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| The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac BlumMeet: 15-year-old Yehuda "Hoodie" Rosen, part of the Jewish Orthodox community new to Tregaron, a fictional Philadelphia suburb.
A forbidden love: blossoms between Hoodie and Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary, the mayor's daughter. Hoodie's peers shun him for associating with an outsider, especially considering the mayor's efforts to prevent Jewish people from moving to Tregaron. Then the hate directed toward the Jewish community erupts into deadly violence.
Read it for: a timely, moving tale of the courage required to oppose modern-day antisemitism. |
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| The Getaway by Lamar GilesIt's a small, small world: Jay and his family have it pretty good living and working at Karloff Country. It's an exclusive mountaintop theme park resort billionaires created to isolate themselves from climate change disasters ravaging the rest of the country.
What happens: Jay's friend Connie and her family mysteriously disappear just as wealthy visitors start moving in permanently. And Jay realizes this isn't paradise at all.
For fans of: compelling dystopian stories and Jordan Peele's thought-provoking horror movies. |
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| Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe GongWhat it is: an action-packed, intricately plotted retelling of William Shakespeare's As You Like It set in 1931 Shanghai.
Starring: Rosalind Lang, an immortal assassin; and Orion Hong, a spy for the Nationalists. They pose as a married couple in order to gather intelligence about murders connected to the conflict between Nationalists and Communists.
Series alert: This heart-pounding thrill ride opens a duology set in the same universe as author Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights duology. |
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| Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers; illustrated by Jeff EdwardsWhat it is: a horror story collection that spins haunting and suspenseful tales of one Cherokee family from 1839-2039.
How it's told: in chronological order, with eerie illustrations that incorporate the Cherokee writing system.
Why you might like it: This enthralling anthology from a Cherokee author delivers classic creatures like vampires and werewolves, plus figures from Cherokee legend like Deer Woman. Alongside these monsters, the book reveals the horrors of forced relocation, intimate partner violence, and generations of trauma. |
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| Himawari House by Harmony BeckerWelcome to: Tokyo's Himawari House. Nao moves there from the U.S. to spend a year reconnecting with the Japanese heritage she shares with her mother.
What happens: In this atmospheric coming-of-age tale, Nao quickly befriends two housemates, language students Hyejung and Tina. Together they experience cultural immersion, work through hardships, and look to the future.
How it's told: with mostly bilingual text, cleverly illustrating Nao's improving comprehension. Likewise, text in only one language depicts moments of disconnection. |
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| Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon HaleBroadway dreams: Josie, a high school dropout, was certain she'd make it in New York. With no callbacks and no money, she moves to Montana for a nannying gig.
The storybook life: Josie begins escaping into books, literally. When fantasy threatens to overtake reality, Josie must take control of her life.
Try these next: For more whimsical tales of a rough transition to adulthood, read Sophie Cameron's Last Bus to Everland or Cory McCarthy's Now a Major Motion Picture. |
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| The Music of What Happens by Bill KonigsbergStarring: Jordan, the shy, skinny emo kid helping to run his emotionally fragile mother's food truck. He's sure Max, the popular athlete he's just hired, is just another dudebro.
What happens: Jordan and Max become friends, and then boyfriends. Although they seem like opposites, their unexpected similarities help them find support and healing in each other.
For fans of: Benjamin Alire Saenz's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Phil Stamper's The Gravity of Us. |
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| The Grace Year by Kim LiggettWhat it is: a disturbing dystopian novel about the yearly ritual of banishing a group of 16-year-old girls to an isolated island to purify themselves of their diabolical, seductive magic. Only survivors are allowed to marry.
Starring: Tierney James, who has no desire to marry and embarks on her Grace Year with dread. Can she prove to her fellow competitors that they've been lied to about their innate evil?
Read it for: a harrowing survival story with thought-provoking social commentary. |
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| Vespertine by Margaret RogersonForbidden Old Magic: is making malevolent spirits restless. When Artemisia's convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, the introverted nun must do the unthinkable: interact with other people.
What happens: Artemisia, whose gift allows her to see spirits, unseals a holy relic, freeing a revenant. With this sarcastic, grumpy, and enormously powerful undead being, she will discover who's wielding the dark magic.
Series alert: This fast-paced fantasy from the author of Sorcery of Thorns kicks off a new series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
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