Black Girl Unlimited

 

Rating: 3/5 -- this one speaks to fans of Renee Watson Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi's American Street

My Thoughts: 

This coming of age story by Echo Brown puts the protagonist, "Echo" in  a family and a community that is falling apart at the seams, whether it is from drug addiction, violence, sexual exploitation, or all of the above. This is a semi autobiographical novel about the author's own coming of age story as she balances two worlds and finds her magical wizard powers. 

It is a story of black girl magic, and it is also a story of the magic that is in every young woman. This story is about healing and resilience through tapping into unlimited power/magic and releasing the black veil that threatens to choke us out. Don't let the subtitle, "The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard," lull you into thinking that this is a fantasy book. The emotions are raw and biting, but her coming into her own power is worth the read.

From the Publisher: 

Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism―all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson's Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi's American Street.

Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor.

Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.

Publication Information:

• Author: Echo Brown
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)
• Publication Date: January 14, 2020
• Print length: 304 pages
• Grade level: 10-12

Lindsey Cheng Dates a White Boy!!

 

Rating: 3 - for feel good girl band relationships

My Thoughts: 

This YA graphic novel by Asia Miller starts off with Lindsey cutting her bangs too short. It literally is titled Chapter 1: Lindsey Cheng cuts her bangs. We have all done that. Even my husband did that. Scissors are really a wonderful tool for mischief. But of course, like Lindsey, we cut it too short. However, these are elementary school shenanigans. Lindsey is in college in an up and coming rock band. She starts dating Jason, a white guy from a more renowned indie band. This is supposed to be a romcom, but the comedy is not from the "romance." The comedy is actually in the interactions with Lindsey's overbearing Chinese mom and her friends from her band. 

As far as her relationship with Jason, I find it dysfunctional. Why is he with her? He brings her along like some exotic other, but when she wants him to meet her friends, he leaves. The relationship is so one sided and I question the last panel. Why did he like her and finally how does he feel at the end? What is his motivation? It is all a little bit cringy, but I think YA readers will see this with a more innocent light.

From the Publisher:

Lindsey Cheng is a college freshman figuring herself out. She's got a band with her best friends, an overprotective Chinese mom, and a date with a super cool indie rocker boy named Jason. Good luck, Lindsey!

It's the anticipated graphic debut by CalArts Alum and viral YouTube animator Asia Miller, expanded and in full color! An indie rock rom-com of liberating self-discovery, Lindsey practices juggling love, friendship, and family––ultimately learning to choose herself. 

Publication Information:

Author/Illustrator: Asia Miller

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishers (May 5, 2026)

Print length: 208 pages

Akira Failing in Love, Vol. 1

 

 

Rating: 3 of 5 for cute factor and investment worthy

My Thoughts:

This is a wholesome, cute, and funny story about Akira and Hajime. The two teens have had a crush on each other since they were young children, but Akira leaves and their friendship stops. When Akira moves back to the country, Hajime is ecstatic because he still has a crush on Akira even if he has no game and feels inferior to her. 

Little does he know (even through volume 1) that Akira has a long time crush on Hajime too. She needs a script to try and talk to him, but all her ideas fail and the two of them just keep misreading the other person's intentions. Akira is always prepared. She does well in school but she is horrible at sports. Hajima is horrible at school and excels in sports except for the fact that he does not play sports and is prone to injury.

This is a cute story of the misadventures and failures of the two teens. 

From the Publisher:

Akira returns to the countryside for high school with a foolproof scheme to win the heart of her childhood crush, Hajime. Too bad they’re both fools in love!

Highlights of Akira’s carefully orchestrated strategy to court Hajime include covering his eyes with her hands, tricking him into saying her name, and making his heart race. But she might have better luck impressing him with her academic and athletic prowess. Or not. Because he’s too dense to figure out she likes him. And she’s too dense to figure out he likes her back!

