Told alongside three carefully illustrated fairy tales, The Magic Fish is a profound reflection on the ways our stories—both those we’ve lived, and those we’ve read—are integral to our identities, and how we can use them as avenues of connection and compassion, even in the most difficult times. … More The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
For all of the hurt and frustration in Alyson Derrick’s solo debut, there is at least twice as much love. A suspenseful teeter between tragedy and romance, Forget Me Not weaves the two into a captivating ode to memory, teenage love, and queerness. … More Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
The way I picture the relationship between 22-year-old Turner and 18-year-old Clementine can be explained via citrus: Turner is a rather pompous orange, while Clementine is, well, a clementine. Despite being a smaller fruit, a clementine is not inferior to its larger citrus counterpart. However, an impressionable clementine might be convinced that it should marvel at the orange’s pretense of maturity and knowledge – claims leaning on the simple fact that it is bigger. To solidify this dynamic, the pompous orange might even call the clementine “kid.” … More he called me kid by Tita M. Kyrtsakas
Emmitt’s world comes crashing down the day his twin sister Minnie is officially declared brain-dead following a devastating accident. His family is on the brink of falling apart, and the thread holding them together has snapped. With nothing to lose, Emmitt sets out to make a film starring all the fortunate recipients that received an organ from his 16-year-old twin — a film that he hopes will piece his family back together and mend his mother’s shattered heart. … More Heart Sister by Michael F. Stewart
What if you weren’t at all who you thought you were?
Iris Hollow and her two sisters Vivi and Grey went missing mysteriously ten years ago. When they returned home one month later, their dark hair turned white, their eyes went black, and strange, magical things started happening around them. No one knows what happened to them during the month they were gone, and neither do the three girls. One day, Grey disappears again, leaving her sisters a cryptic note. Iris and Vivi set out in search of her, but the clues reveal that Grey and their parents have been keeping a much more dark and ominous secret from them. … More House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
As a non-Muslim reader, I feel honored to have read this book and to have been invited to witness one of the most sacred traditions in Islam through Adam and Zayneb’s perspectives … More Love From Mecca to Medina by S.K. Ali
I Capture the Castle is, at its heart, a love story, but not in the way I expected it to be. Yes, there are plenty of heart flutters and first kisses, but as I mentioned above, this is not your ordinary fairy tale, and not every character gets that famed happily ever after—at least, not in the traditional sense. … More I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The story is told empathically as Katya grows to understand there is no winning side in war, only loss. Her story conveys the most brutal and harshest truths, with horrific acts committed by both parties. … More Crow Stone by Gabriele Goldstone
Goerzen’s free verse is appropriate for a young audience as it is uncomplicated and makes use of staple devices such as concrete imagery, caesura, and enjambment which act as guides to convey where Mercedes’ emotions ebb and flow. … More River Mermaid by Christy Goerzen
Review by Ash Wahking With collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofia Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, Joelle Shusterman Simon & Schuster, 2022 423 pages, hardcover, 24.99 CAD, ISBN 9781534499973 Young adult, 15-18 years old Fiction, sci-fi, anthology of short fiction “Everyone makes pleasant little digital drawings,” continued Af Klint. “It’s clear where our new … More Gleanings by Neal Shusterman
YOUNG ADULTING 