Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 59

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

Here’s your round-up of forthcoming YA books. All 170 will hit shelves between July and September.

 

This week’s themed YA book list is all about aliens. There is a microtrend of aliens emerging again, and it’s one I know that I welcome.

 

Here’s a reminder that there’s a bookstore gift card up for grabs for dropping a short review of Here We Are on Amazon. You can read all of the details for this painless (seriously!) giveaway here.

Title Sound-a-likes

Sometimes when I’m thumbing through review journals or publisher catalogs, I come across a title that makes me think, “Wait, didn’t I just buy this book?” And usually, the answer isn’t yes – the book’s title is just very, very similar to one I did buy pretty recently. The most recent is No Good Deed. There’s one by Goldy Moldavsky that published May 30, and there’s another by Kara Connolly that publishes July 18. The covers are wildly different and the plots are as well, but those titles…

There have been a couple of other recent ones that weren’t identical, but were close enough that they made me do a double-take.

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas isn’t an exact copy of anything I immediately recognized, but it did bring to mind the titles of two of Stephanie Kuehn’s books if you mashed them together.

These two are awfully close, too:

And don’t even get me started on all the YA books called some variation of How to Disappear. I think we need to declare a moratorium on disappearing teens in YA.

On The Radar: July 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.

This month, I’ve kept it shorter than usual, in part because the last couple of months have had a LOT of titles to know. There are eight, though if I’m being honest, there aren’t that many more titles coming out this month — July tends to be quieter in the publishing world. A number of these are from well-known authors and/or entries into popular series, and a number are from authors whose reputations are either long-lasting or ever-growing (how are those for vague and specific definitions?). I also wanted to include a few titles that might be easier to overlook because of smaller budgets or publicity plans but that would certainly be important additions to a library or classroom collection.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for putting on your radar are mine and mine alone! Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them.

 

The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller (7/11)

Matt hasn’t eaten in days.

His stomach stabs and twists inside, pleading for a meal. But Matt won’t give in. The hunger clears his mind, keeps him sharp—and he needs to be as sharp as possible if he’s going to find out just how Tariq and his band of high school bullies drove his sister, Maya, away.

Matt’s hardworking mom keeps the kitchen crammed with food, but Matt can resist the siren call of casseroles and cookies because he has discovered something: the less he eats the more he seems to have . . . powers. The ability to see things he shouldn’t be able to see. The knack of tuning in to thoughts right out of people’s heads. Maybe even the authority to bend time and space.

So what is lunch, really, compared to the secrets of the universe?

Matt decides to infiltrate Tariq’s life, then use his powers to uncover what happened to Maya. All he needs to do is keep the hunger and longing at bay. No problem. But Matt doesn’t realize there are many kinds of hunger… and he isn’t in control of all of them.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s a queer male protagonist with an eating disorder, which is rare in YA lit. I’ve received a few review copies of this one and it’s earned some great trade reviews. I’ve not yet read it and do plan to, though I’ve heard from more than one reader to proceed with caution on the cover (when you read the description of the book, you know it’s about disordered eating, but that cover could be triggering without the context). Not a deterrent, but a thing to think about!

 

 

Because You Love To Hate Me edited by Ameriie (7/11)

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains’ points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like “Medusa,” Sherlock Holmes, and “Jack and the Beanstalk” provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains’ acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage–and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Featuring writing from . . .

Authors: Renée Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon

BookTubers: Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes), Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia), Whitney Atkinson (WhittyNovels), Tina Burke (ChristinaReadsYA blog and TheLushables), Catriona Feeney (LittleBookOwl), Jesse George (JessetheReader), Zoë Herdt (readbyzoe), Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes), Sophia Lee (thebookbasement), Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07), Regan Perusse (PeruseProject), Christine Riccio (polandbananasBOOKS), and Steph Sinclair & Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery blog and channel)

 

Why it should be on your radar: I am really curious about this collection from the standpoint of there being some big names in here, both on the YouTube and writer side, and wondering what the marketing angle for teen readers will be. It sounds interesting and like a project a lot of readers would dig. I’ve not seen reviews of this one and didn’t have a copy come my way, but short stories about villains? It seems like it’ll find its place.

