“Jonah’s hands are still now,” teenage narrator Liv says of her older brother, Jonah, on the first page of the novel-in-verse Three Things I Know Are True. Jonah was once a daredevil, but that was before he and his friend Clay played with a gun they didn’t know was loaded. Now Jonah needs around-the-clock nursing care, which leaves Liv without much attention or energy left for school—but with many unanswered questions. Whose fault was the accident? Is Jonah still there, somewhere deep inside his body? And what 18th birthday gifts could possibly appeal to someone who can’t move, talk or even eat on his own? 

As the debate about gun control rages around her, Liv’s life centers on daily minutiae: problems at school, team meetings with Jonah’s nurses and desperate appeals from Clay’s mother. When Liv needs solace, she finds it on the riverbank near the shuttered paper mill that once supported her small Maine town. And sometimes, Liv gives the river a piece of clothing that used to belong to her dead father.

Debut author Betty Culley is no stranger to medical fragility or family grief. Drawing on her personal experiences as a pediatric home hospice nurse, she writes Liv’s story from a place of courage and authenticity. Realistic details abound, and the poetic format enables complex and weighty emotions to flow freely. 

Dedicated to “those who find the beauty in a life they didn’t choose or expect,” Three Things I Know Are True is a moving testament to the power of resilience.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with author Betty Culley.

What if the tech boom brought more than money and hipsters to San Francisco? What if it brought gang warfare? Those questions form the premise of Shannon Price’s debut novel, A Thousand Fires, a quick-moving thriller set in a slightly dystopian future.

The gangs in A Thousand Fires don’t face off over colors or turf. Instead, their fights are about gentrification and urban development, and their members are as likely to be children of the elite as progeny of the dispossessed.

While Price keeps the gangs’ goals hazy, her heroine Val’s desires are crystal clear. Ever since her little brother was gunned down, Val has been waiting to turn 18 so she can join the Herons with her boyfriend, Matthew, and take vengeance against whoever killed her brother. But no one gets to choose their gang; the gang chooses you. 

When Val is recruited by the Stags, the Herons’ rival gang, she’s torn. The Stags promise to help her avenge her brother, but if she joins, Matthew will become her sworn enemy. Risking her life, Val hedges her bets, joining the Stags but staying in surreptitious contact with Matthew. She complicates matters further by falling for Jax, the Stags’ attractive but dangerous leader.

In Val, Price offers an engaging, conflicted protagonist. Though Price’s knack for intrigue and fast-paced plotting will hook readers, it’s her compelling first-person narration and strong characterization that will linger. Price will have readers who prefer their action spiced with a dash of romance and a pinch of speculative fiction eating out of her hand.

Comedy nerds and curious newbies alike will LOL at the improv-infused Crying Laughing. 

Winnie Friedman finds herself highly amusing, but the aspiring comedian has sworn off performing after bombing at her bat mitzvah. When she’s invited to join a comedy troupe, however, Winnie decides to give the stage another shot. Then she learns that her father, a former comedian, has been diagnosed with ALS. He’s been keeping it from her and downplaying it with others, to her mom’s frustration. Winnie doesn’t want to take sides—at home or at school, where her best friends are in conflict—but she’s stressed out. On top of all this, she also has to read Tess of the d’Urbervilles, “which doesn’t seem funny at all,” and figure out the rules of improv games like Nameball, Zip-Zap-Zop and Harold. 

Thanks to his own comedy chops, Lance Rubin (Denton Little’s Deathdate) expertly explains the aforementioned games as Winnie masters them. Readers will cheer her on even as they cringe-laugh sympathetically. Crying Laughing offers insight into why it can be good to be unfunny, and gently but firmly advocates for facing up to feelings, even scary ones. Winnie’s rapid-fire internal voice and awkward dating experiences are a hoot, and her relationships are infused with compassion and nuance. 

This sweet and appealing story celebrates kindness, wit, perseverance and “the most passive-aggressive grocery unpacking of all time.” Ha!

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Go behind the book with Crying Laughing author Lance Rubin.

