BookPage Teen Top Pick, November 2016

“Meant to be doesn’t have to mean forever.” That’s the sentiment that runs through nearly every page of Nicola Yoon’s new novel about a chance meeting between two strangers, which delivers repercussions not only in their lives, but also in the lives of perhaps countless others.

When Natasha was 8, her family moved to New York City from Jamaica. More than anything, she longs to stay in this country, go to college and study science. Daniel, on the other hand, isn’t sure whether he wants to go to college at all. The son of Korean immigrants, he feels immense pressure to go to an Ivy League school and study medicine, but all he wants to do is make sense of the world by writing poetry.

When the two meet and start to talk, both feel an undeniable connection, even if Natasha is skeptical about Daniel’s insistence that their meeting is destined, even if she feels compelled to push him away because she’s an undocumented immigrant and her dad’s recent arrest for a DUI has resulted in the family’s deportation. Imminently. As in, that night.

The Sun Is Also a Star, with its condensed chronology, NYC setting and rapid-fire love story, may remind some readers of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but here the stakes are higher. Suspense builds, not only surrounding Daniel and Natasha’s romance, but also concerning their individual futures, which, like everything else in this satisfying story, are shaped by the power of love.

RELATED CONTENT: Read a Behind the Book essay by Nicola Yoon on The Sun Is Also a Star.

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

After being double-crossed by rich merchant Jan van Eck at the end of Six of Crows, Kaz Brekker and his crew are more determined than ever to get the money they are owed—and their revenge. There are other forces in play, however, and the first attempt to best Van Eck crumbles in the face of rival gang interference, dangerous winged soldiers and a mysterious mercenary. Furthermore, something is hunting the Grisha of Ketterdam, putting Nina and Jesper in extra danger and inspiring Nina to insist on a Grisha rescue mission in tandem with the plot against Van Eck. In this epic novel, the young outlaws Kaz, Nina, Inej, Jesper, Matthias and Wylan must pull off one more major scheme, this time with all of Ketterdam—from the government to the gangs—aligned against them.

In contrast to the previous installment, Leigh Bardugo strikes a better balance between her characters’ ruthless determination and their youthful insecurities. Parental relationships—both in the main plot and in backstory—add welcome depth to the characters Inej, Jesper and Wylan. Jesper and Wylan also shine brightly in their romantic scenes. Bardugo maintains her excellent knack for writing tense passages. Moments such as Inej’s high-wire break-in are particularly gripping, sprinkled with beautifully written backstory in between the wonderfully nerve-wracking descriptions of walking the wire. Just as violent and thrilling as Six of Crows but tempered with more mature, quiet moments, Crooked Kingdom is an immensely satisfying follow-up.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah has always defined herself as an artist, an avid and talented drawer who prides herself on making keen and detailed observations of the world around her. She may be one of the only people who really sees the homeless man creating his own bizarre form of art near her Philadelphia neighborhood. She sees injustice and unoriginality, things that have made it impossible for her to continue making her own art or even attending school, which she now considers meaningless. Lately she’s been seeing past and future versions of herself. So why does she find it impossible to see her own troubled family clearly?

When she is visited by her 10-year-old self, Sarah is finally forced to confront something that happened on a family trip to Mexico when she was 10, something that prompted her beloved older brother to leave the family and never return. Perhaps, at long last, she can see her family with clear, open eyes—and thereby find her way back to making the art that sustains her.

A.S. King is known for crafting deeply sympathetic portraits of teenagers in crisis, and Still Life with Tornado is no exception. Readers who travel with Sarah through her past, present and future are likely to become—like Sarah herself—disoriented and absorbed by visions that border on the surreal and by questions about the reliability of memory that may prompt readers to see their own worlds just a little differently.

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Loosely based on the author’s own struggles prior to gaining U.S. citizenship, Melissa de la Cruz’s latest teen read is a tender yet unlikely romance between an illegal immigrant and a congressman’s son.

