Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 14

Booklist: Youth Fiction About COVID-19

When the COVID-19 crisis was in its infancy, publishers and individuals acted pretty quickly to put out ebooks about the virus or to help children understand and cope with the changes it brought to their lives. Now that it’s been over half a year that we’ve been living this way, though, physical books have started to make their way to the marketplace, including a handful of fiction. I’m curious to see if kids and teens will be interested in these books at all, and how long that interest will last if/when the crisis passes.

 

Good Morning Zoom by Lindsay Rechler (October 6)

Good Morning Zoom takes the reader on a lyrical journey through our “new normal.” From “Zoom school,” to watching doctors and nurses on TV, to building pillow forts and talking to loved ones from a distance, this poignant book reminds us that there are still things to enjoy and be excited about in these unprecedented times.

 

The Big Hug by Megan Walker (April 21, 2021)

On opposite sides of a quiet street lived two friends. From morning to evening, they played. ‘‘You two are stuck together like glue!’’ their parents and teachers laughed. So it was a shock when, one day, they had to stop and go inside. Between them now was only space. Suddenly, outside was scary and felt very large. Their parents were full of whispers and frowns and the worry inside felt heavy. Where can you put friendship when friends are apart? Slowly, they learned. They found that, across the street and through windows, they could give each other a hug.  They discovered that a smile is a hug. A wave is a hug. And funny faces, a phone call, a song. They discovered that when you’re apart a friendship doesn’t leave.  With time and effort it will grow and grow, until it is big, bigger than all fears.

Inspired by real-world events, The Big Hug is a story of love’s resilience.

 

Heroes Wear Masks: Elmo’s Super Adventure by Ernie Kwiat

Come along on Elmo’s first day off to school as he gets ready to be a mask hero!

Today is a very exciting day–it’s Elmo is heading off to school, and he wants to be a School Superhero! Join Elmo as he gets ready like a hero and learns about wearing masks and hand washing. It’s going to be a SUPER day!

With the help of Elmo and his mommy, this all new story from world-renowned education brand Sesame Workshop will help children combat school anxiety and understand new experiences like wearing masks, frequent hand washing, and social distancing. School Superhero reminds readers that it’s super to help everyone stay healthy!

 

Share Your Rainbow: 18 Artists Draw Their Hope for the Future

everything these rainbows represent: caring for one another, and our hopes for the future. In this collection of eighteen scenes, readers will lick an ice cream cone, swim in the ocean, cuddle close with cousins, and celebrate a birthday with a party full of friends and family. Each spread has a hidden rainbow for kids to find!

An introduction by R. J. Palacio, New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, reminds us that rainbows have always been symbols of hope, and that as fleeting as a rainbow may seem, we can always look for the next one–in the sky, on the sidewalk, and in a window.

 

While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin

Hedgehog and Tortoise were the best of friends.

They wanted to give each other a great, big hug.

But they weren’t allowed to touch.

“Don’t worry,” said Owl. “There are lots of ways to show someone you love them.”

So the two friends wave to each other, blow kisses, sing songs, dance around and write letters. And even though they can’t hug and they can’t touch, they both know that they are loved.

A gorgeous, uplifting, inspiring picture book that makes social distancing fun!

 

 

Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham (January 5, 2021)

From Caldecott honoree LeUyen Pham, Outside, Inside is a moving picture book celebrating essential workers and the community coming together to face the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Something strange happened on an unremarkable day just before the season changed.

Everybody who was outside . . .

. . . went inside.

Outside, it was quieter, wilder, and different. Inside, we laughed, we cried, and we grew.

We remembered to protect the ones we love and love the ones who protect us.

While the world changed outside, we became stronger on the inside and believed that someday soon spring would come again.

 

Always Together at Christmas by Sara Sargent (November 3)

Help children discover the joy of Christmas 2020 with this timely picture book that affirms the special magic of the holidays even if we’re physically separated from our loved ones!

Christmas will always mean love.

Even if love looks a little different this year.

As families and communities come together–and stay apart–in creative ways this holiday season, bring comfort and joy to children with this story about a Christmas like no other.

Always Together at Christmas highlights different family traditions and the ways they’re changing in 2020: from Santa’s elves practicing social distancing to opening presents via Zoom on Christmas morning. And it even includes ideas for new quarantine-appropriate Christmas traditions!

