GALLANT by Victoria Schwab
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Olivia Prior has no real memories of her parents–nothing but her mother’s journal. She doesn’t even know their names, just that her father is dead and her mother went mad before leaving her on the doorstep of the dismal boarding school where she has grown up. So when the letter arrives–a summons from the uncle she didn’t know she had, back to the family estate she didn’t know existed–the temptation to finally have a real home and family is too great to resist.
Even though her mother’s journal warns her of unnamed dangers within the halls of Gallant.
But the welcome at the manor is not what she expected. Her uncle is dead–and died too long ago to have sent her the mysterious letter–and the only remaining relative, her cousin Matthew, is determined that she should be sent away. Matthew is tortured by violent dreams, and the halls are haunted by ghouls that only Olivia can see. Yet none of that compares to the darkness on the other side of the stone wall in the garden, where a shadowy master of crumbling reflection of Gallant has been waiting for Olivia to arrive…
Atmospheric and horrifying, Schwab’s latest YA sits solidly in the horror genre and is impossible to put down. As you can expect from Schwab’s prose, every word hits like a gunshot, creating an atmosphere and story so immersive that you are as ensnared as her protagonist. This story is a must-read for teen and adult fans of paranormal horror!
WHEN WE WERE THEM by Laura Taylor Namey
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Graduation week isn’t going as Willa planned, and it’s all her fault. She hurt her best friends–badly–and the worst part is, that she isn’t sure why. But when her friends issue her an ultimatum with their friendship hanging in the balance, Willa will have to sort through her memories, from the blissful days on the beach their sophomore year with the girls and Nico, when all their dreams seemed perfect and possible, to the terrible tragedy their junior year that tore it all apart, to Willa’s choice last October that signed the death warrant of their friendship. With graduation looming closer, Willa opens some painful wounds, discovering some uncomfortable truths about herself and an even worse realization of what her future needs to look like.
This story hits the ground running with a strong thread of suspense that makes it hard to stop turning pages. The friendship struggles are relatable and heart-wrenching while the mysteries from the past give the story a bit of a thriller vibe. I highly recommend it to fans of books like WE WERE LIARS.
LAWLESS SPACES by Corey Ann Haydu
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Mimi’s sixteenth birthday isn’t what she’d hoped. She’s not surprised that her mother chooses to go on an impromptu trip with her boyfriend and leave Mimi alone for days. It’s just like her mom. But she is shocked when the news story breaks that her mother is the accuser in a high-profile sexual assault case that’s been all over the news.
Home alone, and unable to get in touch with her mom, Mimi isn’t sure how to handle this news–especially because of how her mom reacted about an incident in Mimi’s life last year, an incident which her mother seemed to think was all Mimi’s fault simply because of how her body is shaped. But as Mimi struggles to navigate these overwhelming revelations–all the while dealing with her own struggles with dating and her body image–she finds a stack of journals in the attic and begins to connect with the journey of the generations of women in her family before her, women who have had struggles that are dishearteningly similar to the sexism Mimi is still experiencing decades later.
Told through Mimi’s poetry, this story is beautifully told, but heavy. There are very few lighter moments in this book that deals with such important but difficult themes. It is a strong, feminist coming-of-age novel that will appeal most to older teens and twenty-somethings who want to immerse themselves in this struggle and come out the other side feeling connected to a community of women–generations of women–who have experienced gender-based violence and discrimination and feeling inspired to join them in the fight.
THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA by Axie Oh
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Mina didn’t plan to dive into the sea. She had just hoped to reach her older brother on the boat before he did something deadly–like try to save his beloved from the Sea God. For the past hundred years it has been the fate of the most beautiful girl in the country to be thrown into the sea in hopes that she may be the Sea God’s true bride, the only one who can break his cursed sleep and bring an end to the violent storms and wars that ravage the land. But when Mina sees her brother in the prow of the boat facing down the Sea God’s dragon to save the girl he loves, Mina takes fate into her own hands, and dives into the sea in her place.
In the world of spirits, nothing is as Mina expected. As soon as she arrives, three young men slice through the Red String of Fate that ties her to the Sea God–supposedly for his protection–and the leader, Lord Shin, traps her soul in a cage before vanishing. Mina is not about to surrender her soul without a fight, but when she tracks her soul down at Lord Shin’s mansion, she stumbles into an attempted rebellion, and when her soul breaks free it binds her not back to the Sea God but to Shin. Shin takes Mina under his protection, hoping that they can work together to break the Sea God’s curse. But the more Mina sees of the callous gods, the more her faith wavers, and there may be more than a red ribbon tying her heart to Shin. With the fate of her people hanging in the balance and the Sea God’s enemies seeking her life, Mina will have to trust in herself and the stories she was raised on to find the right path to walk.
