Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 17

The End of October by Lawrence Wright

I picked up Lawrence Wright’s pandemic thriller at the Public Library Association annual conference at the end of February, just before the seriousness of the real-life coronavirus pandemic in the United States crested. Two weeks later, my library closed to the public, and the rest of the country soon followed.

I hardly thought a novel about a pandemic would be my book of choice during those early days of the crisis in my part of the world. Yet I found myself returning to it, reading a chapter or two a day, comparing Wright’s fictional pandemic to our own ongoing one with fascination.

The End of October is a medical thriller about a flu (called Kongoli) pandemic, and as a novel, I can’t say it’s that good. Wright is best known for his nonfiction works, including The Looming Tower (for which he won the Pulitzer Prize) and Going Clear (my personal favorite), as well as being a staff writer for The New Yorker. He’s an expert researcher and practically peerless when it comes to distilling that research into long-form narratives that are accurate, nuanced, interesting, and accessible to most readers.

As a novelist, however, I found his writing lacking. The story mostly follows Henry Parsons, a microbiologist and epidemiologist who works for the World Health Organization and is the first to discover the outbreak of a new, deadly flu in Indonesia. While he comes to terms with just how serious this disease is (the fatality rate is extraordinarily high – most people who contract it die), he fails to stop its spread – his driver unknowingly contracts it and goes on Hajj to Mecca, along with millions of others.

As Henry travels around the world, researching the disease, its potential source (a lab in Russia? a lab in the United States? an ancient woolly mammoth unearthed by melting permafrost?), and a vaccine, we’re also treated to random chapters from other characters’ points of view, many of which could be intriguing but are ultimately head-scratching in their lack of necessity. Most of the characters, even Henry, feel very surface. Chapters read like sketches or parts of an outline rather than anything that builds true tension or makes readers feel anything for the characters. Tragedies feel laughable and characters’ backstories melodramatic instead of sad or alarming. A particularly bad chapter begins with a sentence announcing a character’s death without preamble, and it feels so dry and emotionless, I had to go back and re-read the previous chapters to ensure I didn’t miss anything. It’s so disappointing in part because the real-life people Wright writes about come to life on the page.

What kept me reading were the true bits, the bits at which Wright excels: how viruses begin, how they spread, how vaccines are created, the history behind viruses and vaccines, and how societies react (for good or for ill) to pandemics. It was fascinating to compare Wright’s fictional flu virus to our real coronavirus, especially once the economies in his book started to shut down as ours were at the time. I was fascinated by the similarities between the race for a vaccine in Wright’s book to the race in the real world (scientists in The End of October also experimented with antibody transfusions), as well as the history behind vaccines. Every time I video chatted with friends while reading this book, I had a new tidbit to share, such as a technique called variolation that involved putting smallpox scabs inside a scratch on a healthy person’s skin to cause a reaction and ultimately inoculate them.

Living through something so similar to Wright’s characters drives home the huge amount of research he did for his book and makes his premise scarily plausible. Despite how awful the coronavirus pandemic currently is, the flu pandemic in The End of October is infinitely more terrifying, and some readers may feel (fleetingly) grateful for the relatively low fatality rate of COVID-19 compared to Kongoli. There are so many tantalizing nuggets of real information in this story that it’s still worth a read, despite its shortcomings as a novel.

After living through the pandemic for over two months now, though, I’m glad I read and finished this book early on. It’s certainly not something I’d choose to read now, after the changes in our lives and the daily death counts have become the new normal. I wonder if Wright’s book is doing better or worse than expected because of the pandemic – pandemic and other disaster movies were top 10 picks on Netflix for several weeks, but at the same time, editors are actively avoiding pandemic and dystopian fiction as a result of the crisis. Perhaps in a few years, though, I’d be interested to read Wright’s nonfiction account of the coronavirus pandemic, if he chooses to write one; he’s already started the background research with this novel.

May 2020 YA Debut Novels

It’s time to take a peek at May 2020 debut YA novels.

 

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 May 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 literally any reader, librarian, and teacher who wants the essential information without having to click a ton of links.

I’m aware some book releases have been shifted, but this list is as up-to-date as is possible.

May 2020 Debut YA Novels
The Boy in the Red Dress by Kristin Lambert

New Year’s Eve, 1929.

Millie is running the show at the Cloak & Dagger, a swinging speakeasy in the French Quarter, while her aunt is out of town. The new year is just around the corner, and all of New Orleans is out to celebrate, but even wealthy partiers’ diamond earrings can’t outshine the real star of the night: the boy in the red dress. Marion is the club’s star performer and his fans are legion–if mostly underground.

When a young socialite wielding a photograph of Marion starts asking questions, Millie wonders if she’s just another fan. But then her body is found crumpled in the courtyard, dead from an apparent fall off the club’s balcony, and all signs point to Marion as the murderer. Millie knows he’s innocent, but local detectives aren’t so easily convinced.

As she chases clues that lead to cemeteries and dead ends, Millie’s attention is divided between the wry and beautiful Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, the charming bootlegger who’s offered to help her solve the case. The clock is ticking for the fugitive Marion, but the truth of who the killer is might be closer than Millie thinks..

 

By the Book: A Novel of Prose and Cons by Amanda Sellet

As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself.

 

 

 

 

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye

What If It’s Us meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this upbeat and heartfelt boy-meets-boy romance that feels like a modern twist on a ’90s rom-com! 

Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new–the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he’s never really dated before.

Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.

Kai Sheridan didn’t expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there’s more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he’s awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this “relationship” will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right?

Kevin van Whye delivers an uplifting and poignant coming-out love story that will have readers rooting for these two teens to share their hearts with the world–and with each other.

