Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday: Best 2021 Books For Teens

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Are you ready for another giant list of books? This week, we’re talking about the new young adult books that are coming out between January and June 2021. The books on this list are for teens ages 14-17, but I’m a proper grown up, and I’m looking forward to reading them. I think YA books often do a better job than adult books of tacking current events or telling a fast-paced, entertaining story. I can’t wait to get my hands on these books.

If you’re interested in 2021 book releases for younger kids, I listed those last week.



 

2021 Young Adult Book Releases

 

 

 

 

January

 

 

 

 

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

 

Contemporary Thriller

January 7, 2021



Jack Morton has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he'd do anything for. Even die for. Now with their mother gone, and their funds quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. He chooses the money.

Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. Trust no one. Now her father is stalking the same money as Jack. When he picks up Jack's trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or help the brothers survive.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I can hear you right now. You’re saying, “Aj, you don’t read thrillers. Why is the first book on your list a thriller?” It’s because the early reviews have been impressive. My bookish friends are raving about this dark, gripping tale. Goodreads calls it “An exhilarating, emotionally powerful and superbly written thriller.”

 

Buy it on Amazon

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Last Night At The Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

 

Historical Romance

January 19, 2021

 


Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I can hear you right now. You’re saying, “Aj, you don’t read romance. Why is there a romance on your list?” The 1950s is one of my favorite time periods to read about. A lot changed in the world during that decade. WWII was over. There were new inventions, new cultural icons, new threats, new paranoias. The romance part of this novel doesn’t scare me because I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year. That was a 1950s romance, and I adored it. Bring on all the 1950s lesbian forbidden love stories!

 

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Don’t Tell A Soul by Kirsten Miller

 

Horror

January 26, 2021

 


All Bram wanted was to disappear—from her old life, her family's past, and from the scandal that continues to haunt her. The only place left to go is Louth, the tiny town on the Hudson River where her uncle, James, has been renovating an old mansion.

But James is haunted by his own ghosts. Months earlier, his beloved wife died in a fire that people say was set by her daughter. The tragedy left James a shell of the man Bram knew—and destroyed half the house he'd so lovingly restored.

The manor is creepy, and so are the locals. The people of Louth don't want outsiders like Bram in their town, and with each passing day she's discovering that the rumors they spread are just as disturbing as the secrets they hide. Most frightening of all are the legends they tell about the Dead Girls. Girls whose lives were cut short in the very house Bram now calls home.

The terrifying reality is that the Dead Girls may have never left the manor. And if Bram looks too hard into the town's haunted past, she might not either.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: It’s being compared to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, so I’m instantly interested. I love Rebecca, with all its intense characters and twisted mysteries. I can’t pass up family secrets, weird locals, and haunted mansions. Those are all promising ingredients for an excellent horror novel.

 

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February

 

 

 

 

The Project by Courtney Summers

 

Mystery / Thriller

February 2, 2021



Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye. She's spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it.

When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, her investigation upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn't know if she can afford not to.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Cults! Actually, I want to read it because I loved Courtney Summers’s other book, Sadie. It was one of my 2019 favorites. Sadie is an innovative murder mystery that puts the spotlight on the victims instead of on the murderer. I’m hoping for more of the same with The Project.

 

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Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

 

Contemporary

February 2, 2021



Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it's hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn't help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there's one person who's always in Charlie's corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing—he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Goodreads calls it “A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice.” I have to support the books about fat kids! I was a fat teenager who read a lot of books. Back then, I rarely saw fat kids as main characters. They were usually villains, side characters, or comic relief. It makes me happy to see chubby people on book covers. Chubby kids have adventures too!

 

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The Girl From Shadow Springs by Ellie Cypher

 

Fantasy

February 9, 2021



Everyone in Shadow Springs knows that no one survives crossing the Flats. But the threat of a frozen death has never deterred the steady stream of treasure hunters searching for a legendary prize hidden somewhere in the vast expanse of ice. Jorie thinks they’re all fools, which makes scavenging their possessions easier. It’s how she and her sister, Brenna, survive.

Then Jorie scavenges off the wrong body. When the dead man’s enemy believes Jorie took something valuable from the body, he kidnaps Brenna as collateral. He tells Jorie that if she wants her sister back, she’ll have to trade her for the item he thinks she stole. But how can Jorie make a trade when she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for?

