Tami Orendain

Nami Miyamoto is living her dream: She is headed to college in the fall, she loves her supportive family, and she just confessed her feelings to her longtime crush—and learned that he feels the same way. It seems like everything is falling into place. Then, on her way to a graduation party, Nami is unexpectedly and brutally murdered. 

But that’s only the beginning of Nami’s story. Her consciousness is revived in Infinity, an afterlife ruled by an artificial intelligence assistant from Earth named Ophelia. (Think Siri or Alexa, but much more vengeful.) Determined to stop Ophelia’s plans to destroy humanity, Nami joins the rebellion. In the midst of their struggle, she must come to terms with what it really means to be alive. 

It’s not surprising that a book set in an afterlife would grapple with weighty, philosophical themes, but the cerebral tone of The Infinity Courts sets it apart from its YA genre fiction peers. Ethereal and thoughtful, this story is as much about emotion as it is action. Nami is motivated by her feelings, which makes her a stubborn, sometimes reluctant hero. When she first arrives in Infinity, she must wrestle with grief, loss and forgiveness, all from the other side of her own death. Her participation in the rebellion is shaped by her ever-evolving beliefs about what defines good and evil during a war and who deserves to be saved. 

Though Nami’s fellow rebels are outwardly committed to freedom, author Akemi Dawn Bowman (Summer Bird Blue) also establishes the internal desires that drive each of them. For example, Theo sympathizes with the humans Ophelia has captured, while Ahmet wants to retain as much of his humanity as he can. The narrative raises age-old questions about the individual versus the community but proposes a range of answers rather than one definitive solution. The shifting beliefs of Nami and the other rebels propel the plot forward while impressively reflecting the mutable, unpredictable nature of humanity.

Best known for realistic fiction, including her Morris Award finalist debut novel, Starfish, Bowman combines the psychological with the heart-pounding in her powerful leap into science fiction. Featuring an imaginative world, a terrifying villain and a complex heroine, The Infinity Courts is a mesmerizing series opener that’s sure to lead to a thrilling, expectation-shattering sequel.

Sixteen-year-old Izzy is content with her life—or, at least, she’s trying to be. As the younger sibling to a boisterous pair of twins, the daughter of distracted parents and the girlfriend of a popular and somewhat clingy boyfriend, Izzy tries to fit in wherever she can. That mostly means remaining silent and fading into the background, whether at school, at home or with the people she calls her friends.

So when Izzy accidentally and unwittingly stumbles into a comedy club, she seizes the opportunity to finally express herself. She forms genuine friendships with other young people she meets at the club who are as passionate about stand-up as she is and begins to build a new life outside the routine she’s always known. But keeping her two lives separate proves challenging, and Izzy is forced to reckon with who she really is and what she wants to stand for.

Katie Henry’s third novel, This Will Be Funny Someday, is a vibrant and engaging coming-of-age story. The book plunges readers into Izzy’s life as she faces new experiences and hurdles that shape her identity, from her relationship with her boyfriend to her role in her family. Told from Izzy’s perspective, the novel is shaped by her unique point of view—a perspective that’s still growing into itself. The book’s dynamic cast of characters, including not just Izzy’s friends from the club but also her former best friend, Naomi, introduce realistic conflicts that readers will find both captivating and truthful, from sexism and racism to repairing a broken bond.

Izzy’s story is about growth just as much as it is about success, and Henry demonstrates how she is subject to the consequences of her actions as well as worthy of her triumphs. Honest and hopeful, This Will Be Funny Someday will resonate with readers who crave characters who are authentic in both their struggles and their victories.

Cerys lives an idyllic life in the serene, prosperous kingdom of Aloriya. She supports her best friend, Princess Anwen; tends flowers with her father, the royal gardener; and befriends a spunky fox who’s taken a shine to her. All seems well, though Cerys wonders whether her future role as royal gardener is what she really wants. But when evil forces invade Aloriya on the day of Anwen’s coronation, Cerys flees into the Wildwood, a dark forest that has already claimed many lives. As everything she took for granted crumbles around her, Cerys must uncover the truth about herself and Aloriya to save the people she loves.

Ashley Poston’s Among the Beasts & Briars reads like a classical fairy tale in the best way. Fantasy readers will appreciate how Poston conjures familiar elements but employs them with thrilling originality and flair. She turns tropes such as the damsel in distress and the dangerous curse upside down: What if the heroic prince disappears before the action starts? Could evil creatures have noble intentions? What if the heroine’s magical power is useless in a battle between darkness and light?

Poston depicts how beautiful things such as flowers or princesses can suddenly become terrifying. She paints a vivid yet dreamlike world of regal palaces, lively festivals and foreboding forests, inviting readers to admire the beauty of ballgowns while forcing them to confront the creepiness of crawling creatures and rotting flesh. But Poston also grounds the book’s decadent atmosphere in realistic, well-drawn characters and the relationships between them, ensuring that the fantastical trappings of her story never interfere with its wholly human heart.

Sirscha Ashwyn is convinced that earning a place as the queen’s spy will finally transform her from an orphan with no past into a warrior with a purpose. But when a deadly encounter with shamans results in the death of her best friend, Saengo, Sirscha is shocked to discover the incredible power within herself—power that reveals itself by bringing Saengo back to life. Together, Sirscha and Saengo are thrown into the midst of a sprawling clash among kingdoms and magical powers. Their path leads them into the Dead Wood, a forest possessed by spirits and ruled by the mysterious and ancient Spider King.

Lori M. Lee’s Forest of Souls plunges readers into a fast-paced narrative and captivates with an expansive, lore-filled world that juxtaposes lush fantasy with horror and violence. Thiy, a continent home to creatures both mundane and magical, is as sociopolitically complex as our own world. The obstacles Sirscha and Saengo must confront there reflect the internal challenges they face: Bloody battles and terrifying spirits go hand-in-hand with fear, prejudice and loss.

Lee’s pacing propels the story relentlessly forward as she explores themes of identity, confidence and sisterhood. The revelation of Sirscha’s magical power ultimately forces her to question everything she believes about her loyalties and her values, and Lee isn’t afraid to be as honest about how she depicts her characters’ failures as she is in celebrating their moments of triumph. Readers will be hooked by Forest of Souls’ appealing fantasy narrative, but it’s Sirscha, a girl from nowhere who, against all odds, learns to recognize her power and worth, who’ll win their hearts.