 

Windows by Patrick Guest (January 19, 2021)

Inspired by the author’s experience as a medical worker forced to isolate from his family, Windows is the heartfelt story of how we can all feel together even when we are far apart. Told through the voices–and windows–of children from around the world, this story’s comforting message and bright illustrations bring hope into your home even as our world changes outside. When you look out your window, don’t forget that we’re all looking out–together.

 

 

Don’t Stand So Close to Me by Eric Walters

Thirteen-year-old Quinn and her friends can’t believe their luck when spring break is extended an extra two weeks—even if it’s because of some virus. But when the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic becomes apparent, everyone, not just the students, has to learn to adjust to their new reality. Quinn’s father is an ER doctor and has to self-isolate to protect his family from the virus. Isaac’s mother is the chief of police and now has to enforce new physical-distancing bylaws.

Reese can’t visit her grandmother in her care home anymore. And their entire school has moved to online classes. Sacrifices have to be made to keep everyone safe, but there’s more to life than rules and scary news reports. In an effort to find some good in all this uncertainty, Quinn comes up with an idea that she hopes will bring the entire community together.

 

Together, Apart (October 20)

A collection of original contemporary love stories set during life in lockdown by some of today’s most popular YA authors.

Erin Craig “delivers” on a story about a new girl in town and the cute pizza delivery boy, Auriane Desombre captures our hearts with teens communicating through window signs, and Bill Konigsberg takes us along on daily walks with every step bringing us closer to love. There’s flirting and romance from Rachael Lippincott, a tale of a determined girl with a mask-making business from Erin Hahn, and a music-inspired love connection from Sajni Patel. Brittney Morris turns enemies to lovers with the help of a balcony herb garden, Jennifer Yen writes an unconventional romance that starts outside a hospital, and Natasha Preston’s teens discover each other–and their love story–in a storybook oak tree.

Romantic, realistic, sweet and uplifting, TOGETHER, APART is a collection of finding love in unexpected places during an unprecedented time . . . each with the one thing we all want: a guaranteed happy ending.

 

 

September 2020 Debut YA Novels

September is always a packed month when it comes to new books, but this year feels especially big. Given how many books were pushed from spring to fall releases, know that this list may not represent the entirety of debut YA novels of September. But it’s a really great look at just how many and how wildly diverse in every way they are.

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

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

Note: for some reason, the 2020 debut groups that have been so helpful for me in the past in compiling these lists seem to be scant this year. Likewise, those groups which do exist don’t have book titles or publication dates readily accessible. Here’s my repeat plea for making that easily located, not just for me but for any reader, librarian, and teacher who wants the essential information without having to click a ton of links.

 

Blood Moon by Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall

There are two things that Corinne Parker knows to be true: that she is in love with Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school’s cross-country team and her secret girlfriend of a year, and that she isn’t ready for anyone to know she’s bisexual.

But then Maggie dies, and Corinne quickly learns that the only thing worse than losing Maggie is being left heartbroken over a relationship no one knows existed. And to make things even more complicated, the only person she can turn to is Elissa — Maggie’s ex and the single person who understands how Corinne is feeling.

As Corinne struggles to make sense of her grief and what she truly wants out of life, she begins to have feelings for the last person she should fall for. But to move forward after losing Maggie, Corinne will have to learn to be honest with the people in her life…starting with herself.

This Week at Book Riot

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Over on Book Riot this week…

60 YA books hitting shelves in paperback this fall.

 

The ultimate guide to awesome book stickers.

 

 

Next week, I’m doing a REALLY exciting virtual event I hope you’ll pop over and enjoy. With the Longmore Institute and Disability Visibility, I’ll be in conversation with Alice Wong all about editing anthologies and about disability in publishing. Event is Monday, September 21 at 6 pm central time, and the registration for the free event is here.

 

 

What You Don’t Do, YA Edition

As I was perusing the new books my library system has acquired in YA, three books in a row stuck out to me in the 2020 releases. They all shared the same first word, and, similar to what Kimberly pointed out earlier this year and in which I piggybacked, they were complete sentences.

That word? Don’t.

I took a look back at the last five years of YA book titles and was surprised to see so many book titles explaining what not to do. This would make for a really fun book display for teachers or librarians.

Book titles had to begin with “Don’t” to make the list, though several additional YA books had the word somewhere in the title. I pulled descriptions from Goodreads.

