Teen Scene
May 2025
Recent Releases
True Life in Uncanny Valley
by Deb Caletti

Eleanor, curious about the tech genius father who abandoned her, sneakily becomes the nanny for her own half-brother. While spinning a web of lies, she questions the ethics of her father’s artificial intelligence work. At the heart of this thoughtful story is Eleanor’s search for a true family.
We Are Villains
by Kacen Callender

Milo, a scholarship student at Yates Academy, returns to campus after the death of his best friend. When Liam, king of Yates, hires Milo to identify who’s accusing him of murder, secrets are bound to come out. This twisty thriller will draw fans of dark academia and morally gray characters.
Hangry Hearts
by Jennifer Chen

Five years ago, the Hur and Wu families ended their friendship in a huge fight, making Randall and Julie mortal enemies. When a school project pushes them back together, they disregard the family feud and date in secret. Read-alikes: Alexis Castellanos’ Guava and Grudges; Talia Hibbert’s Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute.
Run Away With Me
by Brian Selznick

Danny is spending a lonely summer in Rome while his mother works there. A hand-drawn map leads him to Angelo, and romance blossoms as they explore the city. Like author Brian Selznick’s middle-grade blockbusters Wonderstruck and The Invention of Hugo Cabret, his YA debut blends prose and intricate illustrations.
Color Our World
Check out these stories about art and artists.
 
Artifice
by Sharon Cameron

To keep her family afloat during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, Isa sells a forged Rembrandt to the Nazis, pulling her into dangerous work smuggling Jewish babies to safety and forging more art. This immersive historical thriller is ideal for fans of Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein.
Wings in the Wild
by Margarita Engle

Soleida flees Cuba alone when her parents are arrested for their artistic expression. In Costa Rica, she meets Daniel, a Cuban American boy escaping California’s wildfires and helping refugees. Together, they work to protect both artistic freedom and the environment. Read-alikes: K.X. Song’s An Echo in the City; Laura Taylor Namey’s With Love, Echo Park.
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee
by Ellen Oh

While grappling with her family’s narrow vision for her future, Mina draws a webcomic inspired by K-dramas and superheroes. When a freak storm sends her into her own webcomic, she must defeat the villain she created and return to reality. This novel grounds its high-drama plot in sincere emotional growth.
A Forgery of Roses
by Jessica S. Olson

Myra is a Prodigy, able to heal people through portrait painting. Desperate for the money she would earn for bringing the governor’s son back from the dead, she puts herself in the path of a murderer. Read-alikes: Margaret Robinson’s An Enchantment of Ravens; Renee Ahdieh’s The Beautiful.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
Kawartha Lakes Public Library
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Kawartha Lakes, Ontario K9V 2Y6
705-324-9411 x 1291

www.kawarthalakeslibrary.ca