finding a good hug. While hugs from loved ones are something most kids take for granted (for the kids who appreciate hugs, at least), hugs can be a trickier proposition if you’re a hedgehog. Or a cactus. Or a snake. Or a tyrannosaurus rex. Luckily, in all of the picture book examples below, the animals (or plants) persevere, and a happy ending is found for each that celebrates their own special characteristics.

Hedgehog Needs a Hug by Jen Betton

Everyone needs hugs, even if they’re prickly. When Hedgehog wakes up feeling down in the snout and droopy in the prickles, he knows a hug will make him feel better. But none of his friends are eager to wrap their arms around Hedgehog’s prickles, and he’s too smart to fall for Fox’s sly offer. Then Hedgehog gets a surprise: Another animal in the forest is feeling exactly the same way. Luckily, both are kind and brave enough for the perfect hug.

 

I Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey

‘I need a hug. Will you cuddle me, Lou?’ ‘What? With those spikes? Get away from me! Shoo!’ All this little porcupine wants is a hug. But with such prickly spikes, will she ever get the cuddle she craves?

 

 

 

Hug Me by Simona Ciraolo

Ever feel like you need a hug, a really big hug from someone? That’s how Felipe the young cactus feels, but his family just isn’t the touchy-feely kind. Cactuses can be quite prickly sometimes you know . . . and so can Felipe. But he’ll be darned if this one pointy issue will hold him back, so one day Felipe sets off on his own to find a friend and just maybe, that long awaited hug. In her debut picture book, Simona Ciraola creates an endearing tale of friendship, beautifully illustrated with buoyant wit and the perfect story to share.

 

Huggy the Python Hugs Too Hard by Ame Dyckman

Huggy the Python loves to hug. The only problem is, he hugs WAY too hard. WAIT! Can you show Huggy how to give a gentle hug? Wee Beasties is a new board book series from New York Times bestselling author, Ame Dyckman, featuring silly animals doing the things they love just a little TOO much. In this first book about Huggy the Python and all the things he loves, little ones will learn how to give a big gentle hug.

 

Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich

Hank is the prickliest cactus in the entire world. He sits in a pot in a window that faces the empty desert, which is just how he likes it. So, when all manner of creatures—from tumbleweed to lizard to owl—come to disturb his peace, Hank is annoyed. He doesn’t like noise, he doesn’t like rowdiness, and definitely does not like hugs. But the thing is, no one is offering one. Who would want to hug a plant so mean? Hank is beginning to discover that being alone can be, well, lonely. So he comes up with a plan to get the one thing he thought he would never need: a hug from a friend.

 

How Do You Hug a Porcupine? by Laurie Isop

Can you imagine hugging a porcupine? Sure, it’s easy to picture hugging a bunny or even a billy goat, but where would you begin to try to hug a porcupine? After seeing all his friends hug their favorite animals, one brave boy works up the courage to hug a porcupine, but the porcupine isn’t so sure he wants to be hugged! The latest contest winner Laurie Isop and illustrator Gwen Millward aren’t afraid to ask the pointed questions!

 

 

Wally Wants to Hug by Barbara Joosse

Hugging’s the way to start the day, but Wally’s friends are scared of his hugs! Wally is a young boa constrictor who loves hugs. His parents give him hugs to begin and end the day, and he hugs them back just as tightly. However, Wally’s classmates at school don’t seem to love hugs as much as he does and are scared of getting hugs from Wally, since boa constrictors squeeze so hard! How can Wally show them that his friendly hugs are nothing to be afraid of?

 

Sloppy Wants a Hug by Sean Julian

Sloppy the tree dragon wants a hug, but Dewdrop the sprite isn’t going to give him one, for a very good reason.

 

 

 

 

The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin

In this clever flipbook, both a hedgehog and a tortoise are looking for a hug. They ask all the other animals they come across but for some reason no one will hug them. Until a wise owl explains: Hedgehog is too spiky; Tortoise is too bony. And that’s when they find each other!

 

 

 

Hugs From Pearl by Paul Schmid

This is Pearl. Pearl loves to hug. Hugs are nice . . . except when they come from a porcupine. Pearl tries and tries to solve her problem and finally fixes it in her very own way. From the author-artist of A Pet for Petunia comes a prickly new character with a great big heart. Paul Schmid paints Pearl’s world with soft and dreamy colors that reflect just how sweet she is beneath her sharp-quilled porcupine exterior.

