Teen Scene
September 2026
Recent Releases
You Only Live Twice by Autumn Allen
You Only Live Twice
by Autumn Allen

Ready for life on her own terms, Zakiyyah leaves high school early, attends community college, and begins wearing a niqab. She’s considering finding a spouse who shares her faith, but she’s still discovering much about herself. This earnest, affirming story unfolds through texts, emails, sticky notes, poetry, and more.
Flickerstate by F. A. Davidson
Flickerstate
by F.A. Davidson

People who access the flickerstate can manipulate probability, but there are vicious flickerbeasts in the realm of the future. Needing a cure for flickerbeast bites, Noah teams up with classmates to compete for access to her academy’s archives. Read-alikes: Ava Reid’s A Study in Drowning; Petra Lord’s Queen of Faces.
Such Great Heights by Rajani Larocca
Such Great Heights
by Rajani Larocca

Siya was 10 years old when her attorney mother died in a car accident. Now a high school senior on the mock trial team, Siya encounters a case mirroring her mother’s story, prompting her to uncover family secrets. This sweeping novel is a retelling of Hindu epic the Ramayana.
Nest of Tongues by Randy Ribay
Nest of Tongues
by Randy Ribay

Siblings Lily and Caleb are Bay Area teens with a big secret: they’re vampires. When a monster hunter targets Caleb, the two seek to uncover the hunter’s identity before it’s too late. This page-turning horror novel is rooted in Filipino vampire mythology.
Immortal Game by Allison Saft
Immortal Game
by Allison Saft

When Midir of Bri Leith, the fae High King of the Otherworld, hosts a chess tournament, the prize is the granting of a single wish. Chess grandmaster Shea Fury knows this is her chance to reclaim her sister, lost to the fae realm six years ago. Read-alikes: Malindo Lo’s Huntress; Bex Hogan’s Nettle.
Retro Reads
Check out these awesome books from the not-so-distant past.
 
Split the Sky (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Title) by Marie Arnold
Split the Sky
by Marie Arnold

Women in Lala’s family see visions of the future. One such vision puts Lala in a moral quandary: save a member of the Black Student Alliance from death, or do nothing and allow a powerful social movement to rise from the tragedy? Read-alikes: Brittney Morris’ The Cost of Knowing; Lorraine Avila’s The Making of Yolanda la Bruja.
Songlight by Moira Buffini
Songlight
by Moira Buffini

In dystopian Brightland, people with the telepathic ability called songlight are considered “unhuman” and subject to extermination. After Elsa’s boyfriend is imprisoned, she sends out an anguished cry through songlight, drawing her into a vast conflict. This trilogy opener is unputdownable.
The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
The Executioners Three
by Susan Dennard

The morning after Freddie calls the cops on teens partying in the woods -- she heard screaming, okay? -- a dead body is discovered. As Freddie investigates the tragedy, a supernatural legend emerges from the past. This gory mystery infuses a coming-of-age story with 1990s atmosphere.
This Is Me Trying by Racquel Marie
This Is Me Trying
by Racquel Marie

Growing up, Bryce, Beatriz, and Santiago were inseparable, but after the dissolution of their friendship and Bryce's suicide, Beatriz and Santiago attempt to reconcile and navigate love, mental illness, and forgiveness. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour, This is Me Trying is a profound and tender YA contemporary novel exploring grief, love, and guilt from author Racquel Marie.
Rick Riordan Presents: A Touch of Blood by Sajni Patel
A Touch of Blood
by Sajni Patel

During the Fire Wars, naga Eshani bargained her own life away to ensure her people’s survival. Now the Underworld’s gatekeeper needs Eshani’s help healing the plague-stricken realm before the Shadow King claims her. This riveting novel infuses the myth of Hades and Persephone with Indian lore.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
629 Poyntz Ave
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
785-776-4741

http://www.MHKLibrary.org

If you have questions, just email us at rhargett@mhklibrary.org