Dave and Julia are best friends. They have feelings for each other, but neither has admitted it. When they rediscover a list of “cliché” things they vowed never to do in high school, they decide to spend the remaining weeks of senior year checking off items. With this setup, Adi Alsaid’s novel Never Always Sometimes follows one of the most familiar high school plotlines, luring young readers into familiar territory for a quick, satisfying and eventually surprising read. Alsaid uses clichés throughout both the plot and the structure of the novel, but ultimately twists them into a relatively realistic outcome in the book’s final act.

Like many creators of classic American high school tales, from John Hughes to John Green, Alsaid requires from his audience almost as much suspension of disbelief as with a fantasy novel, with protagonists who are several degrees more articulate and far less self-conscious than any real teenager. But like those beloved stories, this does not make Dave and Julia’s story any less enjoyable for the reader. Told in three acts, first from Dave’s perspective, then Julia’s, then alternating chapter by chapter, the novel undercuts generic differences between boys and girls, instead highlighting the specific differences between Dave and Julia. How these differences can go unnoticed, and how they can ultimately affect a relationship when they bubble to the surface, is a refreshingly clear-headed spin on the best-friends-in-love plotline.

Alsaid delivers a quick, satisfying read about change and continuity that will resonate with young readers approaching their own periods of transition.

Throughout the politically charged 1970s, Ror’s father had been slowly going crazy. Raging against “the man,” he insisted that his family squat on secluded Staten Island property and avoid contact with “normals.” Ror, a gifted artist, was able to live with her Dado in relative peace, trusting his vision of the world. This abruptly ends the night Dado sets a fire and burns their home to the ground. Ror and her mother and sister escape, but Dado dies in the flames. Now Ror must attend public school in New York City. The sole redemption is art class, where she meets a talented rival named Trey. There are sparks of attraction and competition between the two. Through Trey, Ror discovers the art of graffiti, and soon enough she finds herself craving the feel of a spray can in her hand.

Author Julie Chibbaro does a good job portraying the mind of an artist, but J.M. Superville Sovak’s artwork transforms the book into something exceptional. Sovak masterfully depicts Ror’s emotional turbulence. Many drawings include Ror’s Dado, where Ror is able to confront him with her grief and anger. As Ror begins to explore the world of underground graffiti art, she finds a way to express her unique spirit separate from Dado.

Readers intrigued by stories of young cult members making their way in the world, such as Karen Finneyfrock’s Starbird Murphy and the World Outside, should identify with Ror’s alienation. In addition, graphic novel fans will love the novel’s synchronization of text and image.

Diane Colson works at the Nashville Public Library. She has long been active in the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Association (YALSA), serving on selection committees such as the Morris Award, the Alex Award and the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.

For as long as Cara can remember, the month of October has meant avoiding knives and wearing extra layers of clothing, not for warmth, but for protection against trips and falls. For Cara’s family, October is “accident season.” Sometimes those accidents are just burned fingers or stubbed toes; sometimes people die. This year’s accident season could be particularly bad, and everyone is on edge: Cara’s older sister, Alice, seems to be hiding something; their mom is becoming increasingly overprotective; Cara’s relationship with her ex-stepbrother, Sam, is getting complicated; and then Cara becomes obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of a classmate.

Moïra Fowley-Doyle’s debut is set in Ireland, where myth and magic often lie close to the surface of everyday life. Readers will wonder—as Cara does—what is magic and what isn’t, what is logical and what is unexplainable. An air of mystery and wonder will remain with readers long after the close of the accident season.

This article was originally published in the August 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Set in the urban slice of fictional East Bridge, Bright Lights, Dark Nights is a charismatic tale of two teens wrapped up in the innocence of first love while reluctantly fighting racial tensions and parental overprotection.

High school senior Walter Wilcox is an average kid, growing up in the suburbs until his parents divorce and he moves with his police officer father to a part of the city known as the Basement. When his friend Jason Mills invites him over for dinner, Walter meets Naomi, Jason’s awkward and adorable sister. Walter feels a thump in his chest that he can’t easily ignore, but there are a number of problems: Walter is white and Naomi is black; they live in a city suffering from the adverse effects of gentrification; and Walter’s father is currently under public scrutiny and internal review for being accused of racially profiling a teen thief—and all these complexities are further exacerbated by the Internet. 

Tackling a number of social, racial and political issues—all within the microcosm of a young, inward-facing relationship—author and artist Stephen Emond has his thumb on the pulse of contemporary young adult life, showing how the intersection of race and love has the power to challenge and change the physical and digital landscapes of American cities.

Justin Barisich is a freelancer, satirist, poet and performer living in Atlanta. More of his writing can be found at littlewritingman.com.