 

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

Tiny T. Rex has a HUGE problem. His friend Pointy needs cheering up and only a hug will do. But with his short stature and teeny T. Rex arms, is a hug impossible? Not if Tiny has anything to say about it! Join this plucky little dinosaur in his very first adventure—a warm and funny tale that proves the best hugs come from the biggest hearts. Introducing an unforgettable character on the picture book scene, Tiny T. Rex will stomp into the hearts of readers in this winning new series.

 

No Hugs for Porcupine by Zoe Waring

Poor Porcupine just cannot be hugged-his quills are too spikey! Each night, before settling down to sleep, all of Porcupine’s forest friends hug each other goodnight. All except Porcupine, who feels left out-and grumpy! But when Armadillo shows him what a warm, fuzzy “kiss” is (even for a porcupine!), Porcupine is delighted and cannot wait to show his friends. With adorable art, Zoe Waring’s story of making the most out of your physical limitations is sure to win hearts.

 

Slug Needs a Hug by Jeanne Willis

When it begins to bug slug that his mummy doesn’t hug him, he leaves home to find out why. Kitten suggests he should be furrier, so he puts on a woolly hat, while Bird suggests he needs a beak. Soon, Slug has a new look, will his mummy hug him now?

Kids On Bikes: A Middle Grade Cover Trend (Or Staple?)

|

I enjoyed the first season of Stranger Things for most of the ride. I have a hard time investing in much when it comes to television or movies, unless it’s horror or short-length comedy, so I didn’t make it past the first season. It was not because the show was bad; it was me. In fact, Stranger Things managed to make me like a lot of things I generally don’t like in my stories. A big one? It’s set in the 1980s. Perhaps because the main characters in the show are younger, rather than teenagers, or perhaps because it really leaned into the aesthetic and cultural aspects of the 80s, something about the setting worked.

And one of the biggest things I liked is a relatively small thing, but something I’ve been thinking about a lot when it comes to middle grade book covers.

 

 

It’s the fact these characters ride their bikes to get around Hawkins. It’s small-town, it’s nostalgic but not cloying, and it is a nice throwback to so many of the shows and movies set in the same time period which utilize the bike as a big part of the how of younger characters getting around and having their own (mostly) parent-free stories.

See: ET, among others.

Although set earlier than the 1980s, bikes play a huge role in one of my favorite films, Now & Then. The girls travel through their small Indiana town (what is it about small Indiana towns?) on bike and it’s their bikes which allow them the chance to get out of town and to get around town when they’d otherwise be stuck at home or walking.

 

 

Bikes, of course, have had a comeback in the last decade or so as much cities implement bike lanes and encourage bike use for transportation. But it’s always been one of those items associated with childhood and life before one earns a driver’s license. In small towns, without public transportation, bikes are a crucial component of getting around and having a sense of freedom.

Bikes might be a staple in youth culture for many, but it wasn’t until recently I noticed an uptick in the number of middle grade books featuring bikes or kids on bikes. It’s hard not to point a finger at Stranger Things and its popularity as a reason why this trend has picked up. But is it a trend? Or is it an homage to something that’s always been a staple and has reemerged as a symbol of youth, of perceived freedom, and of adventure? It’s hard to say, but this is a pretty great trend, and it’s one that I think not only resonates with young readers, but it also serves up a hearty dose of nostalgia for adults, whether they’re reading the books for themselves or picking them up for their own young readers.

Let’s take a peek at some of the bikes on middle grade covers over the last year or so, along with some that are coming up. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren’t going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what’s going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.

 

 

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It’s waiting for Candice Miller.

When Candice finds the letter, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance.

So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the summer ends?

 

The Boy From Tomorrow by Camille DeAngelis

Josie and Alec both live at 444 Sparrow Street. They sleep in the same room, but they’ve never laid eyes on each other. They are twelve years old but a hundred years apart.

The children meet through a handpainted spirit board—Josie in 1915, Alec in 2015—and form a friendship across the century that separates them. But a chain of events leave Josie and her little sister Cass trapped in the house and afraid for their safety, and Alec must find out what’s going to happen to them. Can he help them change their future when it’s already past?

The Boy from Tomorrow is a tribute to classic English fantasy novels like Tom’s Midnight Garden and A Traveller in Time. Through their impossible friendship, Alec and Josie learn that life can offer only what they ask of it.

 

 

Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor

Mavis Jeeter is fearless and bold, but she has never lived in one place long enough to have a real best friend. Her flighty mother has uprooted them again to another new home and taken a job as a housekeeper for the Tully family. Mavis wants this home to be permanent–which means finding herself a best friend.

