Artifacts of an Ex

Artifacts of an Ex

by Jennifer Chen

Wednesday Books, 2023. 277 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Sixteen-year-old Chloe and her family move from New York to Los Angeles to be with her Taiwanese grandmother who has dementia. Shortly thereafter, Chloe’s boyfriend Jake dumps her by sending her a breakup box full of things from their relationship. Chloe takes her heartbreak and curates a collaborative art exhibit inspired by other teens’ break ups. Then she meets the amazing teen filmmaker Daniel with whom she feels an instant connection. But Chloe's unresolved feelings from her former relationship and Daniel's fear of being a rebound (for the sixth time) hinder their romantic prospects and leads Chloe on a journey to rediscover love and prove to Daniel she is ready for a genuine connection.

This is a richly detailed, engaging debut that is really a love letter to Los Angeles and multi-generational families, and not just a delightful teen romance.  The city is a character all itself. There is really strong sense of place. Chloe’s talent at curating is an interesting layer in this multi-layered story. I love how she sees where the light falls, how spaces flow, and how objects relate to one another. I was also deeply touched by the family drama that was going on in the background of the story. Chloe and her parents love her Ammah (grandmother) fiercely and try to help her as she descends in to dementia. And, of course, there is the uncertain new love that Chloe and Danial must navigate in teenager fashion—full of insecurity and angst. This book is for you if you love Jenny Han’s To All the Boys series.

If you liked Artifacts of an Ex, you may also like:

Once Upon a K-Prom

by Kat Cho

Hyperion, 2022. 329 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Instead of going to prom, seventeen-year-old Elena Soo wants to spend her time saving the local community center, and she is determined to keep her priorities straight even when her childhood best friend--who is now a K-pop superstar--returns to make good on their old pact to go to prom together.

This Time It’s Real

by Ann Liang

Scholastic Press, 2023. 337 pages. Young Adult Fiction

When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin's entirely fictional essay about meeting her perfect boyfriend goes viral at her international school in Beijing, she has to make a deal with the handsome and charming Caz Song to play the part--but when the relationship starts to feel real all her career plans are suddenly threatened.

XOXO

by Axie Oh

Harper Teen, 2021. 337 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Cello prodigy Jenny's goal is to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets Jaewoo in her uncle's Los Angeles karaoke bar, it's clear he is the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. In a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure-- before he disappears without a word. Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she is shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she's enrolled for the semester. He is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world-- and he is strictly forbidden from dating. Just how much is Jenny willing to risk for love?

AG

Queen Bee: An Anti-historical Regency Romp

 

Queen Bee: An Anti-historical Regency Romp

by Amalie Howard

Joy Revolution, 2023. 352 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever changed--when her best friend, Poppy, betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. She was sent away in disgrace, her reputation ruined. Nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with bitterness and a desire for . . . revenge. Her enemy is quickly joining the crème de la crème of high society while she withers away in the English countryside. With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London's elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she's ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire. In this complicated game of real-life chess, Ela must choose her next move: Finally bring down the queen or capture the king's heart?

 This fast-paced, character-driven historical romance is for all those fans of Regency Era novels, The Count of Monte Cristo, and shows like Bridgerton. Prepare for witty banter, revenge, betrayal, bite-your-hand romance, and diverse characters. In fact, Howard includes minute details about characters that reveal that most of them are BIPOC, only the evil Poppy is white. I think this is what is meant by anti-historical.  Most of these characters would not have the opportunities and affluence during this time period. I appreciate that Howard reveals these details through lush descriptions instead of just saying that Ela is East Asian. It is not heavy handed and done with such wit that readers feel like they are sharing a delicious secret with the author. Those who like anachronistic period pieces, like The Lady Janies books, will enjoy this romp immensely. 

If you liked Queen Bee, you might also like:

Sixteen Scandals

by Sophie Jordan

Houghton Mifflin, 2021. 235 pages. Young Adult Fiction

The youngest of four daughters, Primrose Ainsworth is used to getting lost in the shuffle. But when her parents decide to delay her debut into English society, Prim hatches a plan to go rogue on the night of her sixteenth birthday.

 

Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute

by Sayantani DasGupta

Scholastic Press, 2023. 306 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Teenage sisters Eila and Mallika Das are attending a summer camp where the campers are trying out for minor parts in a romance/detective television show set in Regency times--but when Eila meets the handsome Rahul it is clear that there is plenty of drama to be had outside of the screenplay.