Publication Information:

• Author/Illustrator: Shinta Harakawa
• Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC
• Publication Date: March 10, 2026
• Print Length: 216 pages

Kirio Fan Club 1

 

Rating: 3/5 (Teacher's Scale: A solid buy for school libraries or Scholastic fairs; great for capturing "teenage awkwardness")

My Thoughts:

The publisher poses an essential question (EQ) that should probably be stamped on the front of every copy: What would you do if your crush had ear-splitting farts?

That hook alone is a stroke of philosophical genius, providing the exact jolt needed to stand out in a saturated manga market. The art style feels familiar -- classic Kodansha -- which offers a comfortable entry point for readers, but it is the "uhinged" premise that keeps you turning the pages. 

The story follows Aimi and Nami, inseparable friends who are currently "fighting" over their oblivious classmate, Kirio. Their rivalry is intense: at one point, they equate the idea of sharing him to splitting a wet tissue. As for Kirio? He has absolutely no clue he is the center of a romantic arms race.

Just as the girls seem ready to give up, a small gesture--an offered umbrella in the rain--pulls them right back in. To see where the absurdity goes next, you'll have to check out Volume 2. 

From the Publisher:

What would you do if your crush had ear-splitting farts?

Such are the deep, philosophical questions Aimi and Nami, two friends-slash-rivals in romance, ponder as they pull out every unhinged stop to catch the eye of their oblivious classmate Kirio—conducting nightly rituals to entice him into their dreams and listing what they love about him down to the very last organ.

But can their hilarious friendship survive the battle for the heart of this boy who hardly seems to know they exist?

First adapted into a live-action drama and soon to debut as an anime, this rip-roaring romcom will prove once and for all what is fair in love and war—or, if nothing else, what’s fair in love and rock, paper, scissors.

Publication Information:

• Author: Chikyu no Osakana Ponchan (Ponchan, the fish of the world)
• Publisher: Kodansha Comics|Vertical Comics
• Publication Date:  April 28, 2026
• Print length: 164 pages

Kingdom, Volume 1

 Rating: 3 action, adventure, orphan to hero

My Thoughts:

This is an English translation of a manga. It has also been an anime series and the story comes originally from a Chinese historical text. All of that does not matter. It is an adventure story of two orphans, Piao and Xin who train themselves as warriors by practicing in the fields after they are done with their chores. When a high ranking general seems they fighting in the field, the boys explain that they have sparred over 1,000 times and their win/loss record is very close. The general takes Piao to the court and Xin is left in the country to train on his own. The next time Xin sees Piao, there has been a coup and Piao, before he dies, sends Xin to a small shack in a dangerous town. 

The story gives us just enough to rush to get the 2nd volume before more assassins come looking for Xin and his new companion. The graphics are exciting. The drawings of the court officials are grossly exaggerated which makes this even more appealing. 

From the Publisher:

Xin is a war orphan in a poor village in the kingdom of Qin. He has big dreams of becoming a great general, and when his best friend’s life is cut short by political machinations, Xin sets off to find a deposed ruler and help restore his place on the throne, while working his way up through the ranks of the Qin kingdom’s army to do what no one has ever done before—unify China.

Xin’s journey begins when his friend Piao, another war orphan who imparts to Xin the same dream of becoming the Greatest Generals Under the Heavens, is offered a position in court in the capital. He leaves Xin behind to train on his own, and to meet him there one day. One fateful night, Piao returns bloodied and on the brink of death, with his dying words being for Xin to go meet a boy who turns out to look exactly like Piao. But this is no ordinary boy—it’s the king of Qin, Ying Zheng! And assassins are hot on his tail!

Publication Information:

Author                    Yasuhisa Hara

Publisher                Viz Media LLC (November 11, 2025)

Print length            224 pages

The Singular Life of Aria Patel

 

Rating: 4.5 because the author, Samira Ahmed is a former English teacher and a writer who represents many of the identities that vocal Americans hate (female, person of color, daughter of immigrants). Her writing is full of radical love and culture. 

