| Lobizona by Romina GarberWhat it's about: 16-year-old Miami teen Manu and her mom, both undocumented immigrants from Argentina, live in hiding to avoid ICE, not to mention the criminals who killed Manu's father.
What happens: After her mom is arrested, Manu finds herself in an enchanted school for brujas (witches) and lobizones (werewolves) where she discovers the hidden heritage that makes her very existence dangerous.
Read it for: a secret magical world, feminist fantasy, and vivid Latin American folklore. |
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The Betrothed
by Kiera Cass
Declared the unexpected love of a commitment-resistant young prince, a nobleman’s daughter is rapidly disillusioned by the outsized expectations of royal life before meeting a stranger with the mysterious power to see into her heart. 200,000 first printing.
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Wicked As You Wish
by Rin Chupeco
Welcome to: the mostly un-magical town of Inveirno, Arizona, one of the Royal States of America and home to spellbreaker Tala and her best friend Alexei, the refugee prince of Avalon.
What happens: After a visit from the legendary firebird, Tala joins Alexei on his treacherous quest to liberate his enchanted homeland from the Snow Queen.
Why you might like it: A diverse cast of characters grounds this exciting mash-up of fairy tales and mythology.
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Again again
by E. Lockhart
An unexpected romantic upheaval and a near-fatal family catastrophe catapult a teen into a summer of wild possibilities that finds her falling in and out of love a thousand times before finally confronting the secrets she keeps and her perceptions about love. Simultaneous eBook.
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| They Wish They Were Us by Jessica GoodmanWhat it's about: Scholarship student Jill is in her final year at Gold Coast Prep when she receives an explosive new clue about the murder of her best friend, Shaila. Could the Players, the elite club that rules the school, be involved in something even more sinister than hazing rituals?
For fans of: Karen McManus' One of Us is Lying and other suspenseful, twisty mysteries.
Media alert: You might want to grab this one right away -- it's already being turned into a TV series. |
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| Kingdom of Souls by Rena BarronWhat it's about: Despite being the daughter of two powerful witch doctors, Arrah hasn't been gifted by the orisha of magic. Desperate, Arrah performs a risky ritual, gaining enough magic to see a threatening plot...but maybe not enough to stop it.
Series alert: Look for the sequel, Reaper of Souls, in February 2021.
Further reading: For another intricately plotted Afrofantasy series opener featuring intrigue and fierce magic, try Amanda Joy's A River of Royal Blood. |
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| Bruja Born by Zoraida CórdovaWhat it's about: Beautiful Lula Mortiz is a healer from a long line of brujas, but after her boyfriend Maks is in a terrible accident, healing isn't enough, and Lulu's desperate magic disrupts the balance between life and death.
Series alert: This intensifying paranormal follow-up to Labyrinth Lost will leave you longing for Wayward Witch, the final book in the Brooklyn Brujas series, which is out this month. |
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| Winterwood by Shea ErnshawFeaturing: Nora Walker, who’s descended from a long line of forest witches; Oliver Huntsman, who’s rescued by Nora after he inexplicably survives a winter storm; and the ancient, ominous woods that surround their town.
What happens: Though Nora is drawn to Oliver, she begins to suspect that he knows more than he should about the local boys who’ve gone missing.
Reviewers say: “a delectably immersive, eerie experience” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Merciful Crow by Margaret OwenWhat it’s about: When a routine job takes an unexpected turn, Fie -- bone witch and future chief of the Crows, a lowly caste of undertakers/mercy-killers -- has to decide if the promise of protection for the Crows is worth the risk of a dangerous quest.
Read it for: diverse characters, pulse-pounding adventure, and a fascinating system of magic.
Series alert: This fantasy is the 1st in a duology, followed by The Faithless Hawk. |
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| These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel SterlingStarring: Elemental witch Hannah, who works at a kitschy tourist shop in Salem, Massachusetts, and carefully conceals her powers from Regs (non-witches).
What happens: When gruesome evidence of dark magic surfaces in Salem, Hannah's coven won't take action, leaving her with only one ally in her investigation: her ex-girlfriend, fellow witch Veronica.
Series alert: If you like this romantic and drama-rich paranormal mystery, be sure to check out the sequel, This Coven Won't Break. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
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