 

Fade to White by Tara K. Ross

Thea Fenton’s life looks picture-perfect, but inside, she is falling apart. Wracked by anxiety no one seems to understand or care about, she resorts to self-harm to deflect the pain inside.

When a local teen commits suicide, Thea’s anxiety skyrockets. Unexplainable things happen, leaving her feeling trapped within her own chaotic mind. The lines between reality and another world start to blur, and her previously mundane issues seem more daunting and insurmountable than ever.

Then she meets Khi, a mysterious new boy from the coffee shop who seems to know her better than she knows herself—and doesn’t think she’s crazy. His quiet confidence and unfounded familiarity draw her into an unconventional friendship.

Khi journeys with her through grief, fear, and confusion to arrive at compassion for the one person Thea never thought she could love.

A deeply transformational novel from an authentic new voice in Christian young adult fiction.

 

The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos

Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia—and their time together in their school’s magic club—to see him through to graduation.

But as soon as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs.

With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the very love of magic that brought his group together is now tearing them apart—and there are some problems that no amount of magic can fix.

 

 

 

Fractured Tide by Leslie Lutz

Sia practically grew up in the water scuba diving, and wreck dives are run of the mill. Take the tourists out. Explore the reef. Uncover the secrets locked in the sunken craft. But this time … the dive goes terribly wrong.

Attacked by a mysterious creature, Sia’s boat is sunk, her customers are killed, and she washes up on a deserted island with no sign of rescue in sight. Waiting in the water is a seemingly unstoppable monster that is still hungry. In the jungle just off the beach are dangers best left untested. When Sia reunites with a handful of survivors, she sees it as the first sign of light.

Sia is wrong.

Between the gulf of deadly seawater in front of her and suffocating depth of the jungle behind her, even the island isn’t what it seems.

Haunted by her own mistakes and an inescapable dread, Sia’s best hope for finding answers may rest in the center of the island, at the bottom of a flooded sinkhole that only she has the skills to navigate. But even if the creature lurking in the depths doesn’t swallow her and the other survivors, the secrets of their fractured reality on the island might.

 

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.

Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.

 

 

 

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton 

Working as a wench ― i.e. waitress ― at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.

Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.

 

 

 

 

The Names We Take by Trace Kerr

Never leave someone behind: it’s a promise easier made than kept, especially when seventeen-year-old Pip takes the headstrong twelve-year-old Iris under her protection in the wake of an earth-shattering plague.

After an unspeakable tragedy, the duo must navigate the nearly unrecognizable remains of Spokane, facing roving slave traders, merciless gangs―and worse. Pip and Iris soon meet Fly, a stubborn and courageous older girl, and as the three grow closer and their circumstances grow more perilous, they must also grapple with their own identities in this cruel new world. Pip’s vow to never leave someone behind may have made survival more difficult for her, but this promise could also be the key to finding meaning in the ashes of what came before.

 

 

 

 

The Paper Girls of Paris by Jordyn Taylor

Now:

Sixteen-year-old Alice is spending the summer in Paris, but she isn’t there for pastries and walks along the Seine. When her grandmother passed away two months ago, she left Alice an apartment in France that no one knew existed. An apartment that has been locked for more than seventy years.

Alice is determined to find out why the apartment was abandoned and why her grandmother never once mentioned the family she left behind when she moved to America after World War II. With the help of Paul, a charming Parisian student, she sets out to uncover the truth. However, the more time she spends digging through the mysteries of the past, the more she realizes there are secrets in the present that her family is still refusing to talk about.

Then:

Sixteen-year-old Adalyn doesn’t recognize Paris anymore. Everywhere she looks, there are Nazis, and every day brings a new horror of life under the Occupation. When she meets Luc, the dashing and enigmatic leader of a resistance group, Adalyn feels she finally has a chance to fight back. But keeping up the appearance of being a much-admired socialite while working to undermine the Nazis is more complicated than she could have imagined. As the war goes on, Adalyn finds herself having to make more and more compromises—to her safety, to her reputation, and to her relationships with the people she loves the most.

 

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.

Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She plans on keeping a low profile until graduation…which is why she promised herself that dating was officially a no-go this year.

Then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? How is Georgia supposed to keep her promise when sparks start flying with a boy like Pony?

 

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

Chicago Public Library has its staff back at work this week. This piece went up Friday and made it pretty clear pretty quickly that the Mayor and Commissioner of the Library aren’t communicating well . . . and that’s impacting staff in not-great ways.

 

Book puzzles you can buy right now.

 

A massive guide to YA short stories. I went through as many YA anthologies of short stories as I could and created an index so you can look up your favorite author and see where they have short fiction published.

This Title is a Complete Sentence

A recent YA title trend I’ve noticed is title as complete sentence. Mostly these are titles that seem like dialogue straight from the book’s narrator. They’re pretty fun: it’s like the character is calling for your attention on the cover, giving you a bit of their personality right off the bat. Here are some of my recent faves.

 

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

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.

 

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe’s life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected—and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna’s confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Kit Frick weaves a thrilling story of psychological suspense that twists and turns until the final page.

 

Meet Me in Outer Space by Melinda Grace

Edie Kits has a learning disability. Well, not a learning disability exactly, but a disability that impacts her learning. It isn’t visible, it isn’t obvious, and it isn’t something she likes to advertise.

And for three semesters of college, her hard work and perseverance have carried her through. Edie thinks she has her disability under control until she meets her match with a French 102 course and a professor unwilling to help her out.

Edie finds herself caught between getting the help she needs and convincing her professor that she isn’t looking for an easy out. Luckily for Edie, she has an amazing best friend, Serena, who is willing to stitch together a plan to ensure Edie’s success. And then there’s Hudson, the badly dressed but undoubtedly adorable TA in her French class who finds himself pulled into her orbit…

 

This is My Brain in Love by I. W. Gregorio

Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade.

Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper.

Then Jocelyn’s father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it’s up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook).What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance.

 

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning

When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped.

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice.

And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom.

The acclaimed author of Sea Witch turns the classic damsel-in-distress tale on its head with this story of adventure, identity, and love.

 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

 

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

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, but both are promised 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 bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme.

On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, 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 to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

 

Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons

June’s whole life has been leading up to this: ZombieCon, the fan convention celebrating all things zombies. She and her two best friends plan on hitting all the panels, photo ops, and meeting the heartthrob lead of their favorite zombie apocalypse show Human Wasteland.

And when they arrive everything seems perfect, though June has to shrug off some weirdness from other fans—people shambling a little too much, and someone actually biting a cast member. Then all hell breaks loose and June and her friends discover the truth: real zombies are taking over the con. Now June must do whatever it takes to survive a horde of actual brain-eating zombies—and save the world.

 

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she’s ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah’s concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah’s sure it’s the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

 

My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman

A “monomial” is a simple algebraic expression consisting of a single term. 30H, for example. Fifteen-year-old Greer Walsh hasn’t been fazed by basic algebra since fifth grade, but for the last year, 30H has felt like an unsolvable equation – one that’s made her world a very small, very lonely place. 30H is her bra size – or it was the last time anyone checked. She stopped letting people get that close to her with a tape measure a while ago.

Ever since everything changed the summer before ninth grade, Greer has felt out of control. She can’t control her first impressions, the whispers that follow, or the stares that linger after. The best she can do is put on her faithful XXL sweatshirt and let her posture – and her expectations for other people – slump.

But people – strangers and friends – seem strangely determined to remind her that life is not supposed to be this way. Despite carefully avoiding physical contact and anything tighter than a puffy coat, Greer finds an unexpected community on the volleyball squad, the team that hugs between every point and wears a uniform “so tight it can squeeze out tears.” And then there’s Jackson Oates, newly arrived at her school and maybe actually more interested in her banter than her breasts.

Laura Zimmermann’s debut is both laugh-out-loud funny and beautifully blunt, vulnerable and witty, heartbreaking and hopeful. And it will invite listeners to look carefully at a girl who just wants to be seen for all she is.

 

Cover Trend: Just Keep On Swimming

After a new cover reveal this week, it was impossible to ignore a micro cover trend going on in YA right now. It’s not especially novel, but chances that these books all get confused at some point? Pretty high.

Take a peek at these 2020 YA book covers featuring swimming. I’ve included descriptions from Goodreads and would love to know if any are catching your eye? Have you seen any other 2020 YA books with this mini trend on their covers?

 

Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab (May 19)

Susannah Ramos has always loved the water. A swimmer whose early talent made her a world champion, Susannah was poised for greatness in a sport that demands so much of its young. But an inexplicable slowdown has put her dream in jeopardy, and Susannah is fighting to keep her career afloat when two important people enter her life: a new coach with a revolutionary training strategy, and a charming fellow swimmer named Harry Matthews.

As Susannah begins her long and painful climb back to the top, her friendship with Harry blossoms into passionate and supportive love. But Harry is facing challenges of his own, and even as their bond draws them closer together, other forces work to tear them apart. As she struggles to balance her needs with those of the people who matter most to her, Susannah will learn the cost—and the beauty—of trying to achieve something extraordinary.

 

Breathless by Jennifer Niven (September 29)

Before: With graduation on the horizon, budding writer Claudine Henry is making plans: college in the fall, become a famous author, and maybe–finally–have sex. She doesn’t even need to be in love. Then her dad drops a bombshell: he’s leaving Claude’s mother. Suddenly, Claude’s entire world feels like a lie, and her future anything but under control.

After: Claude’s mom whisks them away to the last place Claude could imagine nursing a broken heart: a remote, mosquito-infested island off the coast of Georgia. But then Jeremiah Crew happens. Miah is a local trail guide with a passion for photography–and a past he doesn’t like to talk about. He’s brash and enigmatic, and even more infuriatingly, he’s the only one who seems to see Claude for who she wants to be. So when Claude decides to sleep with Miah, she tells herself it’s just sex, nothing more. There’s not enough time to fall in love, especially if it means putting her already broken heart at risk.

Compulsively readable and impossible to forget, Jennifer Niven’s luminous new novel is an insightful portrait of a young woman ready to write her own story.

 

The Easy Part of Impossible by Sarah Tomp (Out Now)

After an injury forces Ria off the diving team, an unexpected friendship with Cotton, a guy on the autism spectrum, helps her come to terms with the abusive relationship she’s been in with her former coach.

Ria Williams was an elite diver on track for the Olympics. As someone who struggled in school, largely due to her ADHD, diving was the one place Ria could shine. But while her parents were focused on the trophies, no one noticed how Coach Benny’s strict rules and punishments controlled every aspect of Ria’s life. The harder he was on her, the sharper her focus. The bigger the bruise, the better the dive. Until a freak accident at a meet changes everything. Just like that, Ria is handed back her life, free of Benny.

To fill her now-empty and aimless days, Ria rekindles a friendship with Cotton, a guy she used to know back in elementary school. With Cotton, she’s able to open up about what Benny would do to her, and through Cotton’s eyes, Ria is able to see it for what it was: abuse. Then Benny returns, offering Ria a second chance with a life-changing diving opportunity. But it’s not hers alone—Benny’s coaching comes with it. The thought of being back under his control seems impossible to bear, but so does walking away. How do you separate the impossible from the possible when the one thing you love is so tangled up in the thing you fear most?

