What We’re Reading (and Loving)

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 A FORGERY OF FATE BY ELIZABETH LIM

A Forgery of Fate is a whimsical and lyrical Chinese mythology inspired story with hints of plot inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and worldbuilding à la The Little Mermaid. Featuring dragon lore, mystical visions, a magic paintbrush, and alluring enchantments, it follows Truyan, an artist with inherited sight, who uses her talents for art to sell art forgeries to keep her mother and younger sisters afloat in the wake of her father’s disappearance.

After Tru sees a vision of a dragon, whose kind hasn’t been seen in her realm for a long time, she meets Elang, a cursed dragon lord who has been banished from his homeland by his own grandfather until he finds his fated love. Each running from their own fate, they make a bargain to enter into a marriage of convenience that is void of feelings.

But with their forced proximity and play acting as a couple, will Tru and Elang end up falling in love for real? Or is the cursed Elang too monstrous to love? And can they accomplish their goal of freeing the underwater dragon world from his tyrannical grandfather, the Dragon King? Or will the Dragon King’s vengeful forces drive them to ruin? And are Elang’s intentions as simple as they seem? Or is he hiding a dark secret of his own?

Filled with themes of duty and sacrifice, transformation, inner humanity and inner beauty, found family, slow-burn romance, and the importance of holding on to agency, this book will appeal to fans of c-dramas, eastern mythology, worldbuilding within underwater/mermaid-esque realms, whimsical fairytales, and any Ghibli inspired fantasies. It’s also the perfect read during AAPI month!

NICOLE RECOMMENDS FLAMER BY MIKE CURATO

This contemporary YA coming-of-age story is a crucial tale about self-acceptance, especially when life might seem to be too overwhelming to go on. Aiden loves his time spent at summer camp, but the one place where he feels like he can be himself quickly becomes tainted by bullies, awkward friendships, and a realization that it might not be as safe of a place as he once thought. The illustrations are mostly black & white, with a smattering of reds and oranges to emphasize the angry and hurtful emotions that Aiden struggles to navigate. Teens, especially those that are LGBTQ+, will feel seen in this book as Aiden slowly discovers more about his sexuality and how others might react to him. Although the book doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the harsh treatment Aiden receives, it does end on a positive note when his real friends prove that they accept him for who he is. A truly authentic tale from a perspective and voice that doesn’t often get room to breathe.

KAYLEIGH RECOMMENDS ONE OF THE BOYS BY VICTORIA ZELLER

Last year, Grace was the star kicker on her high school football team. She had an amazing girlfriend she loves, a great group of friends on the team, and colleges lining up to give her football scholarships. But despite all of that, she knows she’s missing something–and it might be more important than all those things combined.

This year, she has no more girlfriend, no sports scholarships, and no place on the football team. She’s given it all up for the ability to live as herself–she’s come out as trans, changed her name to Grace, and returned to school from summer break as a girl. She’s trying to fly under the radar as much as possible as she navigates her senior year and her medical transition. Then, when the football team can’t seem to win games without her and her former teammates invite her back to play, she sees a world in which maybe, possibly, she doesn’t have to give up all those things to be her real self. Maybe she can be Grace Woodhouse, a woman and a high school football player, a woman with a girlfriend, a woman who colleges want to give football scholarships to.

One of the Boys follows the complex realities of what it can mean to be a young trans person—what you might have to give up in order to live authentically, and what wonderful new things might be found on the other side. Which people might remain and grow with you, and which people might, even despite their best efforts, have to leave leave. Through her journey, Grace experiences the isolation and loneliness that often comes with being openly trans in a transphobic world, alongside the absolute joy of finally, finally living a life that feels really hers. One of the Boys is a beautiful, emotional story I recommend trans readers, readers interested in learning about trans experiences, and truly any reader at all. 

KELLI RECOMMENDS THOR BY GEORGE O’CONNOR

Thor is a graphic novel that tells the story of Thor. It is based off old poems and
sagas of his adventures. This was an accurate telling of Thor’s adventures with a humorous
touch to his personality, and I am so happy to see that he has red hair! I loved this sequel in
the Asgardians series, and can’t wait to read the next one.

BETH RECOMMENDS THE ESCAPE GAME BY MARISSA MEYER & TAMARA MOSS

Are you a puzzle fan? A mystery fan? An Escape Room fan? Well, if that is the case then this book if for you. Plot: Puzzle fans from across the country are auditioning to be on the best Escape Room show there is. 5 teams will get picked to play for 1 million dollars and a chance to go to Sweetbriar Resort.. the biggest puzzle hotel in the world.  That all sounds great right? Well the last season ended with a contestant being murdered. Now her sister, Sierra,  is back on the show with the intention of finding out who killed her sister because the police still think it was her (and of course win the money).

