Teen Scene
February 2026

Recent Releases
Beth Is Dead
by Katie Bernet

On New Year’s Day, Jo and Amy find their gifted musician sister Beth murdered. If anyone can figure out whether their neighbor Laurie was involved, it’s Jo. This contemporary spin on Little Women will draw fans of the classic, though it stands on its own as a propulsive whodunit.
 
Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina
Mistress of Bones
by Maria Z. Medina

Nineteen-year-old Azul, a necromancer seeking to resurrect her sister, becomes entangled in a world-ending plot involving gods, a deadly emissary, and a web of secrets that could reshape the world.
Nettle by Bex Hogan
Nettle
by Bex Hogan

.Inspired by faery myth and folklore, the haunting, heart-wrenching YA tale of a girl called Nettle in a dark, foreboding faery kingdom. A wild misfit in the human world, Nettle is enthralled by the glamor of the faery realm, with its two moons and scarlet stars. She grows close to Conor, a human stolen centuries before, and she also falls under the spell of mysterious Ellion, a shadow faery. To try to help her beloved grandmother who is fading in her world, Nettle makes a pact with the faery king. He'll heal her grandmother in exchange for Nettle completing three tasks. She agrees, not realizing that deception lurks in this enchanted place, and that she has been tricked.
If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry
If Looks Could Kill
by Julie Berry

While conducting volunteer work in Manhattan in 1888, eighteen-year-old Tabitha and Pearl's fates intertwine with Jack the Ripper as he is hunted by the Gorgon Medusa.
Retro Reads
Fledgling: The Keeper's Records of Revolution
by S.K. Ali

In a post-apocalyptic future, the marriage between privileged Raisa of Upper Earth and Lein, the Crown Prince of Lower Earth, should usher in peace. Instead, Raisa goes missing and Lein’s cousins Nada and Nayf are plotting revolution. Read-alikes: Kiera Cass’ A Thousand Heartbeats; Tehlor Kay Mejia’s We Set the Dark on Fire.
 
The absinthe underground by Jamie Pacton
The Absinthe Underground
by Jamie Pacton

In the Belle Epoque city of Severon, Sybil Clarion and Esme Rimbaud, best friends with a secret crush on each other, find themselves drawn into a risky heist proposition from a mysterious Green Faerie named Maeve, which could offer financial security but may endanger their carefully constructed lives. 
The Glass Girl
by Kathleen Glasgow

Bella, dealing with compounding hardships, took her first drink of alcohol at age 11. Now 15, she lands in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, and a forced stint in a recovery facility may finally be the path to a hopeful future. Read-alikes: Jyoti Chand’s Fitting Indian; Jas Hammonds’ Thirsty.
 
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
The Invocations
by Krystal Sutherland

Zara and Jude need magic to solve their problems, so they seek out Emer, a witch bent on revenge and dedicated to women in need. As Emer's former clients start dying mysteriously, the trio fights back to find the killer and fix their lives. Read-alikes: Georgia Bowers' Mark of the Wicked; Kate J. Armstrong's Nightbirds.
 
Pick the Lock
by A.S. King

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jane has been confined to her family’s rambling Victorian house and restricted from interacting with her punk musician mother. Her father -- and his decades of security camera footage -- stand between her and freedom. Award-winning author A.S. King delivers another complex and character-driven page-turner.
 
Contact your librarian for more great books for age 14 and up!