Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 54

Romance Round-Up

It’s been a while since I’ve read a romance novel, and I was feeling in the mood the past week, so I knocked out two from a couple of authors I tend to enjoy: Sarah MacLean and Tessa Dare.

A Scot in the Dark is the second novel in the Scandal and Scoundrel series by Sarah MacLean. The first was the similarly punny The Rogue Not Taken, and because I love a good pun (understatement of the year), I was already inclined to love this series. Nothing will ever match my love for MacLean’s Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover, but this series has been pretty solid so far.

Beautiful, orphaned, rich Lillian Hargrove met a talented artist and fell in love with him, happy to serve as his muse, thinking they would soon become engaged. She even sat for him nude; he promised the portrait would be just for them. But he lied, and he announces to the entire ton that he plans to reveal his work, “the greatest nude of our time,” at a special exhibition, at which point Lily knows she will be ruined. She’s well on her way there anyway, since all of society knows she is the subject of the painting. Then Alec, the new Duke of Warnick and still Lillian’s guardian (despite the fact that she’s well into her twenties) arrives in town, determined to help her recover from the scandal by marrying her off to a kind, respectable man. Alec is a Scot and wants nothing to do with the dukedom, which he was seventeenth in line for. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs.

Alec and Lily’s story is lovely. Lily insists on only marrying for love, and Alec insists he’s unworthy of her love, even after the two realize how they feel about each other. Like many of MacLean’s heroes, Alec has a heart-wrenching backstory that amply explains his seemingly irrational behavior. Lily herself is incredibly strong. She’s angry that she cannot just do what she wishes with her own money, and she’s angry that Alec is trying to prevent her from simply leaving the people who whisper about her and going to live somewhere else. She knows what people say about her, and she’s not entirely unashamed, but she’s also not really that apologetic about it, and she doesn’t have to be. She took a man she loved at his word, and the painting itself is truly lovely. MacLean calls this her sex-tape book, and the modern equivalent is something like that. Witnessing Lily and Alec fall in like, then love, then work through their respective troubles (sometimes apart, sometimes together) to achieve their happily ever after is incredibly satisfying. This is another winner from MacLean. (Justine Eyre narrates the audiobook, and while she’s still one of my favorite narrators, I thought her voice for Alec was pretty bad this time. I would probably recommend sticking to the print version.)

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare shows that Dare just gets better with each book. Her early novels were a bit rough, but each subsequent novel has improved upon the last, and this is one of her best. It’s also one of her funniest, and I’ve always been a sucker for funny romance novels (Julia Quinn is the author who first hooked me on romance).

Charlotte Highwood has cornered Piers Brandon, the Marquess of Granville, in the library to tell him that she does not intend to marry him, despite what her notorious matchmaker mother might want. Except they are alone in the library, and when someone opens the door, Charlotte and Piers duck behind the draperies so they’re not spotted. It doesn’t matter that they were only talking; if they were discovered alone, people would assume the worst. The person who walks into the library is actually two people, and they soon commence upon a tryst upon the desk as Charlotte and Piers listen on, horrified (and amused). When a child alerts the adults at the party to the fact that there are strange noises coming from the library (“Murder!” he screams repeatedly), Charlotte and Piers are the only ones found inside, as the two lovebirds have already vacated it.

The adults know what the sounds mean, and it would seem that the only way to save Charlotte’s reputation is to marry Piers. Except that’s really not what Charlotte wants (at least not yet, as our two leads haven’t fallen in love). So she decides to find out exactly who was having a grand old time in the library, with just a couple of clues to go on: a unique perfume scent in the air and a fancy garter embroidered with a capital C. Piers had his own reasons for being in the library that evening – he’s a spy for the British crown, and while he wants to do the right thing by Charlotte and marry her (he’s falling for her, after all), he knows it would put her life in danger. But the two cannot seem to keep apart from each other, of course, and as Charlotte thinks she grows closer to the identity of the “tuppers,” there are also strange events that could be interpreted as attempts upon her life.

The mystery in the book is a light one, and not the primary focus. It’s mainly used to generate laughs, and it excels at this goal. The solution to the mystery lovers’ identity is a lovely one and a genuine surprise; Charlotte and Piers’ happily ever after is no surprise at all. Dare’s hero and heroine aren’t nearly as tortured as MacLean’s, and this is a much lighter read as a result. There’s a bit of danger, but mainly this book is just plain fun. Highly recommended.

Debut YA Novels of October 2017

 

It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month — here’s what we’ve got for October.

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; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts out in October from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

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

 

Among The Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz (10/3)

World War Two has shattered Valka’s homeland of Russia, and Valka is determined to help the effort. She knows her skills as a pilot rival the best of the men, so when an all-female aviation group forms, Valka is the first to sign up.

Flying has always meant freedom and exhilaration for Valka, but dropping bombs on German soldiers from a fragile canvas biplane is no joyride. The war is taking its toll on everyone, including the boy Valka grew up with, who is fighting for his life on the front lines.

As the war intensifies and those around her fall, Valka must decide how much she is willing to risk to defend the skies she once called home.

 

 

Beasts Made Of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (10/31)

In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts – lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt.

Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family.

When Taj is called to eat a sin of a royal, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves – and his own life.

A gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy.

 

The Breathless by Tara Goedjen (10/10)

No one knows what really happened on the beach where Roxanne Cole’s body was found, but her boyfriend, Cage, took off that night and hasn’t been seen since. Until now. One year—almost to the day—from Ro’s death, when he knocks on the door of Blue Gate Manor and asks where she is.