This article was originally published in the August 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Fifteen-year-old Miranda Allerdon and her older sister, Lander, are spending another summer at their parents' idyllic cottage on the Connecticut River. Miranda lazes about with the neighborhood kids while Lander focuses intensely on her medical studies, essentially ignoring her younger sister. After the Allerdons and their neighbors witness a frightening boating accident, Lander inexplicably begins dating one of the men involved in the accident—a man Miranda thinks is dangerous. Unfortunately, the sisters have never been close, and Lander refuses to consider Miranda’s warnings. Then Lander is arrested for murder, and the Allerdons scramble to help their eldest daughter. Only Miranda manages to think clearly as she circumvents the police in an effort to clear her sister’s name.

The legendary Caroline B. Cooney has penned another suspenseful pageturner with No Such Person, which alternates between two present-tense narratives: Miranda at home and Lander in a grimy jail cell as she tries make sense of the events. Although Lander is considered to be the ultra-driven sister, she is unable to help herself as police interrogate her. Meanwhile, Miranda, often criticized for her lack of ambition, attempts to prove what the police, and even her parents, cannot.

What’s extraordinary is how Cooney has written the Allerdons as a typical American family who are thrust into a tragic situation. This isn’t a far-fetched plot but a story of an authentic family being tested at their most vulnerable moment.

Kimberly Giarratano is the author of Grunge Gods and Graveyards, a young adult paranormal mystery.

Three intersecting narratives combine in this spinoff to Morgan Rhodes’ best-selling Falling Kingdoms series. In contemporary Toronto, teenage photographer Crystal reconnects with her estranged father when her sister, Becca, becomes catatonic after opening a magical book in their family bookstore. Meanwhile, overprivileged Farrell guides his younger brother through the initiation ritual of a mysterious—and deadly—secret society. And in the fantastical realm of Mytica, Maddox, who has a talent for trapping wayward spirits, finds that his feelings for a spirit girl cause him to be noticed by the evil ruling goddess Valoria. As these stories merge, family secrets are revealed, longstanding lies are uncovered and potential future paths begin to open for all three teens.

The events of A Book of Spirits and Thieves take place a thousand years before those of Falling Kingdoms, allowing fans of that series a detailed look at the legends of ancient Mytica, but no previous knowledge is necessary to enjoy this novel. Readers of fantasy epics like A Song of Ice and Fire won’t be shocked by the sudden and sometimes brutal violence here, and readers who like action, romance and twisty mysteries will find much to appreciate, too. Although a story focusing on three characters in two different settings could easily become confusing, Rhodes’ breezy, casual writing style makes this tale accessible and easy to follow. The conclusion ties up some loose ends but keeps others unresolved, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next volume in this new series.

Jill Ratzan teaches research rudiments in central New Jersey. She learned most of what she knows about YA lit from her terrific grad students.

Decked out in the latest Parisian fashions for 1897, New York City debutantes and cousins Dacia and Lou are traveling on the Orient Express to their mothers’ native country, Romania. They should be thrilled, as everyone knows Bucharest is the vacation spot for wealthy Europeans. But why are there so many behind-closed-door arguments after the teens arrive?

Dacia and Lou capture the attention of many eligible bachelors—particularly that of Prince Mihai of the Dracula family—but instead of a season of high-society socializing, the cousins discover their family’s supernatural abilities and a prophecy their relatives hope they will fulfill. Their new shapeshifting talents give them independence and courage, and they are expected to use these powers to help the Dracula family depose the current king and put Prince Mihai on the throne. Articles, diary entries and telegrams add to the surprises. 

Silver in the Blood is far from your typical Dracula story.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Throughout their childhood, next-door neighbors Emmy and Oliver were inseparable—until Oliver disappeared in second grade, kidnapped by his noncustodial father. Ten years later, Oliver has been found and is returning home to California. The intervening years have changed a few things: Oliver’s mom remarried and has twin daughters, and Emmy’s parents have reacted to Oliver’s disappearance by becoming hyper-protective of their only daughter. It’s the end of senior year, and everyone—not just Oliver—is trying to figure out how to reconcile their future plans with their past.

Although the novel explores Oliver’s complicated feelings in the wake of his kidnapping and homecoming, the primary focus is on Emmy’s divided loyalties—to her parents, to her friends, to her hopes and dreams. Robin Benway effectively uses Oliver’s extreme situation to dramatize the inner struggles that preoccupy many young people on the border between childhood and adulthood.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Early in Seeing Off the Johns, author Rene S. Perez II gives us the key word in the story: onus—a burden or responsibility, often an unpleasant one.

Greenton is a small, dead-end town in 1998 Texas where no one expects greatness but some dream of it nonetheless. As the novel opens, the entire town has showed up to bestow well wishes upon their two hometown heroes, John Robison and John Mejia, athletic superstars who are headed to UT Austin. But the Johns never make it to the university—their car flips en route, and the two are killed.

