Caught Up by Amir Abrams (K-Teen)
Book Description: Straitlaced and a self-proclaimed good girl, sixteen-year-old Kennedy Simms does what’s expected of her and it couldn’t make her parents happier. Still, Kennedy is bored. Good girls don’t get invited to parties and they certainly don’t hang out on the other side of town—the heart of the ’hood.
But now that school’s out, the rules are all about to change—especially when Kennedy starts hanging out with Sasha, her co-worker at the mall and a party girl from the other side of the tracks. Soon Kennedy is rocking sexy outfits, lying to her parents, and has even snagged herself a nineteen-year-old boyfriend. Malik Evans is a bad boy, and he’s about to take Kennedy on a whirlwind ride full of drama and lies that could throw her perfect life upside down…
Revolution (Replica Trilogy #3) by Jenna Black (Tor Teen)
Book Description: In Revolution, Nadia Lake and Nate Hayes find themselves at the center of a horrifying conspiracy in the action-packed finale of Jenna Black’s SF romance series that began with Replica
Paxco has a new ruler.
Dorothy Hayes claims to be the secret daughter of the recently-assassinated Chairman. She also claims that Nate Hayes, the true heir and her supposed brother, was the one who murdered their father.
Nate and his best friend, Nadia Lake, are the only ones who know the truth about what really happened to the Chairman, and more importantly, the truth about Dorothy.
But with Dorothy in power, Nate and Nadia know their days are numbered. They have nowhere to run except the Basement, Paxco’s perilous and lawless slums. But Dorothy is far from content with driving her enemies into hiding.
She wants them dead.
Stranger by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith (Viking)
“Yes, it’s another post-apocalyptic series opener, but it’s infused with a generous spirit—call it a utopian dystopia. The small, walled community of Las Anclas bears little resemblance to Los Angeles, whose ancient ruins sprawl nearby. … The five dynamic narrators and action-packed plot deliver thrills while slyly undermining genre clichés. A first-rate page turner that leaves its own compelling afterimage.” — Kirkus, starred review
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
“Eleven short stories about two centuries in the life of everyone’s favorite bisexual, biracial, immortal warlock from Clare’s hyperpopular Shadowhunters series, most previously published in electronic-only editions. … the collection shows compelling development of Magnus from flirtatious playboy to flirtatious playboy with a secret heart of gold to the fashionable-but-serious High Warlock of Brooklyn who throws himself between innocents and danger.” — Kirkus
Switch by Douglas Davey (Red Deer Press)
Book Description: Sheldon Bates wants to share his story — the story of what it was like when he was seventeen. Sheldon was an ordinary high school student until he started noticing something changing about himself. It was then that Sheldon started feeling the same way about boys that he did about girls. It was at seventeen that Sheldon desperately tried to figure out the truth and accept the fact of his bisexuality. And trying to find someone to talk to brought its own set of complications — especially when he found himself at the centre of a scandal that he was ill-equipped to handle. But he also discovered he was not alone and that he would survive his seventeenth year.
Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster (HarperTeen)
“In this prequel to City of a Thousand Dolls (2013), Forster creates a vast novel rich with Asian-inspired mythologies and an extensive cast of characters. … Fans of fantasy will enjoy the magical elements, while the subtle commentary of the novel’s stratified society lends it a dystopian vibe similar to Veronica Roth’s Divergent (2011, both HarperCollins) that will appeal to readers outside of the fantasy genre.” — School Library Journal
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin (Little, Brown)
“Heroin addicts, crime lords and murderers wreak havoc upon the residents of Hak Nam Walled City, a neglected, filthy place in this teen thriller told in alternating viewpoints. Inspired by Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City, Graudin’s prose uncovers a contemporary dystopia where despair is so rampant, ”even the sunlight won’t enter.“ … Readers, rapt, will duck for cover until the very last page.” — Kirkus
Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little (HarperCollins)
“In this novel set in ancient Syria at the time of Hammurabi, 16-year-old Jayden is betrothed to Horeb, future king of her tribe, a contract she views with apprehension. When her mother dies in childbirth, Jayden, her sister Leila, and her father are left behind to bury the dead. While mourning at her mother’s gravesite, Jayden meets a mysterious young man from the south who tells her his name is Kadesh and that he has been stranded in the desert after an attack on his trading caravan. As Kadesh travels with her and her family, Jayden falls in love with him, a forbidden romance because of her betrothal to Horeb. … this is a fast-paced, entertaining choice which will appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance.” — School Library Journal
The Name of the Blade by Zoe Marriott (Candlewick)
“Marriott (Shadows on the Moon) launches a trilogy that draws from Japanese mythology to deliver an action-packed story with a romantic undercurrent. When nearly 16-year-old Londoner Mio Yamato “borrows” the katana that has been in her family for centuries to flesh out a Christmas party costume, she inadvertently awakens an ancient evil. … Strong characters and an intriguing premise make this a solid, enjoyable story.” — Publishers Weekly
The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur (Sky Pony Press)
“At 17, Mementi Genesis Lee and friend Cora are out on the town, their primary worry escaping parental notice and keeping their memory-filled Link beads covered just enough for safety. Someone (suspicion falls on the Populace) has been stealing the Mementi’s prized objects and with them, entire lives. … For readers hooked on earbuds and constant social networking, the storyline should be intriguing, the ambiguities and plot twists reasonable. But it’s the sensitive handling of emotional details and the trauma of too much connection that make this a story of interest. … For anyone fascinated with thoughts of omniscience and total social connection—and who isn’t?—McArthur’s debut suggests fascinating and chilling possibilities.” — Kirkus
Mr. Samuel’s Penny by Treva Hall Melvin (Poisoned Pencil)
“A city girl from Queens, New York, is thrust into the slowed-down homeyness of a small North Carolina town in 1972, but the summer she fears will drag on intolerably soon turns into the mystery of a missing penny and an unknown killer. … A smart, funny pleasure, as satisfying as sipping lemonade on the front porch with a favorite grandparent.” — Kirkus
The Melody of Light by M.L. Rice (Bold Strokes Books)
Book Description: Siblings Riley and Aidan Gordon are survivors. Together, they survived an abusive childhood, and when a fiery accident incinerates all they have—except for each other—they survive that, too. The tragedy leaves them with burdens and pain beyond their years, but it also sets them free to forge their own paths. Aidan’s road to happiness seems smooth and carefree. But Riley continues to struggle, her only saving grace being a passion for music that helps soothe her damaged soul. As their paths diverge and college looms, Riley will have to depend less on Aidan and more on herself. Fear of failure drives her, but will finding love derail her single-minded determination to succeed, or will it open the door to the family she’s always wanted?
Autumn Falls by Bella Thorne (Delacorte)
“In actress Thorne’s YA debut, sophomore Autumn Falls, stuck with a name ”that calls me out as a complete klutz and seasonally challenged,“ moves with her family to Florida after her father’s accidental death. There, Autumn’s Cuban grandmother gives her a magical journal and tells her it ”could change your life.“ … Thorne’s book has a fun premise.” — Publishers Weekly
On the Edge by Allison van Diepen (HarperTeen)
Book Description: Wrong place. Wrong time.
Maddie Diaz never should have taken that shortcut through the park. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have seen two gang members attacking a homeless man. Now, as the only witness, Maddie knows there’s a target on her back.
But her courage has also caught the attention of Lobo, the mysterious leader of a rival gang, who promises to protect her. Lobo might be out for his own revenge, but Maddie knows she can trust him. And even though Lobo tries to push her away, she is determined to find out the truth about him. As sparks fly between them, Maddie is drawn deeper into his dangerous world … until there’s no turning back.
When you live on the edge, any moment could be your last.
Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath (Delacorte)
“Walrath’s debut vividly renders the atrocities of the Armenian genocide in the early 20th century, using multiple first-person narratives in delicate verse. … A shocking tale of a bleak moment in history, told with stunning beauty.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
Slump by Kevin Waltman (Cinco Puntos)
“Derrick ”D-Bow“ Bowen returns for his sophomore year at Indianapolis’ Marion East and this second volume in the D-Bow’s High School Hoops series. … With its deft balance of play-by-play action and off-the-court drama, this series scores.” — Kirkus
