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This We Pray | Sea of People by W. Nikola-Lisa

A hard-hitting, compelling collection… Nikola-Lisa uses a light hand to delve into topics that include violence against black people, ethnic disparity, and systematic racism in this compelling collection. Arranged in two sections, Nikola-Lisa juxtaposes startling observations with more common images,…
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Independence Day by Rachel Teller

Remarkable… a pitch-perfect, poignant story. Teller brings to life the heartbreaking realities of a teenager living with a mental illness in this heartfelt and deeply engrossing YA novel. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, the stunning yet notoriously moody Candace Wisenhardt…
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Getting By by Jaire Sims

An engrossing and contemplative YA contemporary… Sims makes his debut with this poignant YA which tells the story of 17-year-old Carver Goodman as he struggles to come to terms with his sexuality while grappling with questions of self-doubt and identity…
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Breaking the Cycle (Breakin’ in the 80s #3) by B.B. Swann

A stirring tale of love and making right choices… Swann continues her Breakin’ in the 80s series with this poignant third installment, tackling the hot-button subject of family violence, adolescent abuse, and teen pregnancy. At the center of her finely…
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Trine Rising: The Kinderra Saga: Book 1 by C.K. Donnelly

A stunner… Donnelly’s intriguing, deeply engrossing debut fantasy gets her “The Kinderra Saga” YA fantasy series off to an impressive start. Sixteen-summer-old Mirana Pinal is one of the few in Kinderra to have ever possessed all three magical powers of…
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Temple of Eternity by R. Scott Boyer

Fast-paced and a wholly imaginative romp… In a terrific sequel to the Bobby Ether series, Boyer pits Bobby and Jinx against a pantheon of ruthless mercenaries intent on unlocking the mysteries of the legendary Fountain of Youth for their own…
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Out of the Woods by B.B. Swann

Deliciously readable… Swann’s compelling latest chronicles the tale of a teenager who is forced to grapple with his newfound identity. 17-year-old Zaidyn Mitchell is a fairly normal teen until he finds himself floating next to his bedroom ceiling. His transformation…
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The Prosper Series by Lindsay Schuster

  A deeply moving, eloquently written YA drama… In these deeply engrossing, poignant novels, Schuster not only gets deep inside the questions of faith in the wake of difficulties and the underlying security and burgeoning love of a deep friendship…
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The Summoning (Moral Bloodlines, #1) by S.V. Filice

A deliciously readable urban fantasy… Filice’s exquisitely written first installment in Moral Bloodlines series introduces a spunky heroine and an irresistible hero who’re forced to pick a side in the war between light and darkness. 20-year-old Isabelle Lofflin is struggling…
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Some Laneys Died A Skipping Sideways Thriller by Brooke Skipstone

A dark and thoroughly gripping YA thriller… Skipstone’s enthralling latest chronicles the tale of a teenager whose destiny is curiously intertwined with someone else from another universe. It was Delaney’s dad’s cheating that led to her parents’ divorce, but she…
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Si’Empra’s Queen (Songs of Si’Empra, #3) by Miriam Verbeek

A sweeping, compelling tale… Verbeek wraps up her graceful, gripping trilogy in Si’Empra series with this satisfying third installment which follows the life of Ellen as the Queen of Si’Empra as the story hops across time. It’s been fifteen years…
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And Then He Shot His Cousin by Jeremiah Cobra

A hard-hitting YA… Stacey as one of the good guys has always tried to follow the cousins’ unshakable rules—don’t show weakness, don’t snitch, and always be there for the ones you consider family. But when the cousin he thought loved…
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Some Laneys Died by Brooke Skipstone

Highly suspenseful and gripping… Skipstone returns with this first installment in the Skipping Sideways thrillers series which combines a dash of science fiction and quantum physics, a troubled yet fierce heroine, heart-pounding tension, and a mystery shocking enough to leave…
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Phantom’s Mask (Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms #2) by Sara A. Noë

An absolute stunner… The brilliant second installment in the Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series shows Noë at her most inventive, bringing out her ability to combine paranormal science fiction elements with deep human sentiment. Cato and his…
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Songs of Autumn (Songs Series Book 1) by Lauren Sevier

A vivid, visceral fantasy tale studded with romance, action, and intrigue… Sevier’s highly-readable, stunning series opener follows a young princess’s journey to self-discovery. Hours after Lisbet, princess of Aegis, was born, her fate as a blood sacrifice to the Dragon…
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I Am Unworthy by Angela Mack

An honest, poignant debut… Mack’s deeply moving debut is marked by a cleverly-constructed storyline and elegant prose that will draw readers into its teen protagonists’ world. After years of bullying, Isabel Johnson is determined to start her first year of…
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The Legacy Commencement by R. A. Schwartz

An intriguing romance… Schwartz makes her debut with this honest exploration of identity and sexuality. When Roman Lawrence, a communia, started his first year at the Aesop’s Institute of Maxia, he wasn’t too thrilled to meet the charming Stefan Blake,…
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The Wake Trilogy (3-book Series) by Sasha Devore

A total fun… A mind-boggling adventure, Devore’s 3-part thrilling dystopian series tells the story of a young hero who is struggling to save the humanity from the outer-space villains. When the Ancient Ones offered to save the humanity from self-destruction…
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Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #4) by Shami Stovall

A fantasy to devour… Stovall outdoes herself as she continues the Frith Chronicles with this fourth installment, a tale brimming with magical intrigue and an endearing team of skilled misfits. After getting infected, Volke Savan has no option other than…