 

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon

First-generation American LatinX Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.

Fifteen-year-old Liliana is fine, thank you very much. It’s fine that her best friend, Jade, is all caught up in her new boyfriend lately. It’s fine that her inner-city high school is disorganized and underfunded. It’s fine that her father took off again—okay, maybe that isn’t fine, but what is Liliana supposed to do? She’s fifteen! Being left with her increasingly crazy mom? Fine. Her heathen little brothers? Fine, fine, fine. But it turns out Dad did leave one thing behind besides her crazy family. Before he left, he signed Liliana up for a school desegregation program called METCO. And she’s been accepted.

Being accepted into METCO, however, isn’t the same as being accepted at her new school. In her old school, Liliana—half-Guatemalan and half-Salvadorian—was part of the majority where almost everyone was a person of color. But now at Westburg, where almost everyone is white, the struggles of being a minority are unavoidable. It becomes clear that the only way to survive is to lighten up—whiten up. And if Dad signed her up for this program, he wouldn’t have just wanted Liliana to survive, he would have wanted her to thrive. So what if Liliana is now going by Lili? So what if she’s acting like she thinks she’s better than her old friends? It’s not a big deal. It’s fine.

But then she discovers the gutting truth about her father: He’s not on one of his side trips. And it isn’t that he doesn’t want to come home…he can’t. He’s undocumented and he’s been deported back to Guatemala. Soon, nothing is fine, and Lili has to make a choice: She’s done trying to make her white classmates and teachers feel more comfortable. Done changing who she is, denying her culture and where she came from. They want to know where she’s from, what she’s about? Liliana is ready to tell them.

 

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy edited by Kelly Jensen (me!)

Who’s Crazy?

What does it mean to be crazy? Is using the word crazy offensive? What happens when such a label gets attached to your everyday experiences?

In order to understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. Because there’s no single definition of crazy, there’s no single experience that embodies it, and the word itself means different things—wild? extreme? disturbed? passionate?—to different people.

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a conversation starter and guide to better understanding how our mental health affects us every day. Thirty-three writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy.

If you’ve ever struggled with your mental health, or know someone who has, come on in, turn the pages, and let’s get talking.

 

Don’t Call The Wolf by Aleksandra Ross

A forest, besieged. A queen, unyielding. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will devour this deliciously dark Eastern European–inspired YA fantasy debut.

When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.

Ren, the forest’s young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz—the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers—and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest… if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.

But promises are all too easily broken.

 

 

 

Don’t Cosplay With My Heart by Cecil Castellucci

When Edan Kupferman dresses up like her favorite character, Gargantua, she feels tall and powerful. That’s important right now, because her family is a mess, her best friend is gone for the summer, her crush is confusing, and Edan’s feeling small and not sure which end is up.When Edan’s cosplaying, she can be angry, loud, and not the good girl everyone thinks she is. And when she’s at conventions, she feels like she’s found her own Team Tomorrow. But when her personal life starts to spiral out of control, Edan has to figure out whether she needs a sidekick, or if she has the strength to be the hero of her own story.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.

But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.

As her college decision looms, Rosa collides – literally – with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

 

 

Don’t Forget Me by Victoria Stevens

Seventeen-year-old Hazel Clarke is no stranger to heartbreaks, and being sent to live with a father she’s never met is the latest in a string of them. Even the beauty of eastern Australia isn’t enough to take her mind off her mother and the life she had to leave behind in England. But when Hazel meets the friendly, kindhearted Red and his elusive twin, Luca, she begins the slow process of piecing together a new life—and realizes she isn’t the only one struggling with loss. As friendships deepen and love finds its way in, Hazel also learns that when you truly love someone, they are always in your heart.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan

10:00 tonight at the water tower. Tell no one. -Chaos Club

When Max receives a mysterious invite from the untraceable, epic prank-pulling Chaos Club, he has to ask: why him? After all, he’s Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life. He’s Just Max. And his favorite heist movies have taught him this situation calls for Rule #4: Be suspicious. But it’s also his one shot to leave Just Max in the dust…

Yeah, not so much. Max and four fellow students-who also received invites-are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security “catches” them. Definitely a setup. And this time, Max has had enough. It’s time for Rule #7: Always get payback.

Let the prank war begin.

