Teen Scene
February 2020
Recent Releases
Reverie
by Ryan La Sala

What it’s about: After losing his memories of the past several weeks, Kane Montgomery has nothing but questions: How did he end up half-dead in the river? Why is reality being eroded by intricate dream worlds? And can he trust the Others, his three supposed friends who, like Kane, can alter those dreams?

Read it for: lavish, immersive fantasy worlds and a variety of complex LGBTQIA characters.
The Map from Here to There
by Emery Lord

What it’s about: As she begins her last year of high school, screenwriter Paige knows that her dream future might soon be within reach. However, her life is already pretty dreamy -- she’s got ambition, friendship, and an understanding boyfriend. Do things really have to change?

Who it’s for: anyone who stresses over big choices, in life or in love.

Series alert: You don’t need to have read The Start of Me and You to understand this angsty, realistic sequel.
Just Breathe
by Cammie McGovern

Starring: popular, outgoing David, who tries to downplay his cystic fibrosis while waiting for a lung transplant; and quiet, depressed outsider Jamie, who strikes up an intense friendship with David while volunteering at the hospital.

For fans of: Rachael Lippincott’s Five Feet Apart and other books that use alternating perspectives to explore romance and freedom in the face of illness. 
The lady's guide to petticoats and piracy
by Mackenzi Lee

A highly anticipated sequel to the best-selling The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue finds Felicity Montague traveling incognito with a mysterious benefactor in the hope of securing a job assisting her idol, Dr. Alexander Pratt, who is marrying her former best friend. 75,000 first printing. 
Spell hacker
by M. K. England

Unable to discontinue their illegal magical supply ring when a greedy corporation renders their world’s magic an outrageously priced commodity, Diz and her friends unravel a conspiracy involving the earthquake that killed thousands. 30,000 first printing. 
Memoirs
Hey, Kiddo
by Jarrett Krosoczka

What it is: a moody, expressive graphic memoir in which author and artist Jarrett J. Krosoczka describes -- with gut-punching openness -- how he was raised by his caring, challenging grandparents while his heroin-addicted mother was in rehab (or jail).

Who it's for: Whether you're curious about the guy behind the Lunch Lady comics (remember those?) or you're looking for a mature, unflinching family story, Hey, Kiddo might be for you.
Proud: Living my American Dream
by Ibtihaj Muhammad

What it is: An honest, straightforward memoir detailing the life of Muslim American fencer and activist Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first U.S. Olympian to compete (and medal) while wearing hijab.

Who it’s for: While readers of all kinds can admire Muhammad’s dedication and her success as a black woman in a sport dominated by white men, athletes in particular may appreciate her practical advice.

Did you know? Muhammad was the inspiration for the first hijabi Barbie.
I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor's Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope
by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson

What it’s about: After surviving a sexual assault at her elite private high school, Chessy Prout bravely went public, and was spurred to advocacy by the difficult legal fight and painful victim-blaming she experienced.

About the author: Prout went on to found I Have the Right To, an organization that offers support and resources for survivors. 

Further reading: Readers looking for a wider variety of survivor perspectives might want to try Things We Haven’t Said, edited by Erin E. Moulton.
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child
by Sandra Uwiringiyimana with Abigail Pesta

What it’s about: This candid, heart-wrenching memoir opens during the refugee camp massacre that claimed the lives of Sandra Uwiringiyimana’s mother and sister, and then walks readers through the author’s life before and after, including her immigration from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States.

Read it for: an unforgettable true story of survival, healing, and identity. 

Want a taste? “I had grown up in a war zone, but life in America...was a different kind of war zone."
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
Richmond Public Library
101 East Franklin Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 646-7223
https://rvalibrary.org/
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