Perhaps the only person in Greenton who didn’t see off the Johns was Concepcion “Chon” Gonzales, who has been waiting nearly his entire life for John Mejia to get out of dodge so he can take a shot at Mejia’s girlfriend, Araceli. As cold and insensitive as it sounds, death has made Chon’s dreams come true, and he finds relief from resentment as he finally pursues his dream girl. But like a child who learns the world doesn’t pause while he sleeps, Chon begins to recognize the crushing unfairness and ugliness of death’s gift. Mejia’s parents’ grief becomes Araceli’s unwanted burden, and the citizens of Greenton turn to her, watching her reaction as if it were a barometer for their own. Chon evolves beyond both his shallow, lustful desire for Araceli and his pursuit of some kind of machismo protector status, and he eventually finds the capacity to connect—with Araceli and his community—and acknowledge the tragedy in the Johns’ passing.

Loss, and our response to it, is no simple thing. This is a searing, mature novel, not just because sexual scenes (which are among the most complex and thoughtful moments in the book) are included, but in the way it handles the innumerable challenges associated with grief and love.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Two years after they graduate from Camp Okahatchee, Zoe, Joy, Luce and Tali—once the four musketeers—have drifted so far apart they hardly speak to one another anymore. But when Joy calls the other three out of the blue, begging them to meet her at the Camp OK reunion, the old friends agree to get together. That night, a novelty photobooth sends the girls back in time to their last summer at camp, offering them second chances at first love and self-discovery and an opportunity to mend their friendship before it even falls apart.

Debut author Lexa Hillyer is a former YA editor, award-winning poet and accomplished literary entrepreneur. In the vein of Sarah Dessen or Ann Brashares, Proof of Forever is an ode to summer camp—to the intensity of the friendships formed and the soul searching inspired there. The four protagonists, each colorfully and distinctly rendered, represent a group of teenage girls with very little in common—except that they are all still growing into their own skin—whose thick-as-thieves friendship blossoms in that mysterious summer camp air. Hillyer so adeptly captures this phenomenon that readers who have experienced the magic will be transported, while those who have not will feel equally welcomed.

At more than 300 pages and spanning just under a week, the novel doesn’t exactly clip along, but the girls’ journey is equal parts funny and heartwarming, and its leisurely build to a dramatic climax makes it a perfect read for a sprawling summer day.

Aaron Soto lives in the Bronx projects, crammed into a one-bedroom apartment with his mom and brother. Aaron’s still reeling since his dad committed suicide, so when he meets Thomas, their friendship lifts him up—until he realizes his feelings go beyond just being friends. But in Aaron’s scary, concrete world, there’s a trendy new scientific procedure that offers a fantastic possibility. The new Leteo procedure can wipe his memory clean: no more tragedy, no risk of beat-downs for being gay, no Thomas.

Author Adam Silvera is at his best when he’s taking readers through Aaron’s neighborhood. The bodegas and hangout spots feel real and like home, albeit one that can turn on you with frightening speed. The details of the Leteo procedure sometimes drag the story down a bit, but the ethical questions it raises are juicy ones: How much of your past are you willing to surrender for the relative safety of a fresh start? And what if who you are can’t so easily be erased?

More Happy Than Not wrestles with several big questions—at times it seems too many, and the book suffers for it. But the grittiness of the setting combined with sci-fi flourishes make the novel a sure bet for reluctant readers and a great pick for reading groups. This is not dystopian fiction; the sad world portrayed here is all too real and comes to eye-opening life on the page.

Seventeen-year-old Abe Sora wants to fit in—play baseball, complain about homework, worry about college. Unfortunately, he’s dying. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, but dying nonetheless. In The Last Leaves Falling, a debut novel set in Japan and written by Sarah Benwell, Abe has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and is slowing losing control of his body. Isolated and succumbing to a disease that typically affects people three times his age, Abe turns to an Internet chat board to disconnect from his life—and ends up finding the one thing he was looking for.

Almost by accident, Abe becomes first virtual and then in-person friends with two very different people—MonkEC (Mai) and NoFace (Kaito). As the three grow closer together, Abe finds, for the first time since his diagnosis, friendship without pity. However, he also grows in his realization that his life is drawing to an end, and he wants that end to be on his own terms. For that, he will need to test the strength of the bonds of his friendship.

Beautifully and hauntingly written, The Last Leaves Falling seamlessly blends Samurai death poetry and Internet chat logs to create the immersive and heartbreaking story of a young man faced with an impossible choice. Readers will find themselves struggling along with Abe as he weighs a decision with no right answer and remembering him long after the last page.