 

 

Don’t Kiss The Messenger by Katie Ray

For most of her teenage life, CeCe Edmonds has been dealing with the stares and the not-so-polite whispers that follow her around Edgelake High. So she has a large scar on her face—Harry Potter had one on his forehead and people still liked him.

CeCe never cared about her looks—until Emmett Brady, transfer student and football darling, becomes her literature critique partner. The only problem? Emmett isblindsided by Bryn DeNeuville, CeCe’s gorgeous and suddenly shy volleyball teammate.

Bryn asks CeCe to help her compose messages that’ll charm Emmett.CeCe isn’t sure there’s anything in his head worth charming but agrees anyway—she’s a sucker for a good romance. Unfortunately, the more messages she sends and the more they run into each other, the more she realizes there’s plenty in his head, from food to literature. Too bad Emmett seems to be falling for the wrong girl…

 

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all – popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the truth about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory – someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

 

Don’t Read The Comments by Eric Smith

Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent.

Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V.

At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line…

And she isn’t going down without a fight.

 

Don’t Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch

Kylene Danners’s ex-FBI agent father is in prison for murder and she’s hell-bent on getting him out. But trying to investigate in the small town where a defensive lineman is a hero no matter who he tries to kill and the girl who gets him locked up is public enemy number one is dangerous. Dark secrets are everywhere in Jasperville—the kind Ky can’t walk away from.

When rookie FBI agent Cedric Dawson returns to town to finish an open investigation, he goes undercover at her high school—as her ex. Determined to keep her from interfering, Dawson’s plan backfires after Ky gets an anonymous call about missing girls officially labeled as runaways—runaways that didn’t really run away at all.

Because dead girls can’t run.

And they don’t say a word.

 

Don’t Stop Now by Julie Halpern

On the first day of Lillian’s summer-before-college, she gets a message on her cell from her sort-of friend, Penny. Not only has Penny faked her own kidnapping, but Lil is the only one who figures it out. She knows that Penny’s home life has been rough, and that her boyfriend may be abusive. Soon, Penny’s family, the local police, and even the FBI are grilling Lil, and she decides to head out to Oregon, where Penny has mentioned an acquaintance. And who better to road-trip across the country with than Lil’s BFF, Josh. But here’s the thing: Lil loves Josh. And Josh doesn’t want to “ruin” their amazing friendship.Josh has a car and his dad’s credit card. Lil has her cellphone and a hunch about where Penny is hiding. There’s something else she needs to find: Are she and Josh meant to be together?

 

 

 

 

Don’t Tell by Liane Shaw

Sixteen-year-old Frederick has a lot of rules for himself. Like if someone calls him Freddy he doesn’t have to respond; he only wears shirts with buttons and he hates getting dirty. His odd behavior makes him an easy target for the “Despisers” at school, but he’s gotten used to eating lunch alone in the Reject Room.

Angel, in tenth grade but already at her sixth school, has always had a hard time making friends because her family moves around so much. Frederick is different from the other kids she’s met – he’s annoyingly smart, but refreshingly honest – and since he’s never had a real friend before, she decides to teach him all her rules of friendship.

But after Angel makes a rash decision and disappears, Frederick is called in for questioning by the police and is torn between telling the truth and keeping his friend’s secret. Her warning to him – don’t tell, don’t tell, don’t tell – might have done more harm than good.

 

Don’t Turn Out The Lights edited by Jonathan Maberry (Technically middle grade, but I’m adding it because of the incredible slate of YA authors included!)

Flesh-hungry ogres? Brains full of spiders? Haunted houses you can’t escape? This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill readers to the bone.

So turn off your lamps, click on your flashlights, and prepare—if you dare—to be utterly spooked!

The complete list of writers: Linda D. Addison, Courtney Alameda, Jonathan Auxier, Gary A. Braunbeck, Z Brewer, Aric Cushing, John Dixon, Tananarive Due, Jamie Ford, Kami Garcia, Christopher Golden, Tonya Hurley, Catherine Jordan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Alethea Kontis, N.R. Lambert, Laurent Linn, Amy Lukavics, Barry Lyga, D.J. MacHale, Josh Malerman, James A. Moore, Michael Northrop, Micol Ostow, Joanna Parypinksi, Brendan Reichs, Madeleine Roux, R.L. Stine, Margaret Stohl, Gaby Triana, Luis Alberto Urrea, Rosario Urrea, Kim Ventrella, Sheri White, T.J. Wooldridge, Brenna Yovanoff

 

Don’t You Trust Me? by Patrice Kindl

Don’t you trust me? I mean, look at me. Blond, blue-eyed, the very image of innocence. Pretty enough, if you care about that kind of thing. I don’t.