 

And then there are some variations on this theme. Not quite as easy to get confused but, well, that’s a lot of blue with people in water (in varying states of being alive).

 

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick (June 30)

For fans of Sadie and Serial, this gripping thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.

What happened to Zoe won’t stay buried…

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe’s life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected—and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna’s confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Kit Frick weaves a thrilling story of psychological suspense that twists and turns until the final page.

 

Lie To Me by Kaitlin Ward (Out Now)

Ever since Amelia woke up in the hospital, recovering from a near-death fall she has no memory of, she’s been suspicious. Her friends, family, and doctors insist it was an accident, but Amelia is sure she remembers being pushed. Then another girl is found nearby — one who fell, but didn’t survive. Amelia’s fears suddenly feel very real, and with the help of her new boyfriend, Liam, she tries to investigate her own horrific ordeal. But what is she looking for, exactly? And how can she tell who’s trustworthy, and who might be — must be — lying to her?

The closer Amelia gets to the truth, the more terrifying her once orderly, safe world becomes. She’s determined to know what happened, but if she doesn’t act fast, her next accident might be her last.

 

 

 

Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter (July 23)

Lily Rose is used to people paying attention to her gorgeous twin sister, Daisy. But even though Lily loves her own fat body, she can’t shake the idea that no one would ever choose her over Daisy – not when they could have the thin twin.

That is, until she meets Cal, the gorgeous, sweet guy from New Zealand who can’t seem to stay away. The gorgeous, sweet guy who also happens to be Daisy’s summer crush. Lily can’t seem to figure out why she isn’t as into him as she should be. She should be head-over-heels in love, not missing time at the ice-cream shack with her life-long best friend, Cassie. Not wondering what Cassie is getting up to with Cal’s friend Jack, or what she’s thinking about when they’re alone . . .

With University threatening to tear Cassie and Lily apart at the end of summer, trying to keep Cal a secret from Daisy and a growing right-wing threat disturbing the usual quiet of their pleasant seaside town, Lily’s summer is set to be far from relaxing.

Melt My Heart is a hilarious and inspiring coming-of-age YA novel from Bethany Rutter: influencer, editor and a fierce UK voice in the debate around body positivity.

 

 

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Marrow (June 2)

Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.

 

 

The Summer I Drowned by Taylor Hale (July 7)

The past always resurfaces…

Five years after almost drowning, Olivia Cathart returns home to Caldwell Beach determined to face her fears and take some risks―not just by swimming, but by opening her heart. Hoping to rekindle her friendships, she’s excited about a carefree summer with her best friends Keely and Miles. But life in the sleepy town has changed, and no one and nothing is as it seems.

When a series of startling crimes threaten Olivia’s fragile state, she is plunged into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Her only solace from the chaos is West, Miles’s disowned and ruggedly handsome brother, but even he can’t answer the question on everyone’s minds―is Olivia really in danger or is it simply all in her head?

 

 

The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte (Out Now)

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn’t food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister’s life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn’t a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn’t want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn’t commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents’ death and mend their broken bond. But they’re pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea’s time is up–and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

 

 

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

20 great crossover reads. These are adult books perfect for YA and teen readers.

 

The most popular books in libraries between January and March 2020.

 

Flex your book holding guns with these great book tank tops.

 

There’s also a new episode of Hey YA. This week Eric and I dig into the concept of “boy books,” highlight a boatload of recent male narrators in YA, and we dream up surprise sequels we’d love from favorite authors.

Mid-Year 2020 YA Nonfiction

I keep a spreadsheet of new book releases, both hardcover and paperback, and update it every few months with publisher catalogs. This lets me figure out when books are coming out — obviously! — but also to plan what it is I want to write about here and at Book Riot.

But with so many book publication dates in April, May, and even early June being moved around because of COVID-19, my spreadsheet isn’t as useful as it usually is. I’m double checking dates and revisiting catalogs which, as you might guess, haven’t been updated. A lot of publication date changes have come in by email or they’ve been updated on consumer sites, so it’s a matter now of checking a couple of different places each time I want to write. Not the end of the world, but rather a preface for this post.

Every few months, I like to highlight the upcoming YA nonfiction titles hitting shelves. I covered January through April at the start of the year, so no better time than now to highlight those young adult nonfiction titles coming May through August. These are books marketed for teens or are those marketed for that weird 10-14 age group that nonfiction for young readers tends toward, being neither strictly middle grade nor young adult. Some of these will skew younger while others might skew a bit older.

I’ve done what I can with publication dates, and I’m certain this isn’t comprehensive. Though publishing does tend to slow in the summer, with so many new variables, the likelihood I missed a few titles is good, so do feel free to drop a note in the comments and let me know. I’ve stuck with new nonfiction and have not included nonfiction titles that published in previous years and are being released in paperback this season. Some of these titles are paperback originals.

Grab your TBR and get excited about these young adult nonfiction titles hitting shelves this summer. As has been the case for a long time, this is a wonderfully inclusive collection of titles, with an especially powerful array of queer books.

Descriptions are pulled from the ‘zon, as some of these don’t have quite the robust Goodreads descriptions I prefer to use. YA nonfiction is forever the underdog.

 

Summer 2020 New YA Nonfiction Books

 

May
Atomic Women: The Untold Stories of the Scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb by Roseanne Montillo  (19)
Bomb meets Code Girls in this nonfiction narrative about the little-known female scientists who were critical to the invention of the atomic bomb during World War II.

They were leaning over the edge of the unknown and afraid of what they would discover there: Meet the World War II female scientists who worked in the secret sites of the Manhattan Project. Recruited not only from labs and universities from across the United States but also from countries abroad, these scientists helped in — and often initiated — the development of the atomic bomb, taking starring roles in the Manhattan Project. In fact, their involvement was critical to its success, though many of them were not fully aware of the consequences.

