Staff Picks Young Adult

We Hunt the Flame

by Hafsah Faizal

Zafira is a girl disguising herself as a male Hunter in order to feed her people. Nasir is an assassin, known as the Prince of Death, who is sent to kill anyone who defies his Tyrant father, the Sultan. They are known as legends in Arawiya, but neither wanted to be one; they were forced due to duty and responsibility over the people and the Sultan. The Arz aren’t relenting and war is looming over the kingdom but an ancient lost artifact could change things for the kingdom. Both Zafira and Nasir are on the quest to find it but who will find it first? And will either be able to stop the Arz from engulfing the entire kingdom in shadow?

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an e audiobook.

Recommended by: Ayla Franco, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

Dark and Shallow Lies

by Ginny Myers Sain

Despite being the psychic capital of the world, no one in La Cachette, Louisiana knows what happened to Elora the night she went missing. When Grey comes home for the summer, she is determined to find out the events that led to the vanishing of her best friend. As she begins to uncover the story, she finds that everyone in the town is hiding something, even herself. Grey grapples with all the possibilities in Elora’s story, while grappling with the power that is beginning to show itself within her. Try to piece together the puzzle of what happened to Elora alongside Grey, and discover for yourself what dark and insidious secrets are hiding in this small swamp town.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an e audiobook.

Recommended by: Stephanie Visser-Rodriquez, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

by Jen Ferguson

Lou will be working in her family’s ice cream shack this summer with her best friend, former best friend and ex-boyfriend. That is the perfect recipe for drama. When she starts receiving letters from her biological dad (who has just gotten out of prison) things go from manageable to horrible. She knows that he’s dangerous and that she can’t meet him, no matter how much he asks. Will her friends be able to help protect her? Or will her father come after her and her loved ones? Check out this book and find out.

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

Azar on Fire

by Olivia Abtahi

Azar loves music, especially writing songs. The only problem is that her voice has been damaged since she was a baby and she has trouble speaking. When an accident happens and she is forced to make a band to participate in the cities Battle of the Bands, her life changes forever. Can she learn to work with the band to create something amazing? Will they be able to win the Battle of the Bands? Pick up this book and find out.

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein

by Lita Judge

Written in free-verse, this captivating biography is not only intriguing and moving, but also visually mesmerizing. The black and white watercolor illustrations complement the author’s narrative of Mary Shelley’s life as if it were told in her own voice. Full of passion and drive, this pregnant teen runaway created much more than just a horror story. Shelley was a pioneer of science fiction to be celebrated for her remarkable legacy. Judge delivers in her own work biographical poetry paired with such astounding art that truly evokes the essence of Mary and her legendary Monster.

Posted in: Young Adult Nonfiction

All Eyes on Her

by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

A boy and a girl go into the woods…. only the girl comes out alive. Some say that she pushed him off of a cliff. Others think it was he accidently slipped and fell. This is the story of the events that led up to that fateful night, and what happened after, told by her sister, her best friend, her enemy and more. Everyone has their own opinion on the mystery. It’s time for you to figure out your own.

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

by Wai Chim

All Anna wants is to live a life of a normal teenager, but her life is anything but normal. Being a teenager in a prestigious school is already hard since they have high expectations on their students but Anna shoulders so much more than what her teachers and advisors think. If only her parents could be present in her life, things would be easier to handle, but her mother lives confined to her bed and mental demons, and her Baba works long hours at the family restaurant they own. The reality is that she knows her Baba doesn’t want to come on Mama’s bad days but will she be able to continue being the pillar holding her family together or will she crumble under all the pressure?

This book is available in the library and on Hoopla as an e audiobook.

Recommended by: Ayla Franco, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

The Killing Code

by Ellie Marney

Kit Sutherland is a codebreaker working in Arlington Hall with other women to decipher the secret messages of the enemy during WW II. She, however, has her own secret. She also finds herself working with three other codebreakers to discover the killer who is targeting young women working for the government. A well- researched murder mystery that also incorporates inequality across class, race, and sexuality.

Submitted by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

The Poet X

by Elizabeth Acevedo

The path of adolescence for Xiomara Bastista is a roller coaster full of questions, doubts, and emotional up-and-downs. She is a first generation Dominican-American Afro-Latina who is trying to figure out life as she navigates her place in society. This poignant coming of age novel-in-verse mirrors the reality that many young girls experience in regards to self-awareness, self-esteem, and relationships. Set in the urban setting of Harlem life, Xiomara discovers the power of writing, poetry and spoken word. 

Alicia Acevedo is a National Poetry Slam Champion and The Poet X became the winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award, among other prestigious awards. Highly recommending the audiobook version, narrated by the author herself.

This book is available in the library, on Hoopla as an ebook, OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and eaudiobook and in Playaway format.

Recommended by: Fanny Camargo, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction

Wondercat Kyuu-chan

by Sasami Nitori

Hinata is just young salary worker in Japan whose only responsibility is to take care of himself and go to work. His day-to-day life is dreary and quite lonely until he rescues a kitty of whom he names Kyuu-chan! But Kyuu-chan isn’t your ordinary house cat, oh no sir, this little white cat has human tendencies and has many little talents. Every day little Kyuu-chan helps Hinata find happiness in life’s simple pleasures and sprinkles his lonesome life with color and wonder.

Recommended by: Ayla Franco, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction