Teenreads Monthly Update
February 14, 2019
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Our reviews of ON THE COME UP, KING OF SCARS, BLOODWITCH and much more! No Images? Click here  February 14, 2019 Quick Links to Features on Teenreads.com Buying a book online? Use these links and support Teenreads.com! 
Special Note:
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 Some Astrean-themed cookies from the launch of LADY SMOKE. |
 Laura Sebastian showing off the gorgeous cover of LADY SMOKE. |
 Actress Dominique Fishback performs a scene from ON THE COME UP. |
 Author Angie Thomas and radio personality Angela Yee discuss ON THE COME UP. |
Happy Valentine's, Galentine's and Everything in Between!
Greetings from NYC, where I am riding my second biggest sugar high of the year (nothing beats those day-after-Halloween candy sales). It's Valentine's Day, and we are definitely feeling the book love here at Teenreads. As always, I've been celebrating with lots of book events, some great reading and, oh right, CANDY.
I had a very lovely start to the month when I received this note from teen librarian Janis, who is an avid reader of our Teenreads newsletter: "I've always loved your site since I was in high school and still read your newsletters to help me find the best books for my kids. I've been loving your 'Guy-Brary' feature and was wondering if you would mind if I featured it as one of the reading guides I'm making for the kids?"
Naturally, I was thrilled to get this email --- we love to hear from our readers and learn more about how they use our site. If you also use (or would like to use) our Guy-Brary or other features for your teen programs, feel free to shoot me a note, as I'd love to hear about how about how you interact with the site and what we can do to make it helpful for you and your teen readers.
February brought with it two of my most highly anticipated releases of 2019: ON THE COME UP, bestselling author Angie Thomas' second novel, and LADY SMOKE, the sequel to instant bestseller ASH PRINCESS by Laura Sebastian. I am clearly one lucky girl, because I was able to attend author events for both of these books when they released last week.
On Tuesday, February 5th, I raced downtown to McNally Jackson to see Laura Sebastian launch LADY SMOKE. Her debut, ASH PRINCESS, is not only a bestseller, but also is one of our Ultimate Reading List titles and a personal favorite of mine. I am thrilled to share that LADY SMOKE takes Laura's characters on an even higher-stakes journey, with all of the same fierceness, love and heroism we loved in book one. Laura (who described her main character, Theodosia, as a "Slytherin Sansa Stark" last year) describes LADY SMOKE as "Fantasy 'Bachelorette' with Murder." (In other words, add this to your TBR now.)
During her discussion of the book, Laura shared something very interesting about writing her trilogy: her editor advised her to write most of books two and three before book one even came out, so that it would take the pressure off as she read reader reviews and heard fan theories about what might happen next. Doing this allowed her to write the story exactly the way she thought it should go without being swayed by her readers (especially when it came to the infamous love triangle that popped up in ASH PRINCESS).
Speaking of that love triangle between Theo/Soren/Blaise, I found Soren's journey in LADY SMOKE to be one of the most interesting elements of the book. Soren, who is the son of the Kaiser who has imprisoned, tortured and humiliated Theo for years, has always been as kind to Theo as possible, but he is not an innocent victim in his father's kingdom. He is the product of an intensely violent culture, and he, too, has blood on his hands. In LADY SMOKE, he begins to not only apologize, but to own his mistakes and ask how he can do better. Laura explained that she often had to ask herself "At what age do you become responsible for your actions?" and I think her book will spark lots of interesting discussions about accountability.
Fun story: I had been following Laura's Instagram the day before the event, where she was showing off some cookies she was going to make for the launch, and I knew I had to be there. The cookies were cinnamon coffee cookies with a honey glaze, inspired by the way Astreans drink their coffee in Laura's Ash Princess series --- and they were amazing. You can see photos of the event (and the cookies) above.
The following night found me racing uptown to attend a Q&A WITH ANGIE THOMAS (yes, I am writing in all caps because it was my first time seeing her, and it was definitely an all-caps night). Angie's new book is set in the same neighborhood as THE HATE U GIVE, but focuses on an entirely different girl named Bri, who dreams about becoming a famous rapper. To kick off the event, actress Dominique Fishback performed --- read: rapped --- a segment of the book for us, and her energy totally set the tone for a fast-paced and fun night. It was amazing to see how Bri thought of her freestyles and how intricate her wordplay was, even in such a high pressure situation.