Rose Tully is a worrier who feels like she doesn’t quite fit in with the other girls in her neighborhood. Her closest friend is Mr. Duffy, but he hasn’t been himself since his dog died. Rose may have to break a few of her mother’s many rules to help Mr. Duffy–and find someone who really understands her.

Henry has run away from home, but he craves kindness and comfort–and doesn’t know where to look for them.

When Mavis and Rose hatch a scheme to find Mr. Duffy a new dog, their lives and Henry’s intersect–and they all come to find friendship in places they never expected.

 

Where The Heart Is by Jo Knowles (April 2)

It’s the first day of summer and Rachel’s thirteenth birthday. She can’t wait to head to the lake with her best friend, Micah! But as summer unfolds, every day seems to get more complicated. Her “fun” new job taking care of the neighbors’ farm animals quickly becomes a challenge, whether she’s being pecked by chickens or having to dodge a charging pig at feeding time. At home, her parents are more worried about money than usual, and their arguments over bills intensify. Fortunately, Rachel can count on Micah to help her cope with all the stress. But Micah seems to want their relationship to go beyond friendship, and though Rachel almost wishes for that, too, she can’t force herself to feel “that way” about him. In fact, she isn’t sure she can feel that way about any boy — or what that means.

 

 

 

 

The Miraculous by Jess Redman (July 30)

Eleven-year-old Wunder Ellis is a miracologist. In a journal he calls The Miraculous, he records stories of the inexplicable and the extraordinary. These miracles fill Wunder with the feeling that he is not alone, that the world is magical, that he is part of something brighter than he can imagine.

But then his newborn sister dies, at only eight days old. If that can happen, then miracles don’t exist. So Wunder gets rid of The Miraculous. And he stops believing.

Then Wunder meets Faye—a cape-wearing, outspoken girl with losses of her own. Together, they find an abandoned house by the cemetery and the old woman who lives there—and who might be a witch. The old woman asks for Wunder and Faye’s help. She asks them to go through graveyards and forests, to townhalls and police stations, by bike and by train. She asks them to believe. And together, they go on a journey that leads them to friendship, to healing—and to miracles.

 

 

Spy Runner by Eugene Yelchin

An illustrated middle grade novel set in the 1950s in which 12-year-old Jake gets caught in Red Scare paranoia when his mother takes in a peculiar lodger who may or may not be a Russian spy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shauna Holyoak (April 23)

Packed with high stakes mystery and tons of heart, this first installment in a new series introduces Kazu Jones-a spunky, scrappy detective who’s this generation’s Harriet the Spy.

When a string of dognappings grips her Denver neighborhood, Kazu Jones vows to track down the culprits. She can’t stand to see more dogs go missing-especially once her neighbors’ beloved pet is taken because of her gigantic mistake.

With the help of her gang-including her best friend and expert hacker, March; and her ginormous, socially anxious pup, Genki-Kazu uncovers evidence that suggests the dognapping ring is bigger than she ever imagined. But the more she digs, the more dangerous her investigation becomes. The dognappers are getting bolder, and Genki could be next.

 

 

 

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews (June 11)

It’s the night of the annual Autumn Equinox Festival, when the town gathers to float paper lanterns down the river. Legend has it that after drifting out of sight, they’ll soar off to the Milky Way and turn into brilliant stars, but could that actually be true? This year, Ben and his classmates are determined to find out where those lanterns really go, and to ensure success in their mission, they’ve made a pact with two simple rules: No one turns for home. No one looks back.

The plan is to follow the river on their bikes for as long as it takes to learn the truth, but it isn’t long before the pact is broken by all except for Ben and (much to Ben’s disappointment) Nathaniel, the one kid who just doesn’t seem to fit in.

Together, Nathaniel and Ben will travel farther than anyone has ever gone, down a winding road full of magic, wonder, and unexpected friendship*.

*And a talking bear.

 

Doc and the Detective in: Graveyard Treasure by Tim Tingle (October 15)

Timmy loves reading stories about great detectives, and soon he begins to spy mysteries all around his small Oklahoma town.

Why was his next-door neighbor, the distinguished Dr. Moore, standing outside with a knife at midnight? Who’s sneaking around their house, shining flashlights in the windows? And where did Mrs. Newberry’s diamond necklace go? As Timmy and Doc work together to unmask the thief, Timmy also comes to understand the challenges Doc and his family face with his developing dementia, and discovers that a real detective needs a good heart as well as a sharp brain.

