Teens Recommendations

A Booklist Starred Review

A big-hearted coming-of-age debut about a tiger, a Russian, a model airplane, unexplainable disaster, and a bewildered twelve-year-old boy just trying to find his place in the world.

It's 1981 in Texarkana, Texas, and Noah Ellis is trying hard to remember. Still reeling from the loss of his father in a suspicious tragedy, Noah is in a tragedy of his own-one that results in another inexplicable death, this time leaving Noah to suffer from severe amnesia.

After that day, everything changes. Noah becomes an unwitting star in a highly publicized trial. Girls start to notice him, and kids who once bullied him now allow him to run with their pack--at a cost. Standing as always in his big brother's shadow, Noah also has a little sister he must look out for. But Noah's still stuck on that day and the accident he can't remember. As town secrets come to light and summer draws to a close, Noah must find a way to salvage all that he's lost, and to learn what is truly precious.

In this enthralling dystopian YA thriller where emotions become weapons, the fight for humanity's true essence takes centre stage.

In a near-future Britain, societyʼs calm facade conceals a sinister truth: the state maintains its control by meddling with the nationʼs water supply. The result? A population lulled into apathy. Lulled, apart from a courageous few known as the Resistors.

New Resistor Owyn and lifelong Resistor Tiegan face parallel struggles in their fierce quest for freedom. Spurred on by the promise of a mass Resistance, they ignite a chain of events that shakes the foundations of Britainʼs oppressive regime.

One thing is clear: the price of freedom is higher than they ever imagined.

While mucking about in the ruins of an old farm while on holiday in Yorkshire, James hears strange laughter echoing around the walls. The ghost of a young girl appears to him and urges James to follow her but at first he's too afraid.



When she appears again, this time James follows. But will he be able to face the terrible truth she reveals . . . ?



Union Square & Co.'s EVERYONE CAN BE A READER books are expertly written, thoughtfully designed with dyslexia-friendly fonts and paper tones, and carefully formatted to meet readers where they are with engaging stories that encourage reading success across a wide range of age and interest levels.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off about four friends whose hearts are broken and mended over the course of an epic senior skip day—from the bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules!

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship. 

With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.

In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

A high school field hockey star must choose between her love of the game and her new, distractingly beautiful rival in this queer YA romance perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy and Cleat Cute!

"A masterclass in romantic tension."—Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Evelyn was raised to see field hockey as war.

Before she could write her own name, her family’s legacy on the field was already spelled out. Every step Evelyn takes toward glory is within a footprint her mother left behind. And no step matters more than this next one, with Evelyn about to lead her varsity team into their final battle season. Evelyn is beyond ready to score the Nationals title and win the critical scholarship to her mom’s alma mater that comes with it.

This year, she’s out for blood, and nothing can stand in her way...

...except for Rosa Alvarez, the highly talented new recruit on her biggest rival’s team.

After a humiliating homecoming game and follow-up prank leave the two enemies in a stalemate, they grudgingly strike a deal to help each other overcome their weaknesses on the field. But the more time Evelyn spends with Rosa, the more she finds herself casting her hardened armor aside, until she begins to wonder what life might be like if she left the battlefield behind and fought for love instead.

"This one’s definitely a keeper!”—Jennifer Dugan, bestselling author of Some Girls Do

"Horror fans will have a tough time putting this down once they start reading. A killer read."

--Kirkus, STARRED Review



Follow him or die...



Influencer, by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Adam Cesare, is a tense and timely psychological thriller told from alternating points of view about a teenage girl who begins to suspect the charismatic new kid may in fact be a murderous psychopath. As more and more of her friends fall under his influence, her suspicions begin to come across like jealousy. But is she right? And if so, how much more dangerous would he be toward someone who has discovered his secret?



A new and expanded paperback adaptation of the Audible Original, Influencer explores the dark side of social media and the cult of personalities that flourish there as the teens navigate their own fears about friendship and popularity, culminating in an epic battle of wills that will leave readers breathless.



"What's so scary about Influencer is how possible it is--how likely it feels, and just how convincingly real these characters are. I read a lot of scary stuff, but this is the only book for years to worm its way into my dreams and make me finish the book faster, just so I can maybe sleep again."

--Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians



"Sizzling writing and a skin-crawling story make Influencer one of the most addictive horror novels I've read. It's deeply uncomfortable, deeply perceptive, and deliciously fun."