Her only source of information is Cody, the dead man’s nephew and a scholar from the South who’s never been hardened by the harsh conditions of the North. Though Jorie’s reluctant to bring a city boy out onto the Flats with her, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her sister. But anything can happen out on the ice, and soon Jorie and Cody find they need one another more than they ever imagined—and they’ll have to trust each other to survive threats beyond their darkest nightmares.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I’m always on the lookout for fantasy books that don’t have the stereotypical faux-medieval-Europe setting. This one seems promising. I’m getting Yukon gold rush vibes from the setting, which is definitely unusual. Goodreads calls the book “thrilling and atmospheric.”

 

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Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

 

Science Fiction

February 9, 2021



All it takes is one hit on the football field, and suddenly Ash’s life doesn’t look quite the way he remembers it.

Impossible though it seems, he’s been hit into another dimension—and keeps on bouncing through worlds that are almost-but-not-really his own.

The changes start small, but they quickly spiral out of control as Ash slides into universes where he has everything he’s ever wanted, universes where society is stuck in the past . . . universes where he finds himself looking at life through entirely different eyes.

And if he isn’t careful, the world he’s learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I’ll read anything Neal Shusterman writes. His books always make me laugh and think. He’s clever, witty, and puts a ton of thought into his novels. I always come out of them seeing the world in a slightly different way. Also, his books tend to be action-packed and full of plot twists, so it’s hard to stop reading them. His dystopian novel, Dry, was my first 5-star read of 2021.

 

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The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold

 

Science Fiction / Dystopia

February 9, 2021



When a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and light in a world gone dark.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: David Arnold’s books often sound extraordinarily weird. I haven’t read any of them because I’m picky about my weird literature. I’m not sure if his stuff will match my reading tastes, but I want to try this one because it’s a dystopia. That’s my current favorite genre. You’d think it’d be stressful to read dystopias during a pandemic, but it’s not. Their quick pacing and (mostly) far-fetched plots help me escape from the real world.

 

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The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis

 

Horror / Mystery / Thriller

February 23, 2021



Tress Montor knows that her family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. She might still be a Montor, but the entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo,” a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things.

Felicity Turnado has it all—looks, money, and a secret that she’s kept hidden. She knows that one misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is . . . only that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic attack.

But she’ll have to.

Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity—brick by brick—as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. With a drunken party above them, and a loose panther on the prowl, Tress will have her answers—or settle for revenge.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Well, clearly it’s inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Of course I have to read it! I love Poe. The revenge plotline is intriguing. I’ve read a few Mind McGinnis books. I love her writing style. It’s sparse and crackling with tension. Her characters aren’t afraid to do whatever it takes to survive.

 

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Prepped by Bethany Mangle

 

Contemporary

February 23, 2021



Always be ready for the worst day of your life.

This is the mantra that Becca Aldaine has grown up with. Her family is part of a community of doomsday preppers, a neighborhood that prioritizes survivalist training over class trips or senior prom. They’re even arranging Becca’s marriage with Roy Kang, the only eligible boy in their community. Roy is a nice guy, but he’s so enthusiastic about prepping that Becca doesn’t have the heart to tell him she’s planning to leave as soon as she can earn a full ride to a college far, far away.

Then a devastating accident rocks Becca’s family and pushes the entire community, including Becca’s usually cynical little sister, deeper into the doomsday ideology. With her getaway plans thrown into jeopardy, the only person Becca can turn to is Roy, who reveals that he’s not nearly as clueless as he’s been pretending to be.

When Roy proposes they run away together, Becca will have to risk everything—including her heart—for a chance to hope for the best instead of planning for the worst.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: It’s supposedly funny. I’m always ready for a funny book. I’m also very interested in Roy’s character. Why is he pretending to be clueless? Prepped is recommended for fans of Jeff Zentner. Zentner’s novels are heartbreakingly realistic, and he’s great at writing about teens in small towns. I’ll be thrilled if this book is similar to his novels.

 

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The Valley And The Flood by Rebecca Mahoney

 

Fantasy

February 23, 2021



Rose Colter is almost home, but she can't go back there yet. When her car breaks down in the Nevada desert, the silence of the night is broken by a radio broadcast of a voicemail message from her best friend, Gaby. A message Rose has listened to countless times over the past year. The last one Gaby left before she died.

So Rose follows the lights from the closest radio tower to Lotus Valley, a small town where prophets are a dime a dozen, secrets lurk in every shadow, and the diner pie is legendary. And according to Cassie Cyrene, the town's third most accurate prophet, they've been waiting for her. Because Rose's arrival is part of a looming prophecy, one that says a flood will destroy Lotus Valley in just three days' time.