 

*Buried Heart by Kate Elliott (7/25)

In this third book in the epic Court of Fives series, Jessamy is the crux of a revolution forged by the Commoner class hoping to overthrow their longtime Patron overlords. But enemies from foreign lands have attacked the kingdom, and Jes must find a way to unite the Commoners and Patrons to defend their home and all the people she loves. Will her status as a prominent champion athlete be enough to bring together those who have despised one another since long before her birth? Will she be able to keep her family out of the clutches of the evil Lord Gargaron? And will her relationship with Prince Kalliarkos remain strong when they find themselves on opposite sides of a war?

 

Why it should be on your radar: The final book in Kate Elliott’s trilogy, which is a New York Times bestseller.

 

 

Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally (7/4)

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

 

Why it should be on your radar: Miranda Kenneally writes about athletic girls and romance — an area where there’s a surprising lack of titles. She’ll always be an author to keep on the radar, especially for readers who love Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han but also want sports.

 

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana (7/18)

No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything—family, her childhood love, and her freedom—to save her people. But her offer isn’t enough.

The unthinkable happens, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, utterly alone but for an oracle named Thala, who was kept by Sikander as a slave and managed to escape amid the chaos of a palace under siege. With nothing and no one else to turn to, Amrita and Thala are forced to rely on each other. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom and sets out to warn her people, the newly free Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled Library of All Things, where it is possible for each of them to reverse their fates. To go back to before Sikander took everything from them.

Stripped of all that she loves, caught between her rosy past and an unknown future, will Amrita be able to restore what was lost, or does another life—and another love—await?

 

Why it should be on your radar: With comes to The Wrath and the Dawn and The Star-Touched Queen, it sounds like the kind of book readers will be begging for immediately. Also, that cover is spectacular.

 

Lucky in Love by Kasie West (7/25)

Maddie doesn’t believe in luck. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment —

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun… until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Kasie West’s romances are hugely popular and this sounds like it’ll be much the same. Interesting to note that this is the second book this year with a lottery ticket win being a big part of the story — the first being Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, to which this sounds like an excellent read alike title.

 

*The Savage Dawn by Melissa Grey (7/11)

The sides have been chosen and the battle lines drawn.

Echo awakened the Firebird. Now she is the only one with the power to face the darkness she unwittingly unleashed . . . right into the waiting hands of Tanith, the new Dragon Prince. Tanith has one goal in mind: destroy her enemies, raze their lands, and reign supreme in a new era where the Drakharin are almighty and the Avicen are nothing but a memory.

The war that has been brewing for centuries is finally imminent. But the scales are tipped. Echo might hold the power to face the darkness within the Dragon Prince, but she has far to go to master its overwhelming force. And now she’s plagued by uncertainty. With Caius no longer by her side, she doesn’t know if she can do it alone. Is she strong enough to save her home and the people she loves?

Whether Echo is ready to face this evil is not the question. The war has begun, and there is no looking back. There are only two outcomes possible: triumph or death.

 

Why it should be on your radar: The third and final book of Melissa Grey’s “The Girl at Midnight” series, perfect for your fantasy readers.

 

*Vanguard by Ann Aguirre (7/25)

The Razorland saga continues. Since the war ended, Tegan has dreamed of an epic journey, so when she has the opportunity to sign on as ship’s doctor, she can’t wait. It’s past time to chart her course. Millie Faraday, the kindest girl in the free territories, also yearns to outrun her reputation, and warrior-poet James Morrow would follow Tegan to the ends of the earth.

Their company seems set, but fate brings one more to their number. Tegan will battle incredible odds while aiding Szarok, the Uroch vanguard, who has ventured forth to save his people. Szarok is strange and beautiful, like a flower that blooms only in the dark. She shouldn’t allow him close, as such a relationship is both alien and forbidden. But through stormy seas and strange lands, she will become stronger than she ever knew.

 

Why it should be on your radar: There’s a new installment in Ann Aguirre’s “Razorland” series, which is a New York Times bestselling dystopia (with zombies and more!).

