Rich in Color

Reading, reviewing, talking about, and otherwise promoting YA books (fiction and non-fiction) written by Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) authors or starring BIPOC characters. Find our main site at richincolor.com

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A Few Reads for Pride Month

It's June so it's officially Pride month! And because there is a plethora of books across all genres with LGBTQ leads, I thought I'd give a quick book list to help your TBR shelf this month (though you should be reading books with LGBTQ leads all year long.)

Mystery/Thrillers

I Don't Wish You Well By Jumata Emill Five years ago, the infamous Trojan murders turned the small town of Moss Pointe, Louisiana into a living nightmare. Four teen boys—all star players on Moss Pointe High’s football team—were murdered one after the other by a Trojan-mask wearing killer.  Eventually, the murderer was unmasked. But the community has never forgotten—and some folks in town still wonder whether the police got it right. Eighteen-year-old Pryce Cummings is one of them. An aspiring journalist, Pryce is pretty sure he just stumbled upon evidence that throws the killer’s guilt into question. It’s the perfect story for his own podcast, and a reason to go back to the hometown he’s avoided since coming to terms with his sexuality while at college. But in Moss Pointe, digging into the past is anything but welcome. There’s so much more to what happened there five years ago, and Pryce is ready to crack it all wide open . . . if he lives to tell the tale. Read what contributor Audrey thought of the book: Review: I Don’t Wish You Well

Contemporary Romance

Queerleaders By Olivia A. Cole and Ashley Woodfolk Oak Haven High doesn’t have cheerleaders—it has queerleaders. It’s a fun coincidence that every new varsity cheerleader since Davie Cathee took the squad by storm three years ago is—or soon comes out as—queer. But when a rumor sparks that this season, newly minted captain Davie has been specifically recruiting queer members only, Davie is accused of “discrimination” against straight students. She’s given an ultimatum: recruit a straight athlete for the team or the funding for their competitive cheer season will take a major tumble. Enter Kendall Hayes, the edgy, mysterious new girl. When Davie sees that Kendall has a boyfriend, she quickly convinces her to join the squad. Problem solved. Until she finds out that Kendall’s actually bisexual…and newly single. Now Kendall and Davie are faced with having to keep those details under wraps until nationals, which only gets more complicated when they start falling hard and fast for each other. Can Kendall go back in the closet long enough to save the squad? Or will Davie find the courage to love her new crush out loud, even if it might mean the end of the queerleaders?

Contemporary Literary Fiction

In Between Days by Camryn Garrett When her mother refuses entry to a stranger named Richard at her father’s funeral, 17-year-old Mira Howard doesn’t understand why. But snooping through her father’s things reveals that Richard was her father’s boyfriend—a boyfriend she never knew about. In fact, Mira never even knew for sure that her dad was gay. Hoping to feel more connected to her late father, Mira reaches out to Richard without telling her mom, who is still angry from the divorce. As Mira and Richard become closer, Mira gains more and more insight into the side of her father that she never got to see. Grieving that she never got to connect with her dad about their shared queerness, Mira asks that Richard teach her “how to be queer” while she navigates a new crush on her co-worker, which brings her out of her diary and into the real world. But as Mira grows more confident in herself, she finds it hard to keep her relationship with Richard a secret, questioning why her family never talked about her father’s sexuality in the first place. Soon Mira has to decide if she wants to keep the peace or honor her father’s memory by being her truest self. Read what contributor K. Imani thought of the book: Review: In Between Days

Historical Fiction

The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world. But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.— who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease—only add more complications. When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again? Read what contributor K. Imani thought of the book: Review: The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay

Science Fiction/Fantasy

The Celestial Seas By T. A. Chan Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the Ballena, a legendary sentient spacecraft that haunts the darkness between stars. The fatal encounter left her with a metal-plated arm, a faulty memory chip, and a burning need for revenge. To take on the Ballena, Ishara assembles a crew of capable misfits. Among them is Quinn--her trusted first mate, the girl with wildfire eyes, and the only person who always stands by her side, even when everyone else thinks Ishara is a delusional captain who hallucinated the Ballena. That is, until Augustus, a ship mech armed with his own mysterious reasons for vengeance, convinces Ishara to let him join the crew. He brings the one thing Ishara's never had before: a tracking method tailored for finding the Ballena. Pulled between Quinn's and Augustus's gravitational forces, the pressure to issue increasingly risky orders, and the feeling that her past is rapidly catching up with her future, Ishara has to decide what--or who--she is fighting for before she loses another ship.

Thriller/Horror

Doe by Rebecca Barrow Maris Larsen is the captain of the West Eaton High cheer team. She’s Coach’s favorite and the team worships her. Being on the team makes her feel special—powerful. When she’s leading the girls on the mat, Maris doesn’t have to think about her dead-end life in a dead-end town. She can forget about her depressed mother and absent father and the fact that her girlfriend doesn’t really love her. But when newcomer and Coach’s new golden girl, Genevieve Ray, joins the team, the only thing going right in Maris’s life is suddenly in jeopardy. A bitter rivalry develops between the two, but Maris is determined to take Genevieve down. The knife she needs to wield comes to Maris in her dreams. While sleepwalking, Maris is visited by a monstrous, decaying beast in the shape of an enormous deer. Doe is an ancient, tired creature who has been wandering, trapped in her current form for decades. She cannot die, but she cannot go on living as she has. Only a girl related by blood to those who bound her in this form can free her, but those girls she loved died years ago—murdered in a fire. But Maris is somehow linked to Doe’s beloved girls—linked by blood—and so she has the power to free Doe, to unleash her immense power. In Maris’s dreams, she and Doe form a bond, but Maris doesn’t know the creature from her dreams is real. Maris doesn’t understand the danger she’s in. She only knows Doe has promised her a way to win her battle with Genevieve. But for Maris to win, someone has to die, and the only real winner in the end will be Doe.

This novel will be released June 23rd.

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New Releases - June 2, 2026

There are so many books I'm excited for today! I'm also thankful to Heartdrum because I already have Medicine Wheelsand it's awesome so far. I'll be reviewing it soon.   

Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb Scholastic

Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural.

Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown — just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger — and far more dangerous. At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood… and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust — especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Feiwel & Friends

Five prodigies, one dead father, a mansion full of suspects…

Octavius the Maestro. Fola the Brain. Bilal the Olympian. Perdita the Artist. Romeo the Failure.

These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father’s impossibly high standards.

Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.

Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren’t the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies. . .

Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham Kokila

One hundred years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom to poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim.

Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin’s conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom’s golden age, who protect a hidden portal into Princess Amelia’s subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.

Inside the lush world of Amelia’s dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her “perfect” paradise – and that there are some things her subconscious can’t bury forever.

Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves Heartdrum

When Bryce’s mom walks out on her abusive boyfriend and back into jail for breaking her probation, he’s left facing the summer of his junior year with no parents, no phone, and only the clothes on his back.

With nowhere to call home, Bryce crashes at his grandparents’ house on Wolf Creek reservation. Wolf Creek is full of memories and old friends—including Robbie and Mikayla, who hang out at the local skate park.

Skateboarding reminds Bryce of his late dad: carefree, riding like he could fly. If Bryce could learn to ride like that, he’d take his crew to the top of the skateboarding championship at the end of the summer, and finally prove he’s not a loser, especially to the online-famous, captivating Mikayla. Summer is looking up, even as he’s falling on his face.

But when a fresh loss takes Bryce down, he’ll need to learn to lean on his Ojibwe community to get back on the board. Only then can he discover his father’s real legacy—and the true meaning of unconditional love.

Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan Faber & Faber Children’s

I feel invincible. Like I could run and run and never stop for breath. I feel a power in me I didn’t know I had. The power to speak, to say what I need. Surya knows exactly who they are. Coming out as non-binary to their queer parents and best friend? A total non-event. Catching feelings for Blessing – the boy in drama club whose smile makes their heart race? That’s trickier.

As their final year of school unfolds and the two of them grow closer, Surya starts to question: Does Blessing really see them? Or just a version of them that doesn’t exist? They’d ask their best friend for advice, but she’s busy falling in love too. . .

With gorgeous illustrations throughout, Bad Queer draws us deeply into queer friendship, family secrets, and the necessary act of loving yourself. Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Dean Atta, and Sarah Crossan.

This is a love letter to queer futures – tender, curious, and fiercely alive.

Breakout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany B. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon Quill Tree

For Thurgood Marshall Academy’s best and brightest–five friends who’ve been thick as thieves since kindergarten–this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year’s tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.

It’s a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad’s luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one’s counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they’re also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies… including (another) one of their own.

As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind–secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends–seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?

The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Seventeen-year-old Jihad Dabbagh has always seen life with a heightened sense for colors, one of many magical blessings the women in her family possess. But Jihad’s gift changes depending on her mood. When depression sets in, the world is a colorless oasis, and in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, the world has become a permanent shade of grey. Broken by tragedy, Jihad’s family doesn’t believe her color loss. Her father sends her to the elite Braxton Academy to finish her senior year. There, Jihad’s name and hijab put a target on her back. Her haven comes in the form of an old sketchbook carved from a tree in her hometown in Syria — a country she only knew through her mother’s stories. Jihad hasn’t picked up a brush in over a year, but finds herself channeling the colors of her hurt, pain, and grief as she paints the story of her mother’s journey in Syria. When graffiti of that same mural starts magically popping up all over New York, her art goes viral and the world takes notice, the threat of legal consequences is imminent. To reclaim her voice, Jihad will have to paint a new future for herself and Braxton, guided by the resilience of her mother’s story.

