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All-American Muslim Girl
by Nadine Jolie Courtney
What it's about: Allie Abraham has it all going for her--she's a straight-A student, with good friends and a close-knit family, and she's dating popular, sweet Wells Henderson. One problem: Wells's father is Jack Henderson, America's most famous conservative shock jock, and Allie hasn't told Wells that her family is Muslim. It's not a secret, but she passes for white, her parents don't practice, and they raised her to keep it to herself. But as Allie witnesses Islamophobia in her small town and across the nation, she decides to embrace her faith.
Who it's for: "While grounded in the American Muslim experience, the book has universal appeal thanks to its nuanced, well-developed teen characters whose struggles offer direct parallels to many other communities." -Kirkus Review
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| Gravity by Sarah DemingWhat it’s about: Jewish Dominican boxer Gravity Delgado knows that no matter what else happens -- fighting with her coach, flirting with a teammate, dealing with her abusive mom -- she needs to stay focused on two things: making the Olympic team and protecting her brother, Ty.
Read it for: Sweaty, pulse-pounding bouts and a fierce main character who pulls no punches.
About the author: A Golden Gloves champion herself, author Sarah Deming writes about boxing from real-life experience. |
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| A River of Royal Blood by Amanda JoyWhat it is: An enthralling, intricately plotted, East African-inspired fantasy about two sisters forced into rivalry for their country’s throne.
What happens: Outcast for her unstable magick, Princess Eva becomes tangled in a web of political unrest while she prepares to face her sister Isa in a traditional -- and deadly -- battle for the right to rule.
For fans of: Tomi Adeyemi’s popular, West African-inspired Legacy of Orisha series (which continues this month in Children of Virtue and Vengeance). |
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| I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz RishiThe premise: As an alien jury deliberates Earth’s fate, humanity grapples with what might be its last week of existence.
The characters: Adeem, who longs to bring his estranged sister home; Jesse, who cashes in on doomsday through a scam; and Cate, who searches for the father she’s never known.
Try this next: For further bittersweet, hopeful stories about teens living out their final days, try Alexandra Coutts’ Tumble & Fall or Lisa Schroeder’s All We Have is Now. |
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| The Light at the Bottom of the World by London ShahWelcome to: the year 2099, when London is completely underwater.
What happens: Desperate to discover where the corrupt government has imprisoned her father, submersible racer Leyla journeys through hazardous, unknown waters, accompanied only by a cagey, unwanted companion.
Series alert: This intriguing and richly detailed post-apocalyptic journey is the 1st in a duology. |
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Light as a Feather
by Zoe Aarsen
What it's about: When a group of popular girls plays a scary game at a sleepover party, they begin to die under mysterious circumstances, and it is up to McKenna, who has faced death once before, to find out the cause.
TV series alert: Watch the series on Hulu now. Don't have Hulu- check out one of the library's Roku Express Streaming devices.
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| Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy GilbertStarring: High school senior and second-generation immigrant Danny Cheng, whose excitement about his art-school scholarship dims as his parents begin acting strangely and his tight-knit friend group implodes.
Why you might like it: If you enjoy character-driven reads, you'll be drawn to snarky, sympathetic Danny and his attempts to deal with grief, guilt, identity, family secrets, and love (romantic and otherwise). |
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| This Raging Light by Estelle LaureWhat it’s about: With her mom MIA and her dad unable to offer help, Lucille is stuck paying the family bills and taking care of her little sister. Thankfully, she's got her best friend Eden to lean on…though their friendship gets complicated when Lucille falls for Digby, Eden's twin brother.
Why you might like it: Pairing Lucille's poetic voice with her tough situation, This Raging Light is an emotionally charged story about strength, loss, and finding love when you least expect it. |
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| Light Years by Kass MorganIntroducing: Vesper, Cormak, Arran, and Orelia, four very different cadets who form a squadron at the Quatra Fleet Academy, a training ground for soldiers in an ongoing interstellar war.
Read it for: thrilling space combat, high-stakes drama, and an inclusive cast of characters -- including one who’s been sent to infiltrate the Academy and betray the other cadets.
Series alert: This fast-paced science fiction story (from the author of The 100) is the 1st in a series, followed by Supernova. |
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| The Memory of Light by Francisco X. StorkWhat it’s about: Vicky Cruz can’t pretend to be okay anymore. Following a suicide attempt, she lands in a hospital psych ward where she meets Mona, E.M., and Gabriel, who all have different backgrounds and diagnoses, and who all offer the support Vicky needs to face the hard work of living.
Try this next: Readers who relish this intense, emotional exploration of mental illness may also want to try Benjamin Alire Sáenz's Last Night I Sang to the Monster. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Fremont Public Library District at 847-566-8702. |
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