People hear about America’s opioid crisis on the news, but author Kristin Russell brings readers up close and personal to this problem in her debut novel, A Sky for Us Alone. Cultural richness and material poverty collide in Russell’s fictional Appalachian setting of Strickland County. This is much more than a simple cautionary tale of how opioids can devastate a community. Instead, Russell has created a living, breathing tapestry of Appalachian life that is filled with voices both ancient and youthful.

When 18-year-old Harlowe Compton discovers his older brother Nate’s body on their front porch, he vows to figure out who shot him. Nate served as the rock of their family, and his brutal death has devastating consequences for the Comptons. While Harlowe grieves over the loss, he also watches his family disintegrate. Harlowe’s mother deals with her physical and mental pain by slipping back into opioid use, and his father, unable to cope with both his wife’s addiction and his son’s death, simply disappears.

However, Harlowe finds an unexpected bright spot in his life when a new girl named Tennessee Moore moves to town, and despite their overwhelming family issues, the two teens find true friendship, support and love.

The coal-mining industry and its Mafia-like bosses—the powerful and conniving Prater family—serve as the backdrop for the action and mystery in A Sky for Us Alone. All life in Strickland County is viewed through coal’s influence. Vivid contrasts abound between the mining rubble, draglines, polluted runoff and the pristine beauty of the southern Appalachian wilderness.

Readers can expect a satisfying and uplifting ending despite the overall grimness of Russell’s well-told teen drama.

This article was originally published in the January 2019 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Born two decades after the Civil War in segregated Savannah, Georgia, Essie has had the odds against her from the start. And with a formerly enslaved mother who’s become bitter and is subsequently not much for nurturing, Essie’s pretty much on her own, and her dreams seem impossibly out of reach. Even as she gathers some people into her corner—like Ma Clara, her mother’s housekeeper who cares for her, and Binah, the best (and only) friend she’s ever had—making something of herself still seems like a long shot.

Essie spends most of her days working as a maid at a boardinghouse, until a wealthy black woman known as Dorcas Vashon shows up and makes her the offer of a lifetime: She will provide Essie with a classical education and a fine wardrobe, and then she will spirit her away to Washington, D.C., where Essie will meet and mingle with the upper echelons of black society. It’s everything Essie has ever dreamed of. But the road to her new life is not entirely smooth, and she’ll have to decide how much of her former self she’s willing to part with. As her dreams begin to become her reality, she decides to gift herself with a new name to suit her new identity, one that embodies all the grace and tenacity she hopes to exhibit: Victoria.

Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Tonya Bolden (Maritcha, Crossing Ebenezer Creek) has penned an atmospheric and fresh historical novel with Inventing Victoria. Her prose is rich in period detail, evoking both the barren loneliness of Essie’s childhood and the luxurious fortune that her generous benefactor offers. Bolden has created a sweeping and exhilarating story of a teen girl filled with hope and perseverance.

Told from the perspective of a young woman of color in a time period rarely seen in historical fiction for young adults, Inventing Victoria is a truly unique and necessary addition to the genre.

This article was originally published in the January 2019 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Following his parents’ divorce and his mother’s decision to take a job at the University of Texas, black Canadian teen Norris moves to perpetually muggy, burnt sienna-colored Austin, Texas. Leaving behind his ambivalent father and his only friend in Montreal, Norris is catapulted into a typical American public school midway through his junior year, and he finds himself hiding behind sarcasm and surface-level, stereotypical perceptions of everyone he meets. But on prom night, Norris messes up big time, and he realizes it might be time to drop the protective mask and embrace his new life.

Debut author Ben Philippe’s The Field Guide to the North American Teenager mirrors his own experience and paints an authentic portrait of what it’s like to feel like a fish out of water—not only for his protagonist but also for a richly developed cast of supporting characters whose Breakfast Club-style stereotypes fall away to reveal teens who are just trying to find their places in the world. Philippe’s buoyant prose and Norris’ snark allow some of the story’s heavier themes (broken families, depression, race) to feel light, poignant and approachable. And with this undercurrent of messy reality, characters are affected by these issues instead of defined by them.

