The crunch comes when Rosie’s pre-dawn attempt to scale a steep cliff ends in a bone-breaking fall. The only way to reach help is through the still turbulent ocean, and Bass has to decide if he will Sink or Swim. … More Sink or Swim by Tash McAdam
But then, the summer before middle school begins, Uncle Roderick dies. And the ghosts aren’t just cold spots and strange noises anymore: There’s a new ghost — one who seems to have an urgent message for Bug. Too Bright to See is the debut novel from librarian and children’s author Kyle Lukoff. … More Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
Review by MacKenzie Sewell
O’Donoghue gives readers a slow but thorough introduction to tarot and occult magic along with Maeve. The flashback to witches of the nineties, complete with the mystery of the cassette and the shopkeeper’s sister, adds a generational element that puts the magic of the world into a larger, environmental perspective. As each piece of the puzzle comes together, we start to realize just how powerful and disastrous the magic that Maeve has uncovered can be. … More All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue
Review by Shyamala Parthasarathy
When sixteen-year-old Nishat comes out to her Bengali and Bangladeshi immigrant parents as a lesbian, she is met with stony silence. Things get worse when her childhood friend-turned-business rival, Flávia, sets up a henna stall for their school project. Nishat must untangle her complicated feelings about Flávia while grappling with what it means to be Muslim and gay—two identity markers that everyone tells her do not go together. … More The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
Review by Logaine Navascués
Every love story is unique. Julián at the Wedding is a tribute to love that defies gender and race stereotypes, to portray love in all its uniqueness, multiple forms, and hues.
… More Julián at the Wedding by Jessica Love
Review by Charmaine Lee
Finally, a tribute to young adults who have been herded into reading romance novels, but repeatedly feel disappointed by them, and have no idea why. … More Loveless by Alice Oseman
Review by Logaine Navascués
Runa is an apprentice runecaster, but she wishes she were somebody else. Someone who’s not short, skinny and pale, with wild, wiry, white hair and strange eyes. … More The Stone of Sorrow by Brooke Carter
Review by Emily-Anne Mikos
The world has wondered how the story of James Bond would change if the titular character were a woman, and the answer is in The Athena Protocol. Jessie Archer takes the stereotypical male-focused spy story and gives it a unique voice that only a woman can deliver—and it’s awesome. … More The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif
Review by Micah Killjoy
It’s 2003 and 19-year-old Juliet Palante is a queer Latinx babe living in the Bronx who’s got a newfound power in her womanhood and can call herself a feminist. Or can she really? … More Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Review by Natasha Zippan
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali brings to life the struggle of a queer Muslim teen and takes the reader on an unforgettable ride of love, betrayal, loss, and transformation. Written by Sabina Khan, who immigrated to British Columbia from Bangladesh via the United States, this novel is at once relevant, shocking, and heartwarming. … More The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
YOUNG ADULTING 