Young Adult – YOUNG ADULTING

Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction by Neal Shusterman

December 18, 2025

Mindworks, by Neal Shusterman, is a collection of short stories that intermingle sci-fi, horror, dystopian fiction, the supernatural, and even family drama. Its range is vast and eclectic including stories about various subjects from a dolphin politician, to a spray-painting teen in a love-triangle, to the begrudging “living dead,” and, somehow, it all works. … More Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction by Neal Shusterman

Coldwire by Chloe Gong

December 11, 2025

Coldwire, by Chloe Gong, follows Eirale and Lia, the two protagonists, as they navigate a dystopian world that’s, in some ways, vastly different from our own, and in others, scarily familiar. There, children are implanted with chips to give them access to the “StrangeLoom system,” a portal into upcountry. … More Coldwire by Chloe Gong

If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry

October 30, 2025

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

A Drop in the Ocean by Léa Taranto

September 18, 2025

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

September 11, 2025

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

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

July 3, 2025

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

The Kiss of the Nightingale by Adi Denner

June 26, 2025

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

Pretty Furious by E. K. Johnston

June 19, 2025

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

Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter

May 22, 2025

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

April 3, 2025

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

YOUNG ADULTING

Serious Reviews of Books for Kids and Teens

Category: Young Adult