Her teammates are Adi- a cypher specialist who just wants to get away from is Hollywood obsessed mom. Beck- the uber positive puzzle solver who knows a little about everything. He also has an underlying motive for wanting to win. Carter- the shy girl who just wants to make friends with people who love puzzle solving as much as her. She also has an alter-ego show on the Domain where she is super confident Kick It Carter. They start off knowing they must work together but with all the secrets, that is hard to do. When they start trusting each other is when things start happening. Someone knows what happened to Sierra’s sister and that she is not the murderer.

The Real Game Master starts adding sinister puzzles to each escape room in hopes that these super smart teens can figure out who the murderer is and find the proof. There are a lot of plot twists and just when you think you know who it is…….  well you know the rest of the saying. I highly recommend this read for anyone who likes a good mystery and puzzles to solve.

RACHEL RECOMMENDS EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE (A TRUE STORY) BY DANIEL NAYERI

In early 2000s Oklahoma, an Iranian refugee named Khosrou (but called Daniel) stands in front of his seventh grade English class to give a presentation on his life. The audience is made almost entirely of people hostile to Khosrou’s poverty, his skin, his homeland, and how much he talks about poop (okay, to be fair, that last one might be on him). They are, as a rule, disinclined to his tales even though he’s never lied to them. But Khosrou’s story is true, all of it, from his mythic ancestors to the birds that lived in his father’s walls to the three miracles that allowed his family to escape Iran after a fatwa was issued on his mom.

So, in the footsteps of the legendary Persian storyteller Scheherazade, he begins…
Everything Sad Is Untrue is a distressingly timely story about memory and truth, what a life is worth, and the inalienable right of every human being to a refuge. Content warnings include: scatological references, racism, xenophobia, religious discrimination and violence, death (including murder and animal death), classism, sexism, forced/underage marriage, and domestic violence.

ADRIANE RECOMMENDS LOVE ME TOMORROW BY EMIKO JEAN

Emma attends a festival and wishes for proof that love is real. Then she starts receiving letters from the future, from the person who claims to love her. Emma thinks she knows who it is, but time and again she is proven wrong.

I really enjoyed this twist on time travel/letter from the future. Emma just wants a sign and she gets it. But do her and her future love change the future by pushing her out of her comfort zone now?

LAUREN RECOMMENDS HEKATE: THE WITCH BY NIKITA GILL

This book was such a beautiful way to reimagine a Greek myth. Hekate is orphaned during the war and must be raised by Styx and Hades in the underworld. She has a hard time adjusting and breaks a lot of rules in order to discover who she truly is. Once she discovers her powers, she uses them to help people, and we get to see her growth throughout the book. There’s also a romantic element to her story when she falls for Thanatos. Told in verse, it was lyrical and illustrated the world she lived in so wonderfully that I felt like I was there. 

LILA RECOMMENDS THIS DARK DESCENT BY KALYN JOSEPHSON

Mikira Rusel’s family is famous for their ranch of enchanted horses, but lately, they’ve been falling victim to the bullying of a House Lord and slowly succumbing to debts. As a result, Mikira is forced to make an impossible deal: She must win the Illinir, a treacherous horse race with similar vibes to The Scorpio Races, all on an unenchanted horse. If she wins, not only does she save her family, but she receives prize money and a boon from the King…

Because it is impossible to win Illinir on an unenchanted horse, Mikira’s sponsor, another House Lord named Damien Adair, joins her with Arielle Kadar, an illegal Golem enchanter. However, there’s more to Ari’s power than anyone thinks, and Damien is locked in a fierce succession battle that makes his desires more sinister…

I’ve never read a fantasy book steeped in Jewish folklore and this was such a delight to discover. I LOVED the little nods to Jewish mysticism in this world, as well as the commentary on the Jewish experience and treatment post-diaspora. I finally understand truly why these fantasy novels with Arabic, Islamic, and African influence hit so deeply with the readers who see themselves reflected in them. I never even imagined that was a possibility for Jews.

However, the characters were fantastic, too. Mikira was so easy to root for, but Ari absolutely stole the show. The romance lines were not as important to me, but they also didn’t consume the plot and felt natural. I loved seeing queer characters take the stage here! I am so excited to find a book so inherently Jewish without it being Holocaust-centered or historical fiction. Happy JAHM!

Want More?

Want more book suggestions? Stay tuned for future recommendations from our team! 

If you’re a young adult who likes to read, you can also submit book recommendations from our collection. Email genevievre.wood@rva.gov with a one paragraph review, explaining why you liked the book and why others should read it.