Giveaway: A Bookstore Gift Card For Your Help

 

I shared this image on social media last week after I did my monthly review session on Amazon. I’ve made it a real point to go there each month and drop a short — seriously, short — review of the books I’ve read and enjoyed. This practice has become a habit, and knowing now from the other side that those reviews really DO matter, I like to think I’m doing my part as a reader and supporter of the book world by leaving a few words.

Most of the response to the image post was positive. But of course, there was a comment that rubbed me wrong as both a reader and an author/editor: why should the responsibility fall upon readers to do this work to help authors?

That was followed by another question/comment about how unfair the burden is but that they enjoy the reviews other people leave since they’re helpful.

While certainly, the onus IS on the reader to do the work in writing a tiny review in order to boost a book’s profile on Amazon (and Amazon is the one we’re focusing on since it’s the largest and most based on the all mighty algorithm), part of the support and success of a book comes through non-financial opportunities like short reviews. Like checking out the book from the library. Like talking about the book with people you know and saying how much you love it.

It’s called word of mouth (or in the case of library check outs, circulation numbers, which culminate in statistics and data). We live in a world that data matters, which means we also live in a world that the responsibility CAN fall on those who are consumers to do a little work. Fortunately, it costs nothing to leave a short sentence or two review.

You don’t even have to have bought the book to do so.

All of that is an introduction to a giveaway.

Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World has been hovering below the 30 reviews mark for a couple of months now, and I’d love some help getting it to that 50 review hump. And this is more than just a way to get my book over that magical number. It’s about putting into practice a tiny habit that helps a whole reading community — if you love a book and share your thoughts on it on Amazon, you’ll help other readers who don’t know the book find it and fall in love. The book world is much wider than those of us who talk online and on social media, and those are the readers for whom reviews are so valuable. It’s not the mega readers. It’s those who are a little more selective, tighter on time, and/or who really don’t have a whole book community in which to derive their recommendations.

So here goes.

Up for grabs is a $30US gift card to the online bookstore retailer of your choice. It can be Amazon. It can be B&N. It can be Indie Bound or your own local indie. It can be Book Depository. As long as I can buy it online and get it to you, that’s fine. Which means this giveaway is open worldwide, as well.

How to enter: write a review of Here We Are on Amazon. Ten words is fine. Ten sentences is fine. I am hoping they’ll be positive reviews, but I’ll be honest: I’m not going to read them, since reviews are not for me. They’re for other readers who have yet to discover the book.

Simple, right? After your review goes up, come back here with either the link to your Amazon review OR to the name you used to sign the review.

If you’ve already taken the time to review the book and want to enter, just drop your name/link in the form. It’s open to you, too.

Want to be entered multiple times for this giveaway? Leave a review for another book you’ve read this year and loved. This giveaway will allow up to 5 entries per person, meaning you can review Here We Are and up to 4 more titles for a grand total of 5 entries into the giveaway. They can be titles with 50 or fewer reviews or titles with over 50 reviews. Ideally, they’d be for books published in 2017, but I’m not going to police it. Use your judgment and follow your passion.

For a little frame of reference, if it’s helpful, when I sit down to do this every month, it takes me 10 to 15 minutes. If you write reviews on Goodreads, you are welcome to copy/paste the relevant info right into the Amazon review.

If there are more than 200 entries for this giveaway, I’ll sweeten the pot and add a second $30 gift card giveaway.

This giveaway runs July 1 through July 31. I’ll accept entries through midnight on the 31 and draw a winner (or winners!) on August 1. Winners will have 48 hours to respond and let me know where they’d like their gift card.

 

 

 

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This Week at Book Riot

 

I’ve been keeping busy over on Book Riot this week:

 

A ranking of the longest YA books published in English.  Perfect for when you want some big. thick reading.

 

Perhaps one of my favorite pieces of writing in a while: what would Harry Potter have been like if Hermione had had some girl friends in her circle?

 

And then we have a look at tons of teen photographers in YA lit.

 

5 Book Dive

Recommended and required summer reading lists created by schools and school districts are pretty hit and miss. In a town I used to live in, the teachers and administrators would routinely select books that were out of print each and every year, making it impossible for the public library to meet demand for those titles. This continued to happen despite communication from the public librarians that obtaining enough copies in good enough shape to add to the collection was not going to be possible. I suppose those teachers just really, really liked The Pushcart War (incidentally, back in print since 2014).