For contemporary YA fans, this witty look at what we learn about ourselves by observing others will be a fantastic back-to-school read.

This article was originally published in the January 2019 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Top Pick in Teen, starred review, January 2019

In bestselling author Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves, a crew of young people in an alternate version of belle epoque Paris use their wits and daring to restore their leader to his rightful place.

In this world, some have “Forging” power—creative and metamorphic power over matter or minds—which is made possible through fragments of the Tower of Babel. These broken pieces are scattered across the world and safeguarded by the mysterious Order of Babel, which is organized in national factions and then further divided into Houses.

Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is the heir to France’s House Vanth, but he was denied his Order inheritance years ago and now watches the two remaining French Houses—Nyx and Kore—with envy. But Séverin has a plan to claim his right, and a crew of various talents who live with him at his glamorous hotel will help him pull it off. They plot to steal an ancient artifact that will help Séverin buy his way back into the good graces of the Order, but the artifact and its owner turn out to be more than they bargained for.

With a diverse ensemble—characters are multiracial, from different cultural and religious backgrounds, have differing sexualities, and one character is non-neurotypical—Chokshi challenges the notion that historical fantasy novels (even those with a European setting) must be populated by mostly white characters. She balances four points of view, although the lack of any significant entry into the psyche of two major characters is awkward, especially in light of their significance to the plot.

The glittering and lavish 1890s setting is the perfect complement to the marvelous possibilities of Forging, and the chemistry between Chokshi’s romantic pairs is realistic yet slightly off-script from what readers may expect. In this delicious first entry in a new series from a veteran YA author, readers will find sumptuous visuals, deep characters and a maddening eleventh-hour twist.

This article was originally published in the January 2019 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel-in-verse, The Poet X, is an empowering, feminist tale of a young woman discovering her own voice through writing—and then learning to use it as boldly and best she can to push back against everything aiming to drag her down. Though The Poet X is Acevedo’s debut, she’s already made a name for herself through her two collections of poetry and electrifying spoken-word performances that have made her a National Slam Champion.

Xiomara Batista, though only 15 years old, quickly learns that she’s been both blessed and cursed with the body and the problems of a grown woman. As an Afro-Latina girl and the daughter of Dominican immigrants growing up in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, she discovers at a young age just what men’s catcalls and compliments really mean. So she first learns to fight back with her fists, but then she uses those same hands to quietly craft powerful poems in her notebook.

With wise eyes and incisive words, Xiomara dives head first into the tough topics like complicated family dynamics and parental abuse, body shaming and acceptance, the burdens of an overbearing religion, and finding both self-love and romantic love. When her teacher invites her to join the school’s slam poetry club, Xiomara is torn between remaining as the obedient daughter who attends the Catholic confirmation classes that her regimented mother has forced upon her and practicing an art and craft that is opening her heart to love and personal growth.

In Blanca & Roja, Anna-Marie McLemore (The Weight of Feathers, Wild Beauty) blends familiar fairytales The Swan Princess and Snow White and Rose Red into a rich, luxurious story of friendship, love and self-acceptance that is told with her signature style of magical realism.

Despite being polar opposites—Blanca is fair-skinned, blond and graceful while Roja is dark-skinned and a little wild—the del Cisne sisters are so close they might as well be one person. But thanks to a mysterious family curse, they know their time together is drawing short. As the del Cisne women have accepted for generations, soon the swans will take one of the two sisters for themselves, leaving the other to live as a human. But when two local boys—one who is fleeing a family scandal and the other who is running from parents who can’t understand why he identifies as their son and not as their daughter—become entangled in the del Cisne girls’ fates, the swans’ magic becomes unpredictable, and all four teens have to face difficult truths about themselves and their families in order to survive.

McLemore’s fans will be delighted to dive back into her lush, poetic prose and revel in the nuanced composition of her characters and their relationships as they learn to navigate a world in which they must constantly overcome stifling expectations and damaging stereotypes in order to protect their identities and their hearts.

In Blanca & Roja, McLemore gives readers a modern twist on timeless stories, making this the perfect read for a shadowy autumn afternoon.