Monarchs in the Wild by Israel Moya Lee & Low Books

In the summer of 1994, seventeen-year-old Cal ”California” Garcia can’t seem to escape the gossip and horrified looks of his fellow La Sombra residents. They judge him on nothing more than the long scar on his face, his beat up ’68 Mustang, and always being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cal constantly feels like he’s been set up to fail. His father left his family after the tragic accident that gave him his scar. His mother spends all her time at church, enchanted by the words of a crooked pastor. And his new-old Mustang brings more trouble and chaos than it’s worth. Everything about being in La Sombra tells him he is and always will be a nothing. But as his senior year is coming to an end, his life is turned drastically upside down. Out by the railroad tracks, Cal finds Nora, valedictorian Nora, fallen off a bridge. The monarch butterflies stitched onto her jeans are seared into his memory forever. Having found her body, Cal becomes a person of interest in Nora’s suspicious death.

As Cal tries to escape suspicion, an opportunity for a way out of La Sombra emerges from nowhere, and Cal is forced to choose his own fate. Will Cal finally decide who he is and where he wants to be? Or will he let circumstance choose for him and live his life as just another statistic in a farm-worker town?

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To follow up on our post earlier this month, here are five more books that come out later this year that we wanted to highlight for AANHPI month. Which ones will you be adding to your TBR list?

The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham Kokila || Publishes 2 June 2026

One hundred years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom to poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim.

Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin’s conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom’s golden age, who protect a hidden portal into Princess Amelia’s subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.

Inside the lush world of Amelia’s dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her “perfect” paradise – and that there are some things her subconscious can’t bury forever.

My Killer Family Reunion by Dinesh Thiru Atheneum Books for Young Readers || Publishes 11 August 2026

Knives Out meets Never Have I Ever in this hilarious and twisty young adult mystery-comedy about an Indian American teen whose family reunion at a lavish manor falls into chaos after her grandma is attacked.

Nothings brings family together like attempted murder.

There are three things Jayshree Devi can count on happening at her annual family reunion: 1) her cousins will forget she exists, 2) her aunts will try to set her up, and 3) her uncles will get into a fight. What she doesn’t expect? An accident that lands her grandmother in a coma, throwing the family—and their matriarch’s sizeable fortune—into chaos.

When Jay discovers Grand Mom’s “accident” might not have been so accidental after all, she’ll have to dig through decades of secrets to find the truth. With the help of her (annoyingly perky) cousins and one of their (annoyingly hot) friends, Jay finds herself knee-deep in a mystery that’s even more tangled than her family tree.

But the closer Jay gets to answers, the closer she gets to finding her place amongst the relatives who once felt so distant. With Grand Mom’s life and fortune hanging in the balance, can Jay save her family and maybe hook up with a hottie while she’s at it?

Foreigners by E.L. Shen Quill Tree Books || Publishes 22 September 2026

For centuries, the Chin family has kept its secrets.

In 1878, Duanfang knows he’s destined for greatness. He’ll do anything to uphold and protect the legacy of his Manchu family—even if it means hiding his past.

In 1966, Zheng Yi flies from Taiwan to New York City to have a shot at attending an American college. Thrown into a world of parties, prejudice, and a tumultuous romance, Yi worries that New York may be more than she can handle. But just as she is beginning to adjust, she must make a shocking decision that will irrevocably change her life and her future forever.

Today, Dawn Chin’s family is opaque at best, with heavy expectations and heavier silences. But an assignment to interview her grandmother is about to crack open her real family history: a legacy hundreds of years old, and a lie decades in the making . . .

Heirs of Infamy by Kyla Zhao G.P. Putnam's Sons || Publishes 13 October 2026

Two rivals from opposing gangs grow dangerously close in this dazzling YA debut set in 1940s San Francisco Chinatown.

Beneath the neon glare of postwar San Francisco, Chinatown is ruled by two rival crime families. East Phoenix deals in secrets and stealth, West Dragon in fists and fear. But both empires are bleeding money, and the fragile truce between them frays by the day.

As the daughter of Chinatown’s most powerful crime boss, Alexis Sung can do almost anything, except join the family business. When her first job for East Phoenix goes wrong, her father shuts her out for good. Across town, Zachary Ren—a brilliant orphan raised by West Dragon—is desperate to escape a life he never chose. Their paths were never meant to cross again, not after he destroyed Alexis’s one shot to prove herself.

That changes when a daring heist surfaces—one with a bounty big enough to save both families from ruin. Defying her father’s orders, Alexis seizes the chance to redeem herself by striking an uneasy alliance with Zachary. As old wounds reopen and new sparks catch, survival means trusting the last person she thought she would.

 Salt Water Blood by Manuia Heinrich Sarah Barley Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers || Publishes 17 November 2026

An Indigenous teen fights to clear her brother of a murder charge by embracing her gift of hearing the sea’s prophetic thoughts in this debut young adult speculative thriller that’s Firekeeper’s Daughter meets Moana.

Eighteen-year-old Moe hears the sea’s prophetic thoughts. Not just hear them—she feels them. That’s how she experienced her father’s death before he did and how she felt her mother’s relief when she abandoned Moe and her younger brother, Tao, months later.

So when the sea warns Moe that Tao will drown, she’s determined to get in fate’s way and soon secures them a way off their island home. But those plans are ruined when Tao’s girlfriend goes missing and Tao is found where she was last seen…with blood on his hands—and no memory of what happened.

Moe will do anything she can to clear her brother’s name, even if it means swallowing her pride and teaming up with her annoyingly clever school rival, Temanea. Even if it means relying on the sea’s prophecies.

Because her dreaded gift may be the only way to save her brother—and uncover a sickness lurking in their community before it poisons them all.

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New Releases

As we head into summer vacation it's time to start thinking about our summer reads. Any of this week's new releases looking like they could be added to your summer TBR pile?

In the Country I Love by Alaa Al-Barkawi Peachtree Teen

As a seventeen-year-old single dad and a soon-to-be high school drop-out, Yassir Al-Azzawi’s lapsed Shia faith is just another thing convincing his parents he’s a failure. One more mistake, and they’ll send him back to their homeland, a war-torn Iraq. Khaled Al-Hakim is perfect on paper: devout in his faith, a straight-A student, and captain of the debate team. But beneath the surface, Khaled is no saint either, and his worst sin yet is ignoring his parents’ command to stay away from Yassir. When their secret friendship is exposed, the consequences set off a series of events that cause family secrets from both sides to come to light, and neither Yassir nor Khaled are prepared to learn the stains that taint their family names. Told through multiple POVs across time, this authentic exploration of the Shia Muslim experience in the U.S. seamlessly combines classic YA themes of identity, coming-of-age, and relationships with timely social themes of racism, Islamophobia, and justice. This compelling, contemporary debut is perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage and Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief.

Jin Young, In Between by Ellen Oh Crown Books for Young Readers

Jin’s whole world been turned upside down. Since meeting Mina inside her webcomic, Jin has discovered unbelievable things about his life: 1. He’s been living in a parallel universe. 2. His birth mother didn’t abandon him. 3. He’ll never be able to see Mina again. But then the impossible happens—Jin teleports to Mina’s world. But with every visit, cataclysmic weather threatens Jin’s world. And a mysterious lab seems way too interested in testing Jin’s new teleporting ability. Is Jin ready to risk it all for the girl he loves?

Lake Life by Tanya Bateau Quill Tree

This is definitely not how Maya wanted to spend the summer—depressed at her once-beloved cabin in Spruce Lake, and unable to avoid seeing her lifelong best friend, Rashida, after confessing her woefully unrequited love to her last year. Maya can’t decide if she wants to escape, or convince Rashida they’re still meant to be. Gabe is sent to Spruce Lake by her mom in hopes she stays out of trouble. Gabe is NOT excited to be here. She does NOT like nature. She does NOT want to spend her summer in a tiny town with outdoorsy environmentalist types. Gabe is pretty sure she’ll be spending this entire summer bored and alone…until she meets Maya. Together, they hatch a fake-dating scheme to make Rashida jealous and convince Gabe’s mom that Gabe has turned a wholesome new leaf. But as the plan plays out, and Gabe and Maya contend with protests, a relentlessly concerned community, and romantic twists, they start to realize that their assumptions about friendship and love might have led them completely astray. Can they find their way through this mess without hurting each other in the process?

We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore Feiwel & Friends

Lola and I grew up hearing that we could become anything, but our parents hadn’t meant it the way gringo parents did. They meant it as a warning. Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but you won’t see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course. The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move… well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they’ve never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie… things that even Lola and Lisandro can’t explain. As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie’s gleaming façade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance?