 

 

 

 

Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride by Molly Hurford (May 7)

It’s time to ride and save the day!

Lindsay can’t wait to spend her summer break reading comics and watching superhero movies–until she finds out she’ll be moving in with her weird older cousin Phoebe instead. And Phoebe has big plans for Lindsay: a BMX class at her bike park with cool-girl Jen and perfectionist Ali.

Lindsay’s summer of learning awesome BMX tricks with new friends and a new bike turns out to be more epic than any comic book–and it’s all leading up to a jumping competition.

But some of the biker boys don’t think girls should be allowed to compete in BMX. Now it’s up to Lindsay, Jen, and Ali to win the competition and prove that anyone can be great at BMX.

 

 

All Of Me by Chris Baron (June 11)

Ari has body-image issues. After a move across the country, his parents work selling and promoting his mother’s paintings and sculptures. Ari’s bohemian mother needs space to create, and his father is gone for long stretches of time on “sales” trips.

Meanwhile, Ari makes new friends: Pick, the gamer; the artsy Jorge, and the troubled Lisa. He is also relentlessly bullied because he’s overweight, but he can’t tell his parents—they’re simply not around enough to listen.

After an upsetting incident, Ari’s mom suggests he go on a diet, and she gives him a book to help. But the book—and the diet—can’t fix everything. As Ari faces the demise of his parents’ marriage, he also feels himself changing, both emotionally and physically. Here is a much-needed story about accepting the imperfect in oneself and in life.

 

 

 

Can you think of any others from 2018 or 2019 that fit the bill? I’d love to hear about them!

 

Booklist: Children Make Tasty Snacks

|

 

In kidlit, the gallows humor begins early.

While most of us are likely familiar with Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back, he is not the only nor the first picture book author to write about kids and kid-like animals being devoured by other animals. It’s a fact that wild animals eat other animals as a matter of course; most humans do too. These picture books put a funny twist on this circle of life, though human kids are usually saved from being eaten by fast talking and a bit of cleverness. The anthropomorphized animals, though, as in Klassen’s book, often aren’t as lucky. It’s “death by dinner,” if you will.

The books on this list range from fairly innocuous to potentially traumatizing, depending on the temperament of the child reader. Reader beware: here there be dragons (and bears and lions and sharks and dinosaurs and monsters, and they’re all very hungry).

All descriptions are from Goodreads. What’s your favorite book about animal-on-child murder?

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman

The filming of an underwater TV show goes awry when the crew gets interrupted by a… SHARRRK! Poor Shark, he wasn’t trying to scare them, he’s just misunderstood! Then he’s accused of trying to eat a fish. Will Shark ever catch a break? After all, he wasn’t going to eat the fish, he was just showing it his new tooth! Or was he? Explosively funny, extraordinarily clever, and even full of fun shark facts, this surprisingly endearing story gets to the heart of what it feels like to be misunderstood by the people around you. With a surprise twist ending, our Misunderstood Shark will have kids rolling with laughter!

 

Misunderstood Shark: Friends Don’t Eat Friends by Ame Dyckman

This hilarious follow-up to Misunderstood Shark by New York Times bestselling duo Ame Dyckman and Scott Magoon tackles what it really means to be a good friend. Bob is already irate that Shark has eaten him, but when Shark doesn’t admit to eating him, Bob is so mad he declares that the ocean isn’t big enough for both of them! Friends Don’t Eat Friends is exploding with over-the-top humor and awesome marine facts! For example, when Shark overdoses on Finilla Ice Cream after fighting with Bob, we learn that shark teeth are coated with fluoride. Lucky for Shark, he can’t get cavities! Join Shark and the gang for another story and find out if Shark learns his lesson about friendship, or if he really is just misunderstood — again!

 

Bears Don’t Eat Egg Sandwiches by Julie Fulton

Jack has a rather grizzly visitor arrive for lunch but they don’t want to eat any of Jack’s egg sandwiches. So what do bears eat for lunch? Through quirky illustrations and funny dialogue, the bear tells Jack all about his lunchtime plans, until they’re unexpectedly foiled.

 

 

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . .

 

Monsters Eat Whiny Children by Bruce Eric Kaplan

Dad has warned Henry and Eve: If you whine too much, monsters will eat you. Henry and Eve don’t listen, of course. The only problem is, when the monster comes, he can’t find the right recipe for whiny children—and neither can his monster friends! A whiny child salad doesn’t work because there’s paprika in the dressing. A whiny child cake won’t do because the flour spills all over the floor. And whiny child burgers are out of the question because the grill is too hard to light up. Arguments and hilarity ensue. And just when our persnickety monsters decide on the perfect dish…the worst thing of all happens….

