This book feels like a warm hug. It’s beautiful, it’s sweet, and it made me smile. Just the book for when I was feeling like I needed some seam repairs and fresh stuffing myself.
Stacey
I loved this haunting historical mystery set in 1800s Joseon Korea, and can't wait to see more from debut author June Hur. I love a teen girl protagonist who won't stop asking questions and follows her own moral compass even when it means breaking the rules. Your heart will be in your mouth as you accompany Seol on her search for the truth!
Sacha, Writer in Residence for Young Readers
A missing diamond! Mystery across two continents (and several languages)! A tour around all of the neatest attractions of Paris, with plenty of shenanigans and sleuthing along the way. This story has tons of fun, plenty of fascinating tidbits, and my new favorite girl detective. Julieta immediately feels like a classic children's lit star!
Caleb
The perfect late summer romantic comedy.
Rebecca
You know what would make most westerns better? Ghosts, magic, and smashing the patriarchy. Aster and her sisters are on a journey to find freedom, and they're going to take their revenge on every man that has ever taken advantage on them or the other "Good Luck Girls" sold to Welcome Houses. As thrilling as any old Western with bandits and gunslingers and chases on horseback, but with a much more modern look at gender, sexuality, and class. I couldn't put it down.
Shana
I haven't read much YA the past few years- it takes something special for me to pick up a YA novel. But the audio of You Should See Me in a Crown gave me the equivalent of driveway moments on my runs (okay, I just kept running so I could listen more). With dynamic, multifaceted characters, a distinctive voice, and a swoon-worthy prom love story, this novel has it all. Better yet? The strong friendships, family relationships, and romances are both quirkily real and heartwarming.
Marika
Felix Ever After is a joy. Read it and dream of spending these hot summer days in Brooklyn with its lovable cast of young queer artists. This is a heartfelt exploration of love and identity, with enough drama to keep you compulsively reading. What can I say? This book just made me happy!
Kate
Hannah is a witch—a real Elemental witch who can control the four elements—but even though she lives in Salem, MA, she has to keep her magic a closely guarded secret. But her life is upended when it seems that a blood witch has come to town and is threatening her coven—and she'll have to team up with her ex-girlfriend to investigate it. As the threats to the coven grow, the story becomes a fast-paced mystery with a side of romance. This was the perfect blend of sweet romance (and queerness), complex friendships, and thrilling mystery. And the second one's out now, so you can keep reading as soon as you're done—I promise you'll want to.
April
Author, Brandy Colbert, does such a wonderful job at getting at the importance of voting, the barriers that get in the way, and navigating difficult racial conversations that needs to be addressed at any age. Marva Sheridan was the best friend I needed in high school because the importance of voting was lost on me as a teenager!
Sinny
Stephen Graham Jones draws on Blackfeet culture (and the myriad ways in which indigenous culture exists in the modern United States) to create a masterful horror novel about guilt, grief, and revenge. These characters are haunted, both figuratively and literally, by both tradition and the ways they've broken from it. And the prose is just gorgeous (and gory--this is the most beautiful book I've ever read that also made me cringe, set it aside, and sleep with the lights on. I'm wary around motorcycles now!).
Kate