To the Stars and Back Volume Two by Peglo Little, Brown Ink Bo Seon and Kang Dae have been neighbors for months and best friends for nearly as long. Their bond has only deepened, but Bo Seon can no longer ignore the butterflies in his stomach. He likes Kang Dae, as more than a friend, but fears confessing could ruin what they already share. On one starry night, the truth finally comes out, and everything changes. Their feelings align, and they begin a new chapter together as a couple. Yet love, they discover, is more than a confession … It requires trust. Bo Seon carries secrets from his past that he has never spoken aloud, retreating further into himself with each passing day. Kang Dae, determined and patient, vows to earn his trust before it is too late. Tender, heartfelt, and honest, this is a story about first love, the courage it takes to be completely vulnerable, and the healing that comes when two people choose each other completely.

How to Love You When You’re Gone by Gabriela Gonzales Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

High school senior Mayte has never been kissed, but it hardly matters. Her abuelita has cancer, her half sister with special needs has moved in, and college is off the table—family comes first. She keeps her problems to herself; why burden everyone she loves with more? Meanwhile, fellow senior Auggie is set on attending an elite creative writing program. But as the self-proclaimed most boring person alive, he can’t exactly write the next great American novel when he’s struggling to write a short story for college applications. After an awful blind date (“disaster” doesn’t even begin to describe it), Mayte and Auggie never want to see each other again. When forced together by their merging social circles, the pair must at least pretend to get along…but soon they develop actual feelings. Then tragedy strikes Mayte’s family. Auggie feels compelled to write her story to help her process and heal—but are his intentions truly selfless? The best story he’s ever written could impact the best friendships he’s ever had.

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Review: Behind Five Willows by June Hur

Publisher's Summary: From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice set in historical Korea, about a reader and a writer who secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together. As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it—especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible... if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.

As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.

When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple—along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly...

My Thoughts: A secret book selling shop, a Pride and Prejudice inspired romance, and K-drama vibes sounded like perfection to me and Behind Five Willows was extremely satisfying. Any one of those elements would have sold me, but all three added up to a pure delight.

I work at an elementary school and this time of year is extremely stressful as we are finishing up the year and trying to get everything done. This book was a refreshing and relaxing read that brought me a little joy and I think it will do the same for anyone.

Part of what I liked was that Haewon and Seojun have layers to their relationship that they are not initially aware of and there is tension while waiting to see how they will put the pieces together. And of course, they constantly misunderstand each other and jump to conclusions as one might expect from an Austen influenced tale. Watching them move slowly towards each other in spite of their prejudices is very satisfying.

K-drama fans will likely love this as it will feel somewhat familiar. It isn't necessary to have that background to enjoy this, but there will be a lot of reminders of different historical dramas if a reader does have that context.

The author provides a brief bit of history at the beginning so readers will have some idea of why the book banning is happening, but there is also some explanation within the story too. The written word is seen as dangerous to the status quo and it's a fascinating part of the novel. My favorite though is the back and forth between Haewon and Seojun as they learn more and more about themselves and each other.

Recommendation: Get it now. This is a fun romance with a glimpse of Korean history with a nod to Pride and Prejudice. There are a few twists and surprises along the way, but it mostly felt like a comfort read because it was satisfyingly lovely.

Extra: FullyBookedPod

K-Drama connections: 100 Days My Prince 백일의 낭군님 and Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Pages: 336 Availability: On shelves now Review copy: Digital copy via publisher

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We have eight books on our list that are coming out today! Which ones do you have your eyes on?

Behind Five Willows by June Our Feiwel & Friends

As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it—especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible... if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.

As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.

When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple—along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly...

An Expanse of Blue by Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams Heartdrum

Aouli Elizabeth Smith is adrift: unheard at home and an unbeliever at church, fighting her sister and losing her best friend. Overflowing with feeling, she pours her secrets and herself into her song journal when the world threatens to sweep her away. The one place she feels tied down to earth is at her Aunty Ehu’s house. Those joyous Saturdays with her extended Native Hawaiian community living in Western Washington are precious to her. Under the maple trees, the fragments of her life fit together, if only for an afternoon.

Then, an unspeakable truth about her father shatters this one perfect corner of her life.

As Aouli’s world constricts around what others wish she could be, language fails her. But when a new boy, Nalu, turns up with eyes that seem to pierce right into her soul, maybe it’s love that can give her the words to set herself free.

Landing in Place by Sherine Hamdy, Myra El Mir Kokila

Anisa is following in her sister Reem’s footsteps: She’s a freshman at her sister’s alma mater, she’s on the same premed track, and she’s inherited Reem's old hotpot, mini-fridge, and textbooks. Even though Anisa would prefer to study art, her parents discount that as a valid career choice. The path laid out before her starts to crumble as Anisa feels she doesn’t belong—either in her organic chemistry class or among the other Muslim students on campus.

When Anisa fails her first semester, she begs her parents to let her take time off to visit Cairo and stay with her beloved grandfather. Finally free to have her own experiences, Anisa begins a journey of self-discovery and, as she bumps up against familial, societal, and religious expectations, she starts to develop her own artistic voice. When Anisa returns to the United States, many of these expectations shift, but she learns to draw on the love of friends and family—including those she’s often at odds with—in order to stay true to herself.

The Lustrous Dark by Loretta Chefchaouni Peachtree Teen

Orphaned as a baby, Shay has spent her life training as the midwife’s apprentice. Her role grants her stability, yet Shay has always yearned for more. Namely, motherly affection and answers regarding her mysterious birth—neither of which the midwife deems practical to provide.

After Shay discovers her birth mother, Hind, is still alive and addicted to a magical drug called Snow, she determines to get the woman clean. But when Hind betrays Shay to get her hands on more Snow, Shay’s abandoned within a deadly forest and forced to rely on a band of monstrous ghouls for safety.

Shay’s realm has long stood on the brink of war between the men who control magic and the revolutionaries who want to eliminate it. But in the forest, Shay hears the pleading call of ancient spirits who claim that not only has magic been stolen, but Shay has the power to return it. With the help of a spitfire revolutionary and the boy who’s winning over her heart, Shay discovers the horrific truth of who produces Snow and will have to decide for herself whether to heed the spirits’ charge or fade into obscurity.

This emotionally raw and gorgeously rendered fairy tale combines the lush worldbuilding of This Woven Kingdom with the mother trauma of Snow White and a dash of Tim Burton. Steeped in mysticism and mythology, The Lustrous Dark confronts injustices against women with a righteous scream that’ll inspire readers to rally against the patriarchy and oppressive regimes worldwide.

Queerleaders by Olivia A. Cole, Ashley Woodfolk Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Oak Haven High doesn’t have cheerleaders—it has queerleaders.

It’s a fun coincidence that every new varsity cheerleader since Davie Cathee took the squad by storm three years ago is—or soon comes out as—queer.

But when a rumor sparks that this season, newly minted captain Davie has been specifically recruiting queer members only, Davie is accused of “discrimination” against straight students. She’s given an ultimatum: recruit a straight athlete for the team or the funding for their competitive cheer season will take a major tumble.

Enter Kendall Hayes, the edgy, mysterious new girl. When Davie sees that Kendall has a boyfriend, she quickly convinces her to join the squad. Problem solved.

Until she finds out that Kendall’s actually bisexual…and newly single.

Now Kendall and Davie are faced with having to keep those details under wraps until nationals, which only gets more complicated when they start falling hard and fast for each other. Can Kendall go back in the closet long enough to save the squad? Or will Davie find the courage to love her new crush out loud, even if it might mean the end of the queerleaders?

Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel by Arushi Avachat Wednesday Books

Nineteen-year-old Rani Deshpande is on a mission to reinvent herself the summer before transferring to her new university. After a challenging freshman year, Rani can’t help but feel like she’s playing catch up. To that end, she’s crafted a packed summer to get back on track: a dream internship, adventures with her hometown best friend, and regular driving lessons so that she can finally lose her passenger princess reputation - even if it means learning from her aggravating family friend (and childhood crush), Kush Khanna.

Kush and Rani grew up together, but they couldn’t be less alike. Within their close-knit Desi community - a Jane Austen style cast of ridiculous, meddlesome families - Kush is the beloved model son; Rani is more the black sheep. Kush is pre-med; Rani plans to teach elementary school. Kush is cool and collected, bordering on reticent; Rani couldn’t keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it. So when their mothers first force the pair to drive together, the arrangement feels like a recipe for disaster. As the lessons progress, however, Rani discovers there’s more to the boy she’s known her whole life than meets the eye.

In Arushi Avachat's Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel, Rani must learn to course-correct, no matter how bumpy or windy the road – and even if it includes a detour right into love.

Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds) by Amalie Howard Joy Revolution

Lady Rosalin Chen isn’t as vapid as she pretends to be. She’s actually a computing genius and smarter than most of her peers in the ton. Not even her friends know that she’s been sabotaging her own chances to find a match in the marriage mart.

She’s in want of a proper education, not a husband. So while her cousin is gallivanting around Europe, she decides to take his place at Cambridge University. How hard could it be to act like a gentleman, after all?

The only boy who could possibly see through her disguise is her tutor—sharp-eyed math prodigy Tarik St. Clair. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to hide who she really is. Even if Lady Rosalin decided to come clean, can love ever be part of the equation once the truth is factored in?