By contrast, I’ve been really pleased with the Austin Independent School District’s lists. This is the second year they’re doing a program they call the 5 Book Dive, which encourages kids to read at least five books of their choice and provides lists of recommended titles organized by language and grade level. But as the main page states, these lists are ideas – the selection of the books is ultimately up to the student. It’s targeted at preventing the summer slide, rather than preparing students for a particular curriculum, and the lists are some of the best I’ve seen.

I wanted to write a little bit about what makes the lists so good, and I’ll focus on the ones for grades 6-8 (middle school) and 9-12 (high school). One shortcoming of the lists is that there’s no Spanish lists for these upper grades; those end at grade 5. Hopefully, the Spanish lists will expand in future years as the program gains more steam. And as Austin continues to grow more and more diverse, I wonder if we may eventually see other languages included as well.

Something I always look for in a good summer reading list for kids is currency. If it’s a book you studied when you were in school, it’s probably too old to belong on the list. In fact, I’d say books from the past five years are ideal. Most of the books on these two lists fit this criterion. The ones that don’t are perennial favorites that are timeless, still in print, and widely available (Feed by M. T. Anderson, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin, among a few others).

There’s a good mix of award winners (Ghost by Jason Reynolds, March Book Three by John Lewis, among others) and super popular bestsellers that will be on kids’ and teens’ minds already due to their tv or film adaptations (Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, among others). The books range from highly literary to more of what teachers and other gatekeepers might call “brain candy.”

While most of the books fall underneath the contemporary realistic umbrella, the lists also include a good amount of genre fiction, including historical fiction (Shame the Stars by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, among others), fantasy (Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older, among others), mystery (The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson), and science fiction (Feed). And within that contemporary realistic umbrella, there are some books that are sad, some that are funny, some that are exciting, and some that are a mixture of all three. Importantly, there are a few nonfiction titles as well: two out of the 20 on the grades 6-8 list and three out of the 20 on the 9-12 list.

The lists are also diverse in format. There’s at least one verse novel (Booked by Kwame Alexander) and two graphic novels on each list.

Perhaps most importantly, the lists are diverse in terms of representation. At least half of the titles on each list are about or feature prominently kids and teens who are not straight, cis, white, or able-bodied. Some are about immigrants or kids of immigrants. Some are about kids and teens living in poor or violent neighborhoods. The books are also pretty evenly divided among gender lines, both in terms of writers and protagonists.

I really like these lists. I like how diverse they are in all areas, I like that they emphasize choice, and I like that they can be easily found at libraries and used bookstores. It’s such a refreshing change from some other lists I’ve encountered; kudos to the school librarians and language arts teachers for their great selections.

 

Backlist July

 

Last year, I finally put into process a thing I’d been wanting to make a tradition in my reading life. I dedicated an entire month to reading nothing but backlist titles. Backlist titles seem to fall to the wayside, especially when it comes to blogging, since so many new and upcoming titles hit my doorstep everyday. I want to read them and talk about them, since that’s part of why they show up in the first place.

But there’s a special place in my heart for backlist titles. Backlist, as I define it, is anything published a year ago or further. I prefer to go deeper than a year, but a year is a good yardstick, as it allows for some “catching up” on the reading of big books from not-too-long-ago.

I dedicated last July to rereading (or as it turns out, first-time reading) the entire “Little House on the Prairie” series. The fact that I gave myself a month of no-pressure reading let me dig into the books in a way that’s often harder for me with new books. Since much of my reading life is public, I am less emotive than I am critical. That’s not to say I don’t express love or distaste, a moment that made me happy or angry. But rather, I don’t necessarily give a blow-by-blow of what I’m thinking or considering as I read. But going with backlist, especially digging into a series, allows me to have a totally unique experience in reading. I’m more emotive, as well as more willing to toss out theories and ideas, as well as share some harsh assessments of the characters which represent little more than my feelings about the characters on a reader-response level. It leads to thinking about and enjoying books in a different way. This, for example, pretty much sums up how I felt about the “Little House” series last year.