A deft portrayal of female friendship and sexuality, Natasha Ngan’s new novel, Girls of Paper and Fire, is a satisfying tale told almost exclusively through the eyes of strong and courageous young women.

Seventeen-year-old Lei lives in Ikhara, an empire with a caste society that’s based on how much animal-demon blood a person possesses. Lei is part of the lowliest group: the fully human Paper caste. Above her are members of the Steel caste (those with a mix of both human and animal features) and Moon caste (those who are fully demon, and whose members appear to be animals but possess human intelligence and extraordinary strength and abilities).

While Lei and her father live in a remote province, the cruel regime has directly touched their lives; Lei’s mother was taken during a raid. Now, years later, Lei is shocked when a caravan of animal-demon soldiers comes to take her to the Demon King’s court as one of his annual batch of concubines known as Paper Girls. Terrified and furious, but knowing that compliance will keep her family safe, Lei enters into the pampered yet horrific life of a Paper Girl imprisoned inside the Hidden Palace. Among the girls, Lei allies with sweet Aoki and graceful Chenna while also making a couple of enemies. But it’s the beautiful and mysterious Wren who most sparks Lei’s interest, and as the two girls become closer, Lei falls into a web of love, intrigue and danger.

A touching (and refreshingly steamy) lesbian romance is at the core of this thrilling fantasy, and it adds emotional weight to an otherwise familiar plot. The sexual violence experienced by Ngan’s characters is portrayed as exactly that: traumatic violence, with a range of emotional and physical responses from the victims and no redeeming arc for the male perpetrator.

Lei is a compelling narrator because she is so refreshingly commonplace. She’s not a magical chosen one, nor a long-lost heir, nor a sleeper agent. She is simply a young woman whose bravery and passion will be relatable and recognizable to readers of Girls of Paper and Fire, despite the fantastical world that surrounds her.

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

In M.K. England’s The Disasters, the Ellis Station Academy is an elite training program for Earth’s next generation of intergalactic pilots, programmers and politicians. Unfortunately for four students, their studies are over before they even begin.

Nasir “Nax” Hall is a Muslim farm boy, wannabe pilot and self-proclaimed screw-up. After a disastrous first day at the academy, he is unceremoniously kicked out along with three other students: Case, a straight-laced genius; Zee, a Kazak footballer with medical training; and Rion, a snarky Brit with a keen sense for diplomacy. But before the teens can be shuttled back to Earth, the academy is attacked and the foursome must make a daring escape.

Forced to crash land on a colonial planet called al-Rihla, they discover that they’re being framed for the devastating terror attack. If the four are caught, they’ll surely be executed. With help from a colonial girl, this ragtag group of academy rejects must hide from the authorities while simultaneously trying to prove their innocence. If Nax and his new friends can’t clear their names, then they’re going to die trying.

England has created a fast-paced sci-fi adventure story with a diverse cast of likable but flawed teenage heroes. Told through Nax’s point of view, the action is heart-pounding and immediate as these wayward heroes run from one disaster to the next—but there’s also a dash of romance as Nax takes time to consider his attractions to both Case and Rion.

Although the most ardent science-fiction fans might balk at the novel’s world building, which resembles Earth a little too closely, readers seeking humor, heart and good storytelling will find it within the pages of The Disasters.

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

Dia, Jules and Hanna, the three members of the band Fairground, may have been high school students when their music was getting noticed, but Hanna’s addiction and Dia’s unplanned pregnancy broke up the act along with their friendship. When a big music contest announces a $15,000 prize for the winning act, they consider reuniting in order to enter. Hanna’s sober now, but a return to the scene could be triggering. Dia is haunted by ghosts of what could have been with her child’s dad. And Jules might be in love with a near-perfect girl, but she’s distracted by her overblown expectations.

Author Rebecca Barrow (You Don’t Know Me but I Know You) uses the contest’s tight timeline to force her characters to reckon with the past, which unfolds in flashbacks. Each young woman has her own issues at home, work and school, and the future and its uncertainty hang over each of them. It’s a pleasure to follow them as they navigate the old hurts and grudges and try to make a new start together.