Shapes of Love by L.V. Peñalba Wednesday Books

When nineteen-year-old Sasha’s first album throws her into stardom, her fans become obsessed with discovering who inspired her love songs. Except, Sasha is aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual), and she’s not interested in romance (unless it comes in the shape of a slowburn enemies-to-lovers book or a star-crossed-lovers manga). Her music is all about her favorite love stories, not her own.

After running into Kai, her estranged best friend who she hasn’t seen in two years, pictures of them together leak, and everyone assumes he’s Sasha’s muse, the “boyfriend” who broke her heart. Pressured by her label and fearing fan backlash, Sasha agrees to a PR relationship with Kai for six months - but her sense of self is put to the ultimate test. Where does she fit in a society that equates happiness with romantic love? One where even her closest friends prioritize their partners over her?

Under the guise of their faux romance, Sasha and Kai get a chance to rebuild their platonic bond and heal the wounds of their past. But when actor Asher Grish enters the scene, threatening to shake the foundation of Sasha’s PR relationship, she finds herself at a crossroads. Either she loses herself, or her career.

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Book Review: In Between Days

Title: In Between Days

Author: Camryn Garrett 

Genres:  Contemporary 

Pages: 244

Publisher: Hyperion 

Review Copy: ARC from publisher

Availability: Available Now

Summary:  When her mother refuses entry to a stranger named Richard at her father’s funeral, 17-year-old Mira Howard doesn’t understand why. But snooping through her father’s things reveals that Richard was her father’s boyfriend—a boyfriend she never knew about. In fact, Mira never even knew for sure that her dad was gay. Hoping to feel more connected to her late father, Mira reaches out to Richard without telling her mom, who is still angry from the divorce. As Mira and Richard become closer, Mira gains more and more insight into the side of her father that she never got to see.

Grieving that she never got to connect with her dad about their shared queerness, Mira asks that Richard teach her “how to be queer” while she navigates a new crush on her co-worker, which brings her out of her diary and into the real world.

But as Mira grows more confident in herself, she finds it hard to keep her relationship with Richard a secret, questioning why her family never talked about her father’s sexuality in the first place. Soon Mira has to decide if she wants to keep the peace or honor her father’s memory by being her truest self.

Review: I’ve really loved Camryn Garrett’s previous novels but this one, for some odd reason, I struggled with in the beginning. I understood that Mira has gone through a tragic event, losing her father, and that she was socially awkward, but there was something about her that really irritated me. I found her almost too simplistic in her thinking that made me read her as younger than she actually was. Mira commenting on topics such as taking APUSH, and being a literary magazine editor contrasted with the simple, almost innocent childlike way of thinking really perplexed me as these two aspects of her character created a dichotomy that didn’t make sense. But…as I continued to read and the novel fully developed I began to really feel for Mira and the journey she was going on. I realized that this story is her moment when she fully sheds “the child” inside and becomes “the adult.” I realized it seemed that Mira had been somewhat sheltered and this was her breaking out of that shell.

At its heart, In Between Days is a story of what it means to be a family going through grief. Mira’s world has been upended by the shocking loss of her father, whom she had a so-so relationship with. She wanted more from her father than he was willing to give and now she knows that that relationship can never be mended. She is also recognizing how the secret behind her parent’s divorce shaped her relationship with both parents and due to meeting Richard, realizes that the key to understanding why her relationship with her father was the strained was due to the secrets her parents kept. She also feels, and in my opinion rightfully so, that learning those secrets will help her heal and come to terms with her father’s death and their lost relationship. I fully rooted for her for going behind her mother’s back because her mother treated her as if she were a young child rather than a teenager who is capable of understanding complex issues and situations. As Mira grew in her relationship with Richard, and hence understanding her father, she grew. She started the process of healing and truly dealing with her grief. 

The writing in the novel, it is told through journal entries, even started to change as Mira started to grow in confidence and she started to “read” like a teenager rather than a child. And that shows Garrett’s strengths as a writer as she was able to visually, in a way, show how Mira’s breakthrough to adulthood. When I realized what Garrett was doing, I was fully into the book and it also became an intriguing read. In Between Days is a lovely and moving story about family, loss, and how we all grow because of it. 

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New Releases - May 12, 2026

We only found two books being released today, but watch for many more in the next few weeks. Here are the two contemporary books that made their way onto shelves today.

Stars, Stripes, and Summer Nights Delacourte Romance

What if the person who turns your world upside down is exactly who you’re meant to find?

All First Daughter Abby Alzona wanted was one normal night. But one impulsive pizza order later, she’s front-page news—and officially exiled to a Wi-Fi-free country inn for the summer, along with her little sister Elle.

The inn belongs to Gabriel Calabrese’s family: he’s sarcastic, camera-obsessed, and definitely not dazzled by presidential perks (also, kind of the reason for the whole pizza fiasco). But Abby’s determined to make the most of her time away from the White House—with a summer bucket list full of things real teens get to do. Pool parties. Picnics. Maybe even a first kiss.

As she and Elle dive into small-town life, Abby starts to see what makes Gabriel tick. And maybe, just maybe, she’s falling for him. . . .

In Between Days by Camryn Garrett Disney Hyperion

When her mother refuses entry to a stranger named Richard at her father’s funeral, 17-year-old Mira Howard doesn’t understand why. But snooping through her father’s things reveals that Richard was her father’s boyfriend—a boyfriend she never knew about. In fact, Mira never even knew for sure that her dad was gay. Hoping to feel more connected to her late father, Mira reaches out to Richard without telling her mom, who is still angry from the divorce. As Mira and Richard become closer, Mira gains more and more insight into the side of her father that she never got to see.

Grieving that she never got to connect with her dad about their shared queerness, Mira asks that Richard teach her “how to be queer” while she navigates a new crush on her co-worker, which brings her out of her diary and into the real world.

But as Mira grows more confident in herself, she finds it hard to keep her relationship with Richard a secret, questioning why her family never talked about her father’s sexuality in the first place. Soon Mira has to decide if she wants to keep the peace or honor her father’s memory by being her truest self.

An epistolary novel told through diary entries, text messages, and book reviews, IN BETWEEN DAYS is a story about queerness, grief, and families—both ones we are born into and ones we create.

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It's Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! There are a ton of great young adult books that have come out in just the first four and a half months of the year alone, and we thought we should spotlight some of them for you:

Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic by Patricia Park Crown Books for Young Readers

They say Hollywood is like high school, and has-been child actor Ambrosia Lee feels like she’s at the bottom of the social ladder. Her acting career peaked at the age of eleven— then she was unceremoniously fired from her big break due to her weight.

Now after years of rejections and backstabbing auditions, teenage Ambrosia turns to stand-up to speak her truth. It’s the perfect way to rant about everything that’s been bothering her: divorced parents dynamics, Asian stereotypes, and Hollywood drama. It also doesn’t hurt that a cute boy is helping her learn the ropes of a comedy routine.

It’s all laughs…but comedy clubs can be just as toxic as the Hollywood complex she always mocks.

Can Ambrosia be her true self both on and off the mic?

The Celestial Seas by T.A. Chan Viking Books for Young Readers

Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the Ballena, a legendary sentient spacecraft that haunts the darkness between stars. The fatal encounter left her with a metal-plated arm, a faulty memory chip, and a burning need for revenge.

To take on the Ballena, Ishara assembles a crew of capable misfits. Among them is Quinn—her trusted first mate, the girl with wildfire eyes, and the only person who always stands by her side, even when everyone else thinks Ishara is a delusional captain who hallucinated the Ballena.

That is, until Augustus, a ship mech armed with his own mysterious reasons for vengeance, convinces Ishara to let him join the crew. He brings the one thing Ishara’s never had before: a tracking method tailored for finding the Ballena. Pulled between Quinn’s and Augustus’s gravitational forces, the pressure to issue increasingly risky orders, and the feeling that her past is rapidly catching up with her future, Ishara has to decide what—or who—she is fighting for before she loses another ship.

strong>Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai Wednesday Books

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

Defying China: A Memoir by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh Dial Books

Tsultrim Dolma, born in a tiny village in the stunning mountains of eastern Tibet, always knew there had to be more than the life expected of her: More than no education, because her family was poor. More than being married off at a young age, because she was a girl. More than barely getting by under oppressive Chinese occupation, because she was Tibetan. When she was sixteen, Tsultrim found more, joining protests for the Tibetan independence movement, the call for her beloved country’s liberation from the People’s Republic of China. Shortly after, she was arrested and sent to Gutsa Detention Center, notorious for its brutal torture of political prisoners like Tsultrim.

This young adult memoir follows Tsultrim’s courageous coming of age through her time at Gutsa, being heavily surveilled by the government after her release, and, ultimately, her escape to the U.S. It also underscores the bravery it takes to speak up, and the power to be found in sharing one’s story.

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram Henry Holt & Company

Freshmen Dayton and Farshid couldn’t be more different—or so it seems.

When Dayton takes a dare and shouts the f-slur at a visiting author during a school event, it sets off a chain reaction that forces both boys to face parts of themselves they’d rather ignore.