Jasmine de los Santos has been offered a National Scholarship, the most prestigious award in the nation—quite a feat for an immigrant who has been in the United States since the age of 9. For her parents, leaving the Philippines for “the land of hope” proved to be more difficult than expected, as they had no choice but to take less than stellar jobs with meager wages. But Jasmine knows she has finally made her parents proud.

Prior to sharing the exciting news with her folks, Jasmine meets Royce Blakely and is quickly enamored. Thoughts of Royce momentarily disperse when Jasmine learns that she and her family have been living in the U.S. illegally. Against all odds, Jasmine resolves not only to find a way to fulfill her educational dreams, but also to hold fast to the love of her life.

Through engaging dialogue and a flurry of unanticipated scenes, de la Cruz shines a light on the pressure immigrants face within an unjust and politically driven system. Provocative, eye-opening and poignant, Something in Between is a timely read in a troubled era.

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Libby Strout is no longer “America’s fattest teen,” but her biggest fear in returning to school for the first time since fifth grade is that her classmates won’t look past her weight. Nonetheless, she’s ready to leave the house where she’s been grieving her mother’s death, and embrace everything high school has to offer. Meanwhile, Jack Masselin’s devil-may-care attitude may seem effortless, but nobody knows how hard he has to work, because nobody knows about his face blindness—how, even among his closest friends, he feels as though he’s surrounded by strangers. That is, until a vicious prank lands Jack and Libby in the same counseling group, and they’re forced to see beyond each other’s masks.

Jennifer Niven’s Holding Up the Universe is another bright place for fans of her bestselling YA debut, All the Bright Places. Niven once again introduces two protagonists who, at first glance, have little reason to cross paths, but who are uniquely positioned to help each other repair their broken pieces. These characters may be facing extreme circumstances, but their conflicting emotions will be utterly relatable to teen readers. 

Niven treats her protagonists with admirable respect, tackling the issues that seem so big in high school with prose that dances on the line between seriousness and whimsy. Holding Up the Universe is a perfect fall read to inspire readers to embrace the new school year.

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Teen Top Pick, October 2016

Sixteen-year-old Rani Patel is part of the only Indian family—Gujarati, to be precise—on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i. And that family is falling apart. When Rani discovers her father’s affair, he is unrepentant. After years of unquestioning obedience, Rani’s mother finally finds the strength to kick him out. Feeling abandoned by her father and invisible to her mother, Rani deals with it all through the music that has always saved her: rap. Rani’s deep love of hip-hop culture empowers her to write lyrics and slam poems full of swagger, female empowerment and social awareness. But while her alter ego, MC Sutra, exudes confidence, Rani has yet to confront the horrific truth of her relationship with her father. As she hones her skills as an MC and a flirtatious relationship with an older man becomes something more, Rani’s past continues to intrude on her present.

Rani’s environment leaps off the page in vivid and satisfying detail, from the winding roads and small shops of Moloka'i to the intricacies of ’90s hip-hop fashion. The lyrics she writes are particularly convincing—good enough to show that her talent is serious, but just unpolished enough to be written by a teenager. Author Sonia Patel is a psychiatrist, and her determination to portray Rani’s response to trauma truthfully is unrelenting. Rani’s past affects her choices again and again, despite her undeniable intelligence and drive. 

As young readers root for Rani, they will gain a deeper understanding of abuse and addiction through this powerful and gripping novel. 

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Is there a more painful year of life than the 13th year? For Claire, the answer is a big dramatic no. There’s the devastating news that all of her dance friends are moving up a year, except for her. There’s the tremendous zit on her nose on the first day of school. And then Claire’s father has a stroke, and pain is completely redefined. Claire can hardly bear to be in the same room with the man who used to be her dad.

Jordan Sonnenblick (Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie) truly understands middle schoolers. He taps into young people’s craving for attention that vies with crushing self-consciousness, and the flippant attitude that hides vulnerability. While his earlier books feature male protagonists, this portrayal of Claire is also utterly believable. She finds it difficult to express her grief over the loss of the father she once knew, but immediately freaks out when she gets her period while wearing her white marching band pants.

This endearing blend of humor and empathy is reminiscent of Cammie McGovern’s Just My Luck.

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.