Erin A. Holt

Ali Chu is the only Asian student in her rural Indiana high school. Accustomed to her teacher’s blatantly racist remarks and her friends’ constant misunderstandings of her Taiwanese culture, Ali has learned to survive in a small town by not standing out. She is thrown for a loop however, when Chase, another Taiwanese American student, moves to town. Everyone at school thinks that because Ali and Chase are both Asian, they should become a couple.

Determined not to succumb to stereotype (or to her parents’ strict rule that she only date Chinese boys), Ali tries to resist her attraction to Chase, but as she gets to know him, their relationship moves quickly from friendship to something more. Just as quickly, however, Ali’s mother finds out and forbids Ali from dating Chase. While the two surreptitiously continue their relationship, they begin to discover long-hidden secrets about their families, forcing them to wonder about the circumstances that brought them together in the first place.

Gloria Chao’s beautifully heartbreaking second novel (after 2018’s American Panda) intersperses Ali and Chase’s contemporary story with the historically set Chinese folktake “The Butterfly Lovers.” Chao develops both primary and secondary characters well, particularly Ali’s friend Yun, who is just beginning to explore his sexuality.

With authentic teen voices that will help readers easily connect with the characters and their stories, Our Wayward Fate is an excellent choice for readers who love a mix of contemporary and historical fiction.

Ellis Kimball is a doomsday prepper, constantly adding to her various survival kits for the end of the world. Her therapist, Martha, is working with her to understand her expectation of an apocalypse, as it is manifesting in Ellis as anxiety.

After a therapy session, Ellis runs into Hannah Marks. They meet up again at school, where Hannah does everything she can to entice Ellis to hang out with her and her friends, Sam and Tal. Ellis soon learns that Hannah has visions and knows when the apocalypse is coming. Their friendship quickly blossoms as the two set out on a journey to save others while inadvertently finding themselves along the way.

Katie Henry’s depiction of anxiety is executed perfectly via Ellis’ inner monologues and outward actions. She captures budding teen sexuality as well as what it means to face your fears within your mind, your religion and your own family.

Let’s Call It a Doomsday is an exemplary portrait of acceptance, trust and revelation.

Bex just got her ticket out of her hometown of Westmill via an internship on the hit TV teen drama “Silver Falls.” (Think “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”) However, her boss and head writer, Malcom, is none too happy to have his own intern. Nonetheless, Bex is just excited to be part of the show, even if it means getting coffee for the writing crew and green juices for cast members.

When Jane, another writer, takes Bex under her wing, she learns the ins and outs of how a TV show is put together. And later, when Malcom is stumped on how to write his assigned episode, Bex takes it upon herself to draft a script and give it to him. Malcom sneakily rewrites the script and passes it off as his own—right after writing her lesbian character off as straight in order to protect one of the show’s stars who made a homophobic statement. Having just come out of the closet herself, Bex feels the burn, and she makes it her mission to set the record right—both for the LGBTQ+ community and the fandom.

Author Jen Wilde not only gives readers a peek into the television industry, but she also offers an in-depth look at Bex’s coming-out process. Bex finds herself unexpectedly falling for Shrupty, a new actress on the show, and Wilde handles their romance with extreme heart and tenderness. Diverse characters and themes of sexuality and individuality make this an extremely timely story that readers will devour.

Perfect for the #ownvoices movement, Going Off Script is an excellent choice for teens looking to make their mark in society.

Leanne “Lee” Bauer is ready to set the record straight. It has been three years since her high school’s mass shooting led to the deaths of 9 students (10 if you count the shooter himself) and 2 teachers. The shooting also left one student paralyzed and the others severely traumatized. Lee was in the bathroom holding hands with her best friend, Sarah, as the shooter aimed and fired at Sarah. Everyone believes that Sarah died while proclaiming her religious faith, but only Lee and one other survivor know the truth of what really happened in the bathroom that day.

When Sarah’s family decides to publish a book about their daughter and the massacre, Lee decides it’s time to reveal what actually happened, because all of the survivors deserve to have a voice.

Keplinger (The Duff) pens an extremely powerful, mind-blowing and chilling account of what it is like to be on the inside of a high school shooting and how details and facts can become misconstrued as a result of trauma. In chapters that deserve a trigger warning, Lee and the other survivors recount the massacre as they experienced it. Featuring a cast of diverse characters, and unique narration that includes poetry and letters,    Keplinger shows she’s up to snuff with this heavy hitting that is unfortunately trending. Reminiscent of Marieke Nijkamp’s This Is Where It Ends (2016), this novel would make an excellent springboard for parents or teachers who want to open a discussion about gun violence with their teens.

Julie Murphy’s companion to 2017’s Dumplin’ (read it first to avoid spoilers) is as full of heart, hope and hilarity as its predecessor. With an incredibly diverse cast of new characters, two unlikely love interests and emotions that are bigger than the state of Texas, Puddin’ will have readers laughing, crying and rooting for these teens as they navigate the tough terrain that is high school and find the strength to persevere when life throws a curveball or two.

While beauty queen Willowdean Dickson is still in the mix, Murphy’s new novel focuses on life after the pageant for reader favorite Millie Michalchuk. Millie hangs with a group of unpopular misfits and is a regular attendee of fat camp, but she’s thrown into an unlikely friendship with popular girl Callie Reyes when a prank goes wrong. Callie is co-captain of the Shamrocks, Clover City High School’s dance team, and the girlfriend of the school’s ace football player. When Millie’s family-run gym gets into financial trouble and has to drop their sponsorship of the Shamrocks, putting the dance team’s chance at winning a national competition in jeopardy, Callie and her fellow dancers decide to take revenge into their own hands—by vandalizing the Michalchuk’s gym, with Callie as the only identifiable culprit. Millie’s Uncle Vernon, the owner of the gym, agrees to drop all charges if Callie will work at the gym for free. Millie and Callie are then forced to either be miserable together or make amends.

In chapters that alternate between Millie’s and Callie’s point of view, Murphy nails the teen voice with online and in-person conversations that are filled with snort-laugh-out-loud lines. The characters are faced with typical teenage dilemmas, from dating and sneaking around (nobody is perfect, even Millie) to facing realistic consequences for their actions.

Hysterical and perfect for teen readers looking to have their voices heard, Puddin’ encapsulates everything that a high-caliber YA novel should.

This article was originally published in the May 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.