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| Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn BowmanWhat it's about: A visit with her aunt in Hawaii holds no excitement for Rumi Seto after the death of her sister and songwriting partner, Lea. Grief-stricken and detached from the music she loves, Rumi finds solace and strength with her aunt's neighbors, teen surfer Kai and prickly old Mr. Watanabe.
Who it's for: readers in search of sophisticated, emotionally charged stories and characters with intersecting identities.
Try this next: Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere. |
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| Mirage by Somaiya DaudWhat it's about: Amani has only just turned 18 when droids from the Vathek empire kidnap her and take her to the royal palace on the planet Andala, where she's forced to serve as a body double for the merciless, much-hated Vathek princess.
Read it for: treacherous court politics, star-crossed romance, and a Moroccan-inspired setting.
Series alert: If you love this complex, gripping read about oppression and resistance, you're in luck -- it's the 1st in a new series. |
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| Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib KhorramStarring: Persian American Darius Kellner, a depressed, geeky tea enthusiast who's bullied at school and misunderstood by his family.
What happens: A visit to Iran introduces Darius to a new side of himself, as well as to his first real friend, Sohrab.
Why you might like it: You'll be immersed in Darius's experiences as he digs deeper into Persian culture, grows closer to Sohrab, and grapples with mental illness and identity. |
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| Seafire by Natalie C. ParkerWhat it's about: After losing their families to the brutal warlord Aric Athair, Captain Caledonia Styx and her all-female crew sail the seas in search of vengeance. When her best friend is rescued by one of Athair's soldiers who claims to support their cause, Caledonia has to decide how much she's willing to risk to get her revenge.
Series alert: Filled with high-adrenaline action and a diverse cast of girls, this futuristic seafaring adventure is the 1st in a trilogy. |
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Toil & Trouble : 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft
by Tess Sharpe
What it's about: History is filled with stories of women accused of witchcraft, of fearsome girls with arcane knowledge. Toil & Trouble features fifteen stories of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure - and to kill. This collection reveals a universal truth: there's nothing more powerful than a teenage girl who believes in herself.
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| The Sacrifice Box by Martin StewartWhat it's about: In 1982, Sep, Arkle, Lamb, Hadley, and Mack cement their friendship by sealing treasured objects inside an old stone box. By 1986, none of them are still friends -- but someone has reopened the box, and the consequences are devastating.
Read it for: snarky humor paired with horror so gruesome you can practically smell the rotting flesh.
For fans of: zombies, TV's Stranger Things, or '80s-era Stephen King books. |
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The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
by Kiersten White
What it's about: The events of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein unfold from the perspective of Elizabeth Lavenza, who is adopted as a child by the Frankensteins as a companion for their volatile son Victor.
Reviewers are saying: “In this clever retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, White neatly undercuts the original by making Victor’s narrative wildly unreliable...this character-driven novel with a healthy amount of gore should appeal to horror fans, too.” —Booklist
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Pride
by Ibi Zoboi
What it's about: Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can't stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
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For Fans of The Hate U Give
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Tyler Johnson Was Here
by Jay Coles
What it's about: After his twin brother Tyler is killed by a police officer, high-achieving high-schooler Marvin Johnson is overwhelmed by grief, anger, and the public's response to his personal loss.
Why you might like it: Similar to Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give or Nic Stone's Dear Martin, Tyler Johnson Was Here takes a knowing, heart-wrenching look at the effects of injustice, oppression, and violence in one black teen's life.
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| I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina; illustrated by Stacey Robinson and John JenningsWhat happens: One minute, Alfonso Jones is shopping for a new suit; the next, he's been shot by a white police officer, and he's a ghost, watching from the afterlife as his loved ones mourn and seek justice.
Art alert: vivid black-and-white illustrations reinforce the unflinching tone of this graphic novel.
Why fans might like it: While The Hate U Give looks at police violence from the survivor's perspective, I Am Alfonso Jones gives the victim a voice. |
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Anger Is a Gift
by Mark Oshiro
Starring: Moss Jeffries, who's black, gay, prone to panic attacks, and completely fed up with how West Oakland High's so-called security policies result in violence toward innocent students.
For fans of: unflinching realistic fiction about diverse characters who organize and take action in the face of injustice.
About the author: You might recognize Mark Oshiro from his "Mark Does Stuff" blogs, where he reviews popular books and TV series.
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| Long Way Down by Jason ReynoldsWhat it's about: When 15-year-old Will boards an elevator with a gun in his waistband, he's ready to avenge his brother's murder. But can his resolve outlast the surprises of his ride to the ground floor?
Read it for: spare, page-turning poetry that packs a strong emotional punch.
Why fans might like it: Like The Hate U Give, Long Way Down focuses on one character's grief and internal conflict in the aftermath of murder. |
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| Dear Martin by Nic StoneWhat it's about: Justyce McAllister is 17, Ivy League-bound, and one of the few black students at his prep school. Following a disturbing incident of police profiling, Justyce doesn't know how to cope with his anger and frustration -- so he pours them into letters to civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Why fans might like it: The Hate U Give and Dear Martin are both powerful debut novels about black teens facing violent racism. |
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| Piecing Me Together by Renée WatsonStarring: aspiring collage artist Jade, who lives in a poor, mostly black neighborhood and goes to a fancy, mostly white high school.
What happens: After being invited into a mentoring program for "at-risk" African American girls, Jade (who doesn't feel particularly "at-risk") is matched with an unhelpful mentor, prompting her to explore success on her own terms.
Why fans might like it: Jade, like Starr, has to juggle two social identities while trying to stay true to herself. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for teens! |
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