"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book."
~ from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars |
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Inventor's Secret by Andrea CremerSteampunk Fantasy. It's 1816 in America, and though the British won the Revolutionary War, the rebellion continues. Charlotte and her fellow teenage resistance fighters live in the wilderness just outside the Floating City of New York, where they dodge fearsome Imperial machines and shelter refugees. One refugee, a mysterious boy with no memories, inspires Charlotte to abandon their hiding place and brazenly infiltrate the enemy stronghold in search of answers. Steampunk technology and a tantalizing love triangle add intrigue to this imaginative, alternate-history series opener from the author of the bestselling Nightshade books. |
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| Dangerous by Shannon HaleScience Fiction. Maisie Danger Brown is hardly the standard superhero type: she's a frighteningly smart, homeschooled, half-Paraguayan science nerd who was born without a right hand. She longs to become an astronaut, so she's beyond thrilled to win a spot at space camp, where she and her team get to ride the cutting-edge space elevator. The trip, however, exposes Maisie and her friends to alien nanotechnology, giving them astonishing superpowers that they don't understand and might not be able to control. With fast pacing, nonstop action, and plenty of romantic tension, Dangerous is a great pick for readers of superhero comics as well as for Shannon Hale's devoted fans. |
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| To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny HanFiction. The letters were never supposed to be sent. For awkward 16-year-old Lara Jean, writing secret love letters to help herself get over her crushes was just another hobby, like knitting or scrapbooking. So when the letters are accidentally mailed, Lara Jean freaks out. Embarrassed by her letter to her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh, Lara Jean denies her feelings for him by pretending to date Peter, one of her other former crushes. Things only get messier from there. With relatable characters and realistically complicated relationships (especially among Lara Jean's tight-knit Korean-American family) this charming romance is a perfect fit for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Sarah Dessen. |
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| We Were Liars by E. LockhartFiction. Cadence "Cady" Sinclair is one of the Sinclairs, a powerful, privileged New England family. Every year, Cady looks forward to summer, when she reunites with her cousins Mirren and Johnny and their friend, Gat, on the family's private island. But during their 15th summer, something happens -- something so shattering that Cady can't remember it, and her family won't talk about it. A richly atmospheric setting combines with Cady's captivating narration to create a simmering, steadily increasing suspense that will keep you turning pages right up to the ending, which -- well, we won't spoil it, but it will definitely get people talking. We Were Liars is stylish, provocative, and unforgettable. |
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| She Is Not Invisible by Marcus SedgwickThriller. Some people claim that there's no such thing as a coincidence, but Laureth isn't so sure. Without coincidence, she'd never have gotten the email telling her that her father (who is writing a book about coincidences) might be in trouble in New York City. Determined to find him, Laureth impulsively flies from London to NYC, taking her seven-year-old brother Benjamin with her; since she's blind, she needs his help to get around the unfamiliar city. Written without any visual descriptions, She Is Not Invisible offers "brilliantly lifelike characters" (Booklist) and a twisty, thought-provoking mystery. For another well-crafted thriller starring a blind teen, try April Henry's Girl, Stolen. |
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If You Like: The Fault in Our Stars
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The movie adaptation of John Green's bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars hits theaters this month. Check out this list for more touching books about teens struggling with mortality, first love, and life's big questions.
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| If I Stay by Gayle FormanFiction. Gifted cellist Mia awaits the verdict on her Juilliard audition and is brooding about the ways that leaving Oregon to pursue a career in music would complicate her life (for one, she'd be leaving her rocker boyfriend, Adam, behind). Then, when a peaceful drive with her family ends in a tragic accident, Mia is rushed to the hospital, comatose, and all of the choices she might make are distilled into one: whether to live or die. Told from Mia's perspective (while she is unconscious), this heartbreakingly beautiful story has all the drama and poignancy of The Fault in Our Stars, and will more than satisfy fans of full-blooded characters and masterful writing. |
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| Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. KingFiction. "Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if I loved him once?" In dark, cutting prose that's also drily funny, high-school senior and "pizza delivery technician" Vera Dietz tells of her struggles to cope with her best friend Charlie's scandalous death -- and to deal with his ghost, who's begging Vera to clear his name. Here's the kicker: five months before Charlie died, he effectively ruined Vera's life, so she isn't at all sure she wants to help him. Sex, lies, vices, and secrets litter the pages of this edgy, compelling read that fans of strong characterizations, complex relationships, and raw emotion will love. |
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| The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy NelsonFiction. Lennie, 17, was perfectly content living in her vibrant older sister Bailey's shadow, but now Bailey is dead. Devastated by her loss, Lennie tries to carry on, all the while feeling guilty for the smallest moments of happiness -- particularly the ones that she shares with Toby, Bailey's boyfriend. When a new boy in town, gifted musician Joe Fontaine, shows an interest in Lennie, she thinks that he might be "the one"...but can she trust herself not to screw it up? Brimming with emotional intensity, this honest and romantic story is one that fans of tearjerkers won't want to miss. |
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| Eleanor & Park by Rainbow RowellFiction. Eleanor and Park didn't plan to fall in love. Eleanor is the new girl at school, big and red-haired, with a weird clothes and a horrible stepfather. Park's love for comic books and New Wave music sets him apart from his friends and his half-Korean family. For weeks, the two social misfits sit silently next to each other on the school bus -- until Park discovers Eleanor reading his comic books over his shoulder and their love story begins. Similar to Hazel and Gus in The Fault in Our Stars, Eleanor and Park will draw readers into the exhilaration and vulnerability of first love. |
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| The Probability of Miracles by Wendy WunderFiction. Moving to Promise, Maine -- a town known for its miracles -- was Cam's mom's idea. Cynical, 16-year-old Cam knows that not even a miracle can cure her terminal cancer. Instead of hoping for the impossible, Cam spends her last summer having as many experiences as she can, including cow-tipping, shoplifting, having her heart broken…and maybe learning to believe in miracles after all. Quirky characters, sharp humor, and surprising moments help to balance the heartwrenching truth of Cam's situation. Like The Fault in Our Stars, The Probability of Miracles is a "life-sometimes-stinks-but-it's-all-we-have tour de force" (School Library Journal).
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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