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Teen Scene
January 2020
Recent Releases
All-American Muslim Girl
by Nadine Jolie Courtney

What it’s about: Allie Abraham easily keeps her family's Muslim heritage under the radar, since her hazel eyes and pale skin don't "look Muslim" to most people in her Georgia town. Yet as she digs deeper into her faith -- and begins dating Wells, the son of an anti-Muslim TV personality -- Allie finds it more and more difficult to keep quiet.

You might also like: Sheba Karim’s That Thing We Call A Heart, another thoughtful, own voices look at faith, identity, and romance.
Catfishing on CatNet
by Naomi Kritzer

What it’s about: Because Steph and her mom move so often, Steph’s only friends are from CatNet, a social media site for sharing cat photos. With the most recent move, however, Steph finally finds IRL friends -- as well as a disturbing threat that might endanger them all.

Narrated by: both Steph and CheshireCat, CatNet’s self-aware AI admin.

Who it’s for: Extremely Online readers, as well as science fiction fans looking for an inclusive, unusual cyber-thriller.
Infinity son
by Adam Silvera

Manifesting supernatural phoenix fire abilities when he turns 18, Emil becomes a reluctant defender against the specters that overshadow his world and reluctantly joins a vigilante team that his powerless brother idolizes. 125,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook.
Jane Anonymous
by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Locked in a room by an unknown kidnapper who slid her basic needs through a pet door, a 17-year-old girl escapes back home to her family and struggles with crippling PTSD that compels her to write a therapeutic diary chronicling her efforts to uncover the truth of what happened. Simultaneous eBook.
Color Outside the Lines: Stories About Love
by Sangu Mandanna, editor

What it is: a wide-ranging collection of love stories starring interracial and LGTBQIA couples, featuring stories by authors such as Adam Silvera, Samira Ahmed, and Anna-Marie McLemore.

What’s inside: a black superheroine, a Chinese ghost pirate, a poison garden, a gender-bent twist on the myth of Persephone, and much more.

You might also like: Meet Cute and Hungry Hearts, two more anthologies that offer authentic characters and charming romance.
The gravity of us
by Phil Stamper

When his volatile father is picked to become an astronaut for NASA's mission to Mars, seventeen-year-old Cal, an aspiring journalist, reluctantly moves from Brooklyn to Houston, Texas, and looks for a story to report, finding an ally (and crush) in Jeremy, the son of another astronaut
If You Like: Legacy of Orisha
Children of Virtue and Vengeance, book two in Tomi Adeyemi’s wildly popular Legacy of Orisha series, hit library shelves in December. Whether you read it right away or you’re still waiting on a long hold list, you might enjoy these read-alikes if you're a fan of the series.
 
We Hunt the Flame
by Hafsah Faizal

Featuring: Zafira, aka the Hunter, who disguises herself as a man and braves a cursed forest in order to feed her people; and Nasir, aka the Prince of Death, who assassinates anyone who threatens his ruthless father, the sultan. 

What happens: When both begin a quest to restore the magic that could save their kingdom, these adversaries become uneasy allies.

Why Legacy of Orisha fans might like it: Like Legacy of Orisha, it's a captivating, detail-rich fantasy inspired by history and mythology.
The Young Elites
by Marie Lu

Introducing: Adelina, a "malfetto" who’s marked by mutations (silver hair, a missing eye) and cruelly abused by her father.

What happens: After Adelina realizes that her mutations include unusual powers, she’s recruited by the Young Elites -- a group of similarly talented malfettos -- and targeted by the sinister Inquisitor.

Why Legacy of Orisha fans might like it: Both intense, captivating stories are told through multiple perspectives, and both feature heroines hoping to change an unjust world.
Akata Warrior
by Nnedi Okorafor

What it’s about: While training with the magical Leopard Society, soccer-playing albino Sunny Nwazue is plunged into a world-saving quest featuring terrifying masquerades, tech-savvy spirits, and giant animals.

Why Legacy of Orisha fans might like it: Although Akata Warrior is funnier than the angsty Orisha series, and it takes place in modern Nigeria, both vivid tales will enchant Afrofantasy fans. 

Series alert: For a deeper understanding of the intriguing magic in this sequel, start with the 1st book, Akata Witch.
Beasts Made of Night
by Tochi Onyebuchi

What it’s about: In the city of Kos, sins take the form of monstrous beasts, and it’s the job of sin-eaters like Taj to slay the beasts and bear the guilt. But when Taj is summoned to eat the sins of the king, he’s forced to grapple not only with his conscience, but also with a treacherous conspiracy.

Why Legacy of Orisha fans might like it: Revolution threatens to upend the controlling monarchies in both of these imaginative, sweeping Afrofantasies. 
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!


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