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Monthly Teen Book Giveaway Reviews
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The shadow sister
by Lily Meade
When her missing sister Sutton suddenly reappears but is changed in ways she cannot explain, Casey starts uncovering her sister's secrets while searching for the truth surrounding the disappearance of other girls in their area.
An NPL teen reviewer had lots to say about this title, and even mentioned they wrote a whole rant about it on Goodreads! With a rating of 2/5 stars, our reviewer shared, "Sutton and Casey were both unlikeable and the side characters lacked depth. The plot twist at the end made about 0 sense and there was no backing/explanation behind the killer's motive. The only reason this book has 2 stars for me is because I literally could not put it down."
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Internment
by Samira Ahmed
Set in a futuristic United States where Muslim-Americans are forced into internment camps, and Layla Amin must lead a revolution against complicit silence.
A teen reviewer felt that Internment was a "pretty decent story, only I felt like it really started dragging along by page 200. It had a powerful message, but the execution fell short."
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Monsters born and made
by Tanvi Berwah
To save her chronically ill little sister, 16-year-old Koral cheats her way into the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the elite, where she must choose between her life or her sisters when rogues try to force her to drop out.
We can't love them all! An NPL teen rated this book 2.5/5 and explained, "The only reason I picked up this book was because on the back it said that it was a 'South-Asian inspired fantasy.' I did not get any rep- because there is literally nothing South-Asian in this book...? Very disappointed. Aside from that, the plot was okay and the characters lacked depth. 10/10 cover though, that is a BEAUTIFUL cover."
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The 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.
A teen reviewer gave this title 4/5 stars and said, "I would've liked to see Eva and Lina's affection mature more. Nevertheless, I thought it was hard not to like the book, even if it was cliche. Could have been improved, but still decent!"
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The crow rider
by Kalyn Josephson
The adventures of fallen princess Thia, who navigates the animosity of Queen Razel to reconnect with Prince Ericen and prepare against a war, while Res struggles to master his magic crow abilities.
A teen reviewer rated The Crow Rider 4/5 and shared, "The book was good with words, there was enemies to friends, and most of it is unreal. The crow's powers are cool, but seem too fictional."
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Going wild
by Lisa McMann
Discovering a mysterious bracelet after moving to Arizona, Charlie Wilde finds that she has developed superhuman abilities and speed and teams up with new friends to discover what is happening to her and how to control her powers.
An NPL teen rated this book 3.5/5 and said, "All of the super powers make it a bit unbelievable, but I like the way everything was a mystery."
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At the end of everything
by Marieke Nijkamp
Trapped in the Hope Juvenile Treatment Center with a plague raging outside that passes through their ranks while supplies quickly dwindle, a group of incarcerated teens must figure out how to survive in a world that has never seemed to want them.
A teen reviewer was "emotionally destroyed" by this book! With a 5/5 rating, they shared, "The setting of this book looks like the beginning of COVID, and it made me realize just how lucky I am to be here."
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Where the road leads us
by Robin Reul
Told in separate voices, Jack and Hallie, eighteen-year-olds facing separate crises, discover who they are meant to be while taking a spontaneous road trip together.
A teen reviewer rated this book 4.5/5 and said, "Actually a pretty good story line but still a bit of cringe on how they meet after a long time."
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If we were us
by K.L. Walther
Sage Morgan and Charlie Carmichael prove to everyone at Bexley School that their close friendship does not hide a romance when new student Luke Morrissey and Charlie's twin brother, Nick, stir things up.
An NPL teen shared, "I actually really loved this book. Some of the characters really resonated with me. I love Charlie and Luke, their romance melts my heart!" 3/5 stars
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Jinxed
by Amy McCulloch
After fourteen-year-old Lacey Chu repairs a highly advanced smartphone/robotic pet companion, or baku, called Jinx, the baku gets her into her dream school, Profectus, where she is exposed to dangerous secrets.
A teen reviewer rated this book 4/5 stars and said, "It was full of a lot of action and adventure! My only complaint is that the book was too short." Another reviewer also read Jinxed and shared, "While the plot was interesting, it was kind of like the movie Ron's Gone Wrong. I did like how Jinx was portrayed and I could feel Lacey's frustration. All in all, a pretty chill, decent book."