The atomic women include:


Lise Meitner and Irène Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie), who led the groundwork for the Manhattan Project from Europe;
Elizabeth Rona, the foremost expert in plutonium, who gave rise to the “Fat Man” and “Little Boy,” the bombs dropped over Japan;
Leona Woods, Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton, who were inspired by European scientific ideals but carved their own paths.



This book explores not just the critical steps toward the creation of a successful nuclear bomb, but also the moral implications of such an invention.
Poisoned Water: How The Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought For Their Lives and Warned The Nation by Candy J Cooper and Marc Aronson  (19)

In 2014, Flint, Michigan, was a cash-strapped city that had been built up, then abandoned by General Motors. As part of a plan to save money, government officials decided that Flint would temporarily switch its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Within months, many residents broke out in rashes. Then it got worse: children stopped growing. Some people were hospitalized with mysterious illnesses; others died. Citizens of Flint protested that the water was dangerous. Despite what seemed so apparent from the murky, foul-smelling liquid pouring from the city’s faucets, officials refused to listen. They treated the people of Flint as the problem, not the water, which was actually poisoning thousands.

Through interviews with residents and intensive research into legal records and news accounts, journalist Candy J. Cooper, assisted by writer-editor Marc Aronson, reveals the true story of Flint. Poisoned Watershows not just how the crisis unfolded in 2014, but also the history of racism and segregation that led up to it, the beliefs and attitudes that fueled it, and how the people of Flint fought-and are still fighting-for clean water and healthy lives.

 

The Queer Eye Guide: How To Love Yourself The Fab Five Way (26)

This insightful and detailed guide will help middle schoolers and high schoolers survive adolescence . . . with style!

Whether you’re craving some advice on after-school snacks or what to wear to prom, looking for a bedroom make-better, or searching for ways to work what you’ve got to become your best self, get ready to celebrate all the things that make you you with a little help from The Fab Five!

 

 

 

 

 

June
Beyond The Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon (2)

Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us.

In Beyond the Gender Binary, poet, artist, and LGBTQIA+ rights advocate Alok Vaid-Menon deconstructs, demystifies, and reimagines the gender binary.

Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today’s leading activists and artists. In this installment, Beyond the Gender Binary, Alok Vaid-Menon challenges the world to see gender not in black and white, but in full color. Taking from their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist, they show us that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression. The only limit is your imagination.

 

 

Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (2)

In this personal, moving essay, environmental activist and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez uses his art and his activism to show that climate change is a human issue that can’t be ignored.

“It won’t take you long to read this book, but it will linger in your heart and head for quite a while, and perhaps inspire you to join in the creative, blossoming movement to make this world work.” — Bill McKibben

Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today’s leading activists and artists. In this installment, Earth Guardians Youth Director and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez shows us how his music feeds his environmental activism and vice versa. Martinez visualizes a future that allows us to direct our anger, fear, and passion toward creating change. Because, at the end of the day, we all have a part to play.

 

 

The New Queer Conscious by Adam Eli (2)

In The New Queer Conscience, LGBTQIA+ activist Adam Eli argues the urgent need for queer responsibility — that queers anywhere are responsible for queers everywhere.

Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today’s leading activists and artists. In this installment, The New Queer Conscience, Voices4 Founder and LGBTQIA+ activist Adam Eli offers a candid and compassionate introduction to queer responsibility. Eli calls on his Jewish faith to underline how kindness and support within the queer community can lead to a stronger global consciousness. More importantly, he reassures us that we’re not alone. In fact, we never were. Because if you mess with one queer, you mess with us all.

 

 

 

This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew (2)

In this powerful and hopeful account, arts writer, curator, and activist Kimberly Drew reminds us that the art world has space not just for the elite, but for everyone.

Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today’s leading activists and artists. In this installment, arts writer and co-editor of Black Futures Kimberly Drew shows us that art and protest are inextricably linked. Drawing on her personal experience through art toward activism, Drew challenges us to create space for the change that we want to see in the world. Because there really is so much more space than we think.

 

 

 

Call Me American (Adapted for Young Adults): The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant by Abdi Nor Iftin (16)

Abdi Nor Iftin grew up amidst a blend of cultures, far from the United States. At home in Somalia, his mother entertained him with vivid folktales and bold stories detailing her rural, nomadic upbrinding. As he grew older, he spent his days following his father, a basketball player, through the bustling street of the capital city of Mogadishu.

But when the threat of civil war reached Abdi’s doorstep, his family was forced to flee to safety. Through the turbulent years of war, young Abdi found solace in popular American music and films. Nicknamed Abdi the American, he developed a proficiency for English that connected him–and his story–with news outlets and radio shows, and eventually gave him a shot at winning the annual U.S. visa lottery.

Abdi shares every part of his journey, and his courageous account reminds readers that everyone deserves the chance to build a brighter future for themselves.

 

The Mars Challenge by Alison Wilgus and Wyeth Yates (16)

Travel to deep space and back again with The Mars Challenge, a nonfiction graphic novel for teens about the science and logistics of a manned mission to Mars.

Nadia is a teen with a dream: to be the first woman on Mars. But to get there, she’s got to learn all she can about the science of spaceflight. It’s a good thing her friend Eleanor is an Attitude Determination and Control Officer―basically, she pilots the International Space Station!

Eleanor takes Nadia on a conceptual journey through an entire crewed mission to Mars, and explains every challenge that must be overcome along the way; from escaping Earth’s gravity well, to keeping the crew healthy as they travel through deep space, to setting up a Mars base, to having enough fuel for the trip home!

