July 2020 list by K. Pearson
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Admission
by Julie Buxbaum
The story of a teen whose promising future at the college of her dreams is upended by her minor celebrity mother’s arrest for a massive college admissions bribery scandal.
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Again Again
by E. Lockhart
An unexpected romantic upheaval and a near-fatal family catastrophe catapult a teen into a summer of wild possibilities that finds her falling in and out of love a thousand times before finally confronting the secrets she keeps and her perceptions about love.
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Agnes at the End of the World
by Kelly McWilliams
Dutifully embracing her faith while tirelessly caring for her younger siblings, including one who needs forbidden insulin to survive, a teen who is unaware that she lives within a strict cult meets an Outsider boy and begins to question what is and is not a sin.
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The Archer at Dawn
by Swati Teerdhala
Using the coverage of the Sun Mela competition to infiltrate King Vardaan’s treacherous court, Kunal assumes the role of a dedicated soldier while his fellow rebel spy, Esha, searches for allies to help rescue the Princess Reha.
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Aurora Burning
by Amie Kaufman
A sequel to Aurora Rising finds Squad 312’s efforts to prepare for an imminent attack by an ancient evil force complicated by a mischievous clan of gremps, a cadre of illegitimate GIA agents and the return of Kal’s long-lost sister.
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Breath Like Water
by Anna Jarzab
Becoming famous for her early swimming talents, Susannah finds her Olympics dreams challenged by an injury, a new coach’s revolutionary training strategies and an unexpected romance with a charming fellow athlete.
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The Circus Rose
by Betsy Cornwell
An adaptation of “Snow White and Rose Red” follows the efforts of two twin sisters to battle evil religious extremists to save their loved ones and the circus that has become their family.
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Clap When You Land
by Elizabeth Acevedo
Follows the experiences of two grieving sisters who navigate the loss of their father and the impact of his death on their relationship.
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Dark Tide
by Alicia Jasinska
After offering herself to save her brother Finley and secret crush Tomas from capture by Caldella's Witch Queen, Lina Kirk and the witch soon face a terrible choice.
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Finding Balance
by Kati Gardner
A boy who does not remember his toddlerhood leukemia and a girl whose own experiences with cancer rendered her an amputee navigate the taboos of the outside world during a summer at a survivor’s camp where they hide first crushes.
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House of Dragons
by Jessica Cluess
Unexpectedly summoned to compete for the throne, five outcasts—including a liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief and a murderer—navigate respective secrets during a trial that tests the limits of their abilities.
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I'll Be the One
by Lyla Lee
A nuanced celebration of body positivity by the author of the Mindy Kim series follows the experiences of a plus-sized teen girl who shatters expectations on a televised competition to become the next big K-pop star.
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Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe
by Sarah Mlynowski
Anticipating a disastrous stretch at summer camp in the aftermath of a breakup, counselor Sam unexpectedly falls head over heels for the camp’s sailing instructor, Gavin, who invites her to join him for starlit canoe rides.
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Love, Creekwood: A Simonverse Novella
by Becky Albertalli
It’s been more than a year since Simon and Blue turned their anonymous online flirtation into an IRL relationship, and just a few months since Abby and Leah’s unforgettable night at senior prom. Now the Creekwood High crew are first years at different colleges, navigating friendship and romance the way their story began—on email.
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Nowhere on Earth
by Nick Lake
Discovering a lost child wandering in the woods, a 16-year-old runaway learns that the boy is not from Earth and that he is being pursued by zealous government forces, a situation that is complicated by a dangerous accident.
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The Paper Girl of Paris
by Jordyn Taylor
Inheriting a Parisian apartment that was abandoned after World War II, Alice teams up with a charming student to uncover the story of a long-lost great aunt who hid her work with the Resistance behind the persona of a socialite Nazi collaborator.
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Parachutes
by Kelly Yang
A teen from a privileged Asian family navigates culture shock, unexpected freedom and a new relationship while attending school in California and renting a room from the family of an Ivy League hopeful whose debate coach has undermined her plans.
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Seasons of the Storm
by Elle Cosimano
Granted immortality in exchange for becoming a physical embodiment of one of the Earth’s four seasons, two magical rivals representing Winter and Spring fall unexpectedly in love before finding themselves in a battle against their creator to end the seasonal cycles that keep them apart.
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Stay Gold
by Tobly McSmith
A transgender boy who keeps his head down during his senior year at a new school and a cisgender girl who avoids dating find their immediate chemistry complicating their resolve.
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You Don't Live Here
by Robyn Schneider
Moving into her mother’s childhood bedroom in her estranged grandparents’ home in the aftermath of devastating losses, a bisexual girl in mourning struggles with her grandparents’ expectations about her future, her weight and a socially advantageous match.
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