appears in the following:
'The Disasters' Could Be The Beginning Of A Great Story
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
M.K. England's new novel starts with a bang: A group of space-school rejects must save the universe. It never quite delivers on that premise, but the characters are so appealing, you'll want more.
Getting Too Old For Narnia In 'Light Between Worlds'
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Laura Weymouth's new novel follows two sisters struggling with the aftermath of their adventures in a magic land. That struggle is the vivid heart of the book, but its Narnia-lite doesn't quite work.
Light And Dark, Characters Shine In 'Blanca & Roja'
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Anna-Marie McLemore braids old bits of myth about swans and cursed sisters into a new, more inward-looking story that lets readers see just how hard it is to be a character in a fairy tale.
Gather Around The Fall Fires With These 4 YA Novels
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Fall is finally here, and as the days grow shorter and colder, it's time to tell tall tales about girls who survive, girls who fight, and girls who, if given the chance, may prove to be heroes.
'A Room Away From The Wolves' Makes The Gothic Bitingly Modern
Friday, September 07, 2018
Nova Ren Suma takes all the classic Gothic novel tropes — an old house, a cursed ring, evil stepsisters, a dark family legacy — and gives them a bracing update in A Room Away From the Wolves.
Muscle And Bone Meet Machinery In 'Hullmetal Girls'
Sunday, July 22, 2018
In Emily Skrutskie's new book, two girls make the choice to give up part of their humanity and become bionic super-soldiers in service to the great fleet of spaceships they live among.
'Mariam Sharma' Nails The Fun Road-Trip Vibe
Thursday, June 07, 2018
Summer is the season for road-trips, and Mariam Sharma Hits the Road makes for a saucy, yet emotional ride, following three Pakistani-American teens on a journey through the Deep South.
'Undead Girl Gang': Mister, They ARE The Weirdos
Wednesday, May 09, 2018
In Lily Anderson's debut novel, a string of suspicious deaths prompts teen witch Mila to try to solve the mystery by raising the dead girls to ask who killed them — but of course, it's not that easy.
Stumbling (And Texting) Toward Love In 'Emergency Contact'
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Mary H.K. Choi's new novel follows Penny and Sam, both so loaded down with emotional baggage that at first, all they can do is swap numbers and agree to be each other's emergency contacts.
An Ancient Curse Awakens In 'The Suffering Tree'
Sunday, June 25, 2017
A family curse, a resurrection and a vengeful witch are at the center of Elle Cosimano's Southern Gothic chiller The Suffering Tree. But the book elides its setting's history of racial violence.
'Maud' Doesn't Quite Live Up To Its Heroine's Example
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Lucy Maud Montgomery — creator of Anne of Green Gables — seems like the perfect subject for a work of young adult fiction. But Melanie Fishbane's Maud feels like a draft of a Montgomery story.
'Upside Of Unrequited' Is A Fresh, Fun, Snarky Spring Fling
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Becky Albertalli's new young adult novel is a snappy romance that'll bring you back to the pain and elation of young love. It follows two sisters trying to balance their relationship with new crushes.
'Ship Beyond Time' Sails Through The Centuries
Saturday, April 01, 2017
Heidi Heilig's duology, The Girl From Everywhere and the new The Ship Beyond Time, follows a girl who travels between worlds and times on her father's tall ship, trying to save her mother's life.
'Inexplicable Logic' Maps A Teen Boy's Complicated Mind
Thursday, March 16, 2017
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is as much a doorstopper as any young adult fantasy novel, but the world it builds is inside the head of teenaged Sal, who's struggling with difficult new emotions.
'Caraval' Is A Dark Circus Where The Clowns Don't Like You
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Stephanie Garber's quasi-historical young adult novel is one part amusement park, one part Venice and one part game show — but the ending is marred by a muddled message that leaves the story hollow.
Sweetly Familiar Fantasy With A Twist In 'Of Fire And Stars'
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Audrey Coulthurst's tale of a princess who falls in love with her intended prince's sister will remind you of fantasy novels you loved as a child — all teen angst, horses and reluctant love.
Magic In The Air: 3 Young Adult Fantasy Reads For Fall
Saturday, October 01, 2016
You may be back in school, but your bookshelf doesn't have to reflect that — we've got three YA fantasy novels for fall starring three girls grappling with the impact of magic on their lives.
Stuck Inside With The AC On? Try These Five Cool YA Reads
Saturday, July 09, 2016
Summer can seem slow for eager readers — not much on the shelves, and not much coming. But we've got some recommendations for great young adult reads to while away the long hot days.
'Devil And The Bluebird' Is A Magical, Musical Road Trip
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Jennifer Mason-Black's new novel has echoes of The Odyssey. It follows a young musician who makes a deal with a devil at the crossroads: her voice, in exchange for a way to find her missing sister.
The Mathematics Of Magic And Loss In 'Square Root Of Summer'
Sunday, May 01, 2016
Teenaged math whiz Gottie knows a little too much about subtraction; her fractured family is spinning apart sfter the death of her beloved grandfather — and that's before the time wormholes appear.