Teen Scene
August 2025

Recent Releases
Messy Perfect
by Tanya Boteju

When a former friend re-enrolls at their Catholic high school a few years after a homophobic bullying incident, Cassie decides to start an underground Gender and Sexuality Alliance, exploring her own sexuality in the process.
 
Check out other books about teen friendships here.
Boys with Sharp Teeth
by Jenni Howell

Seventeen-year-old Marin infiltrates Huntsworth Academy to exact revenge for her cousin's death, but an attraction to a pair of dysfunctional boys coupled with her uncovering of otherworldly secrets jeopardizes her mission.
 
Read alike: When the Bones Sing.
The Floating World
by Axie Oh

An amnesiac sword-for-hire and a village girl with a strange magical power become entangled in worlds-altering events, and each other's destinies.
 
Check out the audiobook on Libby.
Lover Birds
by Leanne Egan

When wealthy teen Isabel moves to Liverpool, she clashes with neurodivergent Lou, whose ADHD exacerbates their rivalry despite their romantic compatibility.
 
Check out the audiobook or e-book on Hoopla.
Chaos King
by Kacen Callender

Ever since he rose up against his father and saved New Anglia from destruction, Ash has had nightmares every night, haunted by...his screaming dead mother. When Ash is captured by a radical group inspired by his father's legacy, he must decide if alchemist rights can be trusted in the hands of the Houses...or if he must follow the path his father laid out for him.
 
Catch up on the rest of the series here.
Dark Academia
Get ready to go back to school with sinister scholars, secret societies, and deadly conspiracies. You can count on dark academia for plenty of twists, as well as unsettling, ominous vibes.
 
A Study in Drowning
by Ava Reid

Effy Sayre has won the opportunity to redesign the home of late author Emrys Myrddin. At the crumbling estate, Effy meets literature scholar Preston, and the longer they stay, the more they wonder if the evil Fairy King Myrddin wrote about isn't actually fictional.
 
Read alike: Where the Dark Stands Still.
The Ravens
by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

Loner Vivi Deveraux is thrilled to join Westerly College's Kappas, who are secretly witches, until she meets perfect, polished Scarlett Winter, who will stop at nothing to be the sorority's next president.
 
Check out the next book in the series: The Monarchs.
Curious Tides
by Pascale Lacelle

Emory and her best friend Baz unravel the secrets behind the strange ritual at Aldryn College for Lunar Magics that left seven students dead -- including Baz’s sister -- and imbued Emory with powerful magic.
 
Read alike: Draw Down the Moon.
Anatomy: A Love Story
by Dana Schwartz

Hazel Sinnett is a medical student in 19th century Scotland who, after being kicked out because of her gender, works with new attractive acquaintance Jack Currer to procure dead bodies to study, but they soon discover secrets buried in the heart of Edinburgh society.
 
Check out the second book in the series: Immortality.
Darkly
by Marisha Pessl 

When seven teens accept internships at a foundation dedicated to legendary board games, they unknowingly enter a potentially deadly competition. Dia, an intern from Missouri, will eagerly solve diabolical puzzles for the £1,000,000 prize.
 
Read alike: The Inheritance Games.
Contact your librarian for more great books for age 14 and up!
Back to School Resources

Check out HelpNow for live homework help for all subjects from Kindergarten through college! Get support from certified educators any day of the week between 2pm and 11pm. Just type in your library card number to gain access to this valuable resource. Find HelpNow and other learning resources on the Handley Regional website Homework Help Resources Page.
 
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Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 662-9041

https://www.handleyregional.org/
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