Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Wilder Girls by Rory Power was an intense and captivating story.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat as you cheer on Hetty and the other girls who have been trapped at their private school.  This is a book about friendship and the lengths you will go to save it.  It is a story about resilience, and power, and the fight you have when everything seems to be against you.  Wilder Girls is a unique story that will have you turning the page faster and faster as the story goes on.  

From Amazon:

"Celebrates the resilience of girls and the earthshaking power of their friendships. An eerie, unforgettable triumph." --Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn

"Wilder Girls is so sharp and packs so much emotion in such wise ways. I'm convinced we're about to witness the emergence of a major new literary star." --Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times bestselling author of Annihilation

A feminist Lord of the Flies about three best friends living in quarantine at their island boarding school, and the lengths they go to uncover the truth of their confinement when one disappears. This fresh, new debut is a mind-bending novel unlike anything you've read before.

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton is an exceptional read.  It is such a fun and funny read, but also touching, emotional, and thought-provoking.  It is a story about figuring out your place in the world while trying to make it a better place.  It is about taking the risk to try and change the status quo, even when everything seems to be working against you.  I really can't say enough good things about this book.  

From Amazon:

Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous-6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has nobody at school, and life in his trailer-park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.

There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there's only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he's in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS, Cliff feels like he's part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn't as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they've completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

Razor sharp, moving, and outrageously funny, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is an unforgettable story of finding your place in an imperfect world.

Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday by Natalie C. Anderson

The second novel from Natalie C. Anderson, Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday, is a powerful and intriguing story about love, family, sacrifice, terrorism, and hope.  From the very beginning, this novel will grip you with Abdi's tale.  It is exciting and tense and will keep you flipping the pages as you root for this young boy who has tried so hard to save his family.  As a reader, you get a glimpse into the terrorism and crime that grips Somalia and the lengths that some will go to in order to escape this terrible fate.  Doomsday is another fantastic read from this exceptional storyteller.  

From Amazon:

Forced to become a child soldier, a sixteen-year-old Somali refugee must confront his painful past in this haunting, thrilling tale of loss and redemption for fans of A Long Way Gone and What is the What
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When Abdi's family is kidnapped, he's forced to do the unthinkable: become a child soldier with the ruthless jihadi group Al Shabaab. In order to save the lives of those he loves, and earn their freedom, Abdi agrees to be embedded as a spy within the militia's ranks and to send dispatches on their plans to the Americans. The jihadists trust Abdi immediately because his older brother, Dahir, is already one of them, protégé to General Idris, aka the Butcher. If Abdi's duplicity is discovered, he will be killed.

For weeks, Abdi trains with them, witnessing atrocity after atrocity, becoming a monster himself, wondering if he's even pretending anymore. He only escapes after he is forced into a suicide bomber's vest, which still leaves him stumps where two of his fingers used to be and his brother near death. Eventually, he finds himself on the streets of Sangui City, Kenya, stealing what he can find to get by, sleeping nights in empty alleyways, wondering what's become of the family that was stolen from him. But everything changes when Abdi's picked up for a petty theft, which sets into motion a chain reaction that forces him to reckon with a past he's been trying to forget.

In this riveting, unflinching tale of sacrifice and hope, critically-acclaimed author Natalie C. Anderson delivers another tour-de-force that will leave readers at the edge of their seats.

The Haunted by Danielle Vega

I always enjoy a good horror story and The Haunted by Danielle Vega fit the bill.  When it comes to YA horror, there aren't too many that do it better than her.  This one was a fun ride from beginning to end.  Vega does a fantastic job of creating situations that give the reader chills and keeps them in suspense.  If you are looking for a fun and entertaining read, this is definitely a book for you!

The Haunted is the story of Hendricks, a teen girl who has moved to the small town of Drearford, hoping to start her life with a clean slate.  Her parents have purchased and are renovating Steele House, a home with a notorious and creepy past.  As Hendricks seems to find her place in school, things start to unravel at home.  Weird things happen and Hendricks is uneasy in the house.  With the help of the outcast neighbor boy, Eddie, she starts to understand more of Steele House's history.  This history includes the deaths of Eddie's sister and brother in the house.  But his family's history at Steele House may go much deeper than anyone ever knew and Hendricks may be the only one who can put all of the pieces together.  

From Amazon:

ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S "BIGGEST AND BEST YA BOOKS OF THE SUMMER"

From Danielle Vega, YA's answer to Stephen King, comes a new paranormal novel about dark family secrets, deep-seated vengeance, and the horrifying truth that evil often lurks in the unlikeliest of places.

Clean slate. That's what Hendricks Becker-O'Malley's parents said when they moved their family to the tiny town of Drearfield, New York. Hendricks wants to lay low and forget her dark, traumatic past. Forget him. But things don't go as planned.