Discussing ON THE COME UP with radio personality Angela Yee, Angie explained that the last two years have been a real whirlwind between promoting THE HATE U GIVE (THUG) and working on the movie adaptation. Because she was still so surrounded by THUG and her main character, Starr, she had to make a real effort to turn off Starr's voice and begin to listen to Bri's. In this book, she wanted to see what happened to Starr's neighborhood after the cameras were gone and see what life was like for a totally different girl --- one without a traditional family and with different ambitions and interests.
The driving force in ON THE COME UP is Bri's love of hip hop. Unlike your average listener, she understands and respects the history of the genre, not just the current hits. Angie explained that this was important because she wanted Bri to know that hip hop was built largely on the backs of women, though it has turned into a male-dominated field. For Bri to still push herself to rap better, faster and more intelligently than the boys created a parallel between her journey and the history of rap. (And, if you ask me, made her the perfect kind of fiercely feminist role model we need in YA books like this one.)
Much like THE HATE U GIVE, social media and family also play a huge role in ON THE COME UP, though the ways that they are used vary a little in the details. When one of Bri's raps goes viral in the book, it is entirely for the wrong reasons, and the Bri people see is not necessarily the best version of herself. Angie explained that she had to think a lot about lyricism and the limits of freedom of speech in these scenes. While she feels that rappers and singers are not responsible for censoring their lyrics for young listeners, she does feel that they do not talk about the consequences of the hip-hop lifestyle enough, and this is something she wanted on Bri's mind. She wants the real Bris of the world to see her new main character and know that they are enough, regardless of the cars they drive, clothes they wear and where they come from.
To close out the night, Angie talked a lot about finding the people who will lift and support you, and eliminating the shame in things like poverty and addiction. She teared up several times, and we cried along with her. It was a really magical night, and I cannot thank Angie enough for sharing her story (and Starr's and Bri's) with us. I hope we will see more characters from the neighborhood of Garden Heights soon! You can see some photos from the event above.
LADY SMOKE and ON THE COME UP are just some of the wonderful new releases we're reviewing in this newsletter. For more lovey-dovey books to get you swooning, I recommend checking out our reviews of BLOOM, a beautiful graphic novel about two boys falling in love over some baked goods; A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, a character-driven fantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling; and THE LOVE AND LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI by Sabina Khan, a gritty, intense novel about the power of love to change the world. You can also check out this lovely blog post from Teen Board member Jessica K., where she walks us through some of her favorite romances and OTPs from popular YA books through the years. And ICYMI, there is now a trailer for THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR, which features one of my favorite YA couples, Natasha and Daniel. Click here to check it out.
Read on for tons of new reviews, our new Ultimate Reading List update, the latest books on our "Books to Add to Your Guy-Brary" bookshelf, and a list of book festivals happening nationwide this February and March.
XOXO,
--- Rebecca Munro (rebecca@bookreporter.com)
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Ultimate Reading List: Our MUST-Reads for February:
Add These Books to Your TBR NOW!
One of our most popular features on Teenreads is our Ultimate Reading List, a selection of books that are compelling, beautifully written, pure fun, thought-provoking or edge-of-your-seat gripping --- books that we would hand to someone and say, “Read this!” Here are some of the titles we're adding this month:
ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Bahni Turpin.
Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. Then her first song goes viral for all the wrong reasons and Bri finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it --- she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.
THE GIVER (Graphic Novel) (Giver Quartet) written by Lois Lowry with illustrations by P. Craig Russell (Graphic Novel/Classics)
In this new graphic novel edition of THE GIVER, readers experience the haunting story of 12-year-old Jonas and his seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment, through the brilliant art of P. Craig Russell that truly brings THE GIVER to life. Witness Jonas's assignment as the Receiver of Memory, watch as he begins to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community, and follow the explosion of color into his world like never before.
THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY by Hanna Alkaf (Historical Fiction)
Melati believes that she harbors a djinn inside her, one who threatens her with horrific images of her mother's death unless she adheres to an elaborate ritual of counting and tapping to keep him satisfied. On the evening of May 13, 1969, racial tensions in her home city of Kuala Lumpur boil over and her mother become separated by a city in flames. It will take the help of a Chinese boy named Vincent and all of the courage and grit in Melati's arsenal to overcome the violence on the streets, her own prejudices and her djinn's surging power to make it back to the one person she can't risk losing.
WATCH US RISE by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan (Contemporary Fiction)
Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission. They're sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. They post their work online --- poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry and Jasmine's response to the racial microaggressions she experiences --- and they go viral. But the club is also targeted by trolls. When things escalate in real life, the principal shuts the club down. Not willing to be silenced, Jasmine and Chelsea risk everything for their voices --- and those of other women --- to be heard.
Featured Review: ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas
ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Bahni Turpin.
Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. Then her first song goes viral for all the wrong reasons and Bri finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it --- she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be. Reviewed by Ryan H., Teen Board Member.
Featured Review: KING OF SCARS by Leigh Bardugo
KING OF SCARS by Leigh Bardugo (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Lauren Fortgang.
No one knows what Nikolai endured in his country’s bloody civil war --- and he intends to keep it that way. As enemies gather at his weakened borders, he must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried --- and some wounds aren’t meant to heal. Reviewed by Caitlyn K., Teen Board Member.
Featured Review: BLOODWITCH by Susan Dennard
BLOODWITCH: A Witchlands Novel by Susan Dennard (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.
Susan Dennard's New York Times bestselling, young adult epic fantasy Witchlands series continues with the story of the Bloodwitch Aeduan. Aeduan has teamed up with the Threadwitch Iseult and the magical girl Owl to stop a bloodthirsty horde of raiders preparing to destroy a monastery that holds more than just faith. But to do so, he must confront his own father, and his past. Reviewed by Taylor Friedlander.
Featured Review: LADY SMOKE by Laura Sebastian
LADY SMOKE by Laura Sebastian (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld.
Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage --- Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne. To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. According to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself. Reviewed by Isabel Coyne.
Upcoming Book Festivals for February and March 2019
February 2019
Corpus Christie, TX: Teen Book Fest By The Bay
Date: February 16
Website: http://www.teenbookfestbythebay.org/
Detroit, MI: Detroit Book City African-American Family Book Expo 2019
Date: February 24
Website: http://www.detroitbookcity.com/expo-2019
San Antonio, TX: National Latino Children’s Literature Conference
Date: February 28 - March 3
Website: http://education.utsa.edu//conf_nlclc/home/
March 2019
San Antonio, TX: National Latino Children’s Literature Conference
Date: CANCELED
Website: http://education.utsa.edu//conf_nlclc/home/
Tucson, AZ: Tucson Festival of Books
Date: March 2-3
Website: http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/
Murfreesboro, TN: Southeastern Young Adult Book Festival
Date: March 7-9
Website: https://www.seyabookfest.com/
Ontario, CA: Ontario Teen Book Fest
Date: March 9
Website: http://www.ontariotbf.org/
Warrensburg, MO: Children's Literature Festival
Date: March 17-19
Website: http://clf.ucmo.edu/
Charlottesville, VA: Virginia Festival of the Book
Dates: March 20-24
Website: http://www.vabook.org/index.html/
Washington, D.C.: Apollycon
Dates: March 21-24
Website: http://www.apollyconevent.com/
New York, NY: New York City Teen Author Festival
Date: March 24-31
Website: http://nyctaf.com/
Arlington, VA: NoVa Teen Book Festival
Date: March 30
Website: http://novateenbookfestival.com/
League City, TX: Teen Book Con
Dates: March 30
Website: http://www.teenbookcon.org/
February's Books on Screen
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February's Books on Screen roundup includes the feature films Alita: Battle Angel; The Changeover and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World; the series premiere of "The Umbrella Academy" on Netflix, as well as the ongoing series "Roswell, New Mexico," "Black Lightning," "The Flash" and "Arrow" on The CW; and the DVD release of The Grinch.