Dayton, grappling with the fallout of his actions, faces rejection from his friends, disappointment from his parents, and a growing awareness of the harm he’s caused. Meanwhile, Farshid is left to untangle his own feelings—about himself and about the quiet struggle of coming to terms with his queerness in a world steeped in heteronormativity.

As their lives unexpectedly intersect, Dayton and Farshid must reckon with what kind of men they want to become and whether they have the courage to defy toxic masculinity and societal expectations.

Prodigal Tiger by Samantha Chong G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

For five years, Caroline Chua has lived in exile from her home and family in Malaysia at a magical academy in New York City–far enough away that she can’t hurt the people she loves. That is until she is abruptly summoned home in an emergency—her beloved older brother, Aaron, who is next in line to become the Protector of the Island, has vanished. And now back in Penang, she can’t help but notice that things don’t feel the same as they once did and it’s unclear if she’s changed, or the island.

Despite her family’s desire to keep her close and the Council’s explicit instructions to stay out of trouble, stubborn, self-sufficient Caroline is hell-bent on saving her brother with or without anyone’s help. But when it turns out that Aaron has been kidnapped by vengeful ghosts with a centuries-old grudge, even Caroline must admit she’s in over her head and will need the help of the friends she had abandoned, including her first love, J.J.

The ghosts’ goals are simple: break the barriers between the ghost and mortal realms during the Hungry Ghost Festival using Aaron to take the island’s magic, and cement their rightful place as the true—albeit dead—rulers of the island. With only seven days before the barrier weakens, Caroline is in a race against time to save her brother. But as enemies stack up, always one step ahead, Caroline can’t help but wonder if she’s strong enough for this battle. Or is she doomed to repeat the mistakes that sent her away all those years ago?

PRODIGAL TIGER is a rich, cinematic celebration of Malaysian magic and folklore, as well as an emotional exploration of never quite feeling like your whole self after living in the diaspora.

Right as Rain by Tashie Bhuiyan Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Recent high-school graduate Megh Rashid has plans to escape to the other side of the country for college and leave behind the stormy household she’s been trapped in for years. But things are complicated when she gets struck by lightning right before the start of a prestigious summer internship that’s key to her getting accepted to her dream university, and she wakes up to a storm cloud that follows her everywhere, seemingly attuned to her every emotion.

Megh’s struggles with depression, fear of leaving her home and loved ones, and uncertainty about her future cause the cloud to act up, creating rainstorms that dampen her spirits and her hopes of making an impact at her internship. With the help of fellow intern Lev Osman, a boy whose warmth makes her feel less alone, Megh has to find a way to control her feelings and decide what she’s willing to sacrifice in order to secure her desired future.

That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall Random House Books for Young Readers

For the world’s wealthiest, Kōpaʻa Island Resort is more than a destination. It’s the ultimate escape. With no cell service or Wi-Fi, the Hawaiian island is a coveted wellness retreat renowned for its persimmon orchard and promises of rejuvenation.

But their dream vacation is Lehua’s nightmare. When her twin sister, Ohia, goes missing, Lehua follows her trail to Kōpaʻa to find her. Instead, Lehua is cut off from civilization—and help—after the island’s boat leaves without her, stranding her with the resort’s lavish guests and enigmatic staff.

As Lehua investigates Ohia’s disappearance, she discovers her missing sister isn’t the island’s only mystery. Kōpaʻa’s rich exterior and sweet persimmons hide its dark plantation past. And Lehua can’t ignore the dreams haunting her each night—nor the warning telling her to leave the island at once. To uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island’s bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields—or risk being consumed by them.

Sharply observed and gorgeously written, That Which Feeds Us explores the true cost of paradise as Lehua must fight to reclaim the land, the stories, and the very souls of her people.

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New Releases

This summer's movie season is looking to be great and so does the summer book season look great. All of these books are calling to me, the only question is which one to read first. What about you? Which of these new releases are you going to add to your shelf?

Shards of Silence by Brian Lee Young HarperCollins

In his first YA novel, award-winning author Brian Lee Young (Diné) bridges the generational divide between a Navajo teen at an elite prep school and his great-grandmother’s experience at a federal boarding school for Indigenous students. The book is an eye-opening call for community healing and a profound coming-of-age story.

Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb Scholastic

Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural. Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown — just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger — and far more dangerous. At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood… and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust — especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.

Hear Ye Mortals by Yamile Saied Méndez Levine Querido

In 1976 Rosario, Argentina, brothers Daniel and Adrián Aguirre share a passion for music and a bond as best friends. However, under the authoritarian military government, artists and musicians are considered enemies of the state, even if they’re just teenagers playing at home. When one of their songs unexpectedly gains popularity on the radio, Daniel and Adrián, along with their band Río Babel—comprised of children of immigrants from Spain, Palestine, and Germany face a daunting choice. They must decide whether to pursue their dream of becoming musicians or to remain silent to protect their families. Ready to challenge the military regime, their resolve is tested when one of their own goes missing. This novel delves into the power of music in the fight for a better tomorrow, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate stories of courage, family, and the enduring spirit of resistance against a totalitarian regime.

Young World by Soman Chainani Random House Books for Young Readers

America is on the brink of collapse, and the youth have lost all faith in their leaders. As a pivotal election approaches, Benton Young, a high school senior trying to impress a girl, impulsively uploads a video, daring everyone to interfere with the vote and write him in for President. The video explodes online, igniting election chaos and a national revolt, until the Supreme Court intervenes to put Benton in the White House. Galvanized by Benton’s rise, more global youth take to the streets, and more governments fall, until eight of the world’s most powerful nations are led by teenagers. When these young leaders convene at their first summit in Sweden, they face the monumental task of setting a new course for history. But the first night, their unity is shattered when a leader is murdered in cold blood . . . and Benton is the only suspect. Hunted by enemies young and old, he must untangle a deadly web of secrets, betrayal, and power plays—while the future of the world hangs in the balance. With globe-spanning action, stunning twists, and an electric new brand of storytelling, Young World is a heart-stopping thriller that asks: What happens when the future really does belong to the young?

The Beckett Effect by Nashae Jones Simon Pulse

There’s no one Wren hates more than Beckett Lane. Girls love Beckett because of his famous dad, and Beckett revels in the unearned attention. It seems like everyone except Wren is susceptible to the Beckett Effect—the phenomenon that makes people, most of all teen girls, fall for him despite his glaring red flags. Unfortunately for Wren, her sister, Kennedy, is vulnerable to Beckett’s charms, and she has a huge, misguided crush on him. When Beckett humiliates Kennedy at a party in front of the entire school, Wren swears to bring him down once and for all. And what better way to expose him than by using her passion for filmmaking to create a documentary showing just how terrible he really is? But as Wren cozies up to Beckett to get (hopefully damning) inside information, she starts to wonder if the line between love and hate is as clear as she thought…

Like We Were in Paris by Stephan Lee Scholastic Press

Ben Lim is so excited for his French Club’s trip to the most romantic city in the world: Paris. Ben’s even made a to-do list of all the things he wants to accomplish, like see the Mona Lisa IRL and read a book in a sophisticated cafe. Also, Ben’s parents honeymooned in Paris, and being there will help Ben connect more to the memory of his late dad. But things go wrong the first night when Ben misses curfew and finds himself locked out of the youth hostel…until morning. Also locked out? Tyler Travers, the most popular and handsome boy in school. Who, oh yeah, happens to be Ben’s former friend and current nemesis. Ben cannot deal with Tyler’s entitled-jock attitude. But now that they’re thrown together, the two of them end up roaming around Paris and stumbling upon some cool sights—like the glittering Eiffel Tower, a drag show in the Marais, and even a chance to “borrow” a moped. As their misadventures take them all across the city, Ben fights his growing attraction to Tyler, which was NEVER part of the plan. The two of them couldn’t be more different. Besides, Tyler doesn’t even remember that they were once friends. Right?

That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall Random House Books for Young Readers

For the world’s wealthiest, Kōpaʻa Island Resort is more than a destination. It’s the ultimate escape. With no cell service or Wi-Fi, the Hawaiian island is a coveted wellness retreat renowned for its persimmon orchard and promises of rejuvenation. But their dream vacation is Lehua’s nightmare. When her twin sister, Ohia, goes missing, Lehua follows her trail to Kōpaʻa to find her. Instead, Lehua is cut off from civilization—and help—after the island’s boat leaves without her, stranding her with the resort’s lavish guests and enigmatic staff. As Lehua investigates Ohia’s disappearance, she discovers her missing sister isn’t the island’s only mystery. Kōpaʻa’s rich exterior and sweet persimmons hide its dark plantation past. And Lehua can’t ignore the dreams haunting her each night—nor the warning telling her to leave the island at once. To uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island’s bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields—or risk being consumed by them. Sharply observed and gorgeously written, That Which Feeds Us explores the true cost of paradise as Lehua must fight to reclaim the land, the stories, and the very souls of her people.

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The Topic of Censorship in YA Stories

I truly wish we didn't have so many books available for this list, but since censorship is on the rise in the U.S., stories about it are also increasing here. A new one is coming later this month, Behind Five Willows, and the rest are already on shelves.