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The Midnight Girls
by Alicia Jasinska
When they both set their sights on the same crown prince, one to earn her freedom and the other to earn her worth, two wicked enchantresses find their magical rivalry not going unnoticed in a country that enjoys watching witches burn.
An NPL teen reviewer gave this book 5 stars! They shared, "This book was incredible. I was on the edge of my seat. I adore the magic system and the intricacies of culture incorporated. And the diversity!! It's so beautiful. I loved it so much. Definitely re-reading."
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Any place but here : a novel
by Sarah Van Name
Seventeen-year-old June feels she is nothing without her best friend, Jess, but everything changes after she is expelled and must attend a Virginia boarding school where her grandmother teaches.
A teen reviewer said, "I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, even if they do not like reading. I found this story very interesting. It follows the life of a girl as she is sent to a new school by her parents. She makes new friends, but also struggles because of this change. It is not a long read, so I would definitely try it out. 5/5"
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Pet
by Akwaeke Emezi
In a near-future society that claims to have gotten rid of all monstrous people, a creature emerges from a painting seventeen-year-old Jam's mother created, a hunter from another world seeking a real-life monster.
An NPL teen rated Pet 5/5 stars, sharing that "I finished this book within the span of a few hours. It was so captivating and eventful that I couldn't put it down. This beautifully written story had me drawn into a world of mystery, color, and the unknown. All the plot twists and details made this story a new favorite of mine."
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It's my life
by Stacie Ramey
While facing disturbing revelations about the cause of her disability, a high school junior with cerebral palsy is on the verge of giving up on herself until she learns that her childhood crush has moved back into town.
With a 5/5 star rating, an NPL teen reviewer said, "This book was very interesting. It gave attention and awareness to cerebral palsy. I also liked the romance (and failed attempts at it by the characters). I'd definitely recommend this book!"
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Patron saints of nothing
by Randy Ribay
Setting aside his college ambitions when he learns that his cousin has been murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, a high school senior travels to the Philippines to uncover the truth, and the part he may have played in it.
An NPL teen reviewer gave this book 5/5 stars! They shared, "I really enjoyed the setting and character development and it taught me a lot. I liked the suspense in the story and other elements in the story such as reconnecting with family. I incredibly enjoyed Patron Saints of Nothing and highly recommend it!"
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Clap when you land
by Elizabeth Acevedo
Sixteen-year-olds Camino Rios, of the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira Rios, of New York City, are devastated to learn of their father's death in a plane crash and stunned to learn of each other's existence. A novel in verse told in two voices.
Acevedo's novel in verse earned a 5/5 rating from a teen reviewer who shared, "I really loved this book. There is so much representation and the story captures the immigrant experience really well. I started crying towards the end of the book."
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Alone in the woods
by Rebecca Behrens
Rising eighth-graders Jocelyn and Alex, former best friends forced together on a family vacation, must cooperate to survive when they get lost in the Wisconsin Northwoods.
An NPL teen rated this book 4/5 and said, "Alone in the Woods is a quick read that includes a ton of character development and meaningful messages to readers. The book can get boring towards the middle since the majority of the plot takes place in the forest, but it is definitely worth reading to the end."
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Almost American Girl : an illustrated memoir
by Robin Ha
Moving abruptly from Seoul to Alabama, a Korean teen struggles in a hostile blended home and a new school where she does not speak English before forging unexpected connections in a local comic drawing class.
Giving the book a 5/5 star rating, a teen reviewer says, "I like that the book is a true story. It is very sad but I feel like that is why I like it. I never knew of the hardship that girls go through in Korea. It was fun reading about a different culture."
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Thoughts & Prayers
by Bryan Bliss
Coping with trauma a year after a school shooting takes the lives of classmates and a teacher, three students who hid under the same staircase struggle to move on when the reporters leave and the news cycle shifts to another story.
A teen reviewer gives this book 4/5 stars and says, "This is a bittersweet book about three teenagers recovering from a school shooting. It was very good, and I would definitely recommend it."