February's Books to Add to Your Guy-Brary Bookshelf
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Our February Guy-Brary selections include THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS by Bill Konigsberg, a novel about summer love, food trucks and taking risks, THE PAST AND OTHER THINGS THAT SHOULD STAY BURIED by Shaun David Hutchinson, a surreal novel about a boy and his undead best friend trying to figure out themselves and where their friendship went wrong, and THE WEIGHT OF A THOUSAND FEATHERS by Brian Conaghan, a poignant, angry novel about a boy who must make an impossible choice about his terminally-ill mother.
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More New Reviews
BLOOM written by Kevin Panetta with illustrations by Savanna Ganucheau (Graphic Novel/Contemporary Romance)
Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band --- if he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens. But while interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it. As they become closer over batches of bread, love is ready to bloom...that is, if Ari doesn’t ruin everything. Reviewed by Marco M., Teen Board Member.
A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY by Brigid Kemmerer (Fantasy)
Cursed by an enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, Prince Rhen knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast. Meanwhile, with Harper's mother dying and her brother underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. Then Harper is somehow sucked into Rhen's world. As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. As Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against them...and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen and his people from utter ruin. Reviewed by Grace P., Teen Board Member.
THE GIVER (Graphic Novel) (Giver Quartet) written by Lois Lowry with illustrations by P. Craig Russell (Graphic Novel/Classics)
In this new graphic novel edition of THE GIVER, readers experience the haunting story of 12-year-old Jonas and his seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment, through the brilliant art of P. Craig Russell that truly brings THE GIVER to life. Witness Jonas's assignment as the Receiver of Memory, watch as he begins to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community, and follow the explosion of color into his world like never before. Reviewed by Ansley K., Teen Board Member and Anushka Giri.
COURTING DARKNESS by Robin LaFevers (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Angela Goethals and Suzy Jackson.
When Sybella accompanies the Duchess to France, she isn’t expecting a deadly trap. Surrounded by enemies both known and unknown, Sybella searches for the undercover assassins from the convent of St. Mortain who were placed in the French court years ago. Genevieve has been undercover for so many years, she no longer knows who she is. When she discovers a hidden prisoner who may be of importance, she takes matters into her own hands. As these two worlds collide, the fate of the Duchess, Brittany and everything Sybella and Genevieve have come to love hangs in the balance. Reviewed by Maddy F., Teen Board Member.
THE LOVE AND LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI by Sabina Khan (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Richa Shukla.
Unable to come out to her conservative Muslim parents, Rukhsana keeps that part of her identity, and her girlfriend Ariana, hidden from them. When Rukhsana's mom catches her and Ariana together, her parents whisk her off to stay with their extended family in Bangladesh where, along with the loving arms of her grandmother and cousins, she is met with a world of arranged marriages, religious tradition and intolerance. Fortunately, Rukhsana finds allies along the way and, through reading her grandmother's old diary, finds the courage to take control of her future and fight for her love. Reviewed by Olivia Will.
THE SEVERED MOON: A Year-Long Journal of Magic by Leigh Bardugo (Activity Book)
Find the magic in your life with this year-long journal. On every page you will find an introspective question to respond to, or an evocative quotation from the novels of the Grishaverse --- a magical world created by bestselling author Leigh Bardugo. Open your windows to the moon, write down what each prompt or quote conjures in your mind and let this journal guide you through 365 days of magical self reflection. This gorgeously designed journal includes foil accents and a ribbon bookmark. Reviewed by Lauren F., Teen Board Member.
STOLEN TIME by Danielle Rollins (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by James Fouhey.
Living in 1913 Seattle, Dorothy spent her life learning the art of the con. But after meeting a stranger and stowing away on his peculiar aircraft, she wakes up in a chilling version of the world she left behind --- and for the first time in her life, realizes she’s in way over her head. In New Seattle in 2077, if there was ever a girl who was trouble, it was one who snuck on board Ash’s time machine wearing a wedding gown --- and the last thing he needs is trouble if he wants to prevent his terrifying visions of the future from coming true. Reviewed by Caitlyn K., Teen Board Member.