In The Mars Challenge, writer Alison Wilgus and artist Wyeth Yates bring the reader on a thrilling interplanetary voyage and clearly illustrate the scientific concepts and complex machinery involved. Humans can reach Mars in our lifetime―this book explains how it can be done. 

 

Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World’s First Superstar by Catherine Reef (16)

A tantalizing biography for teens on Sarah Bernhardt, the first international celebrity and one of the greatest actors of all time, who lived a highly unconventional, utterly fascinating life. Illustrated with more than sixty-five photos of Bernhardt on stage, in film, and in real life.  

Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actor who became a global superstar in the late nineteenth century—the Lady Gaga of her day—and is still considered to be one of the greatest performers of all time. This fast-paced account of her life, filled with provocative detail, brilliantly follows the transformation of a girl of humble origins, born to a courtesan, into a fabulously talented, wealthy, and beloved icon. Not only was her acting trajectory remarkable, but her personal life was filled with jaw-dropping exploits, and she was extravagantly eccentric, living with a series of exotic animals and sleeping in a coffin. She grew to be deeply admired around the world, despite her unabashed and public promiscuity at a time when convention was king; she slept with each of her leading men and proudly raised a son without a husband. A fascinating and fast-paced deep dive into the world of the divine Sarah. Illustrated with more than sixty-five photos of Bernhardt on stage, in film, and in real life.

 

Thank You For Voting Young Readers’ Edition: The Past, Present, and Future of Voting by Erin Geiger Smith (16)

In this young readers’ edition of Thank You for Voting, debut author and journalist Erin Geiger Smith presents a fascinating look into America’s voting history and inspires young people to get involved! 

Voting is a privilege and a right, but it hasn’t always been for many people. From the founding fathers to Jim Crow to women’s suffrage to gerrymandering—and everything in between—readers will get a look at the complex history of voting and become empowered to ask BIG questions like:

—What can I do to support my favorite leader?

—Who can I talk to about the issues I believe in?

—How can I make a difference in my community?

Every citizen has the right to vote. Let each one count!

 

Ms. Gloria Steinem: A Life by Winifred Conkling (30)

Throughout the years, Gloria Steinem is perhaps the single-most iconic figure associated with women’s rights, her name practically synonymous with the word “feminism.”

Documenting everything from her boundary-pushing journalistic career to the foundation of Ms. magazine to being awarded the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom, Winifred Conkling’s Ms. Gloria Steinem: A Life is a meticulously researched YA biography that is sure to satisfy even the most voracious of aspiring glass-ceiling smashers.

Gloria Steinem was no stranger to injustice even from a young age.

Her mother, Ruth, having suffered a nervous breakdown at only 34, spent much of Gloria’s childhood in and out of mental health facilities. And when Gloria was only 10 years old, her father divorced her mother and left for California, unable to bear the stress of caring for Ruth any longer.

Gloria never blamed her mother for being unable to hold down a job to support them both after that, but rather blamed society’s intrinsic hostility toward women, and working women in particular. This was the spark that lit a fire in her that would burn for decades, and continues to burn brightly today.

 

July
True or False : A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News by Cindy L. Otis (28)

A former CIA analyst unveils the true history of fake news and gives readers tips on how to avoid falling victim to it in this highly designed informative YA nonfiction title. 



“Fake news” is a term you’ve probably heard a lot in the last few years, but it’s not a new phenomenon. From the ancient Egyptians to the French Revolution to Jack the Ripper and the founding fathers, fake news has been around as long as human civilization. But that doesn’t mean that we should just give up on the idea of finding the truth.

In True or False, former CIA analyst Cindy Otis will take readers through the history and impact of misinformation over the centuries, sharing stories from the past and insights that readers today can gain from them. Then, she shares lessons learned in over a decade working for the CIA, including actionable tips on how to spot fake news, how to make sense of the information we receive each day, and, perhaps most importantly, how to understand and see past our own information biases, so that we can think critically about important issues and put events happening around us into context.

True or False includes a wealth of photo illustrations, informative inserts, and sidebars containing interesting facts and trivia sure to engage readers in critical thinking and analysis.

 

August

 

Into the Streets: A Young Person’s Visual History of Protest In The US by Marke Bieschke (4)

This lively book guides readers through the art and history of significant protests, sit-ins, and collective acts of resistance throughout US history. Photos, artwork, signs, and other visual elements highlight the history of social action, from American Indian resistance to colonists through Black Lives Matter and Women’s Marches.

Into the Streets introduces the personalities and issues that drove these protests, as well as their varied aims and accomplishments, from spontaneous hashtag uprisings to highly planned strategies of civil disobedience. Perfect for young adult audiences, this book highlights how teens are frequently the ones protesting and creating the art of the resistance.

 

 

Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy edited by Kelly Jensen (18)

My book!

It’s time to bare it all about bodies!

We all experience the world in a body, but we don’t usually take the time to explore what it really means to have and live within one. Just as every person has a unique personality, every person has a unique body, and every body tells its own story.

In Body Talk, thirty-seven writers, models, actors, musicians, and artists share essays, lists, comics, and illustrations—about everything from size and shape to scoliosis, from eating disorders to cancer, from sexuality and gender identity to the use of makeup as armor. Together, they contribute a broad variety of perspectives on what it’s like to live in their particular bodies—and how their bodies have helped to inform who they are and how they move through the world.

Come on in, turn the pages, and join the celebration of our diverse, miraculous, beautiful bodies!

This Week at Book Riot

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

YA paperbacks hitting shelves between May and July.

 

Stephenie Meyer announced the release of Midnight Sun. A look at the history of that book and the Twilight series more broadly.

 

If you’re still looking for a face mask, I found some book and comic themed masks.

 

I am in love with all of these awesome octopus bookends.

