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| The Hazel Wood by Melissa AlbertWhat it's about: After years on the road with her mother, running from their freakishly bad luck, Alice is resourceful, tough, and angry -- qualities she'll need after her mom is kidnapped. Desperate to rescue her, Alice looks for clues from a forbidden source: Tales from the Hinterland, the cult-classic book of sinister fairy tales written by her grandmother.
Who it's for: readers who relish dreamy, disturbing, and sophisticated fantasy.
Book buzz: This debut novel had a movie deal before it even hit bookshelves. |
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| Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann AguirreWhat it's about: Just when things are looking especially bleak for 18-year-old thief Zara, she gets an unexpected reprieve: she's been chosen as an Honor, one of a select group of humans who will join the Leviathan -- a species of sentient alien spaceships -- on an exploratory journey through the stars.
Why you might like it: With futuristic world-building and complex bonds between human and alien characters, this series opener is sure to grab science fiction fans. |
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| American Panda by Gloria ChaoStarring: 17-year-old MIT freshman Mei, whose future has been planned by her traditional Taiwanese parents: medical school, marriage to a Taiwanese guy, babies. With such heavy expectations, how can Mei tell her parents that she hates germs, loves dancing, and might be falling for her Japanese-American classmate?
Why you might like it: It's a funny, even-handed look at a teen girl's struggle to define herself without losing her family.
Read this next: Erika L. Sanchez's I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter or Samira Ahmed's Love, Hate, & Other Filters. |
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Thunderhead
by Neal Shusterman
What it's about: Rowan pursues a vigilante life a year after going off the grid, while Citra, as Scythe Anastasia, openly challenges the ideals of the "new order" in ways that cause her life to be threatened.
Series alert: Sequel to Scythe.
About Neal Shusterman: Award-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. Within a year of graduating from UC Irvine, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
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| When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. SteigerWhat it's about: Surviving the foster care system as a person on the autism spectrum hasn't been easy for Alvie, but she's got an apartment, a job, and soon she'll be 18 and emancipated. She doesn't need any complications -- complications like Stanley, a guy with a rare medical condition who understands Alvie like no one else.
Reviewers say: "A gorgeous love story of depth and raw emotion" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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The Prince and the Dressmaker
by Jen Wang
What it's about: A cross-dressing prince hides his identity as a popular fashion icon and falls for a brilliant dressmaker who knows his secret at the same time his royal parents begin searching for a traditional bride for him to marry.
Who it's for: Fairy tale lovers who enjoy a modern twist on the tradition.
Also illustrated by Jen Wang: In Real Life; Poop Fountain; To Kick a Corpse.
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| Through the Woods by Emily CarrollWhat it's about: A dismembered bride. A monster in human skin. A wolf outside your window. These familiar fairy tale themes get a visually arresting new spin in this collection of horror comics. Canadian artist Emily Carroll illustrates each chilling tale with bold colors (emphasis on blood red), careful details, and suspenseful pacing.
Is it for you? If you love the eerie atmosphere of Edward Gorey's art but prefer a more unsettling edge, don't miss this shiver-inducing read. |
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| Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony CliffIntroducing: Selim, a thoughtful, tea-drinking soldier, and Delilah Dirk, the infamous adventurer who sweeps him away into a world of swordfights, stealing, and intrigue.
Why you might like it: With sharp dialogue, an unconventional friendship, a swashbuckling heroine, and sumptuous illustrations, this historical adventure is hard to resist.
Series alert: Delilah and Selim's travels (and troubles) continue in Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling. |
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| SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian TamakiWhat it is: A collection of black-and-white comics set at a highly unusual school (think Hogwarts meets Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters).
Featuring: bespectacled witch Marsha, who's hiding a crush on her fox-eared friend Wendy; feminist performance artist Frances; oblivious athlete Cheddar; and the reluctantly immortal Everlasting Boy.
Who it's for: fantasy and science fiction fans who appreciate surreal, darkly witty storytelling. |
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