Rose believes if the prophecy comes true then it will confirm her worst fear—the PTSD she was diagnosed with after Gaby's death has changed her in ways she can't face. So with help from new friends, Rose sets out to stop the flood, but her connection to it, and to this strange little town, runs deeper than she could've imagined.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This just sounds bizarre. I love weird desert towns and want to read all the books that are set in them. For some reason, deserts attract the strangest people. I may be wrong, but the plot is giving me vibes of Neal Shusterman’s Challenger Deep. Weird things are happening, but the reader isn’t sure if they’re really happening, or if it’s all in the main character’s mind.

 

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March

 

 

 

 

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

 

Mystery / Thriller

March 2, 2021




As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This book is everywhere. The cover is gorgeous, and the early reviews are glowing. Bookworms can’t wait to get their hands on this story. It sounds like it’s a mystery/thriller with depth. I haven’t read many novels that are written by Native American authors about Native American characters. I’m interested in broadening my reading horizons and seeing how traditional medicine is used to solve a murder.

 

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Bones Of A Saint by Grant Farley

 

Historical Fiction

March 2, 2021



Fifteen-year-old RJ Armante has never known a life outside his dead-end hometown of Arcangel, CA. The Blackjacks still rule as they have for generations, luring the poorest kids into their monopoly on petty crime. For years, they’ve left RJ alone . . . until now.

When the Blackjacks come knocking, they want RJ to prey upon an old loner. But RJ is at his breaking point. It’s not just about the gang who rules the town. It’s about Charley, his younger brother, who is disabled. It’s about Roxanne, the girl he can’t reach. It’s about the kids in his crew who have nothing to live for. If RJ is to resist, he must fight to free Arcangel of its past.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Does it remind you of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton? I was obsessed with that book when I was a teen. It sounds like Bones Of A Saint is about found families and kids with too many responsibilities and no good options. Goodreads says: “Set in Northern California in the late 70s, this timeless coming-of-age story examines the nature of evil, the art of storytelling, and the possibility of redemption.” I love reading about morally gray characters. I never know what they’re going to do.

 

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April

 

 

 

 

Everyone Dies Famous In A Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

 

Short Stories

April 1, 2021



In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths. One choice threatens a lifelong friendship. Siblings save each other. Rescue and second chances are possible, and so is revenge.

On the surface, it seems that nothing ever happens in these towns. But Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock shows that underneath that surface, teenagers' lives blaze with fury, with secrets, and with love so strong it burns a path to the future.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This is my most-anticipated young adult book of 2021. The author’s novel, The Smell Of Other People’s Houses, is one of my favorite books ever. It’s a beautifully written story about teens who get themselves into deep trouble in small-town Alaska. The author is brilliant at developing setting. Her new short story collection appears to have similar themes to her novel. Goodreads calls the new book “A lyrical and heartfelt collection.”

 

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House Of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

 

Fantasy / Horror

April 6, 2021



Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous—and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This is probably Twitter’s most-anticipated horror book of 2021. I’ve seen this book constantly for months. Or, maybe Twitter is just obsessed with the cover. It’s delightfully creepy. Anyway, I’m interested in the mystery and the horned men and the corpse that falls out of the ceiling. WHY IS THERE A CEILING CORPSE? I hope this book is scary enough to live up to the hype.

 

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Kate In Waiting by Becky Albertalli

 

Contemporary Romance

April 20, 2021



Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are not codependent. Carpooling to and from theater rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off script. Matt Olsson is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Becky Albertalli writes the most realistic teenagers. They’re not always likeable, and they don’t always make great decisions, but their behavior is believable. I read her novel—Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agendayears ago, and I still think about it. It’s a sweet, hilarious story. I’m hoping for more of the same with the new book.

 

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Dustborn by Erin Bowman

 

Science Fiction / Dystopia

April 20, 2021



Delta of Dead River has always been told to hide her back, where a map is branded on her skin to a rumored paradise called the Verdant. In a wasteland plagued by dust squalls, geomagnetic storms, and solar flares, many would kill for it—even if no one can read it. So when raiders sent by a man known as the General attack her village, Delta suspects he is searching for her. 

Delta sets out to rescue her family but quickly learns that in the Wastes no one can be trusted—perhaps not even her childhood friend, Asher, who has been missing for nearly a decade. If Delta can trust Asher, she just might decode the map and trade evidence of the Verdant to the General for her family. What Delta doesn’t count on is what waits at the Verdant: a long-forgotten secret that will shake the foundation of her entire world.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I started Erin Bowman’s series of westerns, but they weren’t unique enough for me, so I never finished them. I liked the setting and the badass characters, though. I’m hoping for more strong ladies and cactus-filled places with this new standalone dystopia. I love dystopias and have been consuming unhealthy amounts of them during the past year. I need more! Supposedly, this book has a revenge plotline and a weird wannabe dictator character. I’m intrigued. It’s being recommended for fans of the Mad Max movies, which I haven’t seen.