This feminist reimagining of Korean folklore is immersive with soaring emotions and a swoon-worthy romance. The world had its hooks in me from the earliest pages, and the story was captivating. One of the highlights for me was Mina’s wrestling with her faith as the gods disappoint her and her ultimate realization that she can forge her own fate. I highly recommend this novel to fans of YA fantasy and fairytale retellings!
MAIZY CHEN’S LAST CHANCE by Lisa Yee
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Maizy has only met her grandparents once before, but now she’ll be living with them for an entire summer. With Opa sick, Mom has finally agreed to visit her hometown in Last Chance, Minnesota where Oma and Opa own a Chinese restaurant. The small town is nothing like Maizy’s home in LA where she had been hoping to spend her summer. Her family are the only Asians in the community, and it isn’t long before some mean girls start bullying her for being Chinese. Her mom is different, too. She’s quieter than normal and always arguing with Oma. Maizy is beginning to understand why they stayed away so long.
But as Maizy starts working at the restaurant and listening to Opa’s stories about her family history, she realizes there is more to the community and her family than you can see on the surface. Some of it is good, some not. When her family is the target of a hate crime, it will take all of Maizy’s courage and strength to stand up for her family and find the culprit.
In this powerful story, the wonderfully-inspiring Maizy gives up her dreams of a relaxing summer at home with her bff and throws herself into the community she has never visited and the family she has only just met. It is through learning her family’s history that Maizy is given the tools to help her family heal the rift that is stopping them from having a future together–and this broader perspective enables her to see the hidden side of the members of her community as well. Community–as well as Maizy’s own courage and hope–will prove the key to overcoming the bigotry that Maizy’s family has faced since they first arrived in America. I highly recommend this middle grade novel to any upper elementary and middle school fans of contemporary fiction, as well as book clubs and classrooms for that age group!
JUST HARRIET by Elana K. Arnold
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Harriet’s dad promised that the new baby wouldn’t change anything. But the baby isn’t even born yet, and things have already changed. A lot. Harriet’s mom isn’t allowed to leave her bed for two whole months, and Harriet will be spending the summer after third grade far away from her parents at her grandmother’s bed and breakfast on an island. At first, Harriet is determined not to enjoy herself during her island summer. But when she finds an old key in the basement, she begins an investigation that will bring her closer to not only the eccentric island community but to the dad she left behind.
This sweet early middle grade story is bursting with personality and family love. A dash of mystery and a colorful cast of characters (plus cat and dog frenemies) keep the plot engaging as Harriet wrestles with her feelings of abandonment and disappointment over the unexpected changes in her family. Ultimately, Harriet will realize that no matter how many things change, the love of her parents is always a constant. I’d recommend this story to readers in grades 2-4 who enjoy contemporary fiction.
REQUIRED READING FOR THE DISENFRANCHISED FRESHMAN by Kristen R. Lee
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I deserve to be here.
Savannah has to repeat those words to herself every day–several times a day–just to remind herself that she hasn’t shown up at the wrong university. She’s one of only 100 Black students at the prestigious Ivy League school and her white classmates haven’t exactly gone out of their way to make her feel welcome. Hopefully, her mother is right that if she makes it all four years in this place, people will respect her degree more than they would have if she studied at an HBCU. But Savannah is starting to doubt it.
Savannah’s whole life has reinforced the reality that no matter what she does, some people will always assign her a label based on the color of her skin alone. And deserving to be somewhere doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll be allowed to stay–whether that place is a pizza parlor or an elite university. So when a statue on campus is desecrated with blackface, Savannah is torn between wanting to speak out and fearing possible repercussions, especially since she’s pretty sure the racist behind the hate crime is a rich kid whose family has a long history at the school. But some things are too important to keep quiet about–even if they might cost your future.
This gripping, thought-provoking contemporary novel is a must-read! Although it is set on a college campus, the cliques, power dynamics, and constant struggle to find your niche and to balance school with life will be relatable to every high school student. Lee slams racist institutions with a blunt honesty that is refreshing, convicting, and guaranteed to get every reader thinking about how they will navigate the college environment and confront those injustices when they inevitably encounter them. I highly recommend this wonderful debut!
THE RED PALACE by June Hur
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Hyeon worked her whole life to become a palace nurse. It wasn’t an easy path for her, especially without the support of her father, a prominent justice who barely acknowledges her and her mother, who was once his concubine. Hyeon’s success as a nurse and rise to the prestigious palace position was largely thanks to her mentor, Nurse Jeongsu.