Behind Five Willows by June Hur (Coming May 19, 2026) Feiwel & Friends

As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it—especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible... if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.

As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.

When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple—along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly...

Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights edited by Ashley Hope Perez and illustrated by Debbie Fong Holiday House

Books are disappearing from shelves across the country. What does this mean for authors, illustrators, and—most crucially—for young readers?

This bold collection of fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres explores book bans through various lenses, and empowers teens to fight back. From moving personal accounts to clever comebacks aimed at censorship, fifteen legendary YA authors and illustrators confront the high-stakes question of what is lost when books are kept from teens.

Contributors include Elana K. Arnold, Nikki Grimes, Ellen Hopkins, Kelly Jensen, Brendan Kiely, Maia Kobabe, Bill Konigsberg, Kyle Lukoff, MariNaomi, Trung Lê Nguy?n, Ashley Hope Pérez, Isabel Quintero, Traci Sorell, Robin Stevenson, and Padma Venkatraman; the collection is a star-studded must-read that packs strength and power into every last word.

Striking illustrations from Ignatz-nominated artist Debbie Fong pair perfectly with the searing, impactful narrative. Resources include tips from the Vandegrift Banned Book Club and other teen activists, as well as extensive recommended book lists, a How to Start Your Own Little Free Library flier, and more.

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada, & Ko Hyung-Ju Iron Circus Comics [Crystal's Review] [Q&A with creators in comic format]

When Kim Hyun Sook started college in 1983 she was ready for her world to open up. After acing her exams and sort-of convincing her traditional mother that it was a good idea for a woman to go to college, she looked forward to soaking up the ideas of Western Literature far from the drudgery she was promised at her family’s restaurant. But literature class would prove to be just the start of a massive turning point, still focused on reading but with life-or-death stakes she never could have imagined.

This was during South Korea’s Fifth Republic, a military regime that entrenched its power through censorship, torture, and the murder of protestors. In this charged political climate, with Molotov cocktails flying and fellow students disappearing for hours and returning with bruises, Hyun Sook sought refuge in the comfort of books. When the handsome young editor of the school newspaper invited her to his reading group, she expected to pop into the cafeteria to talk about Moby Dick, Hamlet, and The Scarlet Letter. Instead she found herself hiding in a basement as the youngest member of an underground banned book club. And as Hyun Sook soon discovered, in a totalitarian regime, the delights of discovering great works of illicit literature are quickly overshadowed by fear and violence as the walls close in.

In BANNED BOOK CLUB, Hyun Sook shares a dramatic true story of political division, fear-mongering, anti-intellectualism, the death of democratic institutions, and the relentless rebellion of reading.

No Rules Tonight: A Graphic Novel by Kim Hyun Sook & Ryan Estrada [Song and video featuring scenes from the book] Penguin Workshop

From the creators of Banned Book Club comes a young adult graphic novel about unveiling secrets, confessing your crushes, and finding yourself: all in the mountains of South Korea on Christmas Eve.

It’s time for the annual winter camp at Anjeon University. A full weekend, deep in the mountains, with no parental supervision. But this is no ordinary getaway. It is 1980s South Korea, where political tensions are high and curfew is strict. Luckily, it’s the only night of the year when Koreans have no curfew, no obligations, and no rules. Christmas Eve.

In the snowy mountains, everyone has a different plan for their one night of freedom. Hyun Sook is trying to restart her banned book club but has to hide from a boy she suspects of being a spy. Taehee and Kiwoo are trying to build up the nerve to confess their feelings for one another, while Sujji pines after her crush, ready to risk it all and finally tell someone the secret she’s been hiding for her entire life.

Acclaimed creators Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada deliver a cinematic, hilarious, and heartfelt story about the universality of growing up, making friends, and falling in love.

Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit: A Graphic Novel by Kim Hyun Sook & Ryan Estrada Penguin Workshop [Book Trailer]

It’s almost Daeboreum in 1980s South Korea—a holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the year. Taehee couldn’t care less. All she wants is to spend time with her boyfriend Kiwoo, avoid her controlling father, and play music for her mask dance club. But Taehee’s weird granny and her even weirder friends have other plans for Taehee: they drag her, Kiwoo, and the rest of the dance club to their remote farm to celebrate Daeboreum…the old-fashioned way.

As the group arrives at the farm, Taehee overhears her granny talking about ceremonies, ghosts, and possibly (probably) sacrificing her friends to evil spirits. And if that’s not bad enough, Taehee just said those Three Little Words to Kiwoo that he can’t seem to say back. Meanwhile, her friends are running wild with secrets—ones they definitely don’t want the grannies to overhear. It seems like everyone is up to no good.

The first full moon of the year is about to arrive, and with it confessions that threaten to change everything. That is, of course, if they all make it out alive.

This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed Little, Brown & Company

After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation. But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors. Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?

Miles Morales: Suspended by Jason Reynolds Simon & Schuster

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. He has unexpectedly become totally obsessed with poetry and can never seem to do much more than babble around his crush. Nothing too weird. Oh! Except, just yesterday, he used his Spidey superpowers to save the world (no biggie) from an evil mastermind called The Warden. And the grand prize Miles gets for that is…

Suspension.

But what begins as a long boring day of in-school suspension is interrupted by a little bzzz in his mind. His Spidey Sense is telling him there’s something not quite right here, and soon he finds himself in a fierce battle with an insidious…termite?! His unexpected foe is hiding a secret, one that could lead to the destruction of the world’s history—especially Black and Brown history—and only Miles can stop him. Yeah, just a typical day in the life of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow Inkyard Press

Can a girl who risks her life for books and an Ilori who loves pop music work together to save humanity?

When a rebel librarian meets an Ilori commander…

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the death of one-third of the world’s population. Today, seventeen-year-old Ellie Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. All art, sou books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library.

When young Ilori commander Morris finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. But Morris isn’t a typical Ilori…and Ellie and her books might be the key to a desperate rebellion of his own.

Rebelwing by Andrea Tang Razorbill

Things just got weird for Prudence Wu.

One minute, she’s cashing in on a routine smuggling deal. The next, she’s escaping enforcers on the wings of what very much appears to be a sentient cybernetic dragon.

Pru is used to life throwing her some unpleasant surprises–she goes to prep school, after all, and selling banned media across the border in a country with a ruthless corporate government obviously has its risks. But a cybernetic dragon? That’s new.

She tries to forget about the fact that the only reason she’s not in jail is because some sort of robot saved her, and that she’s going to have to get a new side job now that enforcers are on to her. So she’s not exactly thrilled when Rebelwing shows up again.

Even worse, it’s become increasingly clear that the rogue machine has imprinted on her permanently, which means she’d better figure out this whole piloting-a-dragon thing–fast. Because Rebelwing just happens to be the ridiculously expensive weapon her government needs in a brewing war with its neighbor, and Pru’s the only one who can fly it.

Set in a wonderfully inventive near-future Washington, D.C., this hilarious, defiant debut sparkles with wit and wisdom, deftly exploring media consumption, personal freedoms, and the weight of one life as Pru, rather reluctantly, takes to the skies.

The Story of My Anger by Jasmine Mendez Dial Books [Audrey's Review]

Yulieta Lopez is angry. Angry at her racist drama teacher who refuses to cast Black students in lead roles. Angry at the school board threatening her favorite teacher for teaching works of literature that they deem “controversial.” Angry that she has to keep quiet until she can head to college and leave Texas forever.

Yuli is accustomed to playing various roles: the diligent daughter, the honorable hija, the good girl who serves everyone else before serving herself. But as the fire of Yuli’s rage spreads and lights her up, she can no longer be silent. Determined to find a way to fight back, Yuli and her friends start a guerrilla theatre club which stirs things up and gets people talking, and finally, Yuli steps into the role she was always meant to play.

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We found two books to close out April. Are they on your TBR list?

Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic by Patricia Park Crown Books for Young Readers

They say Hollywood is like high school, and has-been child actor Ambrosia Lee feels like she’s at the bottom of the social ladder. Her acting career peaked at the age of eleven— then she was unceremoniously fired from her big break due to her weight.

Now after years of rejections and backstabbing auditions, teenage Ambrosia turns to stand-up to speak her truth. It’s the perfect way to rant about everything that’s been bothering her: divorced parents dynamics, Asian stereotypes, and Hollywood drama. It also doesn’t hurt that a cute boy is helping her learn the ropes of a comedy routine.

It’s all laughs…but comedy clubs can be just as toxic as the Hollywood complex she always mocks.

Can Ambrosia be her true self both on and off the mic?

Sweet Clarity by Rhiannon Richardson Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Clarity Jones has her first kiss with Hannah Fitzpatrick while away at Christian summer camp. Though it wasn’t like her to be so impulsive, realizing she’s gay slid a missing piece of her identity into place and was the most freeing experience of her life. However, Clarity’s self-discovery turns to disaster when she and Hannah are found together—and she gets a glimpse of how the truth can turn her life upside down.

Now that she’s home, Clarity vows to do whatever it takes to keep her secret from her Baptist parents and not lose any more friends. Only this goal becomes increasingly complicated as Clarity must choose between who she been pretending to be and who she really is.

