Jessie is the heart of the story and it was easy to follow along with her and to understand and sympathize with her choices as she discovered how to deal with crushes, friend troubles, and the general chaos of the first year of high school. … More Something More by Jackie Khalilieh
Sometimes when YA novels embrace societal issues such as cultural diversity or the sexuality spectrum, it can come across as self-righteous or as forced into the plot to convey a message. Finding Famous is the opposite of that. Josie is simply Iranian-American, and Farsi words and Iranian foods and traditions are naturally woven into the narrative. … More Finding Famous: A Mashad Family Novel, by Candice Jalili
Wab Kinew has created a beautiful world that intertwines virtual reality and Anishinaabe culture in a wonderful way. Descriptions of the Floraverse are stunning and I felt myself get sucked into the ‘Verse, captured by Bugz’ adventures. Chapters often ended on cliffhangers, and I was unable to put the book down. … More The Everlasting Road by Wab Kinew
This book deals with the serious topic of abuse, and realistically portrays how a teenager would deal with someone they care about experiencing domestic abuse. Trace is a believable character, whose behaviour reflects that of a survivor. … More Wingman by Jean Mills
While Airlock is a short book, it has just the right amount of worldbuilding to make it a satisfying science fiction novella. The state of the planet is described in enough detail for the story to be logical without lingering too much on unnecessary information. … More Airlock by Tash McAdam
A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey tackles grief, relationships, and family dynamics through the lens of a teenage girl who just lost her mother to dementia and is on a path to losing herself, too. … More A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey
How far would you go for a reality show? What if you had nothing left to lose? After Dex’s life collapses when his ex-girlfriend dumps him publicly on a stream, he receives a once in a lifetime opportunity to escape his real life and star as one of six contestants on Dropped!, an internet reality show. … More Dropped! by Alice Kuipers
The dynamics of Russell’s family were definitely a highlight of my reading experience. His family is very unconventional, but the scenes where they interact made me laugh and want to know more about them. Most of the scenes they appear in, they are setting up a game of Fishbowl which I would have loved to be a part of. … More The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson
Although Mason doesn’t undergo significant character development, he does learn to let go of revenge and in-doing so a mutual respect arises between Denise and Mason. For readers worried that such a sappy ending will lessen the impact of this revenge novel, worry not: Marty Chan still delivers a satisfying finale and Mason finds a way to leave his former bullies to their just desserts. … More Final Cut by Marty Chan
This book reads like a real labour of love because the amount of tropes Lukens’ manages to cram in is unreal. Trapped in a room together, sharing a bed, truth potion, sword fighting, and romantic rescue are all methods of seduction Arek tries on his friends. Through fateful happenstance, or subtle subterfuge, Arek somehow only ever manages to succeed with Matt. … More So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens
YOUNG ADULTING 