Set on the cutthroat streets of Manhattan, Julie Berry’s novel, If Looks Could Kill, follows a murderer who finds himself on a collision course with a wrathful sisterhood of Medusas, whom his killings have unintentionally awakened. … More If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry
Léa Taranto’s debut YA novel, A Drop in the Ocean, brings readers into the life of teenaged protagonist Mira, who has been institutionalized at the Residency Adolescent Treatment Centre for obsessive compulsive and comorbid disorders. Drawing from her own lived experience, Taranto has written this auto-fictional novel straight from her heart. Through Mira, Taranto has penned a fiercely loyal and loveably articulate protagonist who is brutally honest, full of empathy, and impossible not to root for. … More A Drop in the Ocean by Léa Taranto
The Bitter End by Alexa Donne features eight reluctant high schoolers on a “digital detox” senior trip at a ski chalet. Most of them are rich and spoiled, some of them are on the rise to fame, and a few are just regular students trying to get to graduation, making for a varied and dynamic cast. … More The Bitter End by Alexa Donne
Randy Ribay, award-winning author of Patron Saints of Nothing, returns with another stirring novel foregrounding Filipino-American experiences. Everything We Never Had follows four generations of Filipino-American boys wrestling with their identities. … More Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
Maia Dueck reviews Adi Denner’s YA novel, The Kiss of the Nightingale. This action-packed story filled with a whirlwind romance and quick turns will pull you in. Right when the characters reach a moment of understanding, more drama unfolds, pulling them apart or pitching Cleodora into another impossible decision. … More The Kiss of the Nightingale by Adi Denner
It’s always the ones you least expect. Pretty Furious by E.K. Johnston is a story about quiet rebellion and what happens when the good girls stop playing by the rules and start taking justice into their own hands. Set in the small, conservative town of Eganston, Ontario, the novel follows Maddie, Jenny, Mags, Louise, and Jen, self-proclaimed 17-year-old vigilantes who are tired of sitting by and watching the injustices in their community go unpunished. … More Pretty Furious by E. K. Johnston
In this friends-to-lovers romance, Fitz delves into her complex relationships with her Jewish identity, bisexuality, and family. Set in New York city, we see Fitz concoct the ‘perfect’ plan to get back with her ex…only, when has the fake-dating trope ever turned out as expected? … More Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter
Otherworldly by F.T Lukens is a young adult narrative that explores fantasy, young queer love and learning to trust and rely on one another. There is a strong focus on family, both blood and found, which the author ties well with the slow burn romance that allows Ellery and Knox’s initially tenuous alliance to settle into a warmer friendship as they work alongside each other to solve the mystery of the goddess’ silence. … More Otherworldly, by F.T. Lukens
Emilio, another Cuban kid whose family owns the bike shop across the street from La Rosa Blanca, has always been in Clary’s life. And despite Clary’s insistence that she hates him, it is evident they know each other inside and out, from what food the other likes and dislikes, inside jokes, and clever and funny banter that kept me wanting more. … More With Love, Echo Park by Laura Taylor Namey
Khodi is a biracial Afro-Caribbean writer, rapper, spoken word artist and educator based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Growing up in Moose Jaw, Khodi was often the only Black person in his school and one of few in his community, experiencing a wealth of microaggressions.
Reading the stories of Khodi’s life made me more aware of how important it is to have a Black Canadian perspective on anti-blackness and anti-racism. … More Stay Up: Racism, Resistance, and Reclaiming Black Freedom by Khodi Dill, illus. Stylo Starr
YOUNG ADULTING 