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5 YA books that offer a nuanced reading experience for summer

Meghan Collins Sullivan/NPR

Review

Book Reviews

5 YA books that offer a nuanced reading experience for summer

June 10, 2022 • Beach reads are great — but here are some new books offering the stuff of sticky, heat-stroke dreams; overgrown, light-filled wildflower fields; and twisted alleys of old cities waking from winter.

'Nettle & Bone' creates a once-upon-a-time that is familiar, yet original

Tor Books

Review

Book Reviews

'Nettle & Bone' creates a once-upon-a-time that is familiar, yet original

April 27, 2022 • T. Kingfisher treats source material like a buffet; the result feels like a cozy but still perilous D&D adventure, full of found-family, second chances, and winks to the folklore that inspired it.

Three YA fantasies take you on a journey — at home

Meghan Collins Sullivan/NPR

Review

Book Reviews

Three YA fantasies take you on a journey — at home

March 16, 2022 • These three YA fantasies offer up creative magic systems and mythologies, stakes as high as they come, and girls with the grit to get it done.

A young nurse investigates murders in 18th century Korea in 'The Red Palace'

Feiwel & Friends

Review

Book Reviews

A young nurse investigates murders in 18th century Korea in 'The Red Palace'

January 27, 2022 • June Hur's history-based novel binds fiction to fact in a gripping young adult mystery. A nurse in 18th century Korea's royal court tries to track down the killer of four women.

'A Marvellous Light' infuses magic and adventures into 19th century England

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske Tordotcom hide caption

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Tordotcom

Review

Book Reviews

'A Marvellous Light' infuses magic and adventures into 19th century England

December 22, 2021 • The 19th century historical fantasy wherein magic is a layer over the already complicated strata of society is a fairly common genre, but Freya Marske makes it feel fresh in this treat of a book.

'Skin of the Sea' sends its little mermaid swimming into very different waters

NPR

Review

Book Reviews

'Skin of the Sea' sends its little mermaid swimming into very different waters

October 28, 2021 • Natasha Bowen's new young adult novel is inspired by "The Little Mermaid," but charts a different course, using fairytale and folklore to deal with one of the grimmest chapters in human history.

A delicious Gothic romance strikes just the right balance of heart and horror

St. Martin's Press

Review

Book Reviews

A delicious Gothic romance strikes just the right balance of heart and horror

October 10, 2021 • The Death of Jane Lawrence asks that age-old question of gothic novels and fairy tales: What do you do if your very attractive husband is hiding a very dark secret in his crumbling manor house?

Fall Brings YA Historicals About Haunted Boys And The Rapscallions Who Love Them

HarperTeen

Review

Book Reviews

Fall Brings YA Historicals About Haunted Boys And The Rapscallions Who Love Them

September 25, 2021 • Both The City Beautiful and Before We Disappear feature young crooks getting by in big cities at the turn of the 19th century, one haunted by his past and the other trapped by his magic powers.

This Road Trip Is A Winding, Poetic Journey Through Ancestry, Trauma And Art

Feiwel & Friends

Review

Book Reviews

This Road Trip Is A Winding, Poetic Journey Through Ancestry, Trauma And Art

August 21, 2021 • On the surface, Me (Moth) seems like a simple story. Two damaged teens fall for each other as they journey across America. But on every page, Amber McBride builds layer upon layer of meaning.

Monsters And Magic Run In The Family In These 2 YA Novels

Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim Knopf Books for Young Readers hide caption

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Knopf Books for Young Readers

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Book Reviews

Monsters And Magic Run In The Family In These 2 YA Novels

July 31, 2021 • Six Crimson Cranes and The River Has Teeth — two new July YA novels — both focus on monstrous mothers and folkloric family magic. But apart from that, they couldn't be more different.

Fierce Girls And Giant Robots Battle An Empire In This YA Adventure

Feiwel and Friends

Review

Book Reviews

Fierce Girls And Giant Robots Battle An Empire In This YA Adventure

July 1, 2021 • In Zoe Hana Mikuta's new Gearbreakers, a talented pilot and a daring rebel have the same goal — take down a giant, evil empire. But first, they have to learn to trust each other — and maybe more.

May's YA Brings Unlikely Connections Between Very Different Stories

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Review

Book Reviews

May's YA Brings Unlikely Connections Between Very Different Stories

May 23, 2021 • At first glance, The Ones We're Meant to Find and Luck of the Titanic don't have much in common — one's historical, one's dystopia. But as you read, you'll see surprising thematic connections.

'In Deeper Waters' Is A Frothy Romantic Confection

Margaret K. McElderry Books

Review

Book Reviews

'In Deeper Waters' Is A Frothy Romantic Confection

April 24, 2021 • F.T. Lukens' earnest new seafaring romance follows a young prince desperate to hide his magical powers from the pirates who've kidnapped him — and the mysterious boy who comes to his rescue.

'Firekeeper's Daughter' Forges A New Path Between Cultures And Genres

Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)

Review

Book Reviews

'Firekeeper's Daughter' Forges A New Path Between Cultures And Genres

March 20, 2021 • A contemplative exploration of existing between two cultural identities meets fake relationship romance meets backwoods thriller in this powerhouse YA debut from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley.

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