But when a massacre at the student hospital leaves four women dead, Nurse Jeongsu is arrested under suspicion of murder. And when an anonymous pamphlet circulates accusing the Crown Prince of the murders, Hyeon realizes two terrible truths: first, that Nurse Jeongsu will be convicted and executed to divert suspicion from the Palace, and second, that Hyeon herself has unwittingly provided the prince with a false alibi by claiming to treat his illness that night. She knows she must investigate the massacre herself if she has any hope of saving her mentor from execution, even when it means defying her father and forming an unlikely alliance with the young and unconventional police inspector who seems to respect her, despite her being a woman and a commoner, but who has the power to destroy her life–or maybe break her heart. But Hyeon will risk her heart, her job, and her father’s disapproval to uncover the truth. Unfortunately, with so many bloody secrets hidden within the Palace walls, the truth may cost her life.
Suspenseful, romantic, and rich with the fascinating history of the Korean Joseon Dynasty, THE RED PALACE is perhaps my favorite June Hur novel yet! She seamlessly weaves together the story of a young woman struggling to find her place in her family and her society with a based-on-a-tragic-true-story murder mystery–plus, a swoon-worthy romance that delighted my historical-romance-loving heart. I highly recommend this novel for any YA collection and to any teen and adult fans of historical mysteries.
PAY ATTENTION, CARTER JONES by Gary D. Schmidt
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When Carter tells his mom about the stranger on the doorstep, she panics, wondering if it’s a representative from the army bringing terrible news about Carter’s dad. But when Carter assures her that the guy isn’t in a uniform (or at least not a military uniform, though the tux and bowler hat combo is a bit much) and that also the guy is definitely British (like, really, really British), she returns to the chaos of preparing Carter’s little sisters for school and tells Carter to send the stranger away.
But the stranger has no intention of going away, not even when Carter’s dachshund pukes right in front of his shoes (it’s a dachshund thing). In fact, the stranger is there because of the chaos. Apparently, Carter’s grandfather assigned his butler to move to America and help out during their dad’s deployment–even if “helping out” means cleaning up dachshund puke on Carter’s first day of sixth grade. Unfortunately, cleaning up after dogs isn’t the main part of the butler’s job description. He seems bent on turning Carter into “a gentleman,” educating him in the arts, and even teaching him how to play Cricket, which is apparently “the most gentlemanly” of all sports even though no one has ever heard of it. Carter initially resists the changes the butler brings to his life, but when unexpected news from his father makes him confront some difficult truths about his family’s past, Carter realizes that some changes can’t be stopped–and others might be exactly what he needs.
Snarky, whimsical, and heart-wrenching, PAY ATTENTION, CARTER JONES is a story of how love and community can bring a family through a tragedy. The humor kept me laughing even as the story took its more serious turns while Schmidt’s poetic storytelling created emotional swells, ultimately lifting the reader up in hope. I highly recommend this novel to upper-elementary and middle school readers who enjoy contemporary fiction.
THE RUNAWAY DUCHESS by Joanna Lowell
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Lavinia had no choice but to marry the elderly, lecherous duke–not after the duke she was supposed to marry jilted her, exposed a family scandal, and had her father arrested. With her family disgraced and no skills to earn money except by marrying it, she grits her teeth and trudges down the aisle. But it’s what the wedding night holds that she truly dreads: not only being forced to share a bed with her loathsome husband but what that husband might do when he discovers he is not her first lover. So when a young botanist stops her on the train platform, mistaking her for a new colleague, she flees her honeymoon–and her past life.
Neal’s future wife is nothing like he expected. She more closely resembles a Society debutante than an intrepid explorer; he can hardly imagine her doing all the daring feats she describes in her memoirs. But he still fully intends to ask her to marry him after their stint collecting plants in Cornwall is complete. Surely she, too, will be looking for a like-minded, intellectual spouse. And if she agrees to be his bride, they can be married to fulfill his mother’s hopes for him before she succumbs to her cancer. As his professional relationship with his bold explorer deepens, however, Neal is in for more surprises, perhaps the biggest of which is that he is falling in love–and for reasons he never would have imagined.
Lowell made a bold choice to cast one of her previous book’s villains as her heroine–but it payed off! She matched her deeply flawed heroine with a seemingly perfect hero, only to subvert our expectations for both and somehow make us love them more. With this book, Lowell proves that the acclaim her debut earned was not a fluke. She is a new star in the historical romance genre.
Susan the Librarian 