4 Stars

High school sucks. Pressure from parents, peers and universities mingle with crushes that occasionally morph into mortal enemies. That’s the fate of Brad and Celine. But when the pair is approached with a resumé-rocking opportunity for a wilderness exploration program, they must face their pasts to brighten their futures. Will the beaten path lead to academic ruin or a second-chance romance? For fans of the Brown sisters series, Talia Hibbert charms again in this cute and candid YA novel.

-Hannah
Posted 2/16/2023

5 Stars

Simi is a Mami Wata, or mermaid, created by goddess Yemoja off West Africa to assist in bringing souls of Africans thrown off ships of enslavers to the afterlife. She fulfills her sole purpose without question until one of those thrown overboard is still alive. Simi chooses to save him, not only diverting from her only duty but also exposing herself as a Mami Wata. Going against the rules to save this boy, Kola, could destroy Yemoja and all other Mami Wata. Simi and Kola travel to his home, then, with the help of other companions, to the supreme creator to make amends. This plot-driven fantasy book is full of action and courageous characters. The world-building, compelling writing style, and likable characters make this an engaging read.

-Caitlin
Posted 1/16/2023

5 Stars

When Bree Matthew’s mother dies in what the police tell her is a car accident, grief hits her hard. Accepted into an early college program at UNC-Chapel Hill with her best friend Alice, she hopes the program will be the perfect distraction from the pain. But when she sees an attack by a demon on her first night on campus, she is suddenly thrust into the world of the Legendborn—a secret society Bree believes holds the answers to the true cause of her mother’s death. Tracy Deonn weaves a complex world in this book based on Arthurian legend with memorable characters and a strong heroine you’ll find yourself rooting for. Deonn paints an accurate and gripping portrayal of grief, and she doesn’t shy away from the racism and sexism present in today’s world that Bree finds herself fighting almost as much as the demons. Legendborn is a stunning fantasy book that will have you flying through the pages.

-Michelle J.
Posted 1/16/2023

5 Stars

Bea Denham is desperate as she grieves the loss of her parents and waits with bated breath to see if younger sister Lo will join them. When she’s approached by Lev Warren, charismatic leader of the Unity Project, she goes willingly in search of salvation. Lo must grapple with abandonment issues as she seeks to uncover the frightful side of faith and bring her sister back with her. This book is a beautiful intersection of grief, belief and the indelible bond of sisterhood.

-Hannah
Posted 1/10/2023

4 Stars

After a tragic childhood incident landed her father in prison, Owl finds her world steeped in deafening silence. She seeks solitude on her aunt and uncle’s sugar farm until alluring and emotionally unavailable Cody is hired to help finish the sugaring season. Misery loves company, but is the pair ill-fated to fall into more loss before they fall in love? Read on to see this coming-of-age novel unfold.

-Hannah
Posted 1/5/2023

4 Stars

This DC graphic novel is about an alien princess living in disguise as a teen boy on Earth after escaping an intergalactic war. She enjoys her life on Earth, but hiding leaves her feeling empty. She is careful to hide her true self out of fear of rejection, even from her best friend. On top of mental stress, maintaining her human form causes her physical anguish due to a jewel in her chest. She makes a new friend, Kat, from the big city. Kat’s automatic acceptance of her as an alien gives her the confidence to start presenting herself to the world as her authentic self, Galaxy the alien star. Colorful and cartoony images accompany the character-driven storyline that does not stray away from tackling important issues of identity, love, and acceptance of oneself and others.

-Caitlin
Posted 12/28/2022

4 Stars

This book is full of different scary stories paired with equally unsettling illustrations. Carroll includes various types of horror stories, including ghosts, possessions, body horror, and more. The illustrations and the font used are bold, colorful, and menacing. The colorful images compare and contrast well with the stories and add to the chilling and creepy atmosphere in each one.

-Caitlin
Posted 11/10/2022

5 Stars

Hendricks is a high schooler trying to start over in a new town and school after she and her family flee her abusive ex. The trauma of her old life haunts her, and now her new house is haunted. The book starts scary and remains steadily action-packed, which puts a constant sense of dread in the reader. Vivid and disturbing descriptions further immerse the reader in the horror of each scene. The mostly likable characters act in believable ways regarding the haunting and conflicts between characters. This non-stop scary haunted house story is a horrifying page-turner.

-Caitlin
Posted 10/18/2022

4 Stars

After a family tragedy, Quinn and her father move from Philadelphia to a small town in rural Missouri. Wanting to make the most of her senior year in a new place, she goes to a party with what she hopes are potential new friends. The party quickly goes from lighthearted fun to a fight for survival as teens are targeted by killers dressed as the town mascot, Frendo the Clown. Full of retro horror fun and clever social commentary, this suspenseful slasher novel escalates intensely and doesn’t stop until its blood-soaked finale.

-Amity
Posted 10/5/2022

5 Stars

I’m the Girl follows the story of Georgia, who discovers the dead body of a thirteen-year-old girl while she’s riding her bike on a road that leads to Aspera, a resort where the country’s most elite like to stay. While Georgia begins to investigate the murder with the dead girl’s sister, Nora James, she becomes increasingly entangled with the world of Aspera and the patriarchal structure of the society she lives in. If anyone knows how to write a book that unravels you completely before punching you right in the gut, it’s Courtney Summers. This novel is a raw and unflinching look at society and how it treats girls. Summers doesn’t shy away from the horrors of growing up as a young woman in today’s society. (Please check trigger warnings before reading, as this is not an easy book to read.)

-Michelle J.
Posted 9/22/2022