Cage has no memory of the past twelve months. According to him, Ro was alive only the day before. Ro’s sister Mae wouldn’t believe him, except that something’s not right. Nothing’s been right in the house since Ro died.

And then Mae finds the little green book. The one hidden in Ro’s room. It’s filled with secrets—dangerous secrets—about her family, and about Ro. And if what it says is true, then maybe, just maybe, Ro isn’t lost forever.

And maybe there are secrets better left to the dead.

 

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani (10/24)

Taja Brown lives with her parents and older brother and younger sister, in Houston, Texas. Taja has always known what the expectations of her conservative and tightly-knit African American family are—do well in school, go to church every Sunday, no intimacy before marriage. But Taja is trying to keep up with friends as they get their first kisses, first boyfriends, first everythings. And she’s tired of cheering for her athletic younger sister and an older brother who has more freedom just because he’s a boy. Taja dreams of going to college and forging her own relationship with the world and with God, but when she falls in love for the first time, those dreams are suddenly in danger of evaporating.

 

 

 

 

*Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski (10/10)

THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: You must be gifted. You must be younger than twenty-five. You must be willing to accept the dangers that you will face if you win.

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Gupta’s entire life has been leading up to this—the opportunity to travel to space. But to secure a spot on this classified mission, she must first compete against the best and brightest people on the planet. People who are as determined as she to win a place on a journey to the farthest reaches of the universe.

Cassie is ready for the toll that the competition will take; the rigorous mental and physical tests designed to push her to the brink of her endurance. But nothing could have prepared her for the bonds she would form with the very people she hopes to beat. Or that with each passing day it would be more and more difficult to ignore the feeling that the true objective of the mission is being kept from her.

As the days until the launch tick down and the stakes rise higher than ever before, only one thing is clear to Cassie: she’ll never back down . . . even if it costs her everything.

 

The Devils You Know by MC Atwood (10/3)

Plenty of legends surround the infamous Boulder House in Whispering Bluffs, Wisconsin, but nobody takes them seriously. Certainly nobody believes that the original owner, Maxwell Cartwright Jr., cursed its construction—or that a murder of crows died upon its completion, their carcasses turning the land black. If anyone did believe it all, there’s no way River Red High would offer a field trip there for the senior class.

Five very different seniors on the trip—Violet, Paul, Ashley, Dylan, and Gretchen—have reasons beyond school spirit for not ditching the trip. When they’re separated from the group, they discover that what lies within Boulder House is far more horrifying than any local folklore. To survive, they’ll have to band together in ways they never could have imagined and ultimately confront the truths of their darkest selves.

 

 

Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis (10/3)

Flora Goldwasser has fallen in love. She won’t admit it to anyone, but something about Elijah Huck has pulled her under. When he tells her about the hippie Quaker school he attended in the Hudson Valley called Quare Academy, where he’ll be teaching next year, Flora gives up her tony upper east side prep school for a life on a farm, hoping to woo him. A fish out of water, Flora stands out like a sore thumb in her vintage suits among the tattered tunics and ripped jeans of the rest of the student body. When Elijah doesn’t show up, Flora must make the most of the situation and will ultimately learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.

 

 

 

 

*Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (10/10)

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins–sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

 

 

 

Gray Wolf Island by Tracey Neithercott (10/10)

Right before Sadie died, she begged her sister, Ruby, to do the one thing she could never do herself: Find the treasure on Gray Wolf Island.

With just a mysterious treasure map as a guide, Ruby reluctantly allows some friends to join her on the hunt, each of whom is touched by magic: a boy allegedly born to a virgin, a girl who never sleeps, a boy who can foresee his own death, and a boy with deep ties to the island. Each of them is also keeping a secret—something they’ll have to reveal in order to reach the treasure.

As the secrets come to light, Ruby will have to decide: Can she make peace with her friends’ troubled pasts and continue to trust them? Can she forgive herself for doing the unspeakable? Deep in the wilderness of Gray Wolf Island, Ruby’s choices will determine if they make it out with the treasure—or merely with their lives.

 

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez (10/17)

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

 

Kiss Me In New York by Catherine Rider (10/3)

It’s Christmas Eve at JFK in NYC.

Charlotte is a British student, waiting for a flight home after the worst semester of her life. Anthony is a native New Yorker, surprising his girlfriend at the airport after three months apart. Charlotte has just been dumped, and Anthony is about to be dumped, right in the middle of the holiday crowd.

Charlotte’s flight is canceled when a blizzard blows in, and Anthony can’t bear to go home. So, they set out into the city together, clutching a book Charlotte picks up in the airport gift shop: Ten Easy Steps for Getting Over Your Ex. For this one night, they’ll focus on healing their broken hearts … together.

Step-by-step, the two struggle to put the past behind them. But the snow is so enchanting, and the holiday lights are so beguiling, that soon their shared misery gives way to something else. Soon, they’re not only over their exes — they’re falling for each other.

Then a subway ride splits them up by mistake. Will they reunite before Charlotte’s flight leaves New York forever?

 

*The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli (10/3)

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be dark—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up hearing in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

 

Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster (10/10)

Sev is branded with the mark of a criminal—a star burned into her hand. That’s the penalty for being the daughter of the woman who betrayed their entire nation.

Now her mother’s body is displayed above Traitor’s Arch, kept in a paralyzed half sleep by the same plague that destroyed the rest of the world. And as further punishment, Sev is forced to do hard labor to prove that she’s more valuable alive than dead.