Emily Wilde's Enclyclopaedia of Faeries

 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

by Heather Fawcett

Del Rey, 2023. 317 pages. Science Fiction

In the early 1900s, a curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town to study faerie folklore, where she discovers dark Fae magic, friendship, and love. Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on dryadology, the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--much less get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog Shadow, and the Fair Folk to that of friends or lovers. So, when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hransvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: the dashing and insufferably handsome Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of her research, and utterly confound and frustrate Emily. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.

This was a delightful and sometimes eerily scary read.  Faeries are not to be messed with unless you know what you are doing. And such a person is Emily Wilde. The story is in first person with footnotes just like those in any field study; they are little gems of information that will help the reader understand the import of the study. I can’t help but switch into “Emily speak” in describing this book. She has such a strong voice and is incurably flawed and clueless while being exceptionally intelligent. The world building is compelling. The faeries and locales are lushly described and begin to feel almost lyrical, like the Fae magic is taking over the story. It is so much fun!

If you like Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you might also like:

 A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent

by Marie Brennan

Tor, 2013. 334 pages. Science Fiction

Isabella, Lady Trent, known as the world's preeminent dragon naturalist, writes her memoir detailing how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic dragon discoveries that would change the world forever.

A Discovery of Witches

by Deborah Harkness

Viking, 2011. 579 pages. Science Fiction

Witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont. The orphaned daughter of two powerful witches, Bishop prefers intellect, but relies on magic when her discovery of a palimpsest documenting the origin of supernatural species releases an assortment of undead who threaten, stalk, and harass her.

The Starless Sea

by Erin Morgenstern

Doubleday, 2019. 498 pages. Science Fiction

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a rare book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues--a bee, a key, and a sword--that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to a subterranean library, hidden far below the surface of the earth ... Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a beautiful barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly-soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose--in both the rare book and in his own life.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern

When You Wish Upon A Lantern

By Gloria Chao

Viking, 2023. 340 pages. Young Adult

Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding of All Time--and they haven't spoken since. Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help. While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship--and maybe more. But when their feuding families and changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?

This amusing “falling for a friend’ rom com has well-crafted dialogue and a strong sense of place. Each chapter is from either Liya’s or Kai’s point of view. From the very beginning it is clear that these two have fallen for each other. But can they get past The Biggest Misunderstanding of All Time? It was such a pleasure to watch this story unfold. 

 If you like When You Wish Upon A Lantern, you might also like:

A Phỏ Love Story

By Loan Le

Simon and Schuster, 2021. 406 pages. Young Adult

 High school seniors Bảo and Linh, whose feuding families own competing Vietnamese restaurants, conceal their budding romance, as well as Linh's desire to become an artist.

 

Fake Dates and Mooncakes

By Sher Lee

Random House, 2023. 264 pages. Young Adult

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs--in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt's struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan's stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons. In Theo's glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo's relatives reveal their true colors--but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can't risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems. Can Dylan save his family's business and follow his heart--or will he fail to do both?

AG

A Whole Song and Dance

A Whole Song and Dance

by Sarvenaz Tash

Hyperion, 2023. 295 pages. Young Adult

Nasrin Mahdavi, an Iranian-American college freshman is a triple threat on Broadway—but she’s living a double life. It's her first semester majoring in musical theater at NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, and Nasrin spends her days prepping for auditions, sweating through dance classes, and belting her heart out for the viral streaming show she's been cast in. But on calls with her maman and baba, she's the golden child who put her theater dreams aside to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps as a business major. At least her whole life isn't a lie—she is taking a single business course. Except she's kind of failing it. Nasrin needs to bring her grade up fast if she's going to keep her parents in the dark, so she grudgingly signs up for tutoring with the infuriatingly smug and annoyingly attractive Max. And yet . . . as the semester rushes by, the sparks of anger that first flew between them start to turn into a very different kind of spark. The kind she definitely does not have time for. Except when Nasrin's charmingly devious cousin takes an interest in Max too, Nasrin has to figure out exactly what has been an act, and what's for real. Can Nasrin decide what-and who-is truly worth fighting for, and find a way to step into the spotlight as her full self?