The backlist reading started a little earlier this summer for me, as one of my goals was to finally read all of Harry Potter. I’ve read the first three books before, but after that, I let the series go. This year, I wanted to go all in, start to finish, and have the experience I hadn’t yet let myself have — whatever that experience might be. Without the expectations upon reading The Series Everyone Has Read, I’m getting to enjoy what I like, hate what I hate (Ron), and have those ups and downs in a no-pressure way. As July rolls nearer, though, I’ve realized I might be mostly done, if not completely finished, with the series by then.

So it’s onto thinking about a series which would make an excellent Backlist July read, alongside the pile of other books on my list.

This year, it’s “Ramona Quimby.”

I remember reading these books as a kid and loving them. But I’ve been told again and again, for years, that they’re worth revisiting not only because they hold up, but also because they’re SO GOOD and there’s so much that, as an adult, resonates really strongly. I scored my copies off Etsy for really cheap, and am eager to take that ride.

My July list also includes a little bit of fantasy, some nonfiction, and a few YA titles I keep meaning to pick up but haven’t yet. I’ve been reorganizing and weeding my personal bookshelves, and stumbling upon some of these older ARCs has been motivating. I want to read them, then recycle them. And without the pressure to talk about them in any meaningful way, I am eager to see if what I think matches what was said about them initially, and I’m curious if there’s anything new I can add to the discussion.

From the writing perspective, it’ll be fun to find those tiny threads or sparks that encourage a whole post. Little things that might get missed during that pressure reading often make for some of the most interesting research projects which may or may not manifest into a blog post or two.

I always read backlist, but there’s something really rewarding in doing nothing but reading these older titles. It’s slower, more leisurely, and, as I discovered last year, actually encourages me to read more than I normally do. Maybe it’s the long, lazy days of July. Maybe it’s also knowing I get to be a reader first, then someone who talks about books second.

Backlist July is one of my favorite new reading traditions, and I’m excited to see where it takes me this time.

Tell me: do you dedicate specific time to backlist reading? What have been some of your favorite backlist binges lately? What should I consider for my list for this coming month and/or for future series reads? Let’s talk backlist traditions, since backlist always deserves more time and attention.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

Five more ways to be a power public library user

 

In honor of the Solstice this week, YA books featuring “Sun” in the title. This would make such a fun display.

 

A simple post but one I am a little sad more people didn’t jump in on — a round-up of things I love about books and reading. Will you share some of yours? It’s a literal literary love fest.

 

Swimsuits for superhero/ines.

 

Going to ALA this weekend? Here’s when and where you can see me:

 

 

 

I’m also beyond honored to share that Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World was named one of the titles as part of the Girls of Summer reading list.

How to…

Young adult fiction is full of helpful instruction. Just take a look at these titles for a sampling of what you can learn.

 

Looking to find your love? Looking to lose your love? These books could help:

 

Pesky magical creature won’t leave you alone? YA has you covered:

 

High school is rough. These books could help you get through it in your own way:

 

Interested in the finer aspects of law-breaking? Take a look at these:

 

Or maybe you’re more interested in helping the less fortunate:

 

Need to get out of a scrape?

 

And don’t forget about the important life skills YA can teach you:

 

What else has YA taught you?

 

 

June 2017 Debut YA Novels

 

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

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 June 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.

 

Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin (June 27)

“Troubled.” That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The betrayal causes Gen to question everything.

As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long-forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history, the one she thinks she knows, that she’s finally able to embrace the complicated, chaotic true story of her life, and take center stage.

This powerfully immersive and format-crushing debut follows Gen from dorm rooms to diners to house parties to auditions—and ultimately, right into readers’ hearts.

 

 

Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger (June 6)

Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…

Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.

When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…

Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.

 

 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (June 27)

An unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

 

The Girl In Between by Sarah Carroll (June 20)

I’m invisible. Ma says I’m supposed to be so the Authorities don’t get me. She goes out into the streets almost every day but I’m not allowed. I’ve got to stay inside the mill so they don’t see me.

In an old, abandoned mill, a girl and her ma take shelter from their memories of life on the streets, and watch the busy world go by. The girl calls it the Castle because it’s the biggest place they’ve ever stayed, a home of her own like no other. The windows are boarded up and the floorboards are falling in, but for her neither of those things matter.

