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| Grace and Fury by Tracy BanghartIn a world...where women are expected to be perfectly submissive, two sisters endure two different kinds of imprisonment: rebellious Nomi is trapped in her role as a Grace, a demure servant of the powerful Heir, while dutiful older sister Serina must survive in a brutal prison where the inmates are forced to fight to the death.
For fans of: descriptive fantasies with dystopian undertones, such as Traci Chee's The Reader and Dhonielle Clayton's The Belles. |
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| Contagion by Erin BowmanFeaturing: microbiology intern Thea, former military pilot Nova, and their teammates on the rescue ship sent to answer a distress call from a drill crew on the planet Achlys.
What happens: By the time the team arrives on Achlys, there's no one left to rescue -- just piles of corpses and an ominous warning note. Can they discover what killed the drill crew without meeting the same fate? Multiple perspectives heighten the suspense in this horror/science fiction hybrid, the 1st in a planned duology. |
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| Heretics Anonymous by Katie HenryWelcome to: St. Clare's, a private Catholic school where new student (and avowed atheist) Michael is welcomed into Heretics Anonymous, a group for misfits such as Eden (pagan), Avi (Jewish, gay), Max (fashion outlaw), and Lucy (feminist, aspiring priest).
What happens: As Michael and Lucy grow closer, the Heretics decide to quit complaining and take action.
Why you might like it: Believers and nonbelievers of all kinds can appreciate the witty dialogue and non-judgmental tone of this debut novel. |
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| Notes from My Captivity by Kathy ParksWhat it's about: When aspiring journalist Adrienne accompanies her anthropologist stepdad to Siberia, she's determined to disprove his theories about the existence of the Osinovs, a legendary family of mystics. Yet after she's captured by the (very real) Osinovs, Adrienne has to face much bigger problems than being wrong.
For fans of: the offbeat humor of Libba Bray's Beauty Queens and the haunting intensity of Lucy Christopher's Stolen. |
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#Own Voices: Science Fiction and Fantasy
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| Killer of Enemies by Joseph BruchacWhat it's about: In a future where technology has been destroyed and genetically modified monsters roam the desert, Apache-Chiricahua super-warrior Lozen is held hostage by the rulers of Haven, forced to defend the compound or forfeit her family's lives.
Series alert: This action-packed read is the 1st in a trilogy, followed by Trail of the Dead.
Further reading: For a different take on indigenous characters in a post-apocalyptic world, try Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves. |
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| Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida CórdovaWhat it's about: Despite coming from a long line of brujas, 17-year-old Alex Mortiz is desperate to ditch her powerful encantrix abilities. After a spell to get rid of her magic backfires and endangers her family, Alex -- along with best friend Rishi and shady brujo Nova – must journey through the underworld of Los Lagos to save them.
Try this next: the sequel, Bruja Born, or Daniel José Older's Shadowshaper Cypher, another mythology-infused fantasy series set in contemporary Brooklyn.
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| On the Edge of Gone by Corinne DuyvisWhat it's about: With her sister missing, her mom slipping deeper into addiction, and a comet about to decimate the Earth, 16-year-old Denise makes a last-ditch attempt to guarantee her family's safe passage on a generation ship.
Why you might like it: Set in Amsterdam and starring a complex autistic heroine, On the Edge of Gone is a refreshingly atypical apocalyptic thriller.
Did you know? Author Corinne Duyvis coined the "own voices" hashtag. |
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| At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David HutchinsonWhat it's about: Ozzie's boyfriend, Tommy, has been erased from existence and memory, and only Ozzie knows it. The problem of how to get Tommy back, however, is just the most urgent of many: Ozzie's also dealing with his parents' divorce, his brother's decision to join the military, and his own feelings for his physics partner, Calvin.
For fans of: Adam Silvera's speculative stories, which ask similarly painful yet intriguing questions about the nature of relationships and reality. |
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| The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. YeeWhat it's about: Quentin, the new Chinese guy at Genie's high school, is both weird and weirdly attractive -- and that's before he reveals that he's the not-so-mythical Monkey King, Genie's his reincarnated weapon, and together they've got to send a horde of demons back to hell.
Why you might like it: You'll be pulling for snarky perfectionist Genie as she tries to balance schoolwork with demon-fighting in this wildly entertaining blend of fantasy and romantic comedy. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for age 14 and up!
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The Public Library 501 Copper NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 505-768-5141abqlibrary.org |
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