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Book Review: She Drinks the Light

Title: She Drinks the Light

Author: Yasmin Angoe 

Genres:  Supernatural 

Pages: 336 

Publisher: Fewer & Friends 

Review Copy: Purchased

Availability: Available Now

Summary: Addae has spent her whole life on the Golden Isle, a private island off the coast of South Carolina that has been in her family for centuries. Island residents don’t really fraternize with mainlanders, and for good reason. Golden Isle was founded by the Kinfolk, descendants—including Addae and her Nana Ama, the island matriarch—of escaped enslaved Black people.

But the Isle and the Kinfolk have secrets that must be protected from the outside world. Secrets of spirituality, mythology that are deeply rooted in their West African culture, beliefs, and traditions. The Kin are bound to protect the Golden Isle and, in turn, it protects them.

When Addae’s best friend Naria goes missing and one of the Kin turns up drained of blood, Addae's way of life is threatened. It looks like the work of the Adze, West African supernatural beings that drink human blood in order to survive—also known as vampires.

Believing Naira is alive, Addae travels to the mainland. But as Addae gets closer to finding Naria, she uncovers deep secrets about Nana Ama’s past, and about her own… secrets that could change how she feels about the Golden Isle and her lineage.

Torn between two worlds, Addae will have to decide how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to save her best friend, and even herself.

Review: Yasmin Angoe has been a writer of adult thrillers and She Drinks the Light is her first YA novel and it is an interesting one. As a lover of vampires, I was pulled by the premise of the novel that incorporated West African mythology and I expected a unique and fresh take on the vampire trope. I was not disappointed. The novel did start off slow as Angoe worked to develop the world of the story, pulling the reader into the mystery. I struggled a bit here but once the story got truly moving and all sorts of secrets were revealed I was all in. And, you know I love plot twists, this one had a great one. It really added to Angoe’s unique take on vampires and really pulled me more into the story. 

At the heart of the story is Addae who is on the cusp of adulthood as she is graduating from high school at the beginning of the novel. She is not sure what she wants to do with her life because she knows she is tied to the Golden Isle as the granddaughter of the island’s matriarch. Addae’s grandmother is slowly training her for the future but Addae is unsure if she is truly worthy of following in her grandmother’s footsteps. And I get it as Nana Ama comes across as the wise old sage who is the epitome of wisdom and Addae constantly questions whether she is doing the right thing. Addae sometimes comes across as unlikeable as she is singularly focused on her needs which sets her against her bestie Naira, who has decided she wants to go to college off the island and travel the world. Of course when Naira goes missing Addae, upset that her last words to her best friend were in anger, decides to take it upon herself to find her friend. This bring Addae out of her comfort zone and let’s her begin to get answers to questions she’s always had but to also discover her own strengths. She has to learn to trust her gut, which she sometimes gets wrong, but she also begins to tap into her own power, both literally and metaphorically. I started off annoyed with Addae a bit at the beginning but by the end I was proud of her growth and truly felt for her. Addae’s world is truly upended by what she learns from her Nana Ama and through her experiences with learning to trust the world outside the Golden Isle. 

While this novel is a complete story, I do feel like there could be companion novels or a series made from it as the world the Angoe created is compelling and I would love to either read more stories or visit Addae through some adventures. I feel like Angoe captured the young adult experience really well and I look forward to what she has in store for the future. 

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New & Recent Releases

Here are three books we are watching for this week and a few that we missed earlier this month. 

April 21st

Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian First Second

Lily isn’t sure where home is anymore. Her family is constantly on the move, resettling in different towns across Canada and, eventually, in Shanghai, China. Her father plays the role of primary caregiver while her mother is absent for long periods of time. When she reappears, her strange behavior turns Lily’s life upside down. As Lily enters her college years, she strives to better understand her family and her place in the world. But can she escape the inherited trauma passed down by her immigrant parents?

Gods & Comics by Kat Cho Nancy Paulsen Books

Seventeen-year-old junior class vice president Grace Bak has her entire future all mapped out with plans to become a doctor like her parents. But the weight of Grace’s own daunting expectations leads to debilitating panic attacks that have made her a virtual outcast at school, even to her longtime friend and crush. To make matters worse, her grandmother and only real support system has just died. Halmeoni was the glue that kept Grace’s little family together, especially after she and her dad lost her mother to cancer when Grace was too little to have many memories of her. To cope with the grief of another loss, Grace starts a webcomic inspired by the Korean myths her halmeoni used to tell her as a child.

In Sun God, Grace spins the tale of Korean god Haemosu and his love Yuhwa, but with a twist—the two gods are trapped in the bodies of teenagers and, worst of all, cursed to attend high school. Grace never expected her comic to go viral, but it has, and the new fandom has somehow conjured the real Haemosu. Now it’s up to Grace to get him back home. But when she starts to fall for Hae, sending him home is the last thing she wants to do. More troubling, Hae isn’t the only god to suddenly reappear. Hae’s sworn enemy—also brought back to the mortal realm by Grace’s comic—is set on destroying Hae, all while infecting humanity with a deadly disease.

As an epic battle between gods looms, Hae is without his powers, so it may fall to Grace to fight back against a vengeful god hell-bent on punishing anyone who gets in his way.

Morbid Curiosities by S. Hati Feiwel & Friends

When the Institute’s invitation arrived at my doorstep, it felt like it had been inked in my blood, sweat, and tears.

Aarya’s life plan has been set for as long as she can remember: finish high school with a bang, attend the best college she can get into, then land a prestigious biology research job. Her ticket to this dream is a one-year program at the Elizabethan Institute, the preeminent organization for life sciences in the United States, currently on the cusp of revealing a major project that could transform the worlds of biology and medicine.

But as Aarya tries to settle in to a school with sky-high academic expectations and research cloaked in mystery, it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her there. As the scholarship student surrounded by rich, cutthroat peers who seem all too willing to torment her, she never expected to make friends, but the notes warning her to run rattle her to her core. She finds an ally in Sofia, a mysterious girl who claims to be the subject of closed-door experiments at the Institute and begs for Aarya’s help in figuring out what the Institute is really working on.

As rumors of mutated flora and fauna in the nearby city circulate and a murder investigation rocks the Institute, Aarya will have to navigate Sofia’s growing paranoia and her own increasingly unreliable memory to determine which classmates she can trust—and which would rather see her dead.

A Few We Missed Earlier This Month--

Seyoon and Dean by Sujin Weatherspoon Hachette (April 7)

Winning is Seyoon Shin’s middle name. Okay, it’s not, but she is a winner—despite what her critical dad says. Dean Parker, on the other hand, isn’t beating anyone to the finish line. His strengths are more brain, less brawn.

When Evergreen Expedition—a wilderness game show with an eccentric host and a cult following—announces a reboot, they both jump at the chance to win the prize. Seyoon’s competitiveness fuels a fire in Dean he’s never felt before, and his hunger to prove himself rivals hers.

To get to the finals, they realize they need each other. Seyoon and Dean form an alliance, which the opportunistic producers are quick to frame as romantic. The rivals-to-lovers angle is good for views and intimidating the competition, but their chemistry is just for show . . . right?

As the lines blur between friendship and romance, reality and reality TV, Seyoon and Dean can’t ignore that the finale is fast approaching—and that only one of them can win.

When It's Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri

Head Of Zeus - Zehpyr (April 7)

When her Mama drops a bombshell, Chiante's world shatters. In Zimbabwe, bloodlines matter, so when Chiante discovers her Baba is not the man she thought he was, she flees. Seeking refuge in a secluded corner of Mutare with her feisty, stylish grandmother, Chiante finds solace in a sisterhood forged by bonds of war. This close-knit community of elders and ex-combatants are living their best lives: singing, dancing, drinking and running a successful fashion-upcycling business. But at the heart of their carefully-built world are secrets no one can give voice to.

As Chiante pieces together the puzzle of her family’s past, she wrestles with how sorrow seeps down the generations, and how hope survives all, obliging us to step up and live life to the full.

Afterlands by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 14)

Infinity has changed. Victory and Famine lie in ruins, while Ozias—previously the leader of the fight against the AI Residents who subjugated humans—has overthrown Death. And the boy that Nami unreservedly gave her heart to has been dragged back to the Capital to have his memory erased. In a shifting landscape of alliances, Nami doesn’t know who she can trust—she only knows it’s her mistakes that have driven them to today.

With few allies and even fewer friends, Nami sets off one final time to prove that a bridge between humans and Residents really is possible…before the shadows of the past destroy any chance of a better future.

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New Releases

A nice variety of new releases that will appeal to everyone this week and one we missed last week. Which will you add to your list? And remember, you can always get these new titles from the library. 