A harrowing story of survival based on an actual 18th-century event is brought to life by British author Geraldine McCaughrean, winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for The White Darkness. As in that book, which was set in Antarctica, Where the World Ends takes place in a harsh, unfamiliar landscape: the St. Kilda archipelago, a cluster of islands northwest of Scotland.

The novel follows nine boys and three men who are taken, by boat, from their village and dropped off on Warrior Stac, “a rock whale pitching its whole bulk into the sky, covered in barnacles, aiming to swallow the moon,” where they will hunt birds for several weeks before being picked up and returned to the village.

Quill has been fowling on the stac before. Although he usually enjoys the challenge of hunting, this year, as the boat leaves, he strains to catch a glimpse of Murdina, the girl with whom he has fallen in love.

Hunting birds on the cliffs is treacherous. Quill and his friends are tested from the very beginning, but then the unthinkable happens: The boat does not return for them. Weeks go by, then months. One boy has a vision that their loved ones have all gone up to heaven, while they have been overlooked, left behind on the rock.

The seasons change, the birds leave their cliff nests, and each day is fraught with peril as the members of the party struggle to stay alive and sane. There are surprises and tragedies, and while all the characters are tested (the adults fail miserably), it is Quill’s trials that will keep readers riveted. Although no one in this book escapes sorrow and heartbreak, the story ends with a glimmer of hope.

McCaughrean’s storytelling is as dramatic and harsh as the island landscape. She includes a helpful glossary, a historical note and sketches of the marvelous seabirds that appear in the book. Already a classic in the U.K., where it won the prestigious Carnegie Medal, Where the World Ends is a stunning literary achievement.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Go behind the book with Where the World Ends author Geraldine McCaughrean.

Devon and Ashton are bound together by the stars. When Devon, an aspiring astronomer passionate about the power of the galaxies, meets Ashton, she is sure she has found her soul mate. But after a summer filled with stargazing and blossoming love ends with Ashton’s complete and sudden disappearance from Devon’s life, she is left heartbroken. Though her life ambles on, she finds herself constantly held back by the ghost of her relationship with Ashton. 

Determined to move on, Devon prepares for her senior year at the elite Preston Academy. As one of just a few low-income students of color at Preston Academy, Devon knows she must remain focused on academics in order to prove herself and earn a spot in the astronomy program at her dream university. However, when Devon arrives to her first day of school and discovers that Ashton has enrolled as a student at Preston, her carefully laid plans for her final year turn upside down, and she and Ashton enter into a passionate yet deeply complicated relationship. As she learns that Ashton’s life is far darker than she could have imagined, Devon is forced to make a painful choice: Should she prioritize her own well-being, or that of the boy she loves?

Through Devon’s struggle to recognize the importance of valuing herself within her romantic relationship, debut author Ronni Davis deftly illustrates one of the primary challenges of young love. Davis also eloquently discusses the concept of privilege without centering its narrative around themes of race and class. Deeply moving and thought-provoking, When the Stars Lead to You takes readers on a journey through first love and the turbulence, heartbreak and indispensable lessons that it can bring.

Gravity “Doomsday” Delgado is a true badass. She joined PLASMAFuel Cops ’n Kids boxing gym when she was 12 years old and trained every single day without fail. Now 16, she’s an accomplished fighter with a real chance at making the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. Gravity is her story, the brainchild of Sarah Deming, herself a New York Golden Gloves champion, Pushcart Prize-winner and current boxing coach.

Gravity’s life is a lot for an ordinary teenager to handle, let alone one who’s trying to win Olympic gold. Her mom is a cruel and neglectful alcoholic; her father left when she was just 8 years old. Fortunately, her Aunty Rosa and cousin Melsy are kind and supportive, and her little brother Ty is sweet when he’s not being annoying. Still, Gravity’s life isn’t so different from the other kids she trains with, fighters with names like D-Minus, Monster, Svetlana and Lefty — an eclectic group, all with the desire to be champions. Sleazy coaches, corrupt referees, poverty-induced stress and workday temptations all act as roadblocks to success, but Gravity persists in a story that is by turns suspenseful, funny and thrilling.

