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| The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire SáenzFiction. Adopted as a child by a caring gay father from a huge Mexican American clan, Salvador knows from experience that biology isn't what defines a family. Yet after he uses his fists to respond to a classmate's slurs, Sal begins to wonder if he inherited violent tendencies from the birth father he never knew. Struggling with his anger, Sal also grapples with heartbreak over his grandma's terminal cancer and worry for Sam, his sharp-tongued best friend (who's got painful problems of her own). Readers who relish introspective writing and realistically flawed characters will want to follow Sal and his loved ones throughout a year of life-altering change. |
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| Strange the Dreamer by Laini TaylorFantasy. After 200 years without communication, the lost city of Weep has passed into legend. It's an unusual area of study for young librarian Lazlo Strange, but his passion pays off when he joins an expedition to the desert city, which isn't as lost as it seemed. In Weep, Lazlo discovers realities even more astonishing than the stories he loves: ghosts, gods, lingering trauma from a vicious war, and a beautiful blue girl with nightmarish powers. If Strange the Dreamer leaves you longing for book 2 in this duology, you might want to fill your wait with the dream magic and post-war recovery in Melina Marchetta's Lumatere Chronicles or the lush, mythic world-building in Roshani Chokshi's The Star-Touched Queen. |
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| Gem & Dixie by Sara ZarrFiction. How would finding a bag full of cash change your life? For 17-year-old Gem, it's a chance to reconnect with her 14-year-old sister, Dixie. They've been growing apart, even though Gem has spent most of her life trying to shelter Dixie from the drug-induced neglect of their manipulative mother and long-absent father. Their dad's recent return brings even more instability -- and a stash of money, which the sisters find and use to fund a three-day trip around Seattle. Fans of poignant, character-driven stories will be fascinated by how Gem and Dixie's temporary escape turns into a make-it-or-break-it test of their relationship. |
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| The Porcupine of Truth by Bill KonigsbergFiction. Carson hasn't seen his alcoholic father in years, but now that the guy is dying, 17-year-old Carson is forced to spend the summer with him in Billings, Montana. There, Carson meets Aisha, who's been sleeping at the local zoo since her ultra-conservative father kicked her out for being a lesbian. The two quickly become friends, and after they discover some surprising clues regarding Carson's long-absent grandfather, they take off on a road trip to learn the truth and bring Carson's dad some closure. If you prefer realistic fiction that's both funny and unflinching, don't miss this bittersweet story about prejudice, forgiveness, and family. |
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Jess, Chunk, and the road trip to infinity
by Kristin Elizabeth Clark
A transgender teen who was a boy when she last saw her estranged father embarks on a road trip halfway across the country with her best friend to attend her father's wedding, an adventure that reveals personal truths about the traveling pair and their feelings for one another. By the award-winning author of Freakboy. Simultaneous eBook.
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The way back to you
by Michelle Andreani
Two teens grieving the death of a close friend embark on a spontaneous road trip across the Southwest to meet three strangers whose lives were saved by their friend's organs. Simultaneous eBook. 25,000 first printing.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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