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| The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey LeeMagical Realism. The last in a family of talented aromateurs, 16-year-old Mim and her mother use their heightened sense of smell to craft perfectly scented love elixirs. It's a rare talent, and Mim will lose it if she ever falls in love herself. However, resisting romance (and living up to her mom's expectations) isn't so easy for Mim, especially after a mistakenly delivered elixir puts her in the path of her secret crush. If you love the diverse characters and magical realism of Anna-Marie McLemore's books, or the complex mother-daughter relationships of Sarah Dessen's, don’t miss The Secret of a Heart Note. |
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| Carve the Mark by Veronica RothScience Fiction. Though the energy of the Current provides singular powers to everyone in the nearby nation-planets, Cyra's "currentgift" is more of a curse: it plagues her with constant pain that she can transfer to others by touch. Cyra's power-hungry brother, the ruler of the Shotet people, uses her as a weapon, but he also provides relief in the form of Akos, an enemy prisoner from Thuvhe whose gift can stop Cyra's pain. As Akos and Cyra forge an unexpected bond, each has to decide where their true loyalty lies. Blending fantasy and science fiction, author Veronica Roth delivers the immersive world-building her fans expect, this time in a brutal, interplanetary setting. |
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Beautiful broken girls
by Kim Savage
Ben learns why the love of his life Mira and her sister drowned themselves when he receives a post-mortem letter from Mira challenging him to find and decode notes hidden in the seven places where they secretly touched.
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Piecing me together
by Renée Watson
Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And she has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for "at-risk" girls. Except really, it's for black girls. From "bad" neighborhoods. And just because Maxine, her college-graduate mentor, is black doesn't mean she understands Jade. And maybe there are some things Jade could show these successful women about the real world and finding ways to make a real difference.
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Nowhere near you
by Leah Thomas
Ollie and Moritz might never meet, but their friendship knows no bounds. Their letters carry on as Ollie embarks on his first road trip away from the woods--no easy feat for a boy allergic to electricity--and Moritz decides which new school would best suit an eyeless boy who prefers to be alone. Along the way they meet other teens like them, other products of strange science who lead seemingly normal lives in ways Ollie and Moritz never imagined possible: A boy who jokes about his atypical skeleton; an aspiring actress who hides a strange deformity; a track star whose abnormal heart propels her to victory. Suddenly the future feels wide open for two former hermits. But even as Ollie and Moritz dare to enjoy life, they can't escape their past, which threatens to destroy any progress they've made. Can these boys ever find their place in a world that might never understand them?
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Ronit & Jamil
by Pamela L. Laskin
Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict—much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.
The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.
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| History is All You Left Me by Adam SilveraFiction. Griffin and Theo are no longer a couple by the time Theo drowns, yet Griffin is still devastated. Already dealing with OCD and the painful fallout from their thorny breakup, Griffin is disoriented by Theo's death, and his confusion colors his understanding of his past, his future, and his relationships -- with Theo, with his friend Wade, and with Theo's last boyfriend, Jackson. With alternating chapters describing "history" and "today," you can watch Griffin's romance and grief unfold at the same time, each making the other more poignant. For another emotionally intense read about love, loss, and big questions, try Shaun David Hutchinson's We Are the Ants. |
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| Ever the Hunted by Erin SummerillFantasy. Imprisoned for poaching and facing execution, 17-year-old archer Britta is offered a deal: a full pardon in exchange for tracking down the person who killed her father, the king's bounty hunter. Naturally, Britta accepts, even after she's told that the alleged murderer is her best friend (and secret love), Cohen McKay. The resulting quest leads her to explore her magical powers, venture into rival kingdoms, and sift through layers of deception in order to uncover the truth about her father's death. First in a duology, this debut fantasy will appeal to readers who love adventures starring fiercely determined heroines. |
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The Last of August
by Brittany Cavallaro
Jamie and Charlotte are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved Uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers.
So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.
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Stranger Than Fanfiction
by Chris Colfer
Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television show Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime--but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he's been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.
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Revenge of the Evil Librarian
by Michelle Knudsen
Last fall, Cynthia Rothschild saved her best friend, Annie, (and everyone else in her high school) from the demon librarian, Mr. Gabriel. But now all that demon stuff is over, and Cyn is ready to have the best summer ever -- at theater camp (!) with her former crush and now boyfriend (!!) Ryan Halsey.
Once she gets to camp, though, the Best Summer Ever does not seem to be following the script. For one thing, there is Ryan's very talented and very female lifelong camp best friend, whom he has somehow failed to mention before now. For another, it appears the demon stuff is not as entirely over as Cyn had hoped. Also, there are some secrets that perhaps she should not have kept from Ryan for quite this long.
At least any new demons that show up to ruin her summer can't possibly be as evil as Mr. Gabriel, who is, thankfully, very dead now. It's not like he could somehow come back to life to seek his terrible revenge or something. Right?
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Heels, Heartache & Headlines
by Ni-Ni Simone
While supermodel London considers revenge in the aftermath of heartbreaking revelations, Rich pursues a bad boy with a nightmarish flare for drama and Spencer wages full-scale diva war against the former friends who betrayed her. Simultaneous eBook.
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A tragic kind of wonderful
by Eric Lindstrom
For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm's length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.
As the walls of Mel's compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst--that her friends will abandon her if they learn the truth about what she's been hiding. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?