As a former drama kid, myself, this book sang to me. It is engaging and character driven. Tash’s writing is packed with allusions to Broadway musicals. The love story is “hating to dating” with all the fun twists and turns that attraction can take. But more than the cute love story, this is a story about having big dreams.  Nasrin’s life is a mixture of dreams of fame and the American dream. Her parents really care about her and she really cares about them; her decisions are based on projections of how she thinks they feel. Will she be able to please her parents and also please herself?  Sarah Dessen meets Abigail Hing Wen in this heartwarming romantic comedy.

If you like A Whole Song and Dance, you might also like:

When You Get the Chance

by Emma Lord

Wednesday Books, 2023. 308 pages. Young Adult

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price's dream of becoming a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super introverted dad, who raised Millie alone since she was a baby. Not her drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not her "Millie Moods" the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm. Millie needs an ally. And when an accidentally left-open browser brings Millie to her dad's embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do--find her mom. But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go lookin for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you've had all along?

The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom

by Alison L. Blitz

A bright and fun fat-positive YA novel about learning how to express yourself when what has always defined you is no longer and option. Bridget Bloom's out-of-this world voice is the perfect fit for center stage. When Bridget is admitted to Richard James Academy, a college prep boarding school with a prestigious music program--where heartthrob Duke Ericson attends--all her dreams are on track to come true: leave the hometown where she's never belonged, fall in love, and launch her Broadway career. But upon arriving at the academy, she learns that due to her low music theory scores, she's not eligible to perform or earn the sponsorship she needs to afford tuition. Worst of all, Dean of Students Octavia Lawless, the one person with the power to reverse the decision, challenges her to work on her humility . . . by not singing at all. Without her voice, Bridget will have to get out of her comfort zone and find a new way to shine. Good thing she's unstoppable! 

AG

Hot Dutch Daydream

 

Hot Dutch Daydream

by Kristy Boyce

Harper Teen, 2023. 290 pages. Young Adult Fiction

No one has ever accused Sage Cunningham of being easily distracted. She has a plan, and she won't be swayed. She'll spend the summer interning in her mentor's lab in Amsterdam, and then she'll be ready for college. All she needs to do to pay for the summer abroad is agree to serve as the au pair for Dr. Reese's three-year-old. Sage has it all down to a science, but she doesn't anticipate the surprise arrival of Dr. Reese's teenage son. Ryland is spontaneous, flirty, and impulsive--everything Sage isn't. He's a talented artist, but he's desperately in need of someone to keep him focused. And as nannying proves harder than Sage had expected, it turns out she might need help too. The two strike a deal. Sage will stop Ryland from going out with a different girl every day, and Ryland will pitch in with his little brother. Spending the summer stuck together is the perfect way to keep distractions to a minimum. Right?

This feel-good novel is much more than your basic teen Rom Com. It is an atmospheric love letter to the city of Amsterdam. Sage is not a boy-crazy girl searching for romance. She is thoughtful and driven, doing cancer research that helps her come to terms with her own father’s lost battle to the disease. Ryland is not a party animal, but a sensitive artist trying to build his artist’s portfolio. This is a really interesting take on the teen romance trope of the girl who doesn’t believe in or have time for love. I highly recommend it. 

If you like Hot Dutch Daydream, you might also like:

¡Viva Lola Espinoza!

by Ella Cerón

Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023. 392 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Book smart teen Lola's summer plans are derailed when she is sent to live with her Grandmother in Mexico City and learns a family secret that changes her life forever.

Picture Perfect Boyfriend

by Becky Dean

Delacorte Press, 2023. 361 pages. Young Adult Fiction

A girl who created a fake boyfriend to impress her family is shocked when the fictional boy shows up on her family vacation to Hawaii.

 

AG

I'm Not Charlotte Lucas

 I’m not Charlotte Lucas

by Kasey Stockton

Covenant Communications, 2023. 224 pages. Romance

Northern California girl Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas has two great loves: Diet Coke and Pride and Prejudice. But her passion for Regency classics is tempered by a very real fear: Charlie is terrified of having to endure the fate of her namesake--spinsterhood. Despite her best attempts to maintain a modern sensibility, she can't say no when an elderly neighbor asks Charlie to attend a charity ball with her grandson. Blind date or not, Charlie is powerless to resist the allure of a real-life ball. Soon it's clear that she will struggle to resist the charms of her blind date too. Liam Connell is every bit the swoon-worthy leading man, straight out of Charlie's daydreams. But he's completely unattainable--his last girlfriend was a gorgeous actress and a far cry from Charlie's world. So, after a magical evening with Liam, Charlie is ready to get back to reality, even if her best option right now is a former boyfriend who wants to give it another shot. Unfortunately, despite imagining she'll never see Liam again, he seems to be everywhere. How is a lady to move past a fantasy when life suddenly seems to be imitating fiction to an alarming degree?

