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| A Little Like Waking by Adam RexLiving the dream: When Zelda’s picture-perfect world is upended by Langston, a cute boy she’s never met, she realizes she’s actually living in a dream.
What happens: Zelda, Langston, and Zelda’s long-dead cat Patches -- who can talk!? -- set out on a wild but heartfelt journey to identify the dreamer. But Zelda’s not sure she wants them to wake up.
How it’s told: with occasional full-page illustrations and plenty of silly, dreamlike side characters, including a sinister laundromat clown. |
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When the Vibe is Right
by Sarah Dass
Starring: Tess, a Trinidadian teen and aspiring Carnival costume designer, is looking forward to leading Grandeur, her family's masquerade band. That is, if a band rivalry doesn't take down Grandeur first.
Enter: social media influencer Brandon. Tess hates everything about him, but she'll team up with him to save her dreams. And maybe he's not so bad after all…
Why you might like it: This sparkling hating-to-dating romance radiates love for the people and culture of Trinidad and Tobago.
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Promise Boys
by Nick Brooks
The crime: the murder of Kenneth Moore, principal of Washington, D.C.'s Urban Promise Prep.
The suspects: three students. Trey, a jokester basketball player who supposedly supplied the gun; Ramon, a future chef whose hairbrush was found at the scene; and J.B., a quiet guy covered in the principal's blood. To clear their names, the boys must identify the killer themselves.
For fans of: Jason Reynolds' examinations of systemic injustice and Karen McManus' twisty thrillers.
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Warrior Girl Unearthed
by Angeline Boulley
Change of plans: Black and Anishinaabe teen Perry Firekeeper-Birch hoped to spend her summer fishing and slacking off, but repaying her aunt for car repairs requires working at the tribal museum instead.
What happens: Perry’s discovery that a local university has not returned the remains of deceased Anishinaabe leads her to a deeper, deadlier mystery involving missing Indigenous women.
Author alert: This compelling standalone thriller is set ten years after the events of author Angeline Boulley’s blockbuster debut Firekeeper’s Daughter.
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Rebel of Fire and Flight by Aneesa MarufuWhat it's about: Escaping from an arranged marriage, 16-year-old Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glassmaker's apprentice, and as a deadly revolution exploits forbidden magic, threatening their friendship, they must choose what kind of world they want to live in.
Why you may like it: It is a compelling, world building, adventurous fiction fantasy.
Also try: Rogue Princess by B.R. Myers and Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim.
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| One Great Lie by Deb CalettiThe set-up: Charlotte is in Venice for a summer writing program run by her favorite novelist, Luca Bruni. She’s also researching her ancestor, a Renaissance poet whose famous lover may have stolen her work.
The let down: Luca Bruni preys on young women, and he’s targeted Charlotte. As her dreams seem to crumble, Charlotte must find faith in herself and her talent.
Read it for: a sharp #MeToo story entwined with an atmospheric, suspenseful mystery and a dash of romance. |
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| The Gilded Ones by Namina FornaWhat it's about: In the kingdom of Otera, intuitive 16-year-old Deka discovers that her blood runs gold, a sign of impurity that marks her as one of the alaki, near-immortal women warriors who must battle the fearsome deathshrieks and defend the society that shuns them.
Read it for: breathless action, a twisty plot, and a bold, fierce heroine.
For fans of: the Afrofantasy world-building of Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer or the feminist themes of Tracy Banghart's Grace and Fury series. |
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| One for All by Lillie LainoffWhat 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.
Read it for: the compelling mystery, the chosen family story, a dash of romance, and an affirming portrayal of chronic illness. |
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| Odd One Out by Nic StoneThe love triangle: Coop has been in love with his best friend Jupiter forever. But she’s gay, and currently crushing on new girl Rae. Rae, however, is not sure whether she has feelings for Coop or Jupiter. Maybe both?
How it’s told: in three parts, first narrated by Coop, then Rae, then Jupiter.
Is it for you? This honest, thoughtful book depicts characters grappling with the complexity of their identities in a world determined to put everyone in neat boxes. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for age 14 and up!
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