But would a normal person switch identities with some wet mess of a girl at the airport, just to get her to stop bawling about being separated from her loser boyfriend and sent to live with some distant relatives? Nope, she wouldn’t. Yet I did. I’m not as normal as you think. And you’ll just have to trust me on that.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

I’ve been talking about horror everywhere this week, including diverse YA horror reads, something I get asked about a lot.

 

All kinds of bookshelves for small spaces.

 

Here are a few virtual events you can find me at next week…

 

Eric and I will be recording a live episode of Hey YA as part of YAHoo Fest! It’s free, and you can get the information for the 4 pm eastern show over here.

 

Also as part of YAHoo Fest!, I’ll be on a panel talking about writing difficult topics on Thursday at noon eastern.

 

If you haven’t had enough of me on Thursday, you’ll be in luck: I’ll be in conversation with Lilliam Rivera (!) about Body Talk virtually with Bookwoman. Register for the free event here.

 

There will be one more big event this month coming the evening of September 21, and I’ll post all of those details next week. Keep your evening clear.

Title Doubles (and Triples)

I review hundreds of new titles every month, and sometimes, they start to run into each other. It doesn’t help when titles are identical (or very nearly so). These are the most recent title doubles (and triples) I’ve noticed where one of the books in the pair (and sometimes both!) publishes this year.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

 

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

When Paul and Julian meet as university freshmen in early 1970s Pittsburgh, they are immediately drawn to one another. A talented artist, Paul is sensitive and agonizingly insecure, incomprehensible to his working-class family, and desolate with grief over his father’s recent death.

Paul sees the wealthy, effortlessly charming Julian as his sole intellectual equal—an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. He idolizes his friend for his magnetic confidence. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel. And admiration isn’t the same as trust.

As their friendship spirals into an all-consuming intimacy, Paul is desperate to protect their precarious bond, even as it becomes clear that pressures from the outside world are nothing compared with the brutality they are capable of inflicting on one another. Separation is out of the question. But as their orbit compresses and their grip on one another tightens, they are drawn to an act of irrevocable violence that will force the young men to confront a shattering truth at the core of their relationship.

Exquisitely plotted, unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is a novel of escalating dread and an excavation of the unsettling depths of human desire.

 

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash. He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

 

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone. Not when her Dad is AWOL for Christmas and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s shaky confidence. And her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved.

But Maisie’s got something to prove.

As she writes down all the ways this summer is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back…

 

What Goes Up by Christine Heppermann

When Jorie wakes up in the loft bed of a college boy she doesn’t recognize, she’s instantly filled with regret. What happened the night before? What led her to this place? Was it her father’s infidelity? Her mother’s seemingly weak acceptance? Her recent breakup with Ian, the boy who loved her art and supported her through the hardest time of her life?

As Jorie tries to reconstruct the events that led her to this point, free verse poems lead the reader through the current morning, as well as flashbacks to her relationships with her parents, her friends, her boyfriend, and the previous night.

With Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty and Ask Me How I Got Here, Christine Heppermann established herself as a vital voice in thought-provoking and powerful feminist writing for teens. Her poetry is surprising, wry, emotional, and searing. What Goes Up is by turns a scorchingly funny and a deeply emotional story that asks whether it’s possible to support and love someone despite the risk of being hurt. Readers of Laura Ruby, E. K. Johnston, Elana K. Arnold, and Laurie Halse Anderson will find a complicated heroine they won’t soon forget.

 

What Goes Up by Wen Jane Baragrey

Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow (yes, that’s actually her name) has a target on her roof. Well, not a real one, but everything seems to land there: paper airplanes, lost kites, socks, cats, and once even a skydiver! In the town of Calliope, Robyn and her magnet roof are famous–for being weird. That wasn’t such a big deal . . . until now!