When the government blames Sev for a horrific bombing, she must escape the city or face the chopping block. Unimaginable dangers lurk outside the city walls, and Sev’s only hope of survival lies with the most unlikely person—Howl, the chairman’s son. Though he promises to lead her to safety, Howl has secrets, and Sev can’t help but wonder if he knows more about her past—and her mother’s crimes—than he lets on.

But in a hostile world, trust is a luxury. Even when Sev’s life and the lives of everyone she loves may hang in the balance.

 

Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevingne

Sixteen-year-old friends Red, Leo, Naima and Rose are like anyone their age: figuring out who they are and trying to navigate the minefield of school and relationships. Life isn’t perfect, but they’re united by their love of music and excited about what the future holds for their band.

That is until Naima dies in tragic circumstances, leaving behind only one word. ‘Sorry’.

What awful truth was she hiding? What dark secret was lurking behind her seemingly sunny persona? And how did Red, the self-styled protector of the group, fail to spot the warning signs?

While Rose turns to wild partying and Leo is shrouded by dark moods, Red sets out to uncover the truth and find out what – or perhaps who – was responsible for Naima’s death.

It’s a journey that will cause Red’s world to crumble, exposing the dark and dangerous truth behind the fragile surface of their existence. Nothing will ever be the same again, because once a mirror is shattered, it can’t be fixed.

 

*Select by Marit Weisenberg (10/3)

Coming from a race of highly-evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. But there’s something rotten beneath the surface—dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of people determined to keep their talents hidden and who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally disrupts the Jaynes’ delicate anonymity, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.

Julia’s goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him—John Ford, tennis prodigy, all-around good guy. When Julia discovers a knack for reading his mind, and also manipulating his life, school suddenly becomes a temporary escape from the cold grip of her manipulative father. But as Julia’s powers over John grow, so do her feelings. For the first time in her life, Julia begins to develop a sense of self, to question her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide: can a perfect love be worth more than a perfect life?

 

Us Kids Know by JJ Strong (10/24)

Siblings Brielle and Ray O’Dell are lost. Anxious. Restless. Bullied at his Catholic school for being small and timid, Ray wants to be someone people respect or, even better, someone people fear. Meanwhile, Brielle—whose “popular” status feels tenuous at best—knows that something is off about her friendship with the shiny, happy, sophisticated blond girls on her field hockey team. They don’t really understand Bri, and if Bri is being totally honest, she doesn’t really understand them either.

When storied delinquent Cullen Hickson enters the orbit of the O’Dell siblings, though, everything changes. Brielle and Ray find an alluring, addictive outlet in Cullen, who opens their eyes to a world they didn’t know existed. For Ray, that means experiencing the singular thrill of small-time crime—from breaking and entering to grand theft auto—while Brielle quickly dives into an all-consuming romance with the enigmatic upperclassman.

But as Brielle and Ray find themselves more and more entwined with Cullen’s antics, the once-thrilling experiences begin to feel increasingly dangerous, culminating in a life-changing event that shakes the teens to their core.

 

The Wicker King by K Ancrum (10/31)

When August learns that his best friend, Jack, shows signs of degenerative hallucinatory disorder, he is determined to help Jack cope. Jack’s vivid and long-term visions take the form of an elaborate fantasy world layered over our own—a world ruled by the Wicker King. As Jack leads them on a quest to fulfill a dark prophecy in this alternate world, even August begins to question what is real or not.

August and Jack struggle to keep afloat as they teeter between fantasy and their own emotions. In the end, each must choose his own truth.

Thriller Roundup

I’ve been on a huge adult thriller kick lately, likely stemming from my love of The Girl on the Train, which I read last year. Nothing I’ve read since (including Paula Hawkins’ follow-up) has quite lived up to that experience, but there have been a lot of entertaining books nonetheless. Here are a few recent ones.

 

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Anne and Marco are attending a party at their next door neighbors’ house, and they’ve left their six month old baby daughter at home because the neighbors have requested no children. Marco says it will be fine – they’ll have the baby monitor on them, and they’ll take turns going to check on her every half hour. Except when Anne goes to check on her just after midnight, she’s disappeared. What ensues is a twisty page-turner where everyone has secrets – Anne and Marco, Anne’s parents, their next door neighbors, and others – and the truth behind who took the baby is just the tip of the iceberg. This isn’t the most sophisticated thriller out there – you’ll probably guess at least a few of the twists before they happen, but don’t worry, there are more to follow – but it’s supremely entertaining. I look forward to seeing what Lapena writes next.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware is really, really good at writing thrilling mysteries. Of the authors I’ve read in my pursuit to match The Girl on the Train, she comes closest. In a Dark, Dark Wood is her first book, and it’s a total winner. Nora has decided to accept Clare’s invitation to attend her hen night (think bachelorette party for Brits), despite the fact that she hasn’t seen Clare in ten years and they parted badly. The party is in a remote cabin in the woods with no cell service (of course), and right away, strange things start happening, the first being that Nora discovers Clare is marrying Nora’s high school boyfriend, James. Ware has created a cast of interesting, dynamic characters, some of which you’ll like and some of which you won’t, and her plotting is top-notch, plus the atmosphere can’t be beat. It’s pure joy to see the way everything comes together – you won’t be able to quit turning the pages. This is a true marriage of mystery and thriller, just the way I like it.

Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris

Grace thinks she’s found the perfect man for her. Jack is handsome, kind, charming, and adores her teenage sister, who has Down syndrome and will need to live with them once she turns 18 and is no longer able to stay at her special school. Once they marry, though, everything changes (as you knew it would). Jack isn’t at all who he pretended to be, and he has plans for Grace and her sister that will make your skin crawl. At times, Jack is so completely evil that it’s difficult to suspend disbelief while reading, but this also makes the ending doubly satisfying. Paris tells her story in two parts – before, when Jack is wooing Grace and they are first married, and after, when the new dynamic is completely established and Grace is a total prisoner in her own home, trying anything she can think of to save her and her sister. It’s a difficult read at times, but it’s also impossible to put down, and you can be comforted by the fact that in stories such as these, the villain always gets his comeuppance. While the other two books I review in this post are mysteries as well as thrillers, there’s no real mystery aspect to this one.

Guest Post: Girls of the Apocalypse by Samantha Mabry

I’m excited to share this really great post from Samantha Mabry. Her new book, All the Wind in the World, is out tomorrow, October 10, and it’s one that should absolutely be on your to-be-read list. It was long listed for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature, and it was one of the Book Expo America Buzz titles — both honors for good reason.

Samantha is here to talk about the genre she writes and what, exactly, sparked her connection with the label “disaster realism.”

____________________

At last spring’s Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in Washington, D.C., I attended a panel that was called “Girls of the Apocalypse.” Mostly, I wanted to see Claire Vaye Watkins, author of the stunning novel from 2015, Gold Fame Citrus. If you’re not familiar with it, Gold Fame Citrus takes place in the near future when things have pretty much gone to hell because of climate change. California is basically uninhabitable, and much of the West has been transformed into sand dunes. The main character (her name is Luz; she’s 25) and her boyfriend leave Los Angeles, where they’ve been squatting in an abandoned mansion, head out into the dunes, and eventually fall in with a cult, the members of which are scraping out a living in this dusty new world. 



During this panel –which was composed of Watkins and others –the moderator asked a question that I still can’t stop thinking about. It was something along the lines of, “Is ‘apocalyptic’ even the right word for what you’re writing or would a term like ‘disaster realism’ be more apt?” Picture me gasping audibly, because that’s exactly what I did.  



Moderator, I’m sorry that I don’t remember your name, but I have stolen your term “disaster realism,” and am clinging to it. Many readers –myself included –are drawn to stories about life in a lifeless place. We think that perhaps, if and when disaster becomes real, we can become the heroes we always believed we were, or, at the very least, survive despite all terrible odds. Or there may a part of each of us that simply gravitates, zombie-like, toward disaster.

 

My latest novel All the Wind in the World could fall under the category of “disaster realism.” It’s about a determined survivor: seventeen year-old Sarah Jacqueline Crow. She’s among a group of people who live as migrant workers in the American Southwest after a gradual environmental collapse. She’s not particularly concerned with the details of this collapse. She knows it happened, and she believes she has the grit and ability to survive in the environment it has produced. What I set out to do, sort of like what Claire Vaye Watkins did, was create a future vision of the West that didn’t seem like too big of leap from the West with which I’m familiar and that currently exists. While there are elements of fabulism woven throughout, much of the world of the Real Marvelous was created by compiling natural events that have happened/are happening in Texas, such as freak swarms of killer bees, water that’s become too salty to drink, and out-of-nowhere dust storms. Again, this isn’t such a far-fetched vision of the future because it’s basically what’s happening now.



It would be hard not to see that the worldwide natural disasters we’re currently watching on the news and witnessing in our neighborhoods rival or surpass the disasters that can be plucked from our imagination, and this has led me to think more and more about the role and responsibilities of storytellers –about my role and responsibility as a storyteller. In my first novel, A Fierce and Subtle Poison, which was set in Puerto Rico, I used a hurricane as a plot device, and when I think about that now after seeing the pain and devastation Hurricane Maria has wrought, it makes me cringe. If we as writers use natural disasters as plot devices or backdrops, I’m wondering if we need to be more mindful or start to ask and answer different kinds of questions in our stories. One of those questions might be, “Now what?” The world has fundamentally changed, now what? Things will never be the same, now what? Young people are survivors, now what? I’m not trying to be prescriptive here and tell writers what to do and what to consider. I’m just trying to articulate what I myself have been considering. I write fiction, but the world is so full of true disasters, and I’m trying to find ways to honor the scars of the real while still exploring hope and magic.  

 

***

 

Samantha Mabry grew up in Texas playing bass guitar along to vinyl records, writing fan letters to rock stars, and reading big, big books, and credits her tendency toward magical thinking to her Grandmother Garcia, who would wash money in the kitchen sink to rinse off any bad spirits. She teaches writing and Latino literature at a community college in Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her husband, a historian, and her pets, including a cat named Mouse. She is the author of the novels A Fierce and Subtle Poison and All the Wind in the World. Visit her online at samanthamabry.com or on Twitter: @samanthamabry.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

Bookish costumes for your pet.

 

If you aren’t already, you should hop in and have fun with the Instagram #RiotGrams challenge this month.

 

Over 140 YA books hitting shelves through the end of the year.

 

A round-up of YA books set in Puerto Rico.

Cybils 2017: Young Adult Speculative Fiction

I’m thrilled to be back on Round 1 of Young Adult Speculative Fiction this year for the Cybils Awards. Speculative fiction is deliberately broad – it encompasses traditional science fiction and fantasy, but also encompasses more nebulous genres like alternate history, horror, and dsytopias. Check out the full category description here.