This Is What It Feels Like is a punched-up power chord of a book. Readers will be reminded that it’s possible for friends to grow apart, find their way back together and be stronger than before.

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

As bombs pelt World War II London, a group of young siblings are transported to another world. Once there, they befriend magical creatures, fight a war, grow into adults and finally, via a majestic stag, return home at the exact moment they departed. If it feels like you’ve read this story before, rest assured The Light Between Worlds still has some surprises in store.

Evelyn hasn’t been the same since she abruptly returned from a magical land called the Woodlands six years ago. Each night, she sneaks out of her boarding school to wander the woods, seeking a way back to the world of her heart. Evelyn’s older sister, Philippa, has long been her main source of support, but Philippa’s become so interested in chasing popularity that Evelyn barely recognizes her.

Surrounding herself with a swirl of activities has become Philippa’s defense and coping mechanism against her own sadness. When an unexpected development leads Philippa to take a job in the conservation department at the National Gallery, she meets a young man with his own reasons for wanting to repair damaged treasures.

The unspoken presence of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia pervades Laura E. Weymouth’s debut novel. How might travelers feel upon finding themselves children again after living half a lifetime in another world? What could explain a teen’s defection from fantasy, turning instead toward seemingly spurious concerns? And what can someone do when their heart calls them home to a different world?

Fans of Narnia and contemporary interpretations like Lev Grossman’s The Magicians will relish The Light Between Worlds.

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

BookPage Teen Top Pick, December 2018

The teen years can be taken over by impossible ideals of beauty informed by images of airbrushed bodies that inundate popular media, as well as rigorous college applications that demand impeccable transcripts, off-the-charts test scores and athletic prowess.

As genetic science advances—specifically with the experimental protein known as CRISPR that can “cut” chunks of DNA and essentially edit the strands—and with the rising popularity of plastic surgery among teens, Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful is a chilling, necessary look at a near-future world where the quest for human improvement runs amok.

Structured like the popular sci-fi Netflix series “Black Mirror,” Arwen Elys Dayton’s novel unfolds in a series of six vignettes that each follows a different young protagonist.

In one story reminiscent of Kazuo Ishiguro’s wrenching classic Never Let Me Go, a 15-year-old twin wrestles with allowing the heart of his beloved, dying sister to be fused with his own failing organ in order to create a “super-heart.” Another story examines the societal repercussions of using biomachinery to save gravely injured trauma patients. Those who have had their vital organs and limbs rebuilt become targets of intense scorn and hate crimes, while religious pushback against the procedures spirals violently out control.

We can’t put the proverbial genie back in the bottle in terms of scientific discovery, but as Dayton proves in these thrilling and often poignant stories, we can, and we should, seriously consider the constraints of what makes us human and the dangers of chasing an ideal.

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

Laini Taylor returns to the city of Weep in this sequel to her 2018 Printz Honor book, Strange the Dreamer. Muse of Nightmares starts the moment Strange the Dreamer ends, with many characters facing new circumstances and others continuing to struggle against old problems. Minya, tamer of ghosts, remains ever vigilant; Eril-Fane, both hero and villain, remains trapped in his inability to love. Meanwhile, Lazlo and Sarai face beginnings and endings of their own.

Minya is determined to destroy Weep, but her fellow godspawn want to break the cycle of violence. As the godspawn argue—and as Sarai mines Minya’s dreams, seeking ways to calm her appetite for vengeance—a second plot is introduced. In this new time and place, two sisters are separated by the whim of a powerful young metalsmith with godly ambitions. As the two plots converge, the world of the story expands, eventually answering the core question from Strange the Dreamer: Why have the gods spent 200 years raping human women to breed half-god children, and where have all the godspawn babies gone?

Not everything is serious, though. Feral and Ruby continue their romantic squabbles, while the untouchably princely Thyon is teased for the first time, making a friend and possibly more. Observant readers will also notice a reference to Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.

Overflowing with the luscious language, moral ambiguity and detailed fantasy world-building characteristic of Taylor’s writing, Muse of Nightmares brings the story of Weep to a satisfying conclusion.