A DANGER TO HERSELF AND OTHERS by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (Suspense)
Audiobook available, narrated by Devon Sorvari.
Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She doesn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at that summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctor and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage, and she's the perfect project to keep Hannah's focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can get Hannah to confront the secrets she's avoiding --- and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place. Reviewed by Anna B., Teen Board Member.
NO ONE HERE IS LONELY by Sarah Everett (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Imani Parks.
Eden has always had two loves: her best friend, Lacey, and her crush, Will. Then, almost simultaneously, she loses them both. Will to a car accident and Lacey to the inevitable growing up and apart. Before he died, Will set up an account with In Good Company, a service that uploads voices and emails and creates a digital companion that can be called anytime. Eden turns to "Will" because after losing Lacey, who else can she confide in? As Eden falls deeper into her relationship with "Will," she hardly notices as life blooms around her. Then there is Oliver. who has always been off-limits to her, until now. He may be real, but to have him, will Eden be able to say goodbye to Will? Reviewed by Lillian B., Teen Board Member.
GOODBYE, PERFECT by Sara Barnard (Contemporary Fiction)
Eden knows she can depend on Bonnie, her solid, steady, straight-A best friend. So it’s a bit of a surprise when Bonnie runs away with a boyfriend Eden knows nothing about five days before the start of finals. Especially when the police arrive on her doorstep and Eden finds out that Bonnie’s boyfriend is actually their teacher, Mr. Cohn. Only Eden knows Bonnie’s location, but there’s no way she’s betraying her friend. Not even when she’s faced with police questioning, suspicious parents and her own growing doubts. As the days pass and things begin to unravel, Eden is forced to question everything she thought she knew about the world, her best friend and herself. Reviewed by Jordan B., Teen Board Member.
THE WANING AGE by S. E. Grove (Dystopian)
Audiobook available, narrated by Kyla Garcia, Julio Sanchez and Arthur Morey.
The time is now. The place is San Francisco. The world is filled with adults devoid of emotion and children on the cusp of losing their feelings --- of "waning" --- when they reach their teens. Natalia Peña has already waned. So why does she love her little brother with such ferocity that, when he's kidnapped by a Big Brother-esque corporation, she'll do anything to get him back? Reviewed by Timothy R., Teen Board Member.
A STORY ABOUT CANCER WITH A HAPPY ENDING written by India Desjardins with illustrations by Marianne Ferrer (Graphic Novel)
A teenage girl heads towards the hospital waiting room where the doctors are going to tell her how much time she's got to live. As she walks, she thinks about her journey up to this point...the terrible decor in the hospital, wearing a headscarf, the horrible treatments, but also being with her friends, family and her new boyfriend Victor. This is a story about cancer with a happy ending. It's about life, love and especially, hope. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
WIRES AND NERVE, Volume 2: Gone Rogue written by Marissa Meyer with illustrations by Stephen Gilpin (Graphic Novel)
Iko --- an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder --- has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth. Reviewed by Nina L., Teen Board Member.
BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER by Maureen Doyle McQuerry (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Madison Lawrence and Liz Hill.
Fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother’s growing depression. Molly spends her California summer alternately watching out for her little brother Angus and tip-toeing around her mother’s raw feelings. As Molly digs into her mother’s past, she finds a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser that may be the key to unlocking a family mystery dating to 1918 New York --- a secret that could destroy or save their future. Reviewed by Ollie S., Teen Board Member.
SHADOWSONG by S. Jae-Jones (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Eva Kaminsky.
Six months after the end of WINTERSONG, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death and the Goblin King --- who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world --- or the ones Liesl loves --- is in her hands? Reviewed by Maddy F., Teen Board Member.
STATION ZERO (Railhead, Book 3) by Philip Reeve (Science Fiction)
After the adventure of a lifetime, Zen leads a safe, comfortable life of luxury. But he misses the thrill of riding the rails, of dodging danger and of breathing the air of different planets. Most of all of course he misses Nova --- lost to him forever in a distant world. But then one day a mysterious message arrives, and that's all Zen needs to head right off, ready for anything. Except that no one could be ready for what he finds...Thrilling, thought-provoking and breathtaking, this finale to the Railhead trilogy weaves a web of wonder, full of characters and events you will never forget. Reviewed by Ian R., Teen Board Member.
THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Suzanne Toren.
Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich's plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband's castle. She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone --- if anyone will listen to her. Reviewed by Ilona Kaydanov.
HIGH: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction by David Sheff and Nic Sheff (Nonfiction)
From David Sheff, author of BEAUTIFUL BOY (2008), and Nic Sheff, author of TWEAK: Growing Up on Methamphetamines (2008), comes the ultimate resource for learning about the realities of drugs and alcohol for middle grade readers. This book tells it as it is, with testimonials from peers who have been there and families who have lived through the addiction of a loved one, along with the cold, hard facts about what drugs and alcohol do to our bodies. From how to navigate peer pressure to outlets for stress to the potential consequences for experimenting, Nic and David Sheff lay out the facts so that middle grade readers can educate themselves. Reviewed by Kathleen M. Purcell.
PARKLAND SPEAKS: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share Their Stories edited by Sarah Lerner (Nonfiction Anthology)
The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School share their emotional journeys that began on February 14, 2018. This revealing and unfiltered look at teens living in the wake of tragedy is a poignant representation of grief, anger, determination, healing and hope. The intimate collection includes poetry, eyewitness accounts, letters, speeches, journal entries, drawings and photographs. Full of heartbreaking loss, a rally cry for change and hope for a safe future, these artistic pieces will inspire readers to reflect on their own lives and the importance of valuing and protecting the ones you love. Reviewed by Cat Barra and Neha S., Teen Board Member.
LOVE, LIFE, AND THE LIST by Kasie West (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Caitlin Kelly.
Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances. Which is where the list comes in. Abby gives herself one month to do 10 things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). Reviewed by Abigail D., Teen Board Member.
THE ELECTRIC WAR: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Light the World by Mike Winchell (Nonfiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Greg Tremblay.
In the mid-to-late-nineteenth century, a burgeoning science called electricity promised to shine new light on the nation.Soon a fiery war was under way to be the first to light (and run) the world with electricity. Thomas Edison, the inventor of direct current (DC), engaged in a brutal battle with Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, the inventors of alternating current (AC). The prize: a nationwide monopoly in electric current. Brimming with action, suspense and rich historical information about these inventors, here is the rousing account of one of the world’s defining scientific competitions. Reviewed by Ronnie B., Teen Board Member.
UNNATURAL DISASTERS by Jeff Hirsch (Science Fiction)
Will the Class of 2049 be the last class ever? Lucy Weaver has her future all figured out. Make an appearance at prom, ditch graduation and then head out on a road trip with her boyfriend, Luke. But when everyone’s phones start to ring halfway through the dance, Lucy knows something terrible has happened. Decades of climate change have left the world teetering on the brink --- entire cities drowned, violent extremism on the rise, millions of refugees with nowhere to turn. Is this the night it finally slips over the edge? Reviewed by Wren Lee.
THE ME I MEANT TO BE by Sophie Jordan (Contemporary Fiction)
Willa Evans has no intention of breaking girl code. So what if she’s always secretly loved her next-door neighbor Zach? As her best friend’s boyfriend, he was always off-limits and it needs to stay that way, even though they just broke up. Even though every time she turns around he’s there, tempting her. Flor Hidalgo has a lot on her plate: her breakup with Zach, her dad’s new dating life and her struggling grades. So why can’t she stop thinking about her hot, know-it-all tutor? At least she’s got Willa, her constant in the chaos. Reviewed by Emily C., Teen Board Member.
ANY SECOND by Kevin Emerson (Thriller)
Five years after being kidnapped, Elian's captor sends him into the mall --- with a bomb strapped to his chest. Across the mall is Maya, a girl whose crippling anxiety holds her prisoner in its own way. Whether it's chance or fate, Maya keeps Eli from ending them all. And now nothing is the same. Drawn together by their dark pasts, Maya and Eli know it takes only seconds for their entire worlds to change. But time will tell if meeting each other will change them for better or worse. Reviewed by Jessica K., Teen Board Member.
