| The Electric Kingdom by David ArnoldWelcome to: the near-future United States, where the deadly Fly Flu has wiped out most of the population.
What happens: 18-year-old Nico and 12-year-old Kit are forced together as they search for a better life.
Why you might like it: while it has strong world-building as dystopian fiction fans might hope, The Electric Kingdom is also complex and slow-burning with well-developed characters. |
|
| Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline BoulleyStarring: Daunis Fontaine, an 18-year-old girl who has roots in the local Ojibwe reservation and in a long line of French fur traders. Daunis is brave, imperfect, and curious as she digs for information about the mysterious person selling meth to members of her community.
Why you should read it: without shying away from complex topics like grief, citizenship, drugs, and identity, author Angeline Boulley creates a thoughtful and layered thriller. |
|
| Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal MaldonadoWhat it's about: classic rom-com tropes get an update in this story about a young woman trying to balance many identities, friendship, her mother’s body-shaming, and first love.
Why you might like it: anyone who’s ever struggled with feeling different will relate to Charlie Vega’s life as a fat brown girl in a white Connecticut town.
Who it's for: author Crystal Maldonado says this book is “for all who are still learning to be kind to themselves, for those who dream.” |
|
| Like Home by Louisa OnoméStarring: 16-year-old Chinelo “Nelo” Agu and Kate Tran, two best friends on a mission to save their neighborhood from gentrification and find their places in the world.
For fans of: if you like books by Angie Thomas and Elizabeth Acevedo, you’ll enjoy this inclusive coming-of-age story centered on friendship, community, and what it means to call a place “home.” |
|
|
Becoming : Adapted for Young Readers by Michelle ObamaWhat it is: the former first lady looks back on an unlikely rise to the top while navigating issues of race and gender in this warmhearted, honest and fascinating memoir. Read it for: she shares her views on how all young people can help themselves as well as help others, no matter their status in life, that no one is perfect, and that the process of becoming is what matters. She asks young readers: Who are you, and what do you want to become?"
|
|
|
Infinity reaper by Adam SilveraFeaturing: a diverse cast of heroes and villains living in an alternate New York where some people are born with powers, while others steal them from the blood of endangered magical creatures. What it's about: Emil investigating a past he wants to escape to find an antidote to the Reaper’s Blood that is killing Brighton, while Maribelle’s thirst for revenge compels her down a dangerous path. Series alert: this is the second novel in the series Infinity Cycle.
|
|
|
To all the boys I've loved before by Jenny HanWhat it's about: keeping private love letters written to five secret crushes she has had, Lara Jean Song finds her personal life going from imaginary to out of control when the letters are unexpectedly mailed. This is the first novel in the series To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Why you'll enjoy it: there's a love triangle at work, but Lara Jean's personality—goofy, awkward, prone to strong emotions, and entirely naïve when it comes to boys—give this touching story an individuality and charm all its own.
|
|
|
Girl, unframed by Deb CalettiWhat it is: while spending a summer with her famous mother and her criminal boyfriend, Sydney Reilly, age fifteen, finds love with Nicco but her premonition of something bad coming proves dreadfully accurate. Read it for: real danger, crimes of passion, the kind of stuff where someone gets killed only mostly happens in the movies, Sydney is sure. Until the night something life-changing happens on the stairs that lead to the beach. A thrilling night that goes suddenly very wrong.
|
|
|
Gem & Dixie by Sara ZarrWhat it is: a deep, nuanced, and gorgeously written story about the complex relationship between two sisters from a broken home. What happens: forging a deep, complex relationship with the sister who cares for her when their parents cannot, Gem organizes a short trip to avoid their father when he returns unexpectedly. A Reviewer says: "A story that broke my heart and put it back together again. You won't want to let Gem and Dixie go." ~ Sarah Dessen, New York Times bestselling author of Saint Anything
|
|
|
Starring: Aza Holmes, a young worman with obsessive-compulsive disorder, navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. What happens: Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there's a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her best and most fearless friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. A Reviewer says: "So surprising and moving and true that I became completely unstrung." ~ The New York Times
|
|
|
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow RowellWhat it is: set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits--smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try Why you'll like it: Eleanor and Park, who tell the story in alternating segments, like and admire about each other. Their love is believable and thrilling, but it isn't simple. When the situation turns dangerous, things are surprising, and the solution—imperfect but believable—maintains the novel's delicate balance of light and dark.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
|
|
|