This is a super-cute, clean romance. Charlie has her share of insecurities, but she knows when things feel right and when they feel wrong. She follows her gut. Liam is not perfect. He has his own share of issues. What is great is how they work through these issues together. This open, honest communication is refreshing in a love story. There are some fun nods to Pride and Prejudice and some definite swoon-worthy moments and that makes this book a fun escape.

If you liked I’m Not Charlotte Lucas, you might also like:

Engaging Emma

by Elle M. Adams

Covenant Communications, 2022. 216 pages. Romance

As a successful doctor in Los Angeles, Tucker Madsen left his small-town roots behind long ago, trading his flannel shirts for a glossy lifestyle and a beautiful fiancée. But when his mother requests his help to sell the family farm, Tucker reluctantly returns to a place that holds more memories than he cares to admit. Normal, Missouri, was the site of the golden days of childhood--and the blush of first love. Tucker fell in love with Emma McAllister at seventeen, but when youthful promises of forever ended in heartbreak, he and Emma both moved on. Or so they thought. When they are unexpectedly reunited at the Madsen family farm, both are unprepared for the rush of feelings that brings into question everything they thought they knew. They could never have imagined that now, years after they were torn apart, fate would offer them a second chance in the place where it all began. But when faced with the realities of the separate lives they've built, history seems doomed to repeat itself.

Brides and Brothers: A Novel

by Anneka R. Walker

Covenant Communications, 2021. 275 pages. Romance

Camille Kelly is in real danger of becoming an old maid--at least by Cherish, Montana, standards. She has all but given up on finding Mr. Right--until her broken laptop leads her to Aiden Peterson, a tall, dark, and handsome computer genius. Camille would never have believed her magic moment was right around the corner, but after two whirlwind weeks, she has a ring on her finger and has happily ever after in sight. However, she soon discovers Aiden is part of a daunting package deal . . . As the eldest of seven brothers, Aiden has never had a problem living under the same roof as his rambunctious siblings. When he falls for Camille, he is confident she'll fit right into his family's already bursting home. He thought wrong. Aiden and Camille's storybook romance comes to a screeching halt when she discovers her new living situation. Not willing to submit to a life mothering a bunch of grown men, Camille has only one option: she embarks on a campaign to improve her new brothers-in-law and marry them off. And what better candidates for wives than her own best friends?

 

Nerdcrush

 Nerdcrush

by Alisha Emrich

Running Press Teens, 2023. 262 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Shy sixteen-year-old Ramona uses cosplay as a way to escape her shyness and feel seen, but when she emails her crush using her online persona, Rel, and he starts to fall for her, Ramona must decide whether to hide behind her character forever or take a chance and let her crush see the real her.

This is contemporary YA at its best. There is an interesting take on the love triangle, because Ramona's alter ego Rel becomes very present in the story. Ramona uses this alter ego as a shield at first, but then she feels like she is competing. With herself. The angst-filled back and forth between Ramona and Caleb is believable and the email banter that turns confessional between Rel and Caleb is poignant. This book takes the romance tropes and turns it into an opportunity to talk about social media, identity, and honesty.  This book is definitely for fans of Nicola Yoon and Kasie West. 

 

If you like Nerdcrush, you may like:

No Filter and Other Lies

by Crystal Maldonado

Holiday House, 2022. 326 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Twenty-one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, tons of followers on Instagram. Except it's all fake. Max is actually 17-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic, bisexual Puerto Rican teenager living in Bakersfield, California. While Kat's life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. When one of Max's posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she's been stealing photos from, her worlds-- real and fake-- comes crashing down. Can she figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she's created without hurting the people she loves? Or is already too late?

What Happened to Goodbye

by Sarah Dessen

Viking Childrens Books, 2011. 402 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Following her parents' bitter divorce as she and her father move from town to town, seventeen-year-old Mclean reinvents herself at each school she attends until she is no longer sure she knows who she is or where she belongs.