My Thoughts:

I like authors who are not afraid to be unapologetically human. If you like that too, watch the Virtual School Visit with authors Alex London and Samira Ahmed.

But back to this book. Think The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Take the swoony romance, science-y, nerdy girl best parts of that book. Add it to the speculative fiction meets science fiction part of If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang, then add the physics/poetry/falling through multiverses of time/space/place and you have The Singular Life, which in and of itself is an ironic title as you will soon see. 
This is a unique book in a YA market that, at its most comforting, is predictable. Be prepared to wander and wonder. As an adult reader and a sci fi reader for most of my 50 years, I knew who wrote the poem. What I did not know was how or even if she should go back to her original life. The key was a surprise. I am going to leave it at that. 

From the Publisher:

Aria Patel likes stability, certainty, predictability. It’s why she’s so into science. It's why she dumped her boyfriend before they went to different colleges because the odds were that something would go wrong, eventually. In a life that’s already so chaotic, why obsess over complicated relationships and shadowy unknowns when the scientific method gives you direction and a straight path to avoid all the drama.  
But there’s no avoiding anything when Aria finds herself suddenly falling through parallel universes and there’s no formula that can save her. She can’t explain why she’s been waking up in a new reality almost every day, or why Rohan, and a poem from her English class, seem to be following her through every new life.
As Aria desperately attempts to find a way home, she eventually ends up stuck in a parallel world very similar to her own. She cherishes this new version of her family, and she finds herself unable to deny the yearning she has for Rohan…but it’s not her life or her Rohan. It belongs to another Aria, another girl, and unless Aria can get back home, she’ll have taken this happiness away from someone else forever. And she may never find her own. 

This whirlwind novel from New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed will whisk you through worlds unknown, all while putting a multiverse spin on one of BookTok’s favorite tropes: second chance romance.

Publication Information:

Author: Samira Ahmed
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 13, 2025)
Page length: 368 pages
Grade level: 7 and up

My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser

 

Rating: 5 for generational trauma and healing, prose in two voices, complexity

My Thoughts:

I am actually taking the time to read this again. In my quest to finish it, I read it quickly, but I am re reading it to take my time and enjoy this haunting story. This is a companion piece to Hoang's earler book, My Father, the Panda Killer. I always meant to read that one first. The title is compelling and the title is just as stunning. The timing of that one, though was not ideal personally. It had nothing to do with when the publisher released it. Just that I was in the midst of submitting for a promotion at the university and I needed to focus on writing rather than reading.  Long story short, I read this one first. The absence, the seeming gaps in understanding and motive seemed to be a result of my not reading the first book. I still have not read the first book. However, on my rereading, I realize that this feeling of missing, of absence, that I viscerally felt as a reader may be part of the intended tone of this piece. 

This book is in two voices, and whenever I read books in two alternating voices, the story is meant to be jarring. The reader is along for the ride, but from the backseat. I equate it to feeling like I have been kidnapped with my blindfold on. I am trying to figure out who these people are based on just the story being unveiled by the two people in the front (they are not having a dialogue, they are just having alternate monologues). 

Paul is the heart of this story. He sits in contrast to his sister Jane who is more central in My Father, the Panda Killer. Paul is the open, soft one and Jane is his hard, sharp edged counter. At least that is what I get from this one. It is perhaps why I am waiting to put a little more reading distance between this book and Jane's book. 

One thing that Hoang does that is very crucial for YA is that her prose balances the very heavy trauma with tenderness, humor and empathy. The anticipatory questions I had early on were "When is it better for a mother to abandon her children to an abusive father?" "What might be the implications of this abandonment on the children as they grow up?" Hoang does not shy away from showing the trauma, but she also opens up a door for empathy to seep in.  

As I was rushing through on the first read, there are some slow parts that I skipped over to get to the end, however, I picked it up again because some stories, like this one, deserve a little more patience to blossom. 

From the Publisher:

San Jose, 2008: Paul yearns to know more about the mother who abandoned his family, but she is the only topic no one discusses. Now’s he’s in Vietnam, feeling displaced and considered an outsider. Plus, a ghost is haunting him even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts. His cousin and the grandmother he’s never met before now keep telling him that he’ll get answers only if he’s willing to open his ears.

Vũng Tâu, 1975: Ngọc Lan is eleven when her family breaks apart: her brother is drafted into the army; her father leaves on the last helicopter to the US. She and her sister are sent from Vietnam on a harrowing journey by boat. Only Ngọc Lan will survive. But what is the American dream when you are haunted by the death of your sister, missing your homeland; seeing ghostly mermaid sightings; lost in an abusive marriage; struggling as a parent?

Told in the alternating perspectives of Paul and Ngọc Lan, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser is a haunting story about the intergenerational effects of war, estranged family bonds, and how a teenager discovers a new connection to a lost part of himself.

Publication Information:

Author: Jamie Jo Hoang

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers (September 23, 2025)

Print length: 384 pages

Grade level: 7-9

Bad Boy: A Memoir

 

Ratings: 4 for a middle grade memoir to be used with his books/author study

My Thoughts:

I remember standing in one of those infamous NCTE lines in the exhibit hall for Walter Dean Myers back in the early 2000s. NCTE is the National Council for Teachers of English. This national organization has the most fabulous exhibit hall full of publishers who bring their YA and children's authors to sign ARCs, advanced reader's copy of books. When there is a line, someone fabulous is at the end of it. It is how I have met Laurie Halse Anderson, Matt de La Pena, Gary Paulsen, Angeline Boulley, Gene Luen Yang and Walter Dean Myers.  He was already an established author, a tall, slightly stooped gentleman. Nothing like what is in this book, buth if you have read his YA novels, Somewhere in the Darkness, Scorpions, Monster, you will relook at this memoir as a tale to English teachers about the importance of finding student gifts and overlooking bad behavior for boredom. Often the students that act out are highly intelligent and need to be challenged to find their passion. This is a boy who was too smart for school. He was too energetic for walls that feel like cages. He continued in his career to write about these boys/men on the liminal edge. I read this and listened to the audiobook narrated by actor Joe Morton. 

From the Publisher:

As a boy, Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously—he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer (and he eventually succeeded).

But as his hope for a successful future diminished, the values he had been taught at home, in school, and in his community seemed worthless, and he turned to the streets and to his books for comfort.

Publication Information:

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Publisher: Harper Collins (October 6, 2009)

Audiobook narrator: Joe Morton

A Forgery of Fate

 

Rating: 4 stars for Asian Romantasy

My Thoughts:

I read so many Asian romantasy YA books that I actually thought this was the second book in Wesley Chu's War Arts books -- The Art of Prophecy being book 1 of the duology. Seriously, look at the art work and it is not so farfetched that I thought I was reading The Art of Destiny which is his book 2. I know I have it on my Kindle TBR list which is miles long, so I was ready to get back to the multiple characters in Chuʻs Game of Thrones type of story. 

It quickly became apparent that this was not the same story. Tru, the blue haired artist captured my imagination so quickly that I did not care that I chose the wrong book. I was already hooked. Truyan is feisty. She uses her art skills to forge artwork and take care of her sisters and mother, but she has a gift in her hands and her paint brush to paint the future. However, with Baba lost at sea and believed dead, Truyan is the main caretaker of her family until she falls into the garden of the masked demon Elang. Elang is a half dragon/half beautiful boy who is cursed to live on land until he can destroy his grandfather, the dragon king under the sea who has stolen Elang's pearl.

This is a Chinese Beauty and the Beast but the beauty, Truyan is much more powerful and pivotal to this story than just the love interest. This book has enough fighting, twists and betrayals to make this more C-drama, less Disney.