 

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May

 

 

 

 

Luck Of The Titanic by Stacey Lee

 

Historical Fiction

May 4, 2021



Southampton, 1912: Seventeen-year-old British-Chinese Valora Luck has quit her job and smuggled herself aboard the Titanic with two goals in mind: to reunite with her twin brother Jamie—her only family now that both their parents are dead—and to convince a part-owner of the Ringling Brothers Circus to take the twins on as acrobats. Quick-thinking Val talks her way into opulent first class accommodations and finds Jamie with a group of fellow Chinese laborers in third class. But in the rigidly stratified world of the luxury liner, Val's ruse can only last so long, and after two long years apart, it's unclear if Jamie even wants the life Val proposes. Then, one moonless night in the North Atlantic, the unthinkable happens—the supposedly unsinkable ship is dealt a fatal blow—and Val and her companions suddenly find themselves in a race to survive.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This is my second-most-anticipated YA release of 2021. (Are we ranking releases now? Why not?) I’m excited for it because it’s loosely inspired by the true story of six Titanic passengers of Chinese descent. I love when authors base their fiction on real life events. It makes the fiction more real. Also, shipwrecks are endlessly fascinating to me. Probably because I can’t swim and oceans are deep. That’s a nightmare situation right there.

 

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The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

 

Nonfiction / Essays

May 18, 2021



The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet—from the QWERTY keyboard and Staphylococcus aureus to the Taco Bell breakfast menu—on a five-star scale.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: New John Green book! This one is nonfiction. I’ve never listened to John Green’s podcast, but I have read all his fiction, and I watch his YouTube videos when I’m bored. I think he’s smart and funny. This new book sounds pretentious, so it might be perfect for me. And, I love rating things on a 5-star scale. That’s probably why I became a book reviewer.

 

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Words Composed Of Sea And Sky by Erica George

 

Contemporary And Historical Fiction (Dual Timeline)

May 25, 2021



Michaela Dunn dreams of getting into an art school, but when her stepfather refuses to fund a trip there for a poetry workshop, Michaela enters a local contest searching for a poet to write the dedication plaque for a statue honoring Captain Benjamin Churchill, a whaler who died at sea over one hundred years ago. While searching for clues about this Cape Cod legend, Michaela discovers the diary of Leta Townsend from 1862 and gets a glimpse of Churchill that she didn't quite anticipate.

In 1862, Leta writes poetry under the name of Benjamin Churchill, thinking him dead after being attacked by a whale. Leta is astonished when Captain Churchill returns, completely unscathed, his death just a rumor. She quickly falls for him. But is she falling for the actual Benjamin Churchill, or the boy she constructed in her imagination?

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This novel sounds wild, like a bookish soap opera. The captain is dead! OR IS HE? She’s falling in love, BUT HE’S NOT WHO SHE THINKS! I’m ready for twists and mysteries.

 

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June

 

 

 

 

A Sisterhood Of Secret Ambitions by Sheena Boekweg

 

Alternate History

June 1, 2021



Behind every powerful man is a trained woman, and behind every trained woman is the Society. It started with tea parties and matchmaking, but is now a countrywide secret. Gossips pass messages in recipes, Spinsters train to fight, and women work together to grant safety to abused women and children. The Society is more than oaths—it is sisterhood and purpose.

In 1926, seventeen-year-old Elsie is dropped off in a new city with four other teenage girls. All of them have trained together since childhood to become the Wife of a powerful man. But when they learn that their next target is earmarked to become President, their mission becomes more than just an assignment; this is a chance at the most powerful position in the Society. All they have to do is make one man fall in love with them first.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This is my third-most-anticipated YA release of 2021. (Clearly, we’re ranking them now.) I’m getting Margaret Atwood vibes from this book, probably because it’s about women pulling society’s strings from behind the scenes. I love alternate history books and wish more authors wrote them. I need this one immediately. (If you’re looking for some excellent alternate history in the meantime, check out Alma Katsu’s The Hunger.)

 

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The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver

 

Contemporary

June 1, 2021



When Liam Cooper's older brother Ethan is killed in a hit-and-run, Liam has to not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most, but also face the fading relationship with his two best friends.

