| Good as Gold by Candace BufordAll that glitters: Queen bee Casey's charmed life in small town Langston, Georgia, should have fast-tracked her right into the Ivy League. But when her dad's business fails, she's suddenly a social outcast and perilously short on money.
Is it gold? With an unexpected new group of friends, Casey sets out to find the sunken treasure rumored to be in the local lake.
Read it for: a thrilling mystery infused with sharp commentary on the effects of racism, elitism, and suppressed history. |
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| When the Vibe is Right by Sarah DassStarring: Tess, a Trinidadian teen and aspiring Carnival costume designer, is looking forward to leading Grandeur, her family's masquerade band. That is, if a band rivalry doesn't take down Grandeur first.
Enter: social media influencer Brandon. Tess hates everything about him, but she'll team up with him to save her dreams. And maybe he's not so bad after all…
Why you might like it: This sparkling hating-to-dating romance radiates love for the people and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. |
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| Forever is Now by Mariama LockingtonWhat it is: the tender coming-of-age story of Sadie Dixon, a Black queer teen whose anxiety -- triggered by an act of police violence -- has kept her indoors all summer.
How it's told: powerful, lyrical verse chronicles her attempts to overcome fear through activism and brings to life her budding romance with neighbor Jackson.
Author alert: Fans of author Mariama Lockington's middle grade books In the Key of Us and For Black Girls Like Me will appreciate her poignant YA debut. |
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| The Grimoire of Grave Fates by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen, editorsAt the Galileo Academy for the Extraordinary: stodgy old professor Septimius Dropwort is found murdered, gripping a cryptic note in his cold hand. Now everyone's a suspect.
What happens: Eighteen different sorcerers-in-training use their unique skills -- necromancy, prophecy, and everything in between -- to find the murderer while also protecting themselves.
Collaboration alert: The interconnected narratives in this intricate mystery are written by eighteen authors including Darcie Little Badger, Julian Winters, Kat Cho, Kwame Mbalia, and Victoria Lee. |
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| Her Good Side by Rebekah WeatherspoonMeet: basketball star Bethany, a late bloomer with a crybaby reputation; aspiring filmmaker Jacob, recently dumped by Bethany's bestie for being too emotionally distant.
Fake it 'til you make it: Bethany and Jacob agree to secretly date, just to get some practice. But what started as pretend becomes undeniably real.
Try these next: For more angst-filled fake dating romantic comedies, check out Tashi Bhuiyan's Counting Down With You or Kelly Quindlen's She Drives Me Crazy.
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| This Is My America by Kim JohnsonA ticking clock: Tracy Beaumont's wrongly convicted father has less than a year to live, prompting Tracy to beg the legal firm Innocence X to take his case.
Double jeopardy: When Tracy's track star brother is accused of killing a girl, she suspects these allegations are connected to her father's.
What sets it apart: This suspenseful mystery investigates racial injustice within the legal system. It also delivers a hopeful message about the power of community to heal hateful legacies. |
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| This Rebel Heart by Katherine LockeThe setting: Budapest, Hungary, where revolution is brewing in 1956. Holocaust survivor Csilia is ashamed of her late father's misdeeds in the Communist secret police.
What happens: Csilia is haunted by whispers from the dead, emanating from the Danube River. Persuaded by a handsome student named Tamás and angel of death Azriel, she will make up for her father's crimes and work to free Hungary.
Read it for: a lyrical, compelling historical fantasy with queer Jewish characters at the center. |
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| No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal MaldonadoDo it for the 'gram: When fat, biracial Kat Sanchez uses photos of her gorgeous (and clueless) coworker Becca to set up a fake Instagram account, she gets all the attention she's been craving.
Gone catfishing: Between lying to Becca, lying to her online and in-person crush Elena, and looming family problems, Kat can't maintain the charade forever.
Who it's for: anyone who has struggled to find authenticity and a sense of belonging in a social media-saturated world. |
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| Love & Other Natural Disasters by Misa SugiuraSummer lovin': After being compared to "beige wallpaper" by a crush, Nozomi is ready for romance and reinvention during a summer in San Francisco with her cool uncles.
The object of her affection: recently heartbroken Willow, whom Nozomi fake dates to make Willow’s ex jealous. But as troubles escalate in Nozomi’s family life, she could really use a genuine connection.
Try these next: Jesse Q. Sutano's Well, That Was Unexpected and Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick's She Gets the Girl. |
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| Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall; illustrated by Lisa SterleJoin the pack: New girl Becca is surprised to be invited into the clique of popular girls Marley, Arianna, and Amanda. Always an outsider, Becca's desperate to stay in their favor.
The twist: The girls are actually werewolves preying on dangerous and predatory boys. Eating the evidence of their murders requires four people. So how badly does Becca want these friends?
How it's told: This compelling graphic novel has a bright color scheme reminiscent of '80s and '90s styles. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
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