Then developers show up, and it’s clear that that their lives are about to change forever. Desperate to save their refuge from the Authorities and her mother from her own personal demons, the girl seeks out the ghosts of the mill. And with only Caretaker the old man who’s slept outside the mill for decades around to answer her questions, she begins to wonder what kind of ghosts are haunting both the mill and her mother.

 

 

If Birds Fly Back by Carlie Sorosiak (June 27)

Linny has been fascinated by disappearances, ever since her sister Grace ran away in the middle of the night without saying goodbye.

Sebastian can tell you how many galaxies there are, and knows how much plutonium weighs. But the one thing he can’t figure out is the identity of his birth father.

They’ve never met, but Linny and Sebastian have one thing in common: an obsession with famous novelist and filmmaker Alvaro Herrera, who went missing three years ago and has just reappeared. As they learn more about the mystery of Alvaro, Linny and Sebastian uncover the answers they’ve been searching for.

 

 

 

Little Wrecks by Meredith Miller (June 13)

Ruth, Magda, and Isabel are different from everyone else. They can see beneath the seemingly perfect, cookie-cutter exterior of their small town of Highbone, Long Island. They know that below the surface, each house is filled with secrets, indifference, and violence.

These girls refuse to become willing participants of these fake lives. Instead, they are determined to fight every condescending comment, every unwelcome touch, and every lie they’ve been told.

When the opportunity to commit the perfect crime appears, the girls finally start to see their way out of Highbone. But for the first time, Ruth, Magda, and Isabel are keeping secrets from each other. As they drift apart, the weight of reality starts to set in. These girls can’t save each other. They might not even be able to save themselves.

 

 

 

Maybe in Paris by Rebecca Christiansen (June 20)

Keira Braidwood lands in Paris with her autistic brother, Levi, and high hopes. Levi has just survived a suicide attempt and months in the psych ward—he’s ready for a dose of the wider world. Unlike their helicopter mom and the doctors who hover over Levi, Keira doesn’t think Levi’s certifiable. He’s just . . . quirky. Always has been.

Those quirks quickly begin to spoil the trip. Keira wants to traipse all over Europe; Levi barely wants to leave their grubby hotel room. She wants to dine on the world’s cuisine; he only wants fast food. Levi is one giant temper tantrum, and Keira’s ready to pull out her own hair.

She finally finds the adventure she craves in Gable, a hot Scottish bass player, but while Keira flirts in the Paris Catacombs, Levi’s mental health breaks. He disappears from their hotel room and Keira realizes, too late, that her brother is sicker than she was willing to believe. To bring him home safe, Keira must tear down the wall that Levi’s sickness and her own guilt have built between them.

 

 

Perfect Ten by L. Philips (June 6)

It’s been two years since Sam broke up with the only other eligible gay guy in his high school, so to say he’s been going through a romantic drought is the understatement of the decade. But when Meg, his ex-Catholic-turned-Wiccan best friend, suggests performing a love spell, Sam is just desperate enough to try. He crafts a list of ten traits he wants in a boyfriend and burns it in a cemetery at midnight on Friday the 13th.

Enter three seemingly perfect guys, all in pursuit of Sam. There’s Gus, the suave French exchange student; Jamie, the sweet and shy artist; and Travis, the guitar-playing tattooed enigma. Even Sam’s ex-boyfriend Landon might want another chance.

But does a Perfect Ten even exist? Find out in this delectable coming-of-age romcom with just a touch of magic.

 

 

 

The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson (June 6)

Before the war, Eden’s life was easy—air conditioning, ice cream, long days at the beach. Then the revolution happened, and everything changed.

Now a powerful group called the Wolfpack controls the earth and its resources. Eden has lost everything to them. They killed her family and her friends, destroyed her home, and imprisoned her. But Eden refuses to die by their hands. She knows the coordinates to the only neutral ground left in the world, a place called Sanctuary Island, and she is desperate to escape to its shores.

Eden finally reaches the island and meets others resistant to the Wolves—but the solace is short-lived when one of Eden’s new friends goes missing. Braving the jungle in search of their lost ally, they quickly discover Sanctuary is filled with lethal traps and an enemy they never expected.

