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Specimen by Lisa Towles

A razor-sharp, edge-of-your-seat thriller… Truth is a weapon, and in Towles’s latest novel, it cuts deep. Seventeen-year-old Thea Riggs is caught between the turbulence of adolescence and the deadly intrigue of the Dead Sevens game, a shadowy ordeal that blurs…
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Getting a Life by Kathleen S. Schmitt

A raw and heart-wrenching tale of resilience, belonging, and the power of community. Schmitt delves into the depths of grief, resilience, and belonging in her latest novel, taking readers on an adolescent’s journey to finding her place in the world.…
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The Adventures of Toby Baxter Book 3: Aloha RiverHome The GOOD Prophecy by Tim Wright

Funny, fast-paced, and magical; a page-turner. Laced with wit, ironic banter, and triumphant moral lessons, Wright’s third installment in The Adventures of Toby Baxter series takes readers on Toby Baxter’s fantastical journey as he navigates the duties of wisdom, goodness,…
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The New Frontier by Wayne L Wilson

A compelling journey of self-discovery and empowerment… In Wilson’s historically rich and tension-filled YA novel, a Black youth sets out on a transformative journey of self-discovery and resilience while navigating racism and numerous dangers. 12-year-old Samuel Cole and his family…
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BROKEN PENCILS by J.R Rice

Captivating and emotionally resonant… Rice takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, redemption, and the enduring power of human connection through the eyes of his teen protagonist. Jonah Tarver, an angsty teen in Oakland, grapples with his parents’ failing marriage,…
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It Was a Magical Place by Patrick Dewees

Poignant, honest, and illuminating. Wilderness, first love, and friendship all play roles in a sixteen-year-old boy’s coming of age story in Dewees’ engrossing novel. When Tom Gleason, 16, arrives at Camp Sunbeam in the summer of ’85, he is greeted…
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The Things He Could Have Been: Stories of Babe Ruth by W Nikola-Lisa

A smart, rollicking narrative that delivers on all fronts… Nikola-Lisa’s latest book celebrates off-the-field shenanigans of the American professional baseball player, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, who largely because of his home-run hitting between 1919 and 1935, became, and perhaps remains…
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The Wall by Brian Penn

Grim, gripping, and entertaining…. A young man gets caught up in a terrifying rebellion in Penn’s engrossing dystopian tale. It’s 2099.  A wall divides the former United States in two parts; Zion and MiddleLand. Stuck in MiddleLand, Asher longs to…
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Fate of the Fae (Finding Fae) by El Holly

Gripping, thrilling, and fantastical; A read-in-one-sitting kind of book. Holly’s final installment in the Finding Fae Trilogy has everything—a well-imagined fantasy world, great character growth, incredible tension, and enduring love. The Unseelie King Nightglade needs a new queen and time…
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Discovering Mom by Bryan Foreman

A delightfully spirited coming of age story that’s full of heart… A vividly drawn cast, intriguing storyline, and fast-paced narrative mark Foreman’s latest novel. Thirteen-year-old Daniel Bennett struggles to fit-in both at home and at school. When he befriends Jasmine…
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An Eighth Grade Gay Straight Alliance by Daniel Micko

Part LGBTQ romance, part YA drama, part social commentary—and all heart.   Intriguing social commentary and an appealingly flawed pair of protagonists make Micko’s latest outing a solid read. Modesto, California. Sydney Troller, an 8th grader from a single parent, conservative…
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Sunstruck: A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure by Melissa Bellis

An utterly readable tale… Bellis’s debut is a gripping YA fantasy featuring an authentic cast and atmospheric settings. The world is a dangerous place, especially during the day when the sun’s rays can kill in minutes. Nineteen-year-old Dustin is in…
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The Mixtape to the Real Me by Jake Martinez

. An entertaining and heartfelt LGBT romance that takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of love and self-discovery… Love’s enduring power faces off against societal pressures and personal demons in Martinez’s latest novel. After a summer of teenage drama and…
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Deadly Setup by Lynn Slaughter

Complex, layered, and addictive… A page-turner. Slaughter’s latest is an intricate and absorbing YA mystery marked by endless twists and shocking surprises. Seventeen-year-old Sam, the daughter of a New England heiress, carries a good head on her shoulders and has…
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The Dyer Island Boys by Jeffrey Veatch

A wholesome, hopeful, and heartwarming journey through troubled adolescent life and the importance of hard work and resilience… A triumph. Based on a true story, Veatch’s remarkable novel confronts head on the complicated realities of adolescent life. Fifteen-year-old Johnny Miller…
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The Conjurer’s Curse by Stephanie Cotta

Incredibly immersive and tightly plotted… A page-turner. Cotta’s fantastical tale is steeped in secrets, betrayals, magic, and mayhem. Rowan has always known he is an outsider in Karahvel: he is supposedly cursed, bringing death to those around him. When his…
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Starship Malaysia by Keith Costelloe

A tense, evenly paced YA thriller… Costelloe’s page-turning thriller unfolds against the fascinating backdrop of 1980s Malaysia and Bangkok. Seventeen-year-old Scott finds his life in chaos after his father and stepmother are killed in a tragic car accident. Leaving his…
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Induction by S E Sharp

An imaginative tale with extraordinary world-building and complex characters…  Sharp’s thrilling YA urban fantasy promises a magnificent world filled with extraordinary monsters, high tension, and poignant human drama. Sixteen-year-old Mika Finley was the one driving when her car collided with…
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Create Destruction: A Novel in Verse by Ryan A. Kovacs

Beautifully told, chilling, poignant, and hauntingly dark. Young Thomas has always known he is special: he has parapsychic powers. When the sinister Doctor Larson, a maniacal scientist, asks for Thomas’s help in changing humanity’s fate, Thomas immediately says yes. Using…
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The Map of Us by S.A. Fanning

Raw and emotional… Fanning’s engrossing sequel to The Girl In My Treehouse is a poignant mix of romance and human drama. It has been three years since Lia vanished from Matt Crosby’s life without saying goodbye. Now a senior, Matt…