The Magic of Midnight in YA Novels

Midnight is the moment when one day ends and another day starts.  It is often used symbolically to describe a major change in our life's experiences.  Three YA authors have used midnight in the titles of their new books to express just that. Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin takes place on the island of Witchery where two factions of witches reside.  One coven practices tourist friendly low magic and attempts to get along with non-magical mainlanders. The second coven is hidden and practices the more powerful dark or high magic. Teen witch Tana Fairchild struggles to decide her destiny, and possibly make peace between the two covens. In What Happens After Midnight by K.L. Walther the daughter of a faculty member at Ames Boarding School is tapped to help the "Jester" pull off the epic annual senior class prank. When she discovers the Jester is her former boyfriend, she wonders if getting involved with him again will break her heart. On a much more serious note, The Fight for Midnight by Dan Solomon, reimagines the 2013 filibuster of the Texas abortion bill HB2. Alex Collins, who has never thought much about the issue, attends the event at the State Capitol and is torn between the pro-life and pro-choice arguments.  

In Bring Me Your Midnight teen witch Tana Fairchild, the coven-leader's daughter on the island of Witchery, is expected to marry Landon Yates, the non-magical son of the mainland's governor.  Her coven has given up high magic in favor of the tourist-friendly low magic to assuage the fears of the mainlanders.  Although