Teen Scene
April 2022
Recent Releases
The Rumor Game
by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Welcome to: Foxham Prep, an elite private school for the children of Washington, D.C.'s most powerful, where a solitary rumor can snowball out of control.

Who we're gossiping about: Bryn, the student body president fallen from grace; Cora, the epitome of Black Excellence and newest queen bee; and Georgie, whose summer transformation is turning heads.

Also available in eBook on Libby
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Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
by Laura Gao

Meet Yuyang: The carefree 3-year-old living in Wuhan, China, who listens to folktales told by her grandmother and plays outside with her cousins.

Meet Laura: That's Yuyang's new name, given by her mother upon arrival in small-town Texas. Her journey to adulthood blends learning to embrace her roots with discovering her queer identity.

Is it for you? This moving graphic memoir paints a nuanced, emotional portrait of one Asian American experience, including facing racism fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One for All
by Lillie Lainoff

What it is: A reimagining of The Three Musketeers, starring a girl with a chronic illness determined to avenge her father's murder.

What happens: Tania de Batz attends a school that secretly trains young women to defend France with their wits and their swords. There she meets Aria, Portia, and Théa, who become Tania's sisters in arms.


 
Ready When You Are
by Gary Lonesborough

Starring: Jackson, enjoying his free time during summer on the Mish, an area in Australia where Aboriginal people were once forced to live. So why isn't his relationship with his girlfriend flourishing?

Enter: Cute, mysterious Tomas, out of juvie and staying with Jackson's family. A mutual attraction blossoms, but a desire for secrecy complicates matters.

What sets it apart: This sweet, romantic coming-out story set in the fictional rural Koori community is informed by author Gary Lonesborough's own life.
Gallant
by V.E. Schwab

At Merilance School for Independent Girls: Olivia, who's nonspeaking and the only student who uses sign language, is ostracized and tormented. She's also the only person who sees the ghouls haunting the school.

At Gallant: Olivia hopes to find a caring family. Instead, her uncle's run-down estate offers up more ghouls, and a chance to unravel the ominous family secrets hinted at in her mother's journal.

Also available in eBook on Libby
Retro Reads
Check out these awesome books from the not-so-distant past.
 
The Candle and the Flame
by Nafiza Azad

Welcome to: Noor, a vibrant multicultural city on the Silk Road rebuilt after the chaotic Shayateen djinn massacred nearly everyone.

Starring: Fatima, one of only three survivors. An encounter with a powerful Ifrit djinni ignites the fire of the djinn within her. To protect her beloved community from looming threats, she must overcome her grief and harness her power.

Also available in eBook on Libby
Also available in eAudiobook on Hoopla
Permanent Record
by Mary H.K. Choi

What it is: A captivating coming-of-age story about Korean Pakistani American Pablo Rind, a struggling college dropout, whose whirlwind romance with pop star Leanna Smart shakes up his life.

Read it for: The swoony, messy relationship, the authentic, funny dialogue, and the lively cast of characters.

Also available in eBook on Libby
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
by Junauda Petrus

The set-up: Audre is sent from Trinidad to Minnesota after her religious mother discovers her relationship with another young woman. There she meets Mabel, who has terminal cancer, and the two forge an eternal, celestial connection.

How it's told: In alternating perspectives from Audre and Mabel's unmistakable, unapologetic voices, infused with poetry and a touch of magical realism.

 
There Will Come a Darkness
by Katy Rose Pool

The old prophets foretold: That an age of darkness would fall upon the land. Then they disappeared. That was 100 years ago.

A new prophet: Can prevent this fate. Now five daring but flawed young people -- an exiled prince, an assassin, a dying girl, a knight, and a gambler -- devote their lives to this battle between free will and prophecy. 

Also available in eBook on Libby
Also available in eAudiobook on Hoopla
When You Were Everything
by Ashley Woodfolk

What it is: A realistic story of a friend breakup. Cleo and Layla were inseparable, until Layla began making new friends. That led Cleo to lash out and destroy their relationship.

How it's told: From Cleo's point of view, with chapters that jump between "then" and "now," and references to her favorite music and literature throughout.

 
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!