 

I also cohosted this week’s episode of “All The Books,” highlighting brand new books I’m obsessed with. Y’all, Goldilocks by Laura Lam was one of my favorite reads in a long time. If you can’t handle reading about pandemics, don’t pick it up right now, but if you’re leaning into that, this book is utterly timely and features women in space, among so many other things (plus the lead character is pregnant, which is so rare and refreshing!). Adult sci fi, but great YA appeal.

Celebrate Short Story Month With Free YA Short Stories Online

Did you know that May is short story month? As someone who enjoys a good short story but doesn’t carve out time to read them, May is a reminder to add good shorts to my life. It only seems worthwhile to showcase some free YA short stories online, in hopes that others who, like me, want to read more YA short stories can do so.

These free YA short stories online range in genre, in author, and in length. Some are super short, while others are much longer. These are all legally available, so nothing shady here — you can read them and pass them along as your heart desires. I’ve stuck to short stories, as opposed to novellas, and I’ve tried to not include too many stories tied into novels. We’ve written a lot here about the wealth of YA anthologies. The bulk of YA anthologies are short stories, so of course, those would make for some great reading this month as well.

In addition to the free YA short stories online below, I’ve included some other resources for discovering great YA short stories. They might not be free online, but they’re worth seeking out at your favorite library.

 

 

Free YA Short Stories Online
Viewfinders

This collection of 10 YA short stories are written by some of the best Asian American authors out there, including Malinda Lo, Samira Ahmed, David Yoon, and more. The premise of the Viewfinders stories is a really neat one: as the New York Times has gone through their archival images, they’ve found some that deserve to have stories about them told. So they picked ten authors and asked them each to write a YA story about one of those images. All ten stories are available for free.

 

Foreshadow

The incredible brainchild of YA superstars Emily XR Pan and Nova Ren Suma, this digital anthology ran from January until December 2019 and featured YA short stories from both new and established YA authors. Three stories published each month, all of which can be accessed on the website. Authors of these free online YA short stories include Tehlor Kay Meija, Sara Farizan, Mark Oshiro, Nina LaCour, Saundra Mitchell, Courtney Summers, and so many more. It’s a treasure trove!

 

VCFA’s Hunger Mountain Journal

The Vermont College of Fine Arts has a strong children’s literature MFA program, so that they have a journal of great free YA short stories online isn’t a surprise. Some by YA authors you might know include “Do Not Go Gently” by Mindy McGinnis, “Honey and Cold Stars” by Amy Rose Capetta, “Love at First Book: A Story In Verse” by Sarah Tregay, “The Bus” by Maggie Lehrman, and Jenny Hubbard’s “A Sister’s Story“.

“Fourteen Shakes The Baby” by Susann Cokal

One of the big challenges of collecting YA short stories online is that it’s not always clear if it’s intended to be YA if it’s not published as a YA short story on a platform dedicated to YA. Electric Literature offers up a wide array of short stories, but doesn’t necessarily label them. I’ve included Cokal’s here because it features a 14-year-old protagonist, and Cokal is well-known for her YA titles.

 

“Of Roses and Kings” by Melissa Marr

Looking for a twist on Alice in Wonderland? Marr’s take is dark and twisted and allows Alice to become The Red Queen.

 

“Burned Away” by Kristen Simmons

From the description: “When rumors of an uprising in Metaltown’s factories hits Bakerstown, sixteen-year-old wannabe reporter Caris knows she’s found the story that will finally prove her worth to the Journal.” Simmons has written a few YA books, so she knows this readership well.

 

“Off The Trail” by Diana Urban

You have to provide your email address for access to this one, for the author’s mailing list. From the description: “When 17-year-old Kayla jogs the trail next to the lake where a girl recently drowned, someone—or something—veers her off-course. Will she escape from the woods, or get tangled in a web of horror?”

 

“Dragons of Tomorrow” by Kathleen Baldwin

I read the first book in the Stranje House series a long, long time ago and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I’m eager to revisit Baldwin’s work with her short story. From the description: “After the collapse of civilization Nora and her family live a quiet life in the Midwestern Plains until a great fiery god of the sky descends and makes her an irresistible offer—an offer that will take her away from those she loves forever.”

 

“Daydreamer” and “Punishment” by Alex London

Both of these short stories are part of the “Proxy” world. I tried not to include a lot of tie-in/world-built stories, but I’m making an exception. You do not need to be a member of London’s Patreon to access these.

 

“Ratspeak” by Sarah Porter

Porter is the author of Vassa In The Night. From the description: “Ratspeak is the the shrill and sly language of the rats of New York City’s subway. When a curious boy is granted his wish to speak and understand the secret language of the rats, he brings a curse upon his home.”

 

“irl” by Catey Miller

Long time YA writer and blogger/enthusiast Catey Miller has a freebie in Lunchtime.

 

“Kingmaker” by Lindsay Smith

From the description: “Vera is a spy for the Barstadt Empire, a powerful country with a rigid class structure and a seedy underbelly. Her mission is to weed out the corruption that holds this society together, but for Vera it’s not political, it’s personal. And her next mission is anything but routine, as long as she’s not blinded by revenge and can see that in the shadows of Barstadt City, things are seldom what they seem.” Smith has written a number of YA books you might be familiar with.

 

“The Girl In The Machine” by Beth Revis

From the description: “Franklin can travel through time–but his abilities are limited. He can only go into his own past, never further back and never the future. Then Heather shows up. She says she’s met the future him–and she can help him access his full potential in time travel, going anywhere in history or the future. But there’s something ominous about her time machine…”

If you want more, Beth Revis has more short stories available for free here, many of which tie into her YA series books.