Nominations officially opened October 1, and so far, we’ve got a great selection of books to read and discuss. But there are still a lot of worthy titles that haven’t been nominated, and that’s where you, dear readers, come in. Each person is allowed to nominate one title per category, so I’ve created the list below as suggestions – these are all books I think we round 1 panelists should consider for the shortlist. Won’t you help us out by nominating one of them? Be sure to check your nomination against the existing nominations first. Titles published for the YA market between October 16, 2016 and October 15, 2017 are eligible.

 

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski

Merrow by Ananda Braxton-Smith

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Waste of Space by Gina Damico

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

The Exo Project by Andrew DeYoung

Bull by David Elliott

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E. K. Johnston

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid

Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson

Exo by Fonda Lee

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Mars One by Jonathan Maberry

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean edited by Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar, and Anita Roy

Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor

Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel Jose Older

Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popovic

Zero Repeat Forever by G. S. Prendergast

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

The Beast is an Animal by Peternelle Van Arsdale

The Takedown by Corrie Wang

The Adjustment by Suzanne Young

Anatomy of an Anthology: THE V WORD edited by Amber J Keyser

 

Today’s edition of “Anatomy of an Anthology” comes from Amber J. Keyser, editor of the nonfiction YA anthology The V-Word, published by Simon Pulse and available now.

 

Your Name

Amber J. Keyser

 

Your Anthology’s Name

The V-Word: True Stories of First-Time Sex

 

Anthology Description

A collection of personal essays by women about first-time sexual experiences.

 

How did you get your idea/what was the initial spark?

There were three inspirations for this book. The first was my children who were tweens at the time and who were asking lots of good questions about sex and sexuality. The second was an article written by Ferrett Steinmetz for The Good Men Project called Dear Daughter: I Hope You Have Awesome Sex . The third was an overheard conversation between two moms talking about how they didn’t even want to know if their kids were thinking about sex.

 

Where did you begin researching your idea and/or developing the idea into a more clear, focused concept?

I read every book about sex written for teens that I could get my hands on. Some were outdated. Some were very judge-y and proscriptive. Most were heteronormative and non-inclusive. Even the best books were focused on specifics like methods of birth control, types of STIs, how to masturbate, and various kinds of sexual behavior. None talked in depth about how you know you are ready for sex or what it’s actually like to have sex, physically and emotionally. That was the gap my anthology was going to fill.

 

What steps did you take from idea to proposal?

I did quite a bit more research into topics such as: the state of sex ed in the US, the efficacy (or lack there of) of abstinence-based approaches, the importance of sex-positivity, the role of pornography in the sex lives of teens, gender fluidity, the spectrum of sexual identity, and the influence of media (traditional and social) on teen sexuality. After that, I worked hard to refine the overview of the anthology relative to the gap I perceived in the market. I recruited an author friend to write a sample essay and found subject area experts willing to be interviewed.

 

What was included in your proposal to your publisher?

 

An overview of the concept that emphasized that I was doing a sex positive, diverse, and explicit anthology, which filled a significant gap in the market.


A detailed outline of the material I would include in addition to the essays that formed the core of the book.


An analysis of competing titles.


Two completed essays (one by me and one by Kiersi Burkhart).


Bios and writing samples from several experts that I planned to interview.


An initial list of the writers I planned to approach about contributing an essay.

 

 

Did you use an agent? If you didn’t use an agent, how did you find a publisher?

Funny story! I ran into Michelle McCann, an editor friend of mine on a soccer pitch. (Our boys were both playing.) She mentioned that she had recently started acquiring for Simon & Schuster and was looking for YA nonfiction on themes of body, mind, and spirit. I mentioned my anthology idea to her, and she pitched it to the acquisitions team based on our conversation. Once everyone was enthused, I hustled to get a proposal together. My agent, Fiona Kenshole, got involved at this point and was absolutely invaluable in getting us through the very difficult and protracted contract negotiation process.

 

How did you find your writers?

Since this was an anthology for teens, I started with YA authors who were already writing about sex in honest, realistic, and explicit ways. With these women, I had confidence that they knew the audience, knew the material, and were brave enough to share their own experiences. These writers helped me connect with others. When my author pool was still overwhelmingly white and straight, I put out a very targeted call for open submissions to several private Facebook groups, looking for women of color, transwomen, and queer women.

On reflection I really wish I had done this earlier. I feel good about the diversity in the collection (including three women of color, a transwoman, and six queer women), but it could have been better. Several women of color that had agreed to write for the collection had to back out at the last minute (two because of time constraints and one from nervousness about the topic). It was too late in the process for me to find alternatives. Also I really wish I had actively sought out disabled women writers. My advice for new anthologists is to start early and make finding diverse contributors a top priority.

 

How did writers pick their story or essay topic ideas? What process did you as editor use to vet them?

Other than the open submission call, I spoke with each potential contributor in advance and asked them to tell me their story. In this way, I could choose stories that expressed a range of experiences. I was also able to eliminate ones that definitely wouldn’t fit (usually because one of the sexual partners was under the legal age of consent or if the essay portrayed the sex as shameful). For most of the essays I did a lot of advance vetting because I didn’t want to commission an essay and then be forced to reject it.

 

As an editor, were you responsible for contracts between you and your writers? Did your publisher or agent handle the administrative/legal side of things?

All of the contributors entered into a contractual agreement with me. My literary agency helped write and execute those contracts. My publisher was responsible for registering the copyrights.