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Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee
by Jeff Zentner
Told in two voices, Josie and Delia struggle with growing up and growing apart as they face tough decisions about their post-high school futures and the fate of their weekly cable television show.
A teen review says, "Rayne and Delilah's story was very interesting and adventurous. I certainly give this five stars. I think it was very fun to read, and it definitely kept me interested in every page. I think this was a very interesting and funny book. I highly recommend this book if you like adventures and comedy."
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Color Me in
by Natasha Diaz
A coming-of-age story of friendship, first romance and religious intolerance finds a 16-year-old girl in an affluent New York City suburb confronting her biracial identity for the first time when she relocates to her divorced mom's family home in Harlem. A first novel.
According to a NPL teen who rated this book 5/5 stars, "despite one of the core themes of the novel being about racial and spiritual belonging in minority groups, this novel was extremely relatable and kept me hooked most of the way through"
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Somewhere only we know
by Maurene Goo
A rising K-pop star on the eve of her breakout television performance and a tabloid reporter on assignment meet by chance at a fancy hotel during a search for a good hamburger in ways that transform both of their careers. By the author of Since You Asked.
"If this book were a song, it would be "Delicate" by Taylor Swift." says a NPL teen. This funny romance book was awarded 4/5 stars.
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Amal unbound
by Aisha Saeed
Forced to leave school to care for her siblings in accordance with Pakistani village tradition, a disappointed Amal suffers an accidental run-in with the son of a corrupt landlord and is forced into indentured servitude, where her witness to her master's nefarious dealings compels her to make risky alliances in support of change. By the author of Written in the Stars.
A teen reviewer awarded this title 5/5 stars and has already recommended this thought-provoking and adventurous book to many friends!
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March. Book one
by John Lewis
A first-hand account of the author's lifelong struggle for civil and human rights spans his youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement.
An NPL teen wrote, "The book was interesting as well as informative and it showed stories that I had never heard, that I realized were the ones that spurred the civil rights movements. All in all a special book that displayed courage, heart and standing up even if the ones closest to you don't agree."
4/5 Stars awarded to this page-turner book that really made me think.
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Sawkill Girls
by Claire Legrand
"A lovelorn newcomer, a grief-stricken pariah and a privileged liar intersect on the island of Sawkill Rock, where they become unlikely defenders against an insidious monster that has been preying upon the girls in their community for decades" - Novelist
This suspenseful page-turner was given 5/5 stars by an NPL teen reviewer. They noted: "I couldn't help but read 100 pages at a time! Not a chill book or a book you'll only want to read 20 pages in a sitting. This book kept me up until 3 am every time I read it!"
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Lucky broken girl
by Ruth Behar
A semi-autobiographical story about a multicultural girl's coming-of-age in the 1960s describes how Cuban-Jewish Ruthie Mizrahi emigrates with her family from Castro's Cuba to New York, where a devastating accident challenges her perceptions about mortality and strength.
An NPL teen gives this title 5/5 stars and calls it a funny, suspenseful, surprising, page-turning emotional rollercoaster. This reader also says:
"This book was a great read for me. I could not put it down until I got to the end! It was interesting to have a look into the life of a young girl who was deprived of her sense of freedom. The story felt personal and was easy to understand."
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Starry eyes
by Jenn Bennett
An NPL teen gives this 4.5/5 Stars! It was called An exciting, funny adventure with elements of romance and surprising suspense.
"Two former best friends Zorie and Lennon go on a camping trip with a few other friends. But when those friends desert them, the two are left in the woods. Alone, their trip through California reveals hidden feelings, but once they are out of the woods, will their relationship stay strong?"
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Sadie
by Courtney Summers
Told from the alternating perspectives of nineteen-year-old Sadie who runs away from her isolated small Colorado town to find her younger sister's killer, and a true crime podcast exploring Sadie's disappearance
An NPL Teen gives this book 4/5 stars and notes that it was a suspenseful page-turner that had lots of exciting action and adventure.
"Really good, told by two separate people at different times. It reminded me of Girl on a Train. Somewhat heavy content for a YA book, but still okay. There is a cliff-hanger - so be warned!"
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