 

“Trigger” by Courtney Alameda

From the description: “Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat – a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. Now she’s facing one of her most challenging ghost hunts ever. Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a ride.” Alameda is writing some seriously scary YA right now, and this is a great taste of her style.

 

“The Wives of Azhar” by Roshani Chokshi

If you need some lush fantasy, you will do well with this one!

 

“The Star Maiden” by Roshani Chokshi

Even more lush fantasy for your eyes! The first lines of this are so good: “A star maiden is not an actual star.

If you split her open, you will find neither crumbled moons nor milky pearls.

A star maiden is a sliver of heaven made flesh.

She is an orphaned moonbeam clinging to one possession only:

A dress.”

 

“Friends ‘Til The End” by Bethany Neal

From the description: “In “Friends ’Til the End,” death isn’t the end for Emily Winstead, not even close. She died with a wrong to make right, and she’s been given a second chance to set things straight. The only problem: her memories are hazy, she doesn’t know who to trust or even why she’s back, but she does know something about how she died broke the course of fate and it’s her ghostly mission to mend it.” I cannot wait to read this ghost story!

 

“Crave” and “The H8TE” by Lilliam Rivera

These are both scary stories! There’s another Rivera short story that likely fits for YA readers called “Trizas/Fragments.”

 

“Heads Will Roll” by Lish McBride

From the description: “Lena’s not your typical animal trainer. And when she and her unicorn partner, Steve, decide to enter a fight, it’s definitely not your typical fight….”

 

“Slayers: The Making Of A Mentor” by CJ Hill

From the description: “Before dragon eggs landed on American soil. Before a Slayer camp existed. And before Tori discovered her powers . . . there was an island. Lush forests, jutting peaks, and sloping hills covered St. Helena—the single most remote island in the Atlantic. And it is here where Dr. B grew up, working each summer on the Overdrake plantation alongside his brother. All was well until the day something was discovered on the plantation and things went horribly wrong.”

 

“On The Corner of Iris and Hartz” by LC Rosen

This Twitter-shared short story is a real treat. From the description: “So what if you’d just broken up with your boyfriend, but then you got quarantined together? And there was only one bed? If you’ve been wondering that, too, good news! I wrote a thing.”

 

“The Stranger” by Anna Banks

From the description: “The Syrena don’t trust many humans. Rachel is one of them. The story of how Galen met her—and how they bonded—is both exciting and heartbreaking.”

 

“Ghost Town” by Malinda Lo

From the description: “On Halloween night, two teens visit a small town’s most notorious haunted house.”

 

“One True Love” by Malinda Lo

From the description: ““One True Love” is a fairy tale-like story that begins with a prophecy and a stepmother, as many fairy tales do. It soon twists and turns into something else, and asks: What if the prophecy didn’t mean what everyone thought it meant?”

You can also read Malinda Lo’s “The Cure”.

 

“We Have Always Lived In Mars” by Cecil Castellucci

Castellucci is one of my favorite writers, so I can’t wait to read this story. From the description: “Nina, one of the few descendants of human colony on Mars that was abandoned by Earth, is surprised to discover that she can breathe the toxic atmosphere of the Martian surface.  The crew, thinking that their attempts at terraforming and breeding for Martian adaptability have finally payed off, rejoice at the prospect of a brighter future.  But Nina’s about to unlock the mystery of the disaster that stranded them on Mars… and nothing will ever be the same.”

 

“A Mindreader’s Guide to Surviving Your First Year at the All-Girls Superhero Academy” by Jenn Reese

The award for best short story title goes to this one!

 

“Do Not Touch” by Prudence Chen

From the description: “Lane doesn’t understand why people have such a hard time following directions. All these paintings are clearly marked “DO NOT TOUCH” for a reason.”

 

“The Five Days of Justice Merriwell” by Stephanie Burgiss

From the author’s website: “A sixteen-year-old girl finds the fate of her country in her hands, with terrifying magic and danger on every side.”

 

“The Scent of Laila Thorinson” by Jeune Ji

A downside to some of the journals which publish short YA stories is they don’t offer a good, snappy description. But this one captured my attention immediately: it has something to do with a Secret Santa.

 

“Car 393” by Kip Wilson

Wilson’s debut verse novel hit shelves in 2019, so what a delight to see there’s a short story told in verse from her, too.

 

“Sweet Sixteen” by Kat Howard

What a great opener: “Her entire life, Star had known that on her sixteenth birthday, she would choose to be a Tiffany.” Howard writes fantastical, magical stories and this one is no different.

 

“After Illume” by Emily Skrutski

Another short story you can read from the Defy the Dark anthology. For all of the spooky, things-that-happen-in-the-dark reading delight.

 

“How to Ruin Your Senior Year, In 10 Days, In 3 Simple Steps, As Told by Judith Sloan” and “Tequila” by Lauren Gonzalez

YA readers who want humor should do well with both of these stories hosted over at YARN.

 

“Defying Definition” by Shaun David Hutchinson and “Happiness Goes On” by Adam Silvera

Both of these are short nonfiction works, republished online from my own anthology, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy. Both explore mental illness, specifically depression, and what it does and does not mean when one has depression.

 

Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list, and chances are there are many, many more wonderful YA short stories online for free. If you know of any others, do drop a link to them in the comments for even more opportunity to celebrate the short story. 

This Week at Book Riot

This week at Book Riot…

The realities under which many librarians are working. It’s not good, y’all.

 

A new study showcases how much better male leads in fiction sell than female leads.

 

Have you seen the five  classics pulled from classrooms in the Mat-Su school district in Alaska? Here’s the story of the all white male school board members who made this happen.

 

And something a little lighter: Shakespeare cross stitch patterns!

 

There’s also a new episode of Hey YA. We’re digging into Star Wars YA books, as well as feel-good YA reads.