April 7th Release

To Steal a Throne by Gabi Burton Bloomsbury

Her magic feeds on lies. His magic could destroy her. Mira Kyler runs the court of Virdei from the shadows. Ever since she helped her half-brother Luc cheat his way into the role of Virdei’s leader, she’s used her lie-powered magic to collect secrets from members of court, then used them as blackmail to keep her brother in power. But when newcomer Kaidren Vale shows up and challenges Luc’s leadership, he threatens the stability Mira has worked so hard for. Kaidren also has magic-magic that can detect the precise nature of someone else’s power with a single touch. If Kaidren so much as brushes against her, everyone will discover that Mira is the one who’s been manipulating the court for years. As Kaidren and Luc compete in three deadly challenges called The Trials, Mira realizes that no matter who wins, she’ll be stuck serving a mediocre man who doesn’t deserve to be in charge. She’s done hiding in the shadows. She wants power of her own. To get it, she’ll have to betray both her own brother and Kaidren-but the fiercer the competition gets, the more Mira realizes that the one boy who could destroy everything is the one boy she might not be able to resist.

Click below for this week's new releases.

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince. But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body. In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

I Could Give You the Moon by Ann Liang HarperTeen 

Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin. While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other. Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage. But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save her reputation, she’s going to have to let Ares get to know the real her—and risk real feelings.

Summer Official by Rebekah Wetherspoon 

(G.P. Putnam and Sons) Opposites attract in this contemporary, sweet, sapphic romance about two girls who reluctantly come together for a summer challenge. Heaven and Saylor could not be more different. Saylor is bubbly, popular, athletic, and always partnered up. Heaven is grumpy and artistic, prefers her skateboard to people, and has never dated anyone. So no one would believe they’d agree to spend the entire summer together. Yet, that’s exactly what happened. When Saylor Ford breaks her arm at Basketball camp, distracted by her mom’s internet fame discussing Saylor’s newfound sexuality, she becomes determined not to spend the summer stuck at home with the woman. Her one saving grace is a girl she’s pretty sure can’t stand her but that she finds absolutely irresistible. Heaven Goo-Campbell. Thankfully, Heaven is willing to let Saylor in on her Summer Bingo challenge, but for a price. Saylor has to help Heaven establish a social media page showcasing her art for her future career as a tattoo artist. They didn’t plan on the intimacy of spending each day together and the deepening feelings that followed. Soon, they become something more than a shared project. But can the girls even have a future together when Saylor is wary of bringing their relationship out into the light—too afraid that her mom’s status as a popular influencer will give Saylor and timid Heaven more attention than they can handle?

Forgive-Me-Not by Mari Costa

First Second Books

A queer, YA fantasy romance adventure that follows the “enemies to lovers” journey of a lost princess and a changeling who was made to take the heir’s place as part of a fey scheme. On the eve of her 18 th birthday, a blithely happy princess named Aisling is confronted by a hardscabble teenage rogue named Forgive-Me-Not. Aisling quickly learns a few hard truths: she’s not the biological daughter of the king and queen. She’s not the heir to the throne. She’s not even human. Aisling was a changeling, switched at birth as part of a fey scheme and power play. Forgive-Me-Not, the true heir, was raised in the faerie world where she was toyed with and mistreated for much of her life. This kicks off a long and arduous journey in which the two realize both how different their lives are, and how their different lives put them into a place where they can help each other and see each other in ways no one else can.

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Review: Few Blue Skies by Carolina Ixta Quill Tree Books

Publisher summary: Paloma Vistamontes is heartbroken. A year ago, her ex-boyfriend, Julio Ramos, broke up with her after his father’s death, a tragedy that drove Paloma and him apart. Ever since then, the mountains have felt flatter, the sky farther away.

Now, her hometown of San Fermín, a place where honest people work on farms and in factories, is in danger. Selva, a massive e-commerce conglomerate, threatens to open one of their warehouses beside her high school.

This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. Since Selva arrived, they’ve opened warehouses everywhere where there used to be green spaces. Because of them, the air pollution is so bad that school is often canceled. Many people, including Paloma’s ever-practical Ma, want to leave.

But Paloma wants nothing more than to stay. Because when the smog clears, there is still hope. That hope drives Paloma to reconnect with Julio to expose and challenge the dangers that Selva introduces to communities like their own. Can they stop Selva from destroying everything they know? Is there still a chance for their budding romance?

My Thoughts: The cover on this one (designed by Jenna Stempel-Lobell) does get the message across. There are fewer and fewer blue skies in Paloma's community and more and more air pollution. There is also a great quote from Tiffany Jewell that I found accurate, "Will break your heart and fill you with hope at the same time."

This is one of those truly realistic books that does not sugar-coat things. The relationships are messy and people do what they think is their best in difficult situations. Sometimes the heartbreak comes from outside forces and sometimes it's from within, but there certainly is plenty to go around.

Every main character is showing love, but not always in the ways that their loved ones understand or appreciate. They truly are making decisions based on what they believe to be the best course of action, but that's only from their own perspective. That's what makes this so heartbreaking. Paloma and the friends and family around her don't behave maliciously and yet they sometimes appear to be betraying the ones they love.

Beyond the relationships, this is a book very much about finding ways to make a difference without ignoring or hiding the frustrations and realities of trying to make choices that align with your values. There's a lot going on in this story and it made me think of how without change, Cindy Pon's near-future sci-fi Want could become our reality. While this book doesn't have a neat, tidy, Disney ending, it does offer hope and the thorough Author's Note and Bibliography provide a lot of guidance and resources for people who want to know more and want to take action.

On a side note, I have been to rodeos, but have not gone to a jaripeo. This book gave me a small glimpse into them and of course I went down a rabbit hole on the internet then watching videos.

Recommendation: Get it soon particularly if you are interested in the environment or enjoy contemporary realistic fiction. Ixta shares a lot of information within a very engaging narrative around family and relationships and may help readers see ways in which they can work towards change in their communities.

Pages: 384 Review copy: Purchased Availability: On shelves now Extras: Teaching Guide Conversation with Author via SLAM Other Nature Related YA Titles

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It's Poetry Month! Celebrating Books in Verse

April is National Poetry Month and we thought it would be great to highlight a few books the get to the heart of teens through poetry. We have some novels by some of our favorite poets and some debuts. Check out our list and see which ones you missed and need to add to your TBR pile. 

King of the Neuro Verse By Idris Goodwin

For the third summer in a row, Pernell is back in the classroom, facing the same struggles that have always made school seem more like a battlefield than a place of learning. This summer is different, though: he’s battling to become the Cypher King, leader of the lunchroom’s impromptu rap circles. Here, the rhythm flows and the words fly, creating a space where the wittiest and most rhythmically inclined reign supreme. Here, Pernell’s ADHD gives him an edge. But life outside the cypher isn’t as forgiving. Pernell’s English teacher has it out for him. His parents are pressuring him to see a doctor for his lack of focus. And Electra, his friend-slash-crush and the only one who truly gets him, is too busy chasing her dream internship to give him the time of day. If Pernell doesn’t pull himself together, he won’t just lose the title of Cypher King—he’ll lose his chance to graduate high school. In a world where the systems are turned against kids like him, Pernell needs to find a way to succeed with his ADHD, rather than in spite of it.

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mahogany L. Browne

In New York City, teens, their families, and their communities feel the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the fear and loss, these teens and the adults around them persevere with love and hope while living in difficult. Malachi writes an Armageddon short story inspired by his pandemic reality.Tariq helps their ailing grandmother survive during quarantine.Zamira struggles with depression and loneliness after losing her parents.Mohamed tries to help keep his community spirit alive.A social worker reflects on the ways the foster system fails their children. From award-winning author Mahogany L. Browne comes a poignant collection of interconnected prose, poems, and lists about the humanity and resilience of New Yorkers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Story of My Anger by Jasminne Mendez

Yulieta Lopez is angry. Angry at her racist drama teacher who refuses to cast Black students in lead roles. Angry at the school board threatening her favorite teacher for teaching works of literature that they deem “controversial.” Angry that she has to keep quiet until she can head to college and leave Texas forever. Yuli is accustomed to playing various roles: the diligent daughter, the honorable hija, the good girl who serves everyone else before serving herself. But as the fire of Yuli's rage spreads and lights her up, she can no longer be silent. Determined to find a way to fight back, Yuli and her friends start a guerilla theatre club which stirs things up and gets people talking, and finally, Yuli steps into the role she was always meant to play.

Island Creatures by Margarita Engle 

Vida misses her best friend Adán now that she’s no longer living in Cuba. She finds a lot of solace in volunteering at a local wildlife rescue center, and she’s been working hard to establish her new life in Florida. What Vida doesn’t know is Adán is in Florida, too. The transition for him has been extremely difficult, especially as he witnesses several major fights between his abuelo and papi. Vida and Adán reconnect by accident, and the feelings that never quite settled in Cuba are reignited. But as much as they’re finding a lot of joy and companionship working together, there are many things that stand between the two of them fully opening up to and trusting one another.

Estela, Undrowning by René Peña-Govea 

Estela Morales is one of the only Latinas who tested into San Francisco’s most exclusive public high school. In her senior year, Estela just wants to keep her head down, eke out a passing grade from her racist Spanish teacher, and get into her dream college.  But after placing second in the Latiné Heritage Poetry Contest behind a non-Latino student, Estela is thrust into citywide debates about merit, identity, and diversity. Things only get messier when her family is threatened with eviction. As Estela’s friends organize against bigotry and her landlady increases the pressure, Estela is suffocating and finds release only in poetry and in a breathless new romance. When tensions finally reach their breaking point, Estela must find a way to undrown the community she loves—and herself.