Back to the cover mix up - the beautiful cover is done by Vietnamese artist Tran Nguyen who is the artist behind what seems like ALL of the Elizabeth Lim YA books, the Wesley Chu War Arts books and my favorite cover this year Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier. Go to the artist blog linked here. The murals are just as stunning and an appropriately large canvas for her work. 

As far as Asian romantasy, this one is fabulous. It has all the highs and lows of an Asian romantasy without the super goopy cheeseball ending. Yes, it has a positive ending, but not without the heartbreak and worry of a Chinese drama. That is what makes Asian romantasy so much better!

From the Publisher:

Truyan Saigas didn't choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father's disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . .

Publication Information:

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (June 3, 2025)

Celestial Monsters (The Sunbearer Duology Book 2)

 

Rating: 4 for diverse, queer normative fantasy duology

My Thoughts:

As a pushback to the 4+ fantasy series trend, more authors, especially divers fantasy authors are leaning into the duology. I am so here for that. I feel like as a long time YA fantasy reader, the second book in a duology is more crave worthy because I know that the story will come to an end at book 2. It makes the anticipation between book 1 and 2 even more luscious. I remember the characters more when I just need to wait a year and then say goodbye. If it is a longer series, I sometimes will wait until the final one comes out before going to book 2. 

But back to this particular book. Teo, our Jade semidiose hero, his sassy best friend and Gold semidiose strong girl Niya, as well as huge crush and hottie Aurelio must literally save the world from darkness and monsters brought on by Teo's act of humanity and compassion. 

As they work together to try and save the other gold semidioses being held captive by the Obsidians, we readers are also hopeful that Xio will remember the love and friendship shown to them by their family and new friends Teo and Niya. 

Besides seeing the more humane side of the captured gold semidioses, this second book also gets into the social justice aspect of the role of the gods, the adults in charge, to actually break a system that is wrong. The gods must learn from their own children that they have the power to change an unjust system. Teo also calls them out on the idea of what protecting humans versus just lording over them actually means.

Finally, this is a queer normative series. What that means is that we do not have to talk about it. It just is. Enjoy the story as a story full of drama, fighting, romance, sacrifice and love.

From the Publisher:

Teo never thought he could be a Hero. Now, he doesn’t have a choice.

The sun is gone, the Obsidian gods have been released from their prison, and chaos and destruction are wreaking havoc on Reino del Sol. All because Teo refused to sacrifice a fellow semidiós during the Sunbearer Trials.

With the world plunged into perpetual night, Teo, his crush Aurelio, and his best friend Niya must journey to the dark wilderness of Los Restos, battling vicious monsters while dealing with guilt, trauma, and a (very distracting) burgeoning romance between Teo and Aurelio. Determined to rescue the captured semidioses and retrieve the Sol Stone, the trio races against the clock to return Sol and their protective light. With it, order can be restored.

The future of the whole world is in their hands.

Publication Information:

Author: Aiden Thomas

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (September 3, 2024)

Print length: 415 pages

Of Jade and Dragons

 

Stars: 4 

My Thoughts:

I see this Mulan style novel very similar to Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. Even if Spin is about going to the capitol to be the head tailor and this book is about getting into the Engineers Guild, what makes Of Jade and Dragons so powerful is that it combines the competition aspect with a murder mystery and a political ethics dilemma. Yes, there is a romance. Yes, there is betrayal and intrigue. But the mystery and lies right around the corner are so unexpected. The secret gender may be a secret, but not to the main male character, so that is not a mystery. However, the lies, oh my goodness! The best part is when Aihui realizes that she should have listened to her deceased father and it is too late. She had to see it through, but in the moment, at least she has come to some kind of "aha." 

Other books to try before or after this one: 

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

From the Publisher:

Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune. 

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own. 

