Don’t know what to read next? Looking for YA book recommendations? Welcome to the Book Chat with the Young Adult Team. Every month, the YA Team each recommends a favorite book from our YA collection. We cover fiction, non-fiction, manga, comics, and graphic novels, so there is something for everyone! There is also a mixture of new releases and old favorites, so keep an eye on our posts for books to add to your TBR.
GENEVIEVRE RECOMMENDS KILL HER TWICE BY STACEY LEE
Kill Her Twice is a fictional book set in 1930s LA just before racist development plans caused the forced displacement of the Chinese residents and demolition of Old Chinatown. Set during these historic happenings, sisters May and Gemma Chow (along with their little sister, Peony) try desperately to keep the fabric of their family together as the developers encroach on their home and livelihood. As if things couldn’t feel more bleak, May’s former best friend/rising Hollywood starlet, Lulu Wong is murdered. When the sisters discover that the case is being swept under the rug, they decide to seek justice themselves. This book captures the grittiness of 1930s LA perfectly and will leave you in suspense until the end. If you like mysteries, historic narratives that examine the dark sides of history, books with strong female leads, and a focus on family dynamics, this book is for you!
NICOLE RECOMMENDS COOKING WITH MONSTERS, VOL 1 BY JORDAN ALSAQA & VIVIAN TRUONG
Get ready for some fast-paced monster battles and cooking contests at this famous culinary high school for warrior chefs! Cooking with Monsters is an action-packed, romance-riddled, anime-style graphic novel with a wonderful cast of diverse characters, and it’s sprinkled with a little bit of everything to make it appealing to everyone. Middle grade and high school readers will love the action and character development as we follow Hana Ozawa through her first year at culinary school. The colorful artwork and clever fantastical monsters are sure to hook young readers into a vibrant, intriguing world!
KAYLEIGH RECOMMENDS MILO AND MARCOS AT THE END OF THE WORLD BY KEVIN CHRISTOPHER SNIPES
Milo is a good Christian boy–he’s active at his church, he keeps up his grades at school, and he follows the rules he’s supposed to in order to stay on God’s good side. But when Marcos, who Milo hasn’t seen since they were roommates at Christian summer camp years ago, shows back up, he’s forced to confront feelings about who he really is. Marcos isn’t Christian (despite his parents’ involvement in the church), and he’s funny and sweet and magnetic–but as the boys get closer, strange natural disasters suddenly begin happening around them at an increasingly disturbing frequency. As Milo tries to navigate his feelings for Marcos, his relationship to the church, and survive these frightening disasters, he starts to wonder–is God punishing him for falling in love? This is a gorgeous story that balances hilarity with complex and empathetic depictions of characters trying to reconcile faith and queerness while also dealing with anxiety and the experience of coming of age.
KELLI RECOMMENDS SUNRISE ON THE REAPING BY SUZANNE COLLINS
Suzanne Collins brings us a harrowing tale of love and systemic cruelty in this edge of your seat story. This beautiful tragedy follows Haymitch Abernathy in the 50th Hunger Games where we learn the details of his downfall. The second quarter quell brings the Hunger Games franchise a fresh new take on just how evil the Capitol can really be, making this book a game changer in how we reread and rewatch the Hunger Games. I simply couldn’t put the book down.
LAUREN RECOMMENDS MAKE ME A LIAR BY MELISSA LANDERS
Such a incredibly creative concept to turn the mystery genre on its side by adding a twist of science fiction. How do you prove you weren’t really “you” when a crime is committed? In this book the main character is an immersionist and is able to “head hop” and complete tasks as a different person. However that leaves her own body vulnerable for someone to take over and commit a heinous act. The whole time you are reading this book you don’t know who to trust and just when you think you’ve solved it something even crazier happens. Full of twists and turns and teen angst this book is hard to put down once you get started.
ADRIANE RECOMMENDS OUR INFINITE FATES BY LAURA STEVEN
Evelyn has never lived to the age of 18, in each of her past lives, and she has lived many of them (by her count over a thousand), she has been killed by Arden. This starts the cycle all over. She has loved many of the lives that she has lived, including this one. Especially this one. Her little sister needs her to stay alive, and she has dreams and plans that will take her beyond her 18th birthday. But to do that she has to stop Arden, or figure out why they keep killing each other.
YSANNE RECOMMENDS WHEN WE RIDE BY REX OGLE
When We Ride by Rex Ogle is a novel in verse that tells the story of two best friends who are on very different paths. Diego is extremely studious, maintaining near perfect grades while working at a local diner and applying to colleges. His best friend, Lawson, has recently started dealing drugs to make money, putting himself and Diego in some dangerous situations. As they navigate their senior year of high school, the two work to maintain a friendship, but ultimately must decide if it is possible given their two extremely different lifestyles. (This book is recommended for older teens/young adults.)
Want more book suggestions? Stay tuned for future recommendations from our team!
