Here are ten young adult books our Collection Management Librarian says you should be reading this summer! Featuring new books by popular authors, a graphic novel, and an anthology on “hope and activism”, the books on this list will keep you entertained for weeks to come.
Don’t forget to log your minutes on your Summer Quest reading log and help Bucks County read 4 million minutes this summer!
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody — Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets … and secrets hide in every shadow. Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school — and her reputation — behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
For Every One by Jason Reynolds — Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds’s rallying cry to the dreamers of the world.
From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon — Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy — a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake — As the #MeToo movement continues to ignite the sharing of women’s stories on- and off-line around consent, assault, and sexual agency, so too will the growing number of young adult novels that center around these formative topics. Blake’s timely and gripping contribution is a nuanced he-said, she-said story with a fierce feminist bent. When Mara’s twin brother, Owen, is accused of rape by his girlfriend, Hannah a young woman Mara trusts implicitly, she’s forced to reexamine everything she’s always believed to be true about him.
How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation by Tim Federle and Maureen Johnson — Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they’re bound to inherit. They’re ready to stand up and be heard — but with much to shout about, where they do they begin? What can I do? How can I help? How I Resist is the response, and a way to start the conversation. To show readers that they are not helpless, and that anyone can be the change. A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope, How I Resist features an all-star group of contributors.
I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman — After being brought together by an accident in New York City’s Central Park, three struggling teenagers form a fast, powerful friendship in Forman’s elegant and understated novel, which alternates between their day together and flashback sections that carefully expose her characters’ losses. Freya, a singer on the cusp of stardom, has lost her voice, her sister, and her father. Harun has been dumped by the boyfriend he’s terrified to tell his Muslim family about. And Nathaniel has landed in New York City alone, leaving behind an unpredictable father incapable of caring for him.
Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter — Maddie and Logan were torn apart by a kidnapping attempt when they were young. They were only kids — Logan’s dad was POTUS and Maddie’s father was the Secret Service agent meant to guard him. The kidnappers were stopped — but Maddie was whisked off to Alaska with her father, for safety. Maddie and Logan had been inseparable … but then she never heard from him again. Now it’s a few years later. Maddie’s a teenager, used to living a solitary life with her father. It’s quiet — until Logan is sent to join them. After all this time without word, Maddie has nothing to say to him — until their outpost is attacked, and Logan is taken.
Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson — A ninth grader becomes a social pariah when she calls the police to bust a summer bash and spends the year coming to terms with the secret fact that she was raped during the party. A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose.
The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth — In the second book of the Carve the Mark duology, globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth reveals how Cyra and Akos fulfill their fates. The Fates Divide is a richly imagined tale of hope and resilience told in four stunning perspectives.
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard — War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced? In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power … for all will be tested, but not all will survive.
Books recommended by Kathleen L., Collection Management Librarian