Deming skillfully conveys necessary information about how the boxing-competition circuit works, with an assist from interspersed articles by Carmen Cruz, a women’s boxing expert who follows the team from gym to arena, posting dispatches and building narrative tension along the way. Gravity struggles with questions of identity, both with regard to her Dominican Jewish heritage and her efforts to discern what’s important and what’s worth letting go of—inside and outside the ring.

Gravity is an entertaining and engrossing novel, with lots of boxing-centric detail (daily training, making weight, the sound of a punch, the feeling of victory) and well-timed doses of drama. There’s also occasional romantic fun and deep yet beautiful sorrow, too. Gravity’s coming-of-age tale will resonate with readers of all stripes, thanks to its emotional underpinnings and a heroine who embodies the thrill—and value—of a good fight.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our interview with Gravity author Sarah Deming.

Abandoned. Thief. Drifter. Trixie’s fine with those labels, and fine being on her own ever since her mother disappeared. But the state isn't fine with a homeless 17-year-old girl with a record of burglary. So her social worker offers Trixie a deal: She can avoid prison by finishing high school in the guardianship of her long-lost aunt.

Small-town life with the McCabe family is a big change for city-loving Trixie. Her cousin Ember is shy and withdrawn, her meddlesome great-great aunt is always matchmaking and her aunt bakes pies—Lucky Lime, Bracing Blueberry and Ardent Apple—that are known around town for their magical properties. And then there’s Jasper, the perpetually smiling delivery boy who just might take Trixie’s mind off Shane, who was supposed to be her source of stability amid the instability of her mother’s addictions.

Trixie settles into a routine of doing homework, working at her aunt’s tea shop and taking turns making dinner with her new family. But she’s had chances with families before and things have never worked out. Why should this time be any different?

All the McCabe women, she's told, have special gifts. How will Trixie use hers? Will she continue reaching for the past or put down roots in the present? In A Constellation of Roses, author Miranda Asebedo offers a tearjerker tale about the nature of love, the meaning of family and, of course, the magical powers of pie.

In Cynthia Hand’s The How and the Why, delving into the past is a difficult journey.

Eighteen years ago, a teenage girl placed her baby for adoption. That girl grew up to be Cass. Although her wonderful parents adore her, Cass still wonders where she came from. As she considers whether to search for her past, Cass learns that her first mother wrote a series of letters to her years ago—letters that will hold many clues, but could also spark new questions or concerns. Should she dig into her past? What will her parents think? Does her first mother even want to be found?

Cass’s dilemma is set against the backdrop of her preparations for college—which in itself provides plenty of challenges for Cass, her father (who is pushing her to attend his alma mater) and her best friend, Nyla (who wins the coveted drama scholarship Cass wanted). Cass’s story is interwoven with letters from S, Cass’s first mother, reflecting on her life at the home and struggling to write words for her daughter to read many years from now.

The How and the Why presents an honest and accurate view of how many adopted teens must feel—wanting to plan their futures while still wondering about their pasts. A well-rounded cast of characters and fully developed story make this an absorbing read.

Zuhra has never known anything but life in the citadel. Her mother forbids her to enter secret rooms or read books in the abandoned library. Images of magical beings with glowing blue eyes, riding flying gryphons in pursuit of long-gone monsters line the citadel walls. Most mysterious of all is Zuhra’s younger sister, Inara, whose eyes glow like those in the paintings and who silently tends their garden in between her rare moments of lucidity. Something happened the night Inara was born that caused their father to leave, their mother to withdraw into herself and a poisonous, sentient hedge to grow around the edges of the citadel, keeping the family in and strangers out.

When the hedge permits a young scholar seeking to know more about the magical blue-eyed Paladins to enter, Zuhra sees a chance to escape. Intrigued by Halvor—the only boy she’s ever met—Zuhra sneaks out of her bedroom one night to explore the forbidden part of her home. Inara is curious too, and together the three explorers unlock secrets that will change their lives forever. As romances bloom, family history is revealed, political intrigue mounts and vicious monsters are poised to attack, will the sisters’ love for one another be enough to draw them home?

