Archives de catégorie : Young Adult

A DISASTER IN THREE ACTS de Kelsey Rodkey

An aspiring documentary filmmaker tries to use her best friend’s ex as the subject for her film school application, only to discover there’s more to him than what’s in front of the camera. Fans of Elise Bryant and Rachel Lynn Solomon will swoon for this romance packed with snark, banter, and inconvenient crushes.

A DISASTER IN THREE ACTS
by Kelsey Rodkey
‎ HarperTeen, July 2022
(via JABberwocky)

Saine Sinclair knows a little something about what makes a story worth telling. Your childhood best friend refuses to kiss you during a pre-adolescent game of spin the bottle? Terrible, zero stars, would not replay that scene again. The same ex-friend becomes your new best friend’s ex? Strangely compelling, unexpected twist, worth a hate-watch. That same guy—why is he always around?—turns out to be your last shot at getting into the documentary filmmaking program of your dreams? Saine hates to admit it, but she’d watch that movie. There’s something about Holden that makes her feel like she’s the one in front of the camera—like he can see every uncomfortable truth she’s buried below the surface. Saine knows how her story’s supposed to go. So why does every moment with Holden seem intent on changing the ending?

« Madeline is quick-witted, bright, and passionate… a lighthearted page-turner. » —School Library Journal

« This enemies-to-lovers romance includes a business rivalry, a deadbeat mom, and a last-gasp attempt to save a family store… A solid rom-com. » —Kirkus Reviews

« Rooted as much in family as it is in cute banter, book nerdery, and sexual tension… You’ve Got Mail for teens. » —Booklist

Kelsey Rodkey is the author of the YA rom-com Last Chance Books. A burrito lover and banter enthusiast, she’s striving to create the stories she lacked as a teenager. She lives near the capital of Pennsylvania, which a lot of people think is Philadelphia, with her significant other and their cat, Cheese.

THE COMEDIENNE’S GUIDE TO PRIDE de Hayli Thomson

A funny, thoughtful YA debut about going after what you really want and letting people love who you really are, perfect for fans of Jaye Robin Brown’s Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit.

THE COMEDIENNE’S GUIDE TO PRIDE
by Hayli Thomson
‎ Page Street Kids, June 2022
(via JABberwocky)

Wicked funny and hella gay, it’s time for Taylor Parker to come out about a lot of things. Taylor Parker has always been a funny girl―but when she is accepted as a finalist for a diverse writers’ internship at Saturday Night Live, it turns her life upside down. If she wants a shot at winning in a little more than a month, Taylor will have to come out about both of her secrets: She wants to be a comedian . . . and she’s a lesbian.
With a mom who gave up a career in comedy to raise her, and a comedian dad who left for a younger woman, working in comedy is a sore subject in Taylor’s house. To keep her secret under wraps, she sneaks out to do improv and hides her sketches under the bed, and to distract from her anxiety about the competition, Taylor
frequents Salem’s Museum of Witchcraft to pine for Abigail Williams from the back row.
It’s at the Museum of Witchcraft where Taylor falls deeper in love with the girl who plays Abigail Williams―Charlotte Grey, an out and proud lesbian at Nathaniel Hawthorne High. Charlotte radiates so much confidence in her acting and queerness that Taylor can’t resist her. So when Charlotte reaches out for help on a school project, Taylor readily agrees. As they spend more time together, Taylor sees what living her truth and pursuing her dreams could bring her, but Charlotte can’t understand why someone as funny as Taylor wouldn’t go all out to make the most of her opportunities. To live up to her own comedy dreams and become the person she wants to be, Taylor will have to find the confidence to tell everyone exactly who she is and what she wants.

Hayli Thomson lives in Sydney, Australia, and writes novels about candid characters for anybody who ever watched Jo March leap a fence and longed to be her best friend. Bizarrely, during her teen years, Hayli was afflicted with a “headache” every third Monday in September, when she was left with no option but to stay home from school and watch her favorite female comedians collect Emmys live on the other side of the world.

