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| The Electric Kingdom by David ArnoldWelcome to: the near-future United States, where the deadly Fly Flu has wiped out most of the population.
What happens: 18-year-old Nico and 12-year-old Kit are forced together as they search for a better life.
Why you might like it: While it has strong world-building as dystopian fiction fans might hope, The Electric Kingdom is also complex and slow-burning with well-developed characters. |
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| Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline BoulleyStarring: Daunis Fontaine, an 18-year-old girl who has roots in the local Ojibwe reservation and in a long line of French fur traders. Daunis is brave, imperfect, and curious as she digs for information about the mysterious person selling meth to members of her community.
Why you should read it: Without shying away from complex topics like grief, citizenship, drugs, and identity, author Angeline Boulley creates a thoughtful and layered thriller. |
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| Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal MaldonadoWhat it's about: Classic rom-com tropes get an update in this story about a young woman trying to balance many identities, friendship, her mother’s body-shaming, and first love.
Why you might like it: Anyone who’s ever struggled with feeling different will relate to Charlie Vega’s life as a fat brown girl in a white Connecticut town.
Who it's for: Author Crystal Maldonado says this book is “for all who are still learning to be kind to themselves, for those who dream.” |
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When We Were Infinite
by Kelly Loy Gilbert
What it's about: Knowing that the friendships she depends on will change when her parents split up, Beth witnesses a private act of violence in her crush’s home before forging a pact with her friends to offer support in the face of a life-altering decision.
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For Fans of Leigh Bardugo
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| A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica CluessWhat it's about: Henrietta Howel is invited to train as a sorcerer in a magical, monster-ridden, alternative version of Victorian London -- with all the glamor and secrets that entails.
Reviewers say: This fantastical novel “is a marvelous mash-up of Dickens, the students-with-magical-powers genre, and alt-history” (Booklist).
Series alert: Don't miss the sequel, A Poison Dark and Drowning. |
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| Courting Darkness by Robin LaFeversWhat it is: the 2nd in a new series set in the same 15th-century universe as His Fair Assassin. This time, the perspective alternates between that of Sybella and Genevieve, two trained assassins working from within the French court. Why you might like it: Both Sybella and Genevieve are icons of strength who struggle to make choices, and to ultimately understand themselves. |
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| The Crown's Game by Evelyn SkyeIntroducing: Vika Andreyeva and Nikolai Karimov, two sorcerers dueling to win the coveted role of Imperial Enchanter in their native Russia.
The twist: Whoever wins the duel becomes Imperial Enchanter. Whoever loses is sentenced to death.
Read it for: action-packed, operatic fiction, a shocking climax, and maybe a little romance. |
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| Strange the Dreamer by Laini TaylorWelcome to: a world where cities lose their names, where a quiet librarian can become a hero, and where the aftermath of war masks devastating secrets.
What's inside: Laini Taylor’s lush writing, intricate plots, carefully crafted characters, and penchant for star-crossed romance show up in full color in this 1st volume of two, followed by Muse of Nightmares. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
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Byron Public Library District 100 S. Washington St. Byron, IL 61010 (815) 234-5107
byron.lib.il.us
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