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 SISTERS IN THE WIND BY ANGELINE BOULLEY
Sisters in the Wind is a haunting portrayal of what can happen when teens placed into foster care get let down by the very system meant to protect them. Dual part mystery/thriller and realistic fiction portrayal of a girl trying to escape her traumatic past, this story will tear you apart emotionally and keep you on the edge of your seat as you race to learn who and what Lucy is running from when the stakes just keep getting higher. Written by master storyteller Angeline Boulley, this book takes place between the events that happen in her other works Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, but it also holds up as a stand alone novel if you’re unfamiliar with those. Once you’ve read this book though, you’ll definitely want to learn more about the characters both before and after. While reading, you’ll also learn pieces of Ojibwe cultural practices and about the historic and ongoing importance of the Indian Child Welfare Act.
If you’re interested in discovering more Ojibwe practices, consider attending our Teen STEAM event at the Main Branch today (November 17th) where you’ll learn about Ojibwe Maple Sugaring and create maple syrup candies from scratch.
NICOLE RECOMMENDS STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST BY BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN AND MOLLY OSTERTAG
Alison Green spent much of her teenage years fighting crime as the superhero Mega Girl. Now that the mask is off and she’s left that crime-fighting Mega Girl life behind, Alison is struggling with what it means to save the world and learning that not every problem can be fixed with a single punch. Strong Female Protagonist does to the YA superhero scene what Alan Moore’s Watchmen did to the adult: it takes a deeper look behind a superhero’s (or supervillain’s) mask to show us that not everyone can be lumped into good or evil. Some of the situations and moral philosophizing will appeal to a more mature audience, so I recommend handing this book to an older teen.
RACHEL RECOMMENDS THE DEAD OF SUMMER BY RYAN LA SALA
Anchor’s Mercy is a queer paradise off the cost of New England that’s famous for its oysters and its drag queens. It’s Ollie’s home, but he and his mom have spent the last 10 months on the mainland for his mom’s cancer treatments. They’ve been calling it a vacation, because locals never talk about their abnormally high rates of terminal and chronic illness.
Never mind Ollie’s (ex)best friends hate him, he (secretly) failed his conservatory entrance exam, and he’s been walking on eggshells since his mother’s diagnosis. It’s time to return and have the best summer ever! Tropical Storm Raquel has other plans, and she digs deep down in the waters surrounding Anchor’s Mercy to pull up something positively breathtaking. People drown on dry land, rise again grinning and weeping oily tears, and attack anyone around them.
The Dead of Summer is a horror novel that alternates between Ollie’s experience during the outbreak and Querrent-2’s journal entries and interviews 25 days later. Content warnings include: graphic violence, major illness (mental and physical), death (including child and animal death), gaslighting, abuse of power, and body horror.
LAUREN RECOMMENDS THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET BY STEPHANIE MORRILL
I LOVE a historical fiction where the main female character breaks stereotypes and forms their own path. This story that takes place in 1924 Chicago has everything you need for a good cozy (slightly romantic) murder mystery. Piper Sails was never good at being proper and when her most proper friend Lydia goes missing she uses all her “unusual” skills to their advantage to find her. Along the way she discovers her true passion and a man who supports her. She has to balance what she thinks is right and the life that she’s been brought up in. Lots of complex feelings and character development this was such a great fall read!
Want more book suggestions? Stay tuned for future recommendations from our team!
If you’re a teen who likes to read, you can also submit book recommendations from our collection. Email genevievre.wood@rva.gov with a one paragraph review.