 

Happy Every Afters

by Elise Bryant

Balzer and Bray, 2021. 378 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She's rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she's a true leading lady is in her own writing--in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader. When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she's excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just ... gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she's ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa's stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming. But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline's list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about--including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She's well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?

AG

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

by Ashley Schumacher

Wednesday Books, 2023. 310 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Raised in the ren faire circuit, seventeen-year-old Madeline is grieving the loss of her mother when she meets Arthur, the son of the faire's new owners, who encourages her to go on adventures, take chances, and enjoy life.

Such a little summary for a book with big feels. I love Ashley Schumacher. She has written three books and I have devoured them all. They all deal with great big issues by focusing in on the smallest details. The banter is bright and chatty and creates an overall good feeling when you read it. In the story, Madeline not only deals with the death of her mother, she also deals with the crippling effects of grief that would keep her from making new friends, doing new things, and living her life. She also deals with body image issues and how women and men are often defined by how they look and not by their feelings and hopes and dreams. Schumacher pulls all of these different threads together by focusing on the relationships of Maddie and her dad, Maddie and Arthur, Arthur and his dads. It is a lovely tale.

If you liked The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, you might also like:

How Not to Fall in Love

by Jaqueline Firkins

Clarion Books, 2021. 329 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Harper works in her mom's wedding shop, altering dresses for petulant and picky brides who are more focused on hemlines than love. After years of watching squabbles break out over wedding plans, Harper thinks romance is a marketing tool. Nothing more. Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One date and he's already dreaming of happily-ever-afters. He also plays the accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped tree house, cries over rom-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very seriously. When Theo's shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time upholding her end of the bargain. She's also checking out her window to see if Theo's home from his latest date yet. She's even watching rom-coms. If she confesses her feelings, she'll undermine everything she's taught him. Or was he the one teaching her?

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

by Crystal Maldonado

Holiday House, 2021. 343 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

 A plus-sized Latina’s struggle to forge a healthy relationship with her own body is challenged by her mother’s insensitivity, her popular best friend and personal doubts about a new boyfriend’s ability to see her as she truly is.

Dumplin'

by Julia Murphy

Blazer + Bray, 2015. 375 pages.

Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.

AG

A Spindle Splintered

 ASpindle Splintered

by Alix Harrow

Tordotcom, 2021. 119 pages. Science Fiction.

It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no-one has lived past twenty-one. Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.

If you like fractured fairytales, this LGBTQIA+ friendly, snarky reframing of Sleeping Beauty is for you. The writing and wit are razor sharp. There are lots of nods to pop culture. I laughed out loud several times. The story line is character driven and does more than just follow the basic fairy tale outline. The world building and magic system are well thought out and compelling. This is a fun jaunt through a well-known fairy tale that shows that there is always more to the story.    

If you like A Spindle Splintered, you might also like:

Kill the Farm Boy

by Delilah S. Dawson

Del Rey, 2018. 364 pages. Science Fiction

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born … and so begins every fairy tale ever told. This is not that fairy tale. There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell. There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he's bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First there's the Dark Lord who wishes for the boy's untimely death … and also very fine cheese. Then there's a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar "happily ever after" that ever once-upon-a-timed

Briar Rose

by Jane Yolen

Tor Fantasy, 1992. 190 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Rebecca has always loved listening to her grandmother's stories about Briar Rose. However, the old woman's astonishing and hard-to-believe admission that she "is" Briar Rose sets Rebecca on an unforgettable path of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

Through the Woods

By Emily Carrol

Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014. 208 pages. Graphic Novel

Journey through the woods in this sinister, compellingly spooky collection that features four brand-new stories and one phenomenally popular tale in print for the first time. These are fairy tales gone seriously wrong, where you can travel to "Our Neighbor's House"--though coming back might be a problem. Or find yourself a young bride in a house that holds a terrible secret in "A Lady's Hands Are Cold." You might try to figure out what is haunting "My Friend Janna," or discover that your brother's fiancée may not be what she seems in "The Nesting Place." And of course, you must revisit the horror of "His Face All Red," the breakout webcomic hit that has been gorgeously translated to the printed page.

AG

You, Me, and Our Heartstrings

You, Me, and Our Heartstrings

by Melissa See

Scholastic Press, 2022. 303 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Seventeen-year-olds Daisy, a talented violinist with cerebral palsy, and Noah, a great cellist with severe anxiety, plan to use the holiday concert to land a Julliard audition, but when they are chosen to play a duet, they worry their differences will sink their chances.