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

Publication Information:

Author: Amber Chen

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (June 18, 2024)

Print length: 477 pages

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now. . .: A LOVE Story

Stars: 4 for writer's craft, but not more because I am not sure where it fits into the classroom setting because of the content. ?? Up for discussion with classroom teachers.

My Thoughts: 

This is another Jason Reynolds story. I had to read it. The premise is interesting and novel (fresh). Neon, the main character is freaking out. Twenty-four seconds from now, he and Aria are going to have sex, but he is finding it difficult to get out of the bathroom.

Like Reynold's other books like Long Way Down, and Miles Morales: Suspended, this is a novel that in real time is taking very little time (an elevator ride, or 24 seconds). The way Reynolds draws this out and  pushes the narrative envelope is both dizzying and immediately engaging. 

The male point of view on this very monumental moment in a young person's life is new. I am not sure if I have every read something like this. Neon is a catch. Aria is lucky.

The title lends itself to the structure as Reynolds explores Neon and Aria's story through 24 months, weeks, days, minutes and seconds. Again, he has done something similar in Long Way Down, but as a writer he continues to push his craft.

Reynolds has said in interviews that he is grateful for YA author Laurie Halse Anderson who advocated for him with her publisher and is his mentor. I feel like what he emulates from Anderson is really the ability to infuse even minor characters with full bodied voices and characteristics. The artistry in Anderson's Speak come alive in this novel.

However, here is my conundrum. As a language arts education professor who book talks only YA books to my alum and current middle and secondary teacher education candidates, my focus is on bringing diverse books into the classroom and creating a canon of literature that speaks to their very diverse students as "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors." So where would this novel fit in? There is craft, for sure. But at the end of the day, this is not just about first love, but the focus is really on the first time. It does not judge, it does not shame, but the DO and the IT is undeniable. So yes, I can book talk this, but as far as spending their own money to get this into the classroom. . . how many and for what purpose?

From the Publishers:

Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine.

Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that.

Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away.

Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite.

And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!

Publication Information:

Author: Jason Reynolds

Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (October 8, 2024)

Print length: 253 pages

Only This Beautiful Moment

 

Stars: 5  This has the potential to be a literature circle option

My Thoughts: 

This may be the template that Randy Ribay used for his own intergenerational trauma and love note book Everything We Never Had. Like Everything, this is about three generations of males in one family. They also share each person's story as a young man, but they do intersect in each otherʻs family as the grandson, the son/father, and Baba. 

This one holds so many secrets and so many cultural and historical barriers for this family, both in America and in Tehran that it feels like a documentary of one family with the backdrop of old Hollywood and 1970s Tehran. 

In the classroom:

If using this in the classroom for a literature circle, pair this with Everything. In addition,  add something in multiple voices that are also a reflection of the historical reality in which it is set even if it does not span generations by using Traci Chee's We Are Not Free and Nick Brook's Promise Boys. Promise is the only one set solely in a fictional time and place. It is also a murder mystery with lots of voices so it allows you as the teacher to differentiate the content while still keeping the same student learning objectives for each group (SLOs). Just some food for thought. 

From the Publisher:

2019. Moud is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and himself.

1978. Saeed is an engineering student with a promising future ahead of him in Tehran. But when his parents discover his involvement in the country’s burgeoning revolution, they send him to safety in America, a country Saeed despises. And even worse—he’s forced to live with the American grandmother he never knew existed.

1939. Bobby, the son of a calculating Hollywood stage mother, lands a coveted MGM studio contract. But the fairy-tale world of glamour he’s thrust into has a dark side.

Set against the backdrop of Tehran and Los Angeles, this tale of intergenerational trauma and love is an ode to the fragile bonds of family, the hidden secrets of history, and all the beautiful moments that make us who we are today.