--Darcy Coates, USA Today bestselling author of The Whispering Dead



"Influencer is a real nail-biter of a thriller! Relatable characters, devious plot twists, and a breakneck pace. Highly recommended!"

--Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Rot & Ruin and Long Past Midnight

 

The untold origin story of the 5 Muses from Disney’s Hercules is revealed in this fresh YA take on Greek mythology from Farrah Rochon, the bestselling author of Almost There.

The Muses narrated Hercules’s story. Now, they’ll narrate their own "gospel truth."

Living in a quiet seaside village with their overprotective mother, teenaged sisters Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia are talented performers with no audience. If Calli had her way, she'd pursue her dream of writing epic stories in the city of Thebes. But family comes first, and as the eldest, she'd never leave her beloved sisters behind.

Then, following a disastrous public music performance, their mother reveals a shocking secret: she is Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory, and for nearly two decades, she’s been on the run from the gods of Mount Olympus, desperate to keep her daughters safe from their machinations. Before she can share more, she is kidnapped . . . and though the girls don’t know it yet, the villain pulling the strings is none other than Hades, fiery God of the Underworld. 

Under Calli’s leadership, the sisters embark on a journey to save their mother and to learn more about their own divine origins. But the path ahead is filled with mythical trials and tribulations, and they’ll need to rely on both their individual talents and the strength of their sisterhood to ensure that they ascend from "zeroes" to "heroes"--or more accurately, heroines.

Penned by New York Times bestselling author Farrah Rochon, this YA fantasy uniquely blends a twist on a Disney classic with a fresh take on Greek mythology.

The young adult debut from the award-winning author of Arsenic and Adobo! When a high school tarot reader’s latest client goes missing after a troubling reading, she must apply everything she’s learned from her private investigator mother to solve a case of her own.

“Delightfully layered. The tarot readings bring a fresh and bright angle to this modern mystery. Mia P. Manansala has created an endearing voice in Danika—an intuitive, intelligent, and emotionally sharp amateur sleuth.” —Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Danika Dizon is a natural problem-solver. Thanks to her private investigator mom and mystery author dad, she's equipped with the skills to offer guidance to anxious classmates who come to her for a tarot reading between classes. For a price, of course.

But when one of her clients vanishes shortly after they're dealt a death card, the girl’s younger sister Gaby begs Danika to figure out what went wrong. Danika takes on the case, thinking it's the perfect way to prove to her parents that she should be an official investigator in the family’s detective agency.

What starts off as a compelling challenge quickly devolves into something darker as Danika and Gaby peel back layer after layer of the secret life the missing girl has been living. A life that those involved would do anything to keep from being revealed…

“Powerful, brilliantly plotted, voicey, gripping, beautiful, heart-wrenching, hilarious . . . Read this book.” -Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of The Agathas

When Jo-Lynn Kirby 's former best friend-pretty, nice Maddie Price-comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it's some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked-and since everyone decided she deserved it. There's no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.

Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can't shake the feeling there's more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind-and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo's with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she'd rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie's disappearance, she's left to wonder who she's really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.

Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

From the author of There Goes the Neighborhood, winner of the 2024 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award, comes an unforgettably powerful coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old LA transplant whose plans to build a doomsday shelter in her backyard collide with an unexpected summer romance.

Survival Tip #1: The world is going to shit. Whatever you do, don't fall in love.

Sixteen-year old Niarah Holloway's only goal in life is to get through it unnoticed. That, and to spend her first summer in LA building a doomsday bunker in her backyard. Because if the past few years have taught Niarah anything, it's that the ocean levels are rising, minimum wage is a scam, and the people who are supposed to protect you will hurt you. Now the only thing that helps Niarah stay afloat amidst the constant waves of anxiety and dread that threaten to drag her under is her new mantra: Be prepared.

But Niarah wasn't prepared for Mac Torres. Not for his disarmingly cute face, or for his surfer lifestyle, or for the way his smile resuscitates her heart. Mac is a bomb that blows Niarah's world to pieces, but instead of disaster, he fills it with sunset bonfires, breakfast burritos, and new friends.

For years, Niarah's life has revolved around ignoring the demons of her past, avoiding the problems of her present, and preparing for the catastrophes of the future. Now Mac--with his sunshine laugh and infectious optimism-- is determined to show her another way to be. But in a world where the worst feels inevitable, can one summer be enough to light the way to a hopeful future? Can one summer be enough to fall in love?