Hendricks learns from new friends at school that Steele House--the fixer upper her parents are so excited about--is notorious in town. Local legend says it's haunted. But Hendricks isn't sure if it's the demons of her past haunting her ...or of the present. Voices whisper in her ear as she lays in bed. Doors lock on their own. And, then, one night, things take a violent turn.

With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don't take her first.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay is a novel I have been anticipating for a long time.  I really enjoyed Ribay's last book After the Shot Drops, so I had really been looking forward to this one.  It was everything I hoped it would be.  This story is one that will stick with me for a long time.  It is a story about family and the past they share.  It is about discovering yourself and the role those around you share in doing that.  It is about grief and learning how to handle it.  It is about speaking up, even when it is the hard thing to do.  And it is a story about how to remember the good in people while at the same time reconciling the bad.  It is a phenomenal novel!

Patron Saints of Nothing is the story of Jay, a soon to be high school graduate.  Jay was born in the Philippines, but moved to the United STates after just one year of life.  It has been nearly eight years since he has been back to the island, but the death of a cousin, Jun, has made him desire to go back.  Jun and Jay were close growing up, often sending letters back and forth.  But Jay stopped writing a few years back and things went south for Jun.  When Jay hears about his cousin's death, a result of the president's drug war in the Philippines, something doesn't sit right with him. 

Jay convinces his parents to let him visit over Spring Break.  He is determined to discover what Jun was up to during his last few years of life and uncover the true story behind his death.  While doing so, Jay begins to learn about the life he left behind and struggles with how he can change things in a world that is often okay with the status quo.  He must figure out how to operate in a time that is filled with good and bad, while at the same time come to grips with the fact that it is okay to sometimes rock the boat.   

From Amazon:

"Brilliant, honest, and equal parts heartbreaking and soul-healing." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of SHOUT 

"A singular voice in the world of literature." --Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down

A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder.

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it.

As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach

Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach is an intense and important novel about concussions and the role of high school sports.  But it is also about the support systems we have around us and the trust we put in them to support us in the right way.  It is about forging our own path while at the same time relying on those closest to us to help guide us in the right direction.  Herbach hits on some tough issues in this novel, but delivers them in a way that makes us think deeply about each topic.

This is the story of Isaiah, a kid with a deeply troubled past, that discovers football when he begins high school.  The rush of the game, along with the camaraderie he feels with his teammates and coaches, has helped Isaiah move on from a past that includes run-ins with the law, his sister's tragic death, and his grandfather's murder.  He has become a star player for his high school, but when another traumatic concussion threatens to end his playing career, Isaiah has to fight the voice that tries to draw him back to his past.  With the help of friends and family, he is given a chance to fight for a future that he never dreamed was possible.  Isaiah's story will keep you cheering from the sidelines as you watch him navigate a life that has the potential for great things.   

From Amazon:

Friday Night Lights meets Concussion in this powerful and important novel by Geoff Herbach, author of the Stupid Fast series, exploring the dangerous concussion crisis in football through the eyes of a high school team captain.

Isaiah loves football. In fact, football saved Isaiah’s life, giving him structure and discipline after his sister’s death tore his family apart. But when Isaiah gets knocked out cold on the field, he learns there’s a lot more to lose than football.

While recovering from a concussion, Isaiah wonders what his life would look like without the game. All his friends are on the team, and Isaiah knows they can’t win without him. The scholarship offer from Cornell is only on the table if he keeps playing.

And without football, what would keep his family together? What would prevent him from sliding back into the habits that nearly destroyed him?

Isaiah must decide how much he’s willing to sacrifice for the sport that gave him everything, even if playing football threatens to take away his future.

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman is such a beautifully told story about finding your true self and learning to love who you are.  It is about gaining self-confidence and using that confidence to follow your dreams.  The writing in this novel is fantastic and it is no wonder it was a Morris Award Finalist.  I'm just disappointed it took me so long to finally read this book.

Starfish is the story of Kiko Himura, a 17 year old girl who is half Japanese, but knows very little about this heritage.  In large part this is due to a mother who has always been distant and unsupportive.  Since Kiko and her two brothers don't look like their mom, blonde hair and blue eyes, she has spent most of their lives very hands-off.  Since her parents' divorce, Kiko has had to live with the belief that it was largely her fault, while also dealing with a mother who is more obsessed with herself than she will ever be with her kids.

When Kiko does not get accepted into the art school of her dreams, she wonders if she will be stuck in an unhappy life forever.  But a chance meeting with a childhood best friend sets her on a path of truth and self-acceptance.  Kiko begins to learn that she can be the one in charge of her own happiness.  And when she finally discovers her own worth, her future becomes full of the stars she has always dreamed of.  

From Amazon:

A William C. Morris Award Finalist
A New York Public Library 2017 Best Book for Teens

“Dazzling.” —Bustle
“One of the most compelling reads of the year.” —Paste Magazine
“This book is a gem.” —BookRiot

A gorgeous and emotionally resonant debut novel about a half-Japanese teen who grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school.

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.