The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star

by Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

The Art of Being Normal

by Lisa Williamson

Two boys. Two secrets.

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl.

On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan.

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

P.S. I Like You

by Kasie West

Signed, sealed, delivered…

While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love & Gelato

by Jenna Evans Welch

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe

by Neal Shusterman

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

book 1 in the Arc of a Scythe series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “What a crazy ride! I’ve been a convert to Shusterman since the time I was a young teen and read Speeding Bullet. Since then, I’ve loved the Everlost and Unwind series, along with pretty much everything else he’s ever written. So when this popped up, I had to have it. And I’m glad I did.

“The entire time I was reading this I kept talking about it with people. Telling them all about this new book that was coming out and trying to describe the crazy world and characters, all while failing to do them justice. At one point I was talking about it and the person I was talking to brought up the Unwind series and how much they loved it. I was happy to be able to tell them that this was the same author and they have much to look forward to!

“This book gives the reader a lot to think about, both on a literal level and then on multiple philosophical levels. I can’t wait to be able to hand it to readers and share more about it.”

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl

by Meredith Russo

Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school in Lambertville, Tennessee. Like any other girl, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret. There’s a reason why she transferred schools for her senior year, and why she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.

And then she meets Grant Everett. Grant is unlike anyone she’s ever met—open, honest, kind—and Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself…including her past. But she’s terrified that once she tells Grant the truth, he won’t be able to see past it.

Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It’s that she used to be Andrew.

This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This is Where It Ends

by Marieke Nijkamp

10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won’t open.

10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting.

Told from four different perspectives over the span of fifty-four harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival

All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

All We Have Left

by Wendy Mills

A haunting and heart-wrenching story of two girls, two time periods, and the one event that changed their lives—and the world—forever.

Now:
Sixteen-year-old Jesse is used to living with the echoes of the past. Her older brother died in the September 11th attacks, and her dad has filled their home with anger and grief. When Jesse gets caught up with the wrong crowd, one momentary hate-fueled decision turns her life upside down. The only way to make amends is to face the past, starting Jesse on a journey that will reveal the truth about how her brother died.

Then:
In 2001, sixteen-year-old Alia is proud to be Muslim… it’s being a teenager that she finds difficult. After being grounded for a stupid mistake, Alia is determined to show her parents that that they must respect her choices. She’ll start by confronting her father at his office in downtown Manhattan, putting Alia in danger she never could have imagined. When the planes collide into the Twin Towers Alia is trapped inside one of the buildings. In the final hours she meets a boy who will change everything for her as the flames rage around them . . .

Interweaving stories past and present, full of heartbreak and hope, two girls come of age in an instant, learning that both hate and love have the power to reverberate into the future and beyond.

YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten Nominees 2017/button]

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless

by Marissa Meyer

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “First off – MARISSA MEYER! I don’t know that she can go wrong. Definitely a great new read for her fans, and a new take on a new tale. The magic of Alice is found in this book, but it takes form in its own way, shaping the characters and the storyline as it goes.

“Meyer is a master at creating in-depth characters and settings that bring her stories to life. It was so easy to see the different scenes, including the magical tea party Cath attends. Cath is such a strong heroine, complete in her own right, and her relationship with her friends shows what she values. I loved the glimpses into the world of Alice, while still maintaining a unique tale full of intrigue and danger.

“This seems to be a standalone title, though I’m sure we would all be willing to read more of Cath’s story. Recommended for fans of Meyer’s other works and other retold tales.”

Natalie rated it ★★★★ and said, “Heartless shook me up. Marissa Meyer did a great job recreating Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland and all of his characters. I loved all the characters: Jest, Catherine, Hatta, and Mary Ann. I was sucked into Wonderland and couldn’t get out until I finished the book. It was an emotionally draining book. I felt like I was with Catherine every step of the way, and felt every emotion with her. I desperately rooted for her every step of the way.”

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