 

How did the editing process work between you and your writers?

Usually we began with a conversation and then did two to three pretty intensive rounds of revision. The most common revision comment that I gave was that the author needed to be more explicit in the descriptions of sex. Often the first drafts had detailed descriptions of the events and emotions that led up to the actual sex but then the essay would fade to black. For some authors it was incredibly hard to break that not-so-subtle taboo against talking about sex.

 

Money talk: how did you get paid for your work?

I received an advance on royalty contract.

 

How did your writers get paid?

I paid the writers out of my advance.

 

What role did you take on as editor of the anthology? Were you hands on? Hands off?

I was pretty much all grabby-hands. Honestly, my biggest mistake was being too hands on in the editorial progress. It was the first time I had ever edited other people’s work, and I was way too heavy-handed at first. My inexperience almost drove one contributor away. She was kind enough to allow me to start over with her piece. Another established author gently guided me toward a more effective editorial approach. It was hard to balance my vision for the overall collection with the needs of each contributor.

 

How did you communicate with your writers? What sort of information did you share with them and how?

After an initial phone call, we communicated via email and through track changes and comments within the manuscript. I shared some parts of the draft manuscript, specifically the introduction to the whole collection and the short intro for their essay. Otherwise, they didn’t see the other essays until post-publication.

 

Where and how did you decide to include your own work in the collection?

Well, someone had to go first! *GRIN* I don’t think I ever considered not including my work. I had something to say after all.

 

Where and how did you come to “direct” the anthology? Did you have an idea of how you wanted pieces to progress early on or did you wait until all pieces were available to you to begin constructing the collection?

I waited until I had all the pieces in place. Order was complicated. I must have rearranged the essays a dozen times. I tried to balance out the order of appearance for positive and negative as well as straight and queer. Sometimes essays were linked through common or opposing thematic elements so I ordered them to emphasize those similarities or differences. This is an area where my acquiring editor was incredibly helpful.

 

How involved was your editor/publisher throughout the creation process, prior to turning in a manuscript?

Since the acquiring editor was someone I know really well, we talked pretty frequently during the process. If there was a contribution I was on the fence about, we discussed it. If I had an editorial conundrum, she offered suggestions about how to handle it. She was crucial in figuring out how all the pieces of the collection fit together.

 

When the manuscript was a complete draft, what was the process when you passed it on to your editor/publisher?

My editor focused her efforts on the parts of the collection that I wrote rather than on the essays themselves. She had a few minor concerns (mostly legal ones), which I passed on to the contributors, but otherwise, the final form of the essays was the one that emerged from the author’s interaction with me.

 

How did you communicate changes and/or concerns between writer and your editor/publisher?

I was always the intermediary, sharing pertinent comments with each writer individually and personally. This was time consuming, but I never simply forwarded things on.

 

When it came to the package of your anthology, how much say did you have in the cover or design? How much were contributors involved in that part of the process?

I had a lot of input on the jacket copy (because I am pushy that way) but very little on the cover. The contributors weren’t involved in this part.

 

What was your favorite part of the anthology creation process?

My absolutely favorite thing was when a new essay from a contributor would show up in my inbox. It was magical to receive these intimate, profound, funny, delightful, and brilliant essays. I was blown away by the women who wrote for The V-Word.

 

What was your least favorite part?

There was behind-the-scenes, sausage making at the imprint, which was challenging. Anthologies have lots of moving parts, and in my case, there were quite a few people involved (including the publisher’s legal department). I had to be a very strong advocate for both my overall vision and for some of the more controversial essays.

 

What were some of the biggest lessons you as an editor learned in creating an anthology?

Editing other people’s writing, especially on tender topics, is very challenging. I wish I been a more sensitive and gentle editor. I came away with such appreciation for my own editors. The work they do is invaluable and also very hard. A brilliant editor is a gift to a writer.

 

What were some of the biggest successes?

I’m really proud of the book itself. It earned several starred reviews and was selected for lots of great end-of-year lists ( New York Public Library 50 Best Books for Teens 2016, Chicago Public Library Best Nonfiction for Teens 2016; ALA Rainbow List 2017, ALA Reluctant Reader List 2017, The Amelia Bloomer List 2017). I think it offers something to teen readers that they won’t find anywhere else. Its strength is in the honesty of each contributor. They are the superstars of this collection.

 

What, if any, anthologies did you read while putting together your own? What anthologies had you looked at to help you on your own work?

I read quite a few anthologies. For sexual content, I read Losing It. For structure, I read Zombies vs. Unicorns. For tone, I was going for Dear Sugar (not an anthology, but whatever).

 

If you aren’t already working on another anthology, would you do another one? Why/why not?

Honestly, the sales for The V-Word have been modest. Partially that’s content. Most schools won’t shelve it. Several public libraries have faced challenges (as in book banning challenges) for shelving it. But over and over again booksellers have commented that anthologies just don’t sell. Many bookstores struggle to know where to shelve anthologies. They are square pegs when it comes to typical YA categories.

I did this book because I believed (and still believe) that teens desperately needed it. I would definitely do the planned companion (essays by men about first-time sex) if the stars aligned, but I would go into the project with a more jaded eye. An anthology, in my opinion, is way more work than writing an entire book yourself, and if it is financially structured like mine (a fairly large advance out of which I paid contributors), it might never earn out. Anthologies just aren’t going to pay the rent.

 

Anything else you’d like to add?