A rogue NASA satellite is falling out of orbit and is going to hit Earth. NASA says it will probably land in the ocean, but Robyn knows better–that satellite is headed for her roof. To make matters worse, Robyn discovers that she doesn’t just have a fairy middle name. When her class reads A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she learns that Robin Goodfellow is a fairy! Which means if the satellite flattens her, everyone will laugh at her name in the news stories. Robyn realizes what she needs to do: find her long-lost dad so he can help her change her name and protect her from the satellite!

Both surprising and relatable, this middle-grade novel will have readers wishing they could move to the small town of Calliope, laugh with the larger-than-life characters, and race against the clock to save Robyn from NASA’s mistake.

 

What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy

Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Multi-World Agency. After rounds of crazy-competitive testing they are appointed to Team 3, along with an alternate, just in case Eddie screws up (as everyone expects he will). What they don’t expect is that aliens will arrive from another dimension, and look just like us. And no one could even imagine that Team 3 would be the only hope of saving our world from their Earth-destroying plans. The teens steal the spacecraft (it would be great if they knew how to fly it) and head to Earth2, where the aliens’ world and people are just like ours. With a few notable exceptions.

There, the teens will find more than their alternate selves: they’ll face existential questions and high-stakes adventure, with comedy that’s out of this world.

 

[YA is especially fond of the word “Ruin” in book titles, particularly in fantasy. Aside from these two, there are at least ten more YA fantasies with “Ruin” in print.]

Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Half-angel Trinity and her bonded gargoyle protector, Zayne, have been working with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming…but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can’t win the race against time as dark forces gather.

As tensions rise, they must stay close together and patrol the DC streets at night, seeking signs of the Harbinger, an entity that is killing Wardens and demons with no seeming rhyme or reason. Forbidden to be with each other, Zayne and Trinity fight their feelings and turn to unusual sources for help—the demon Roth and his cohorts. But as deaths pile up and they uncover a sinister plot involving the local high school and endangering someone dear to Zayne, Trin realizes she is being led…herded…played for some unknown end. As anger builds and feelings spiral out of control, it becomes clear that rage may be the ruin of them all.

 

Siege of Rage and Ruin by Django Wexler

[No cover image yet.]

Isoka has done the impossible–she’s captured the ghost ship Soliton.

With her crew of mages, including the love of her life Princess Meroe, Isoka returns to the empire that sent her on her deadly mission. She’s ready to hand over the ghost ship as ransom for her sister Tori’s life, but arrives to find her home city under siege. And Tori at the helm of a rebellion.

Neither Isoka’s mastery of combat magic, nor Tori’s proficiency with mind control, could have prepared them for the feelings their reunion surfaces. But they’re soon drawn back into the rebels’ fight to free the city that almost killed them.

 

 

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?

 

Midnight Sun by Trish Cook

Seventeen-year-old Katie Price has a rare disease that makes exposure to even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. Confined to her house during the day, her company is limited to her widowed father and her best (okay, only) friend. It isn’t until after nightfall that Katie’s world opens up, when she takes her guitar to the local train station and plays for the people coming and going.

Charlie Reed is a former all-star athlete at a crossroads in his life – and the boy Katie has secretly admired from afar for years. When he happens upon her playing guitar one night, fate intervenes and the two embark on a star-crossed romance.

As they challenge each other to chase their dreams and fall for each other under the summer night sky, Katie and Charlie form a bond strong enough to change them – and everyone around them – forever.

 

Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard

Sixteen year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. The light is dangerous, according to Queen Iyzabel, an evil witch who has shrouded the kingdom in shadow.

Siria has always hated the darkness and revels in the stories of the light-filled old days that she hears from her best friend and his grandfather. Besides them, nobody else understands her fascination with the sun, especially not her strict and demanding parents. Siria’s need to please them is greater even than her fear of the dark. So she heads to the royal city–the very center of the darkness–for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel’s court.

But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of the sun with a ragtag group of rebels who could help her bring back the Light … or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

 

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan

Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cōcha is a seventeen-year-old girl.

A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.

Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?

 

2020 YA Horror Books: Get Your Scares On!

The season of spooky reading is upon us, and what better time to highlight the wide range of YA horror books that have hit shelves in 2020. These books are a wide range of types of horror, meaning that there’s something for every kind of reader.

A standard disclaimer: horror is a mood and not a genre. This means it can be part of any genre. You’ll see that represented well here, as there are YA horror books dipping into so many genres.

