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Teens

Feel Good Romance for Teens

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Life is crazy right now! While you try to take it easy this holiday season, check out these new, lighthearted stories.

Layoverland by Gabby Noone
Published: August 4, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Bea has some flaws. She says she is “a hater, not a helper,” but then she is in a deadly car accident and finds herself as an assigned helper in purgatory. It turns out that the place between heaven and hell is in a tacky airport.

If Bea wants to move on to heaven, she has to help 5,000 souls figure out what’s keeping them out of heaven. Bea is manipulative and can call out your weaknesses, so she’s great for the job!

Then, it turns out that cute Caleb is also the guy that caused the car accident that killed them both. Of course, flawed Bea plots to make sure Caleb doesn’t get into heaven.

If you like dark humor, and the tv show The Good Place, this book is for you!

Find it in the catalog.

 

Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimura
Published: March 3, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Looking for an upbeat romantic comedy? Here’s your book!

But first, Olivia has to work through some things. At 16, she feels like her competitive figure skating career is over, which means she’s not living up to the expectations of her gold medal Olympian parents, the family skating rink business is failing, and her mom’s serious back injury left Olivia as her caretaker, and has left the family with massive medical bills.

Then, Jonah Choi, speed skater and Olympic hopeful, begins training at her family’s rink; and he attends Olivia’s new high school. Jonah is someone who understands what it’s like to be a professional teenage athlete, and as they spend more time together Olivia rediscovers her confidence and passion for skating. It’s time for Olivia to decide what she wants!

Find it in the catalog.

 


More Than Just A Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
Published: August 4, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Danyal Jilani lives up to his family’s idea that he isn’t very bright. But hey, he has lots of other things going for him. He’s good looking, funny, likeable, and lives a carefree life. His only real concerns are becoming a chef, and getting the attention of Kaval. The problem is that Kaval’s parents don’t think Danyal is worthy of their daughter. Danyal’s carefree days are upended when he is selected to participate in an academic competition. The competition is very exclusive, so this could be the way to prove himself to Kaval’s parents.

Danyal has to be sure that he will win, so obviously he enlists the help of Bisma, a potential match for an arranged marriage made by his family. As Bisma and Danyal spend more time together working on his essay entry, he learns of her painful and scandalous secret. His connection with Bisma grows and he starts to realize that his ideal path may not be the best path for him.

Find it in the catalog.

The Voting Booth

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The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

It’s Election Day! Marva and Duke, seniors at different high schools, are voting for the first time. Marva has thoroughly researched and planned for this day, just like she does with everything in life. She is ready to vote! Duke registered a couple years ago when he was 16.

It turns out that Duke isn’t registered where he thought, his car breaks down, and Marva shows up to save the day. The two have never met, but Marva believes every vote counts, so she is going to get Duke to his polling place. The story follows the two through this one election day and the craziness that ensues. Everything that can go wrong does, all while they run all over town trying to get Duke’s vote in.

As they spend the day together, they get to each other, and they start to understand themselves and their relationships better. Marva is having a tough time with her boyfriend who she thought was a perfect match for her; and Duke is having a tough time with his parents since his older brother died.

The chapters alternate between Marva and Duke, and the story moves at a surprising pace. I enjoyed the quick wit and momentum of Duke and Marva’s relationship. The author touches on a number of issues relevant to the lives of young people of color, and the impact young people can make by voting and participating in the elections process.

If you can, register to vote, go vote; and then check out The Voting Booth!

Anna Dressed in Blood

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Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Format: Book and Eaudiobook
Who it’s for: Teens

Tis the spooky season, which I believe calls for something about the things that go bump in the night. I found that in Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. It is the first of its ghostly series, and put eloquently: “It’s the old boy-meets-girls story. if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she’s ever murdered.” – Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Red Glove.

It’s perfect for people who want a light and easy paranormal read that happens to be a teen urban fantasy, rather than a teen urban fantasy that has paranormal elements. I like ghost stories, and while this one isn’t particularly scary (in my opinion. You may find otherwise.), it does manage to be fun, full of magic, a bit of mystery, and interesting characters. Find it in the catalog!

From Twinkle, With Love

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Recommended Book
From Twinkle, With Love by  Sandhya Menon
Publication Date: May 22, 2018
Format: Book or ebook
Who it’s for: Teens

“In this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi, told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?” – Publisher’s blurb

This took a bit for me to get into. It was soooooooo High School. The crush, the BFF drama, the awkwardness, the ‘Woe is me’ angst, etc. So very HS, so stereotypical; it made me cringe, laugh, and smh. I would have stopped reading it by like chapter two, if not for Books for the Beast (a YA reader’s advisory conference in Maryland) and the fact her first book got so much praise. I powered through.

It was very amusing with a couple of lil life lessons to boot. If this was a Disney Channel movie, I could have made it through without cringing so much or smh at the mistakes they made. I still would have lol at the awkward moments. Despite all those things it was a great read.

The Indian culture that was in the book was completely natural and did not feel forced. It was just a part of Twinkle’s life, her story. The gay friends felt forced, like an afterthought. I liked the text messages and emails. They made it feel epistolary. The supposed diary entries where Twinkle is writing to directors never really felt like letters. They did not really feel like a diary entries, either. Only at the beginning of the diary entry and when she closed the “letter” did it ever feel like she was writing a letter to somebody.  It felt more like just a first POV novel.

I was considering reading her debut novel but when I was talking about From Twinkle, With Love with a coworker, she said this plot sounds almost identical to When Dimple Met Rishi. Now if they made movies from her novels on Disney Channel, I would watch them all and enjoy. If I was in middle/high school and liked romance novels, I would read all her novels as well. Def geared for upper middle school and High School girls.

Read a High School Rom-Com starring a cute Indian Girl!

 

Pet

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Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Published: September 2019
Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Find it in the catalog

Jam lives in a world where monsters no longer exist. The angels have made the world safe again by eradicating the monsters. School children learn of the angels and monsters, but people have done little to prevent their reemergence. When a horrific looking creature named Pet steps from Jam’s mother’s painting, Jam must come to grips with the fact that there is a monster in her best friend’s house. With the monster hunter Pet by her side, she must make some tough decisions to protect her friend.

This creative story teaches us that monsters aren’t always what they seem , and that merely telling the tales of angels isn’t enough to stop the wicked. Brave people like Jam must speak up and fight to reveal the wolves in sheep’s clothing that live among us.

The Poet X

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The Poet X  By Elizabeth Acevedo
Format: Audio
Who it’s for:  Teens, Adults

Xiomara, a Dominican American teen living in Harlem, is struggling to define who she is.  Her twin brother, Xavier, is the smart one.  He skipped a grade and attends a different, “smart” high school.  Xiomara (See-oh-MAH-ruh) is lost in her journal, defending herself from the attention of boys, and running away from her mother’s religion.  Xiomara’s teacher introduces her to slam poetry and invites her to attend a poetry club.  But, it’s at the same time as her confirmation class so she doesn’t attend.    Xiomara continues to write her thoughts, frustrations and passions in her journal.

Xiomara meets a boy in Bio class, Aman, that she is definitely interested in.  She sneaks away to the park to spend time with him.  She reads him her poetry and she realizes that she is good at it.  But, Mami, still expects her to attend confirmation class and be a good, religious girl.  It all comes crashing down on her when her Mami finds out about her boyfriend and finds her journal.

This award winning novel is told in poetry.  It was an amazing audio experience.  To hear the words is very different than to read them.  And, if you do not speak Spanish it is much easier to listen so the words are pronounced correctly.

This book won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2018) and the Michael L. Printz Award (2019).

 Find it in the catalog.