I love this book. I love the women who contributed to it. They taught me many valuable lessons about life and writing and love and intimacy and being real. One of the best things to come out of my work on The V-Word is these enduring friendships with each of these super talented writer-humans. I’m very lucky.

 

 

On The Radar: October YA Books To Know

 

“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

Like with September’s list, I’ve had to cheat for October and go over my high range of 12 titles. October is a spectacularly busy publishing month, and sticking to 12 titles would mean primarily sticking to all of the names you are already aware of. I wanted to go a little bigger than that. These are all YA books with great buzz, great reviews, and/or are by tried-and-true authors that will always be shelf staples.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads. Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them. Titles with a * in front of them are books that are starting or a continuation of a series. I did not include the reasons why these books are on the radar list this month, in part because they’re all either from well-known authors or have recently been in the news for earning various award/honor distinctions.

 

 

*Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor (10/3)

A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book.

Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity.

 

 

 

All The Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater (10/10)

Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars.

At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo.

They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect.

 

 

All The Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry (10/10)

Sarah Jacqueline Crow and James Holt work in the vast maguey fields that span the bone-dry Southwest, a thirsty, infinite land that is both seductive and fearsome. In this rough, transient landscape, Sarah Jac and James have fallen in love. They’re tough and brave, and they have big dreams. Soon they will save up enough money to go east. But until then, they keep their heads down, their muscles tensed, and above all, their love secret.

When a horrible accident forces Sarah Jac and James to start over on a new, possibly cursed ranch called the Real Marvelous, the delicate balance they’ve found begins to give way. And James and Sarah Jac will have to pay a frighteningly high price for their love.

 

 

 

*Before The Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray (10/3)

After battling a sleeping sickness, The Diviners are up against a group of new and malevolent foes–ghosts! Out in Ward’s Island sits a mental hospital full of lost souls from people long forgotten. Ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the Man in the Stovepipe Hat also known as the King of Crows.

With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over New York City, the Diviners must band together and brave the ghosts haunting the asylum to bring down the King of Crows.

 

 

 

 

*The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman (10/19)

Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them, a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . .

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Martin by Nic Stone (10/17)

Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He is eventually released without charges (or an apology), but the incident has Justyce spooked. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his prep school classmates. The only exception: Sarah Jane, Justyce’s gorgeous—and white—debate partner he wishes he didn’t have a thing for.

Struggling to cope with it all, Justyce starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But do Dr. King’s teachings hold up in the modern world? Justyce isn’t so sure.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up. Way up. Much to the fury of the white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. And Justyce and Manny get caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. The truth of what happened that night—some would kill to know. Justyce is dying to forget.

 

*The Empress by SJ Kinkaid (10/31)

It’s a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward—one where they don’t have to hide or scheme or kill. One where creatures like Nemesis will be given worth and recognition, where science and information can be shared with everyone and not just the elite.

But having power isn’t the same thing as keeping it, and change isn’t always welcome. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries—and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress.

Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life, and they are partners in this new beginning. But she cannot protect him by being the killing machine she once was. She will have to prove the humanity that she’s found inside herself to the whole Empire—or she and Tyrus may lose more than just the throne. But if proving her humanity means that she and Tyrus must do inhuman things, is the fight worth the cost of winning it?

 

Far From The Tree by Robin Benway (10/3)

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.

 

*Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao (10/10)

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins–sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

 

 

 

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (10/17)

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

 

*Into The Bright Unknown by Rae Carson (10/10)

Leah Westfall, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have become rich in the California Territory, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense precious gold. But their fortune has made them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Lee and her friends decide they’ve had enough—they will fight back with all their power and talents. Lee’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter the California landscape forever. With a distinctive young heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure, bringing the Gold Seer Trilogy to its epic conclusion. Includes a map and an author’s note.

 

 

A Line In The Dark by Malinda Lo (10/17)

Jess Wong is Angie Redmond’s best friend. And that’s the most important thing, even if Angie can’t see how Jess truly feels. Being the girl no one quite notices is OK with Jess anyway. While nobody notices her, she’s free to watch everyone else. But when Angie begins to fall for Margot Adams, a girl from the nearby boarding school, Jess can see it coming a mile away. Suddenly her powers of observation are more curse than gift.

As Angie drags Jess further into Margot’s circle, Jess discovers more than her friend’s growing crush. Secrets and cruelty lie just beneath the carefree surface of this world of wealth and privilege, and when they come out, Jess knows Angie won’t be able to handle the consequences.

When the inevitable darkness finally descends, Angie will need her best friend.

 

 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (10/24)

A cannon. A strap.

A piece. A biscuit.

A burner. A heater.

A chopper. A gat.

A hammer

A tool

for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

 

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed (10/10)

Who are the Nowhere Girls?

They’re everygirl. But they start with just three:

Grace Salter is the new girl in town, whose family was run out of their former community after her southern Baptist preacher mom turned into a radical liberal after falling off a horse and bumping her head.

Rosina Suarez is the queer punk girl in a conservative Mexican immigrant family, who dreams of a life playing music instead of babysitting her gaggle of cousins and waitressing at her uncle’s restaurant.

Erin Delillo is obsessed with two things: marine biology and Star Trek: The Next Generation, but they aren’t enough to distract her from her suspicion that she may in fact be an android.

When Grace learns that Lucy Moynihan, the former occupant of her new home, was run out of town for having accused the popular guys at school of gang rape, she’s incensed that Lucy never had justice. For their own personal reasons, Rosina and Erin feel equally deeply about Lucy’s tragedy, so they form an anonymous group of girls at Prescott High to resist the sexist culture at their school, which includes boycotting sex of any kind with the male students.