Feeling more alone and isolated than ever, Liam finds themself sharing time with Marcus, Ethan's best friend, and through Marcus, Liam finds the one person that seems to know exactly what they're going through, for the better, and the worse.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Goodreads says it’s “perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.” That’s me! I love both those authors. Mostly I’m interested in this book because Mason Deaver’s debut novel took over all my social media feeds for a while. Everybody I follow was raving about it. I need to know why this author has captured the book world’s attention.

 

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Ace Of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

 

Mystery / Thriller

June 10, 2021



Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Drama! This book is supposed to be dark and full of sex, lies, and secrets. According to early reviewers, it’s a thriller with depth. I’m always searching for thrillers that ask thought-provoking questions and aren’t just action-action-action all the time. Goodreads says this novel is “an incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist.”

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darling by K. Ancrum

 

Fantasy

June 22, 2021



On Wendy Darling’s first night in Chicago, a boy called Peter appears at her window. He’s dizzying, captivating, beautiful—so she agrees to join him for a night on the town.

Wendy thinks they’re heading to a party, but instead they’re soon running in the city’s underground. She makes friends—a punk girl named Tinkerbelle and the lost boys Peter watches over. And she makes enemies—the terrifying Detective Hook, and maybe Peter himself, as his sinister secrets start coming to light. Can Wendy find the courage to survive this night—and make sure everyone else does, too?

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Normally, I’d see the word “retelling” and keep scrolling. Retellings don’t interest me. But, this one is written by K. Ancrum. Her bizarre contemporary novel, The Wicker King, was one of my 2020 favorites. She’s amazing at blurring the lines between fantasy and reality and writing characters who are . . . misguided. They’re not evil, but they’re far from good. I’m hoping this book is just as addictive as The Wicker King.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 



Wow. If you made it through that whole post, you deserve 10 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Are you looking forward to any young adult book releases in 2021?

 







18 comments:

  1. House of Hollow sounds so good.

    My post.

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  2. I really want to get my hands on Hitchcock's book. Her last book was phenomenal, and I have high hopes for this one.

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  3. Oh! All of these books sound awesome! Great list!

    Here’s my TTT!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  4. You just made me laugh. I love to read YA novels too, despite being an old owl. Don´t Tell A Soul by Kirsten Miller looks and sounds really good. Happy reading and stay safe and well.

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  5. Ace of Spades is already on my TBR, but The Girl From Shadow Springs and A Sisterhood of Secret Ambitions are new to me and sound so good, so I'll be adding those to my TBR.
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/12/top-ten-tuesday-298/

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  6. Nice list. Prepped sounds amazing. House of Hollow made my Top 5 Anticipated Releases of 2021 list. Hope you get to read all these.

    https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2021/01/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten.html

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  7. I read the first few chapters of the House of Hollow--soooo good! I read and enjoyed the weirdness/uniqueness of The Electric Kingdom and it was my first by this author. I have preordered Luck of the Titanic. Great list!

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  8. Luck of the Titanic is one I've had my eye on for a while!

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  9. I feel the same way about YA vs adult books sometimes. I started a book the other day and was bored to tears- it was so ponderous and I kept thinking if this was a YA book it would be so much better lol. Anyway I definitely want more YA thrillers. And Last Night at the Telegraph Club looks amazing- I want it for the cover alone.

    The Girl From Shadow Springs looks good. I like cold settings. And yes to a good dystopia!

    The Valley and Flood is giving me Welcome to Night Vale vibes, or maybe even The Six Gun Tarot (you might like that one. Weird Western desert town- check. )

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  10. I'm kind of obsessed with the Titanic, so definitely adding Luck of the Titanic to my TBR!

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  11. I really like the look of The Electric Kingdom. Thanks for sharing these releases.

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  12. Don't Tell a Soul and Luck of the Titanic are going on my tbr. Thanks for introducing me!

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  13. I'm so excited for some of these: Darling, Luck of the Titanic, The Project, etc.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  14. Looks like a lot of great YA reads are coming out this year. I'm really excited for Becky Albertalli and Courtney Summers' books.

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  15. Nice list AJ! I'm sure lots of people are swearing at you for adding books to their TBR!

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  16. I am absolutely dying for The Project. I love Courtney Summers so much and will read everything she ever writes.

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  17. Thanks for this. I've just added most of the sci fi and fantasy books on your list to Goodreads.

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  18. Good list of books. I don't read many young adult books, but there are some here that sound very good. And so many great-looking covers, too!

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