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Denton Little's Still Not Dead
by Lance Rubin
Living in an alternate world where everyone knows the day they will die, Denton Little survives his death date and finds himself separated from his family and chased by a ruthless Death Investigation Agency. By the author of Denton Little's Deathdate. Simultaneous eBook.
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Empress of a Thousand Skies
by Rhoda Belleza
Determined to reclaim her crown from a corrupt government and exact revenge for the deaths of her parents, Crown Princess Rhiannon narrowly escapes an assassination attempt and finds herself on the run in outer space alongside a refugee pilot who has been framed for the attack. A first novel. Simultaneous eBook.
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| Love and First Sight by Josh SundquistFiction. In his first novel, Paralympian and YouTuber Josh Sundquist introduces 16-year-old Will, who's proving his independence by transferring from his school for the blind to a mainstream high school. The transition is rough, but it improves after he makes friends, including shy, artistic Cecily. As Will's feelings for Cecily grow, he makes the tough decision to have experimental surgery, giving him eyesight for the first time…and showing him that his new friends have been lying to him about Cecily. Readers who enjoy this thoughtful, compelling book about a blind character grappling with issues of friendship and trust may also like Eric Lindstrom's Not If I See You First. |
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American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?
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10 things I can see from here
by Carrie Mac
Maeve, a sufferer of severe anxiety, moves in with her recovering alcoholic father and her very pregnant stepmother and falls for a girl who is not afraid of anything.
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The Wish Granter
by C. J. Redwine
The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.
Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.
So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.
But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.
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Rise of Fire
by Sophie Jordan
Luna and Fowler have escaped the kingdom of Relhok, but they haven’t escaped the darkness. When a battle against the dark dwellers mortally injures Fowler, Luna is faced with a choice: put their fate in the hands of mysterious strangers or risk losing Fowler forever. Desperate to keep the one bright part of her life alive, Luna accepts the help of soldiers from a nearby kingdom. Lagonia’s castle offers reprieve from the dangerous outside world—until the King discovers both Fowler and Luna’s true ties to Relhok and their influence over the throne. Now pawns in each kingdom’s political game, Luna and Fowler are more determined than ever to escape and build the life they’ve been dreaming of. But their own pasts have a tight hold on their hearts and their destinies. Luna must embrace the darkness and fire within her before she loses not only Fowler but the power she was destined to inherit.
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| He Said, She Said by Kwame AlexanderFiction. In both football and dating, Omar is player. He's got a college scholarship in the bag, and he's popular with girls -- except for Claudia, a Harvard-bound activist who isn't impressed by sports or swagger. After Omar's friends bet that he can't win over Claudia ("She's Oprah. You're Flavor Flav."), he commits himself to her latest protest. For her part, Claudia sees through Omar, but she's happy to use his local celebrity status for her cause. As they work together, however, both are surprised by their genuine attraction. Dual narrators allow for plenty of quick banter in this "lighthearted, socially conscious romance" (Horn Book Magazine).
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| Joyride by Anna BanksFiction. A chance meeting leads to unexpected consequences for two Florida teens in this moving, realistic story. While Carly is responsible and devoted to her family (especially her parents, who've been deported to Mexico), Arden is reckless and loves causing trouble for his overbearing, racist father (who happens to be the sheriff). After a dramatic encounter outside a convenience store, Carly reluctantly becomes Arden's pranking partner, and they strike up a fragile relationship -- one that might be too fragile to withstand the harsh truth about Arden's dad's anti-immigrant activities. For another "relevant, risky, and romantic" (School Library Journal) read, try Marie Marquardt's Dream Things True. |
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| Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara FarizanFiction. Sixteen-year-old Leila knows that she likes girls, but she's tried to avoid romantic entanglements -- she's just not ready to deal with judgement from her upscale private school classmates or her conservative Iranian American parents. Then daring, flirty new girl Saskia arrives, and Leila is lovestruck…but also frustrated by Saskia's confusing behavior. At a loss to figure out what she really wants, Leila confides in both her theater crew friends and in Lisa, an estranged childhood friend who proves to be surprisingly understanding. Balancing drama, humor, and heartfelt emotion, this romantic read will satisfy those who want more inclusive coming-of-age stories. |
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| Like No Other by Una LaMarcheFiction. In a meet-cute worthy of a rom-com, Devorah and Jaxon share a promising flirtation while they're trapped together in a stuck elevator. The challenges to their relationship don't begin until after they're back in the real world of Crown Heights, Brooklyn: Devorah's devout Hasidic faith (not to mention her family) forbids her from dating, especially dating someone like Jaxon, who isn't even Jewish. Still, the spark between them is undeniable, leaving Devorah searching for a way to make her own choices without abandoning her beliefs. Fans of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park are sure to fall for this realistic, heartfelt tale of star-crossed love. |
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| Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SáenzFiction. In the summer of 1987, Aristotle meets Dante. Both are 15 years old and Mexican American, but otherwise they're nothing alike: artistic Dante is an only child of intellectual parents who don't believe in secrets, while brooding Ari's family never talks about his brother in prison or his father's traumatic experiences in the Vietnam War. Nevertheless, the boys become close friends, and Dante's open attitudes start to crack Ari's carefully constructed shell. Award-winning author Benjamin Alire Sáenz's "lyric prose and pitch-perfect dialog" (Library Journal) honestly portrays the inner life of a frustrated teen guy figuring out who he is and who he wants to be. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Prince George's County Memorial Library System 9601 Capital Lane Largo, Maryland 20774 301-699-3500www.pgcmls.info/ |
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