I’ve noted with a star the books I’ve read and recommend this year. But as always, there are far more books out than time for me to read them all, so I’ve pulled Goodreads descriptions for each title. I hope you’re as excited to continue reading all things spooky through fall and well beyond.

 

2020 YA Horror Books

 

The Afterlife of The Party by Marlene Perez

When my best friend Skyler told me about this party in the Hollywood Hills, I was less than enthused. As it turned out, my feelings were more than justified. That party ruined my life.

Tansy didn’t even want to go to the party. It’s hard enough living in one of your best friend’s shadows and secretly in love with your other best friend.

And now she’s leaving it a vampire.

Now her best friend Skyler is stuck on the road trip from hell, on tour as a groupie with a literal band of vamps. Tansy sets out with Vaughn, her other BFF turned maybe more, to save Skylar’s life and take down the band. But when they find themselves in the middle of a vampire war, will Tansy be able to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her friends?

 

 

B*Witch by YA horror read alikes for the slate of Summer Scares winners for 2020.

This Week at Book Riot

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

A glossary of manga terms for new readers.

 

The perfect reading t-shirts.

 

There’s also a new episode of Hey YA, wherein Eric and I talk about fandoms that collide, as well as highlight 2020 YA horror books for your TBR (spoiler: you’ll see even more of that here soon, too!).

The Companion by Katie Alender

Katie Alender’s The Companion got me out of a recent reading slump. It’s a fast-paced nail biter of a book, one that begins as a creepy mystery and transforms into a suspense novel that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could.

When Margot is plucked from the group home she’s been living at since her family died in a car accident and sent to be the ward of a wealthy family that lives in a huge mansion in the countryside, she doesn’t know how to feel about it. Her family’s death and her status as an orphan are still new and fresh, and she doesn’t know what kinds of strings are attached to the proposal.

Turns out there is a big string: she is to serve as the companion to the Suttons’ severely mentally ill teenage daughter, Agnes, who became mute and almost unresponsive several months ago – a stark change from her prior carefree, dynamic personality. The implication for Margot is clear: if she refuses to spend most of her time with Agnes, which includes sleeping in the connecting room, she’ll be sent back to the group home. While Margot is not thrilled with the arrangement, she does feel sympathy for Agnes, and she begins to develop a bond with her.

She also begins to more fully explore the huge house that she now calls home. Big, sprawling, and old, it has a lot of history and a lot of secrets, secrets which Margot starts to unravel in her nighttime wanderings when she can’t sleep. And soon the family that seemed generous and kind, if a little eccentric, starts to show its darkness.

Alender does a great job of initially making the family seem very sympathetic and reasonable, even when the things they’re asking of Margot are pretty odd (and even when the reader should know better!). Mrs. Sutton and Margot form a genuine friendship, and their relationship is, at first, even therapeutic for Margot in managing her grief: they bond over gardening, and the lack of a cell phone signal on most of the property gives Margot the temporary space she needs from the rest of the world.

But there are warning signs. The Suttons refuse to give Margot the wifi password, making excuse after excuse that they don’t remember it or can’t find it. There’s a locked garden and evidence of another girl who once lived in the house but is never mentioned by the Suttons. And Agnes seems to be trying to tell Margot something important.

Careful or experienced readers will know the big secret pretty early on, but the story is still an engaging read without that particular plot point being a mystery. Margot herself takes a bit too long to catch on to what’s really happening (and how it connects to what happened in the past), but once she does, Alender switches handily from “what the heck is going on” mode to “will Margot survive this?” mode. It’s effectively written at all parts, generating huge amounts of suspense and leaving readers almost breathless with concern and hope for Margot, whom we’ve come to care for deeply. Alender is a talented writer of suspense and character; this is a standout example of both.

Finished copy provided by the publisher.

This Week at Book Riot and in Virtual Events

Over on Book Riot this week…

Stock up on some DIY craft kits for book lovers.

 

Curious about yoga but don’t know where to begin? Here are 16 of the best yoga books for beginners.

 

Two of the recent Body Talk virtual events are available to watch on demand! Want to tune in? You can!

Catch Alice Wong, Rachael Lippincott, and I in conversation with Women and Children First.

 

Junauda Petrus-Nasah, Eric Smith, Alicia Lutes, Rachael Lippincott, and I took part in a rad panel with Blue Willow Books.