What on the surface appears to be a sweet love story is actually a compelling story of two artists who must deal with major obstacles to make the art they love so much. Daisy and Noah both deal with hard things. Daisy must face a world of ableism because of her cerebral palsy, and Noah must get help for his anxiety before it crushes him. This character driven story is fast paced, easy to read, but not easy to stop thinking about. Each chapter is either from Daisy’s or Noah’s perspective. I loved having multiple perspectives because it created a series of cliff hangers throughout the story that kept me reading until well into the night.

If you like You, Me, and Our Heartstrings, you might also like:

Sick Kids in Love

by Hannah Moskowitz

Entangled Teen, 2019. 317 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Isabel has one rule: no dating. She's got issues. She's got secrets. She's got rheumatoid arthritis. But then she meets another sick kid. He's got a chronic illness Isabel's never heard of, something she can't even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who's a doctor. He's gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her.

 

Five Feet Apart

by Rachel Lippincot

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. 281 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Seventeen-year-olds Stella and Will, both suffering from cystic fibrosis, realize the only way to stay alive is to stay apart, but their love for each other is slowly pushing the boundaries of physical and emotional safety.

AG

Defy The Night

Defy the Night

by Brigid Kemmerer

Bloomsbury, 2021. 448 pages. Young Adult Fiction

The kingdom of Kandala is recovering from a devastating plague but the cure is rare and expensive. The patience of the people is wearing thin. Soon cries for rebellion and revolution spread through the land, to the very doors of the palace. Prince Corrick is the King’s Justice. It is his job to do the messy work of being the iron fist of the crown and protecting his brother, King Hariston. The consuls of the land are worried about trade lines and shipments being attacked, not so much about the people in their sectors. Tessa Cade is an apprentice at a shop by day and rogue apothecary by night. She and her best friend Wes steal from those who have more than enough of the cure in order to treat the desperate people of Kandala. When one of their midnight runs goes horribly wrong, Tessa hatches a plan to infiltrate the castle and bring the corrupt system crashing down.

This book is full of romance, intrigue, and tension! Just when you think you can take a breath and put the book down, something else happens and you have to keep reading. Tessa Cade is a strong female protagonist who loves her kingdom and its people, but can see where change needs to happen. The situations in which she finds herself are authentic and, again, full of tension. The writing is engaging and the story is fast paced going between the points of view of Tessa and Prince Corrick. This intricately plotted storyline will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you liked Defy the Night, you may also like:

The Cruel Prince

by Holly Black

Little Brown and Company, 2018. 370 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Jude, seventeen and mortal, gets tangled in palace intrigues while trying to win a place in the treacherous High Court of Faerie, where she and her sisters have lived for a decade.

King of Scars

by Leigh Bardugo

Imprint, 2019. 514 pages. Young Adult Fiction

No one knows what Nikolai Lantsov endured in his country's bloody civil war. Now enemies gather at his weakened borders, and the young king must find a way to refill Ravka's coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Zoya Nazyalensky is devoted to rebuilding the army -- but she also has enemies to conquer. Nina Zenik wages her own war to save the Grisha -- and must face the pain of her past. As a dark magic within Nikolai grows stronger, he must journey where the deepest magic survives -- and vanquish the terrible legacy inside him.

 

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas

Bloomsbury, 2012. 406 pages. Science Fiction

After she has served a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, Crown Prince Dorian offers eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien her freedom on the condition that she act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. 

AG

Whiteout

Whiteout

by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Quill Tree Books, 2022. 291 pages. Young Adult Fiction

 Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance.  As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm? No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can't always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

This read was magical. It all just came together, the twelve voices of the characters, the writing from six authors, and it even snowed while I was reading it. The story of each character is woven together in helping Stevie apologize to Sola. The plotting is complex, but the read is easy and fast paced. It was such a joy to read. I would also suggest the audiobook version.

If you like Whiteout, you might also like:

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances

by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Speak, 2009. 352 pages. Young Adult Fiction

In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples experience the trials and tribulations along with the joys of romance during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in a small town.

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Edited by Stephanie Perkins

St. Martin’s Griffin, 2014. 321 pages. Young Adult Fiction

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you're going to fall in love with My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by the international bestselling Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Years, there's something here for everyone. So, curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

AG