 

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge (10/17)

This is the story of a bear-hearted girl . . .

Sometimes, when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide.

Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding.

Twelve-year-old Makepeace has learned to defend herself from the ghosts which try to possess her in the night, desperate for refuge, but one day a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard.

And now there’s a spirit inside her.

The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, and it may be her only defence when she is sent to live with her father’s rich and powerful ancestors. There is talk of civil war, and they need people like her to protect their dark and terrible family secret.

But as she plans her escape and heads out into a country torn apart by war, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death?

 

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green (10/10)

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

 

 

 

 

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (10/3)

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

A round-up of YA adaptations you can stream right now.

 

Dark and gloomy YA reads.

 

Why is it we don’t see PCOS, endometriosis, and other uterine-related issues brought up in YA lit? A discussion and exploration of those topics and their absence in teen reading.

 

Monthly Giving: Hurricane Maria and Mexico Earthquake Relief

This month, I chose again to help support those affected by recent natural disasters: Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean and the earthquake in Mexico. American citizens in Puerto Rico are not receiving the aid they need from their own country; we can help. I donated through Global Giving, which is a great organization that helps funnel your contributions to local nonprofits and other grassroots charities in areas and for causes that you designate. If you haven’t made a donation this month and can afford to do so, I encourage you to join me in giving to these projects: Hurricane Maria Relief Fund and Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund.

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month until October 15, and there are tons of great book lists out there commemorating it. To help avoid simply repeating the same titles you likely see each year, I’ve focused on YA titles published within the last year. They all feature Puerto Rican, Mexican, or Mexican-American teens – those who would have been most affected by the recent disasters.

The Go-Between by Veronica Chambers

She is the envy of every teenage girl in Mexico City. Her mother is a glamorous telenovela actress. Her father is the go-to voice-over talent for blockbuster films. Hers is a world of private planes, chauffeurs, paparazzi and gossip columnists. Meet Camilla del Valle Cammi to those who know her best.

When Cammi s mom gets cast in an American television show and the family moves to LA, things change, and quickly. Her mom s first role is playing a not-so-glamorous maid in a sitcom. Her dad tries to find work but dreams about returning to Mexico. And at the posh, private Polestar Academy, Cammi s new friends assume she s a scholarship kid, the daughter of a domestic.

At first Cammi thinks playing along with the stereotypes will be her way of teaching her new friends a lesson. But the more she lies, the more she wonders: Is she only fooling herself?

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (Oct. 3)

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel Jose Older

Sierra and her friends love their new lives as shadowshapers, making art and creating change with the spirits of Brooklyn. Then Sierra receives a strange card depicting a beast called the Hound of Light—an image from the enigmatic, influential Deck of Worlds. The Deck tracks the players and powers of all the magical houses in the city, and when the real Hound begins to stalk Sierra through the streets, the shadowshapers know their next battle has arrived.

Sierra and Shadowhouse have been thrust into an ancient struggle with enemies old and new—a struggle they didn’t want, but are determined to win. Revolution is brewing in the real world as well, as the shadowshapers lead the fight against systems that oppress their community. To protect her family and friends in every sphere, Sierra must take down the Hound and master the Deck of Worlds…or else she could lose all the things that matter most

Like Water by Rebecca Podos (Oct. 17)

In Savannah Espinoza’s small New Mexico hometown, kids either flee after graduation or they’re trapped there forever. Vanni never planned to get stuck—but that was before her father was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, leaving her and her mother to care for him. Now, she doesn’t have much of a plan at all: living at home, working as a performing mermaid at a second-rate water park, distracting herself with one boy after another.

That changes the day she meets Leigh. Disillusioned with small-town life and looking for something greater, Leigh is not a “nice girl.” She is unlike anyone Vanni has met, and a friend when Vanni desperately needs one. Soon enough, Leigh is much more than a friend. But caring about another person stirs up the moat Vanni has carefully constructed around herself, and threatens to bring to the surface the questions she’s held under for so long.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds (Oct. 3)

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man.

But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself.

As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk.

It’s time for Miles to suit up.

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

After “borrowing” her father’s credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot

Sánchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working as an indentured servant in her family’s struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.

With each order of deli meat she slices, Margot can feel her carefully cultivated prep school reputation slipping through her fingers, and she’s willing to do anything to get out of this punishment. Lie, cheat, and maybe even steal…

Margot’s invitation to the ultimate beach party is within reach and she has no intention of letting her family’s drama or Moisés—the admittedly good looking but outspoken boy from the neighborhood—keep her from her goal

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Everything is about to change. Until this moment, Sal has always been certain of his place with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican-American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life-altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief.

Suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and discovering that he no longer knows who he really is—but if Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (Oct. 17)

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

 

Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork

Four months ago: Sara Zapata’s best friend disappeared, kidnapped by the web of criminals who terrorize Juàrez.

Four weeks ago: Her brother, Emiliano, fell in love with Perla Rubi, a girl whose family is as rich as her name.

Four hours ago: Sara received a death threat…and her first clue her friend’s location.

Four minutes ago: Emiliano was offered a way into Perla Rubi’s world—if he betrays his own.

In the next four days, Sara and Emiliano will each face impossible choices, between life and justice, friends and family, truth and love. But when the criminals come after Sara, only one path remains for both the siblings: the way across the desert to the United States.