 

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance. Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor– and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.

 

I Will Not Eat You by Adam Lehrhaupt

From the award-winning author of Warning: Do Not Open This Book! and Please, Open This Book! comes a suspenseful and darkly funny new picture book about Theodore, who resists the urge to eat the animals that wander into his cave…at least for now! Theodore thinks everything is a potential meal. Lucky for the bird, wolf, and tiger, who pass by his cave, Theodore isn’t hungry…yet. But then something new approaches. A boy. Has Theodore found a new favorite food? Or something more?

 

I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon

I just ate my friend. He was a good friend. But now he is gone. Would you be my friend? This beautiful, innovate picture book from an enormously talented new creator will make you laugh out loud. The search for a true friend is something everyone can relate to – from the very young to the very old. A hilarious story about the search for friendship and belonging… and maybe a little bit about the importance of impulse control… from an amazing new creator.

 

Eat Pete! by Michael Rex

Pete couldn’t be more thrilled when a monster shows up in his bedroom. Now Pete has someone to play with! And the hungry monster couldn’t be more thrilled to be there, either. Now he can . . . EAT PETE! But Pete has other ideas. And they are all good fun and quite distracting–things like playing cars and pirates. Well, we all know the course of playing together nicely never did run smoothly. So how much longer will the monster have to wait before he can . . . EAT PETE?

 

Don’t Eat That by Drew Sheneman

Bear is hungry. Gertie wants to help. But finding the perfect snack is harder than it looks. Will Gertie and Bear silence Bear’s tummy grumbles before hunger gets the best of them? Expressive characters and funny dialogue lead the way in this pitch-perfect story about patience and teamwork, by nationally-syndicated cartoonist Drew Sheneman.

 

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith

Little Red sets off to visit her auntie who is poorly. A Very Hungry Lion approaches Little Red, wanting to gobble her up. But despite all the cunning plans by Lion, Little Red outsmarts him and soon has him saying sorry and eating doughnuts instead. A classic fairy tale with a twist by the bestselling Alex T. Smith.

February 2019 Debut YA Novels

|

It’s time again to round up a new batch of debut novels — this time for February!

Debut YA Novels: February 2019. book lists | debut novels | debut YA novels | books by first time authors | #YALit | ya book lists

 

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

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

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

Debut Novels: February 2019

An Affair of Poisons by Addie Thorley (2/26)

After unwittingly helping her mother poison King Louis XIV, seventeen-year-old alchemist Mirabelle Monvoisin is forced to see her mother’s Shadow Society in a horrifying new light: they’re not heroes of the people, as they’ve always claimed to be, but murderers. Herself included. Mira tries to ease her guilt by brewing helpful curatives, but her hunger tonics and headache remedies cannot right past wrongs or save the dissenters her mother vows to purge.

Royal bastard Josse de Bourbon is more kitchen boy than fils de France. But when the Shadow Society assassinates the Sun King and half of the royal court, he must become the prince he was never meant to be in order to save his injured sisters and the petulant dauphin. Forced to hide in the sewers beneath the city, Josse’s hope of reclaiming Paris seems impossible—until his path collides with Mirabelle’s.

She’s a deadly poisoner. He’s a bastard prince. They are sworn enemies, yet they form a tenuous pact to unite the commoners and former nobility against the Shadow Society. But can a rebellion built on mistrust ever hope to succeed?

 

The Art of Losing by Lizzy Mason (2/19)

On one terrible night, 17-year-old Harley Langston’s life changes forever. At a party she discovers her boyfriend, Mike, hooking up with her younger sister, Audrey. Furious, she abandons them both. When Mike drunkenly attempts to drive Audrey home, he crashes and Audrey ends up in a coma. Now Harley is left with guilt, grief, pain and the undeniable truth that her now ex-boyfriend has a drinking problem. So it’s a surprise that she finds herself reconnecting with Raf, a neighbor and childhood friend who’s recently out of rehab and still wrestling with his own demons. At first Harley doesn’t want to get too close to him. But as her sister slowly recovers, Harley begins to see a path forward with Raf’s help that she never would have believed possible—one guided by honesty, forgiveness, and redemption.

 

 

 

 

*Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto (2/12)

I had a sister, once…

In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

I promised her the throne would not come between us.

Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled.

Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken.

Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love’s incredible power to save—or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister’s hands.

 

*The Dark of The West by Joanna Hathaway (2/5)

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania―Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it―a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

 

*Enchantee by Gita Trelease (2/5)

Paris is a labyrinth of twisted streets filled with beggars and thieves, revolutionaries and magicians. Camille Durbonne is one of them. She wishes she weren’t…

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille must find a way to provide for her younger sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on magic, Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille pursues a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Using dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into a baroness and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for magic. As she struggles to reconcile her resentment of the rich with the allure of glamour and excess, Camille meets a handsome young inventor, and begins to believe that love and liberty may both be possible.

But magic has its costs, and soon Camille loses control of her secrets. And when revolution erupts, Camille must choose―love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, reality of magic―before Paris burns.

 

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (2/26)

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.

An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences, Four Dead Queens heralds the arrival of an exciting new YA talent.

 

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark (2/19)

For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego “d0l0s,” it’s college and then a career at “one of the big ones,” like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT–but the student loan she’d been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father–one Robert Foster–is loaded.
Nari isn’t about to let her friend’s dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals. Fast-paced and banter-filled, Lillian Clark’s debut is a hilarious and thought-provoking Robin Hood story for the 21st century.

 

 

Roam by CH Armstrong (2/5)

Seventeen-year-old Abby Lunde and her family are living on the streets. They had a normal life back in Omaha but, thanks to her mother’s awful mistake, they had to leave behind what little they had for a new start in Rochester. Abby tries to be an average teenager-fitting in at school, dreaming of a boyfriend, college and a career in music. But Minnesota winters are unforgiving, and so are many teenagers.

Her stepdad promises to put a roof over their heads, but times are tough for everyone and Abby is doing everything she can to keep her shameful secret from her new friends. The divide between rich and poor in high school is painfully obvious, and the stress of never knowing where they’re sleeping or where they’ll find their next meal is taking its toll on the whole family.

As secrets are exposed and the hope for a home fades, Abby knows she must trust those around her to help. But will her new friends let her down like the ones back home, or will they rise to the challenge to help them find a normal life?

 

A Soldier and a Liar by Caitlin Lochner (2/19)

Lai Cathwell is good at keeping secrets. As a Nyte, a supernaturally gifted teenager who is feared and shunned by the ungifted, this skill is essential to survival. Orchestrating her own imprisonment to escape military duty has only honed her ability to deceive others. But when rebels start attacking the city, Lai is dragged back into the fight with a new team of Nytes.

Thrown together with Jay, a self-conscious perfectionist consumed by the desire to be accepted; Al, a short-tempered fighter lying for the sake of revenge; and Erik, an amnesiac hell-bent on finding his memories and his place in the world, Lai realizes she’s facing an entirely different kind of challenge—one that might just be impossible. But if this team can’t learn to work together, the entire sector will be plunged into war.

 

 

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok (2/12)

Paris, 1887.

Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize each day’s new arrivals, a task she finds both fascinating and routine. That is, until the day she has a vision of the newest body, a young woman, being murdered—from the perspective of the murderer himself.

When the body of another woman is retrieved from the Seine days later, Paris begins to buzz with rumors that this victim may not be the last. Nathalie’s search for answers sends her down a long, twisty road involving her mentally ill aunt, a brilliant but deluded scientist, and eventually into the Parisian Catacombs. As the killer continues to haunt the streets of Paris, it becomes clear that Nathalie’s strange new ability may make her the only one who can discover the killer’s identity–and she’ll have to do it before she becomes a target herself.

 

We Set The Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia (2/26)

At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.

Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.

And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.

Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

 

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf (2/5)

Melati Ahmad looks like your typical movie-going, Beatles-obsessed sixteen-year-old. Unlike most other sixteen-year-olds though, Mel also believes that she harbors a djinn inside her, one who threatens her with horrific images of her mother’s death unless she adheres to an elaborate ritual of counting and tapping to keep him satisfied.

But there are things that Melati can’t protect her mother from. On the evening of May 13th, 1969, racial tensions in  her home city of Kuala Lumpur boil over. The Chinese and Malays are at war, and Mel and her mother become separated by a city in flames.

With a 24-hour curfew in place and all lines of communication down, it will take the help of a Chinese boy named Vincent and all of the courage and grit in Melati’s arsenal to overcome the violence on the streets, her own prejudices, and her djinn’s surging power to make it back to the one person she can’t risk losing.