Writing in the tradition of folktales like Rapunzel, contemporary fantasy authors like Laini Taylor and classic worlds like Anne McCaffrey’s Pern and Piers Anthony’s Xanth, Sara B. Larson weaves a Gothic tale of sisters emerging from shadow into light.

It could be the end of Earth as they know it. A newly discovered alien planet that calls itself Alma has sent humanity a message: In seven days, it will decide whether or not to destroy Earth. But three teens have more pressing problems in Farah Naz Rishi’s dynamic debut, I Hope You Get This Message.

Since his dad died, Jesse has been trying to ensure he and his mom don’t lose their home in Roswell, New Mexico. Although the Latino teen dates other guys, he never gets too close to them. Cate, on the other hand, has a bucket list of actions she wants to check off in San Francisco, but finds it hard to take care of herself while also caring for her schizophrenic single mom. Finally, Adeem, an amateur radio enthusiast in Carson City, Nevada, is still grieving the loss of his older sister, Leyla, who ran away from their Muslim family after coming out. As the possible apocalypse motivates Cate to search for her long-lost father and Adeem to search for Leyla, Jesse uses his dad’s abandoned computer in a scheme to charge gullible travelers to send their final wishes to Alma.

This nuanced and realistic story (with a twist of science fiction) is driven not merely by Jesse, Cate and Adeem’s journeys, but by the moments where those journeys intersect. The novel aptly culminates in Roswell, a town at the heart of alien lore. Along with the three protagonists’ points of view, Rishi also includes excerpts from the aliens’ deliberations on Alma; the alien perspective provides an enlightening, external look at the harsh realities and endless potential of human beings. For Adeem, Cate, Jesse and readers alike, the end of the world might turn out to be the beginning of hope.

Meet Morgan Parker—or the semiautobiographical version of her. She’s an amazingly smart student, a punk-rock aficionado and a black kid who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. The white kids she grew up with have never known what to think of her. The kids at her church are put off by her atheism. She has a love-hate relationship with therapy. But Morgan is tired of trying to fit in and be anyone other than who she’s always been. When she begins to put herself and her needs ahead of everyone she’s always been told she must appease, she discovers a life-changing bravery that is uniquely her own.

Despite being set in sunny, suburban California, Who Put This Song On? prefers to shy away from the light. The novel exposes Morgan’s depression and anxiety, her resultant inability to get along with her parents and her experiences of being told by people who barely know her that she’s “not really black”—all while dealing with the awkwardness of finding herself and where she fits in amid the emotional battlefield of the American high school.

In this novel based on her own teenage life and diaries, Parker offers a hilariously honest and heart-opening experience. It’s a wholly necessary debut by an award-winning poet.

The townspeople of Fir Haven all say the Walker family mysteriously emerged from the forest surrounding the town countless generations ago. Every Walker woman has possessed a unique power: healing, influencing nature or interpreting dreams. Every Walker woman, that is, except Nora.

But then Nora discovers Oliver Huntsman, a boy who went missing from the nearby camp for wayward boys during the worst snowstorm in years. She finds him frozen in the woods with no memory of how he got there. Their connection triggers a series of events that prompts Nora to dig deep and activate her own abilities, magical or otherwise.

With Winterwood, bestselling author Shea Ernshaw returns with a sophomore novel as satisfyingly haunting as her debut, The Wicked Deep. Although readers will be captivated by the chemistry that grows between Nora and Oliver as they work together, the book’s most appealing element is the woods where the novel’s mysteries seem to originate. As she did in The Wicked Deep, Ernshaw has created a setting that is as critical to the story as any of the human characters. She envelopes readers in the dark and ancient magic of winter among the trees.

Readers who loved A Discovery of Witches, Practical Magic, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and other books featuring long lineages of magical women, doomed romances and quests to embrace and master supernatural powers will find much to enjoy here. Ernshaw’s deeply atmospheric prose makes Winterwood the perfect read for a cold and gloomy day.