Publication Information:

Author: Abdi Nezemian

Publisher: Harper Collins (May 9, 2023)

Print length: 398 pages

Ex Marks the Spot

 

Stars: 4 for being as comfy and delicious as your favorite pajamas

My Thoughts:

This devour-worthy story has mystery, a great scavenger hunt and enough regret and drama to keep readers surprised. While Gemma always thought she had no family besides her mom, a surprise visit from a lawyer about an inheritance in Taiwan from her recently deceased grandfather puts her in a tailspin. Not only does she need the "inheritance" for her college, but she needs to figure out how to get to Taiwan. Of course her high school academic rival (and her ex) is running a summer program to Taiwan. Gemma must swallow her pride and dig up some pitiful story to get a spot on the Taiwan trip.

Gemma hates Xander, but luckily, Xander (Alex) does not hate her, so he uses his enormous charm with his family to accept her at the very last minute. The two teens were not ready for the "blood feud" type of resentment between  Xander's mom towards Gemma's mom, but between Gemma's grandfather's riddles  and Gemma's utter inability to speak anything but English, she has to learn to trust Xander and clue him in on what she is trying to do. She really is a fish out of water. Together, they travel around Taiwan and learn more about both of their grandfather's lives. The most interesting part of this book is not the romance between Xander and Gemma. That is inevitable. The real hook is the story of these two families. It is the misunderstandings, the hidden lives, the loss of relationships, and the understanding of a loved one even after they are gone. 

From the Publisher:

For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way she can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, Gemma finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Publication Information:

Author: Gloria Chao

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (December 31, 2024)

Paperback: 384 pages

Grade level: 7-9

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, book 1)

 

Stars: 4 for world building, and a powerful female protagonist

My Thoughts:

In a sweeping Arabic desert of shifting sands and ancient magic, Faizal also builds in hidden identities, political intrigue and ecological darkness. The characters are both heroic and deeply flawed, which makes them interesting and complex. I feel like only in a YA with young adult characters can this kind of character building of both heroic and non heroic/immature actions be done by the same person in a plausible way. 

The power of this book is in Faizal's adept world building as well as the ability to want to invest in the characters. It needs to be a movie.

From the Publisher:

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya―but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds―and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Publication Information:

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Publisher: Square Fish (reprint edition: December 1, 2020)

Paperback: 480 pages

Grade level: 4-7

Icon and Inferno (Stars and Smoke #2)

 

Stars: 4 Unexpectedly good action and chemistry in this second novel

My Thoughts:

The first book, Stars and Smoke , is actually a good stand alone, but like Ms. Lu’s second Warcross book, Wildcard, this second book surprised me in how much more the author could add to this story. The additional characters made this more believable. In addition, the shocking loss put this out of the realm of YA bubblegum romance and into the realm of spy intrigue and loss. I actually liked this more than the first book, even if you need to read the first book to get a feel for the characters. 

From the Publisher:

A year has passed since superstar Winter Young last saw secret agent Sydney Cossette. After barely surviving their first assignment together in London -- and their intense chemistry – the two haven’t spoken at all. Though they’re never far from the other’s thoughts, or fantasies.

So when Syndey shows up at Winter’s studio one day with a new mission from Panacea, he has no choice but to accept. With the clock ticking, the duo prepares to head to Singapore to rescue an operative in danger -- only to learn he’s none other than Sydney's ex, a rogue agent known as the Arsonist.

Of course, nothing is ever simple when it comes to Winter and Sydney. Especially not with the glamorous Gavi Ginsburg, a globe-trotting socialite and Winter’s one-time girlfriend, in the mix. Is she back for Winter’s heart – or does she have her eye on another prize?

The smoldering sequel to New York Times-bestselling Stars and Smoke follows Winter and Sydney on yet another treacherous mission that grows more sinister with each twist and turn. To make it out alive, they'll have to figure out how to be partners again -- and if they can resist the burn of something more.

Publication Information:

Author: Marie Lu

Publisher: Roaring Books Press (June 11, 2024)

Hardcover: 320 pages

Grade level: 10-12