Teen Reads
April 2021
Recent Releases
The Electric Kingdom
by David Arnold

Welcome 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 Boulley

Starring: 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.  
True or false : a CIA analyst's guide to spotting fake news
by Cindy L. Otis

A comprehensive history of “fake news” counsels readers on how to avoid becoming victims, drawing on examples from different historical periods and the author’s experiences as a decorated former CIA analyst to explain how to recognize fake news, understand contradictory reports and see past biases.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
by Crystal Maldonado

What 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 Onomé

Starring: 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.”
For Fans of Leigh Bardugo
With the premiere of Netflix's Shadow and Bone later this month, the Grishaverse is about to expand. If you can't get enough of author Leigh Bardugo's style of sweeping, atmospheric fantasy, try the books below.
 
The Silvered Serpents
by Roshani Chokshi

What it’s about: Secrets. Murder. Romance. An ancient artifact and a crew of criminals with dark and twisty links to one another.

Why you might like it: Though this sequel to The Gilded Wolves focuses primarily on one protagonist, he is surrounded by a diverse cast of characters that each bring something unique to the table.
A Shadow Bright and Burning
by Jessica Cluess

What it's about: Henrietta Howel is invited to train as a sorcerer in a magical, monster-ridden, alternative version of Victorian London -- with all the glamor and secrets that entails. 

Reviewers say: This fantastical novel “is a marvelous mash-up of Dickens, the students-with-magical-powers genre, and alt-history” (Booklist).

Series alert: Don't miss the sequel, A Poison Dark and Drowning. 
Courting Darkness
by Robin LaFevers

What it is: the 2nd in a new series set in the same 15th-century universe as His Fair Assassin. This time, the perspective alternates between that of Sybella and Genevieve, two trained assassins working from within the French court.
 
Why you might like it: Both Sybella and Genevieve are icons of strength who struggle to make choices, and to ultimately understand themselves. 
The Crown's Game
by Evelyn Skye

Introducing: Vika Andreyeva and Nikolai Karimov, two sorcerers dueling to win the coveted role of Imperial Enchanter in their native Russia. 

The twist: Whoever wins the duel becomes Imperial Enchanter. Whoever loses is sentenced to death.

Read it for: action-packed, operatic fiction, a shocking climax, and maybe a little romance. 
Strange the Dreamer
by Laini Taylor

Welcome to: a world where cities lose their names, where a quiet librarian can become a hero, and where the aftermath of war masks devastating secrets. 

What's inside: Laini Taylor’s lush writing, intricate plots, carefully crafted characters, and penchant for star-crossed romance show up in full color in this 1st volume of two, followed by Muse of Nightmares.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
Hoover Public Library
200 Municipal Dr., Hoover, AL 35216
205-444-7800

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