This island might be deadlier than the world Eden left behind, but surviving it is the only thing that stands between her and freedom.

 

 

Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali (June 13)

How much can you tell about a person just by looking at them?

Janna Yusuf knows a lot of people can’t figure out what to make of her…an Arab Indian-American hijabi teenager who is a Flannery O’Connor obsessed book nerd, aspiring photographer, and sometime graphic novelist is not exactly easy to put into a box.

And Janna suddenly finds herself caring what people think. Or at least what a certain boy named Jeremy thinks. Not that she would ever date him—Muslim girls don’t date. Or they shouldn’t date. Or won’t? Janna is still working all this out.

While her heart might be leading her in one direction, her mind is spinning in others. She is trying to decide what kind of person she wants to be, and what it means to be a saint, a misfit, or a monster. Except she knows a monster…one who happens to be parading around as a saint…Will she be the one to call him out on it? What will people in her tightknit Muslim community think of her then?

 

 

Soldier Boy by Keely Hutton (June 13)

Soldier Boy begins with the story of Ricky Richard Anywar, abducted at age fourteen in 1989 to fight with Joseph Kony’s rebel army in Uganda’s decades-long civil war. Ricky is trained, armed, and forced to fight government soldiers alongside his brutal kidnappers, but never stops dreaming of escape.

The story continues twenty years later, with a fictionalized character named Samuel, representative of the thousands of child soldiers Ricky eventually helped rehabilitate as founder of the internationally acclaimed charity Friends of Orphans.

Working closely with Ricky himself, debut author Keely Hutton has written an eye-opening book about a boy’s unbreakable spirit and indomitable courage in the face of unimaginable horror.

 

 

 

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser (June 6)

Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.

Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

 

 

 

Welcome to the Slipstream by Natalka Burian (June 6)

Like a grown-up Eloise from the picture book, the main character, Van, lives in an upscale casino in glitzy Las Vegas, giving readers entree into a crazy world that few ever get to see

Based on real life events witnessed by the author, a harrowing look at the dangers of self-help cults that promise insight and instead deliver destruction

With her mother, a brilliant businesswoman with fragile mental health, Van arrives in Las Vegas at the Silver Saddle casino, where Alex, a college student, is assigned to “babysit” her. Van is used to having to land on her feet, because her mother and her surrogate grandmother move from city to city all the time like corporate gypsies, but Alex introduces Van, a talented musician, to a group where her guitar skills may shine. But just as she’s about to play her first gig, her mother is lured in by a con man promising a “vision quest” in Arizona, and Van must go on the road to find and save her mom

 

 

What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard (June 6)

What sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has lost so far: forty pounds, four jean sizes, a boyfriend, and her peace of mind. As a result, she’s finally a size zero. She’s also the newest resident at Wallingfield, a treatment center for girls like her—girls with eating disorders. Elizabeth is determined to endure the program so she can go back home, where she plans to start restricting her food intake again.She’s pretty sure her mom, who has her own size-zero obsession, needs treatment as much as she does. Maybe even more. Then Elizabeth begins receiving mysterious packages. Are they from her ex-boyfriend, a secret admirer, or someone playing a cruel trick?

 

 

 

 

Wildman by J.C. Geiger (June 6)

Lance Hendricks is homeward bound, four hundred highway miles from the best night of his life. There’s an epic graduation party brewing, his girlfriend will be there, and they’ve got a private bedroom with their names on it. When his ’93 Buick breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Lance is sure he’ll be back on the road in no time. After all, he’s the high school valedictorian. First chair trumpet player. Scholarship winner. Nothing can stop Lance Hendricks.

But afternoon turns to night, and Lance ends up stranded at the Trainsong Motel. The place feels ominous, even before there’s a terrible car wreck outside his room. When Lance rushes out to help, the townies take notice. They call him Wildman, and an intriguing local girl asks him to join in their nighttime adventures. He begins to live up to his new name. As one day blurs into the next, Lance finds himself in a bar fight, jumping a train, avoiding the police. Drifting farther from home and closer to a girl who makes him feel a way he’s never felt before—like himself.