BRIGHT RUINED THINGS de Samantha Cohoe

A glittering 1920s retelling of The Tempest in which forbidden magic and family secrets are revealed over the course of one dramatic night.

BRIGHT RUINED THINGS
by Samantha Cohoe
‎ Wednesday Books, February 2022
(via JABberwocky)

Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all… The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the island’s magic and its spirits. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her. But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted. When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae realizes that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers – including a secret about Mae’s past. As Mae and her friends unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.
In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.

• A Goodreads “Most Anticipated” 2022 novel
• Highlighted by BuzzFeed as a new release
• Part of BookRiot’s “Ultimate Guide to New Winter YA Books 2022”
• Part of PopSugar’s “Best New YA Books 2022 So Far”

« A novel whose sumptuous setting alongside the careless, magical rich proffers undeniable pleasures. » ―Publishers Weekly
« Cohoe’s prose moves at a clip through a night packed with intrigue…Fans of Shakespeare’s The Tempest will find much to enjoy, as will readers eager for a luxurious 1920s period piece…An intriguing story about the rot that lies beneath splendor. » ―Kirkus Reviews

Samantha Cohoe writes historically-inspired young adult fantasy. She was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood of beach trips, omnivorous reading, and writing stories brimming with adverbs. She currently lives in Denver with her family and divides her time among teaching Latin, mothering, writing, reading, and deleting adverbs. Her debut novel A Golden Fury was published in October 2020.

A LONG STRETCH OF BAD DAYS de Mindy McGinnis

Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a thrilling and gripping YA mystery about two teen girls who start a podcast investigating an infamous series of events from their small town’s past, setting in motion an unraveling of secrets that someone will stop at nothing to keep buried.

A LONG STRETCH OF BAD DAYS
by Mindy McGinnis
‎ Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, March 2023

Lydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan to earn that credit: transform her listener friendly local history podcast into a hard hitting, truth telling expose. She’ll investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days a week when Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash food, as well as its first and only murder, which remains unsolved. But Lydia needs help to bring grit to the show. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs a credit to graduate. The unexpected partnership brings together the Chass family name a pillar in the community and the rough and tumble Jamison’s, of whom Bristal hopes to be the first to graduate. Together, they dig into the town’s worst week, determined to solve the murder. Their investigation unearths buried secrets;a hidden brothel, lost family treasure, and a teen girl that disappeared. But the past is never far, and some don’t want it to see the light. As threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.

Mindy McGinnis is the author of several young adult novels, including The Initial Insult, Heroine, The Female of the Species, and A Madness So Discreet, winner of the Edgar Award. She writes across multiple genres, including postapocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy. While her settings may change, you can always count on her books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. Mindy lives in Ohio.

A MILLION TO ONE d’Adiba Jaigirdar

Titanic gets an Ocean’s 11 makeover in this high stakes and romantic YA heist novel set on board the infamous ship that sank in 1912, deep in the North Atlantic. Perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Girl in the Blue Coat.

A MILLION TO ONE
by Adiba Jaigirdar
‎ HarperCollins Children’s, December 2022

Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in stealing from wealthy first class passengers onboard. No, she’s out for the ultimate prize: the Rubiyat , a one of a kind book encrusted with gems that’s worth millions. Josefa can’t score it alone, so she enlists a team of girls with unique talents: Hinnah , a daring acrobat and contortionist; Violet, an actress and expert dissembler; and Emilie, an artist who can replicate any drawing by hand. They couldn’t be more different and yet they have one very important thing in common: their lives depend on breaking into the vault and capturing the Rubiyat . But careless mistakes, old grudges, and new romance threaten to jeopardize everything they’ve worked for and put them in incredible danger when tragedy strikes. While the odds of pulling off the heist are slim, the odds of survival are even slimmer…

Adiba Jaigirdar is the author of The Henna Wars and Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. A Bangladeshi/Irish writer and teacher, she has an MA in Postcolonial Studies from the University of Kent, England and a BA in English and History from UCD, Ireland. She is a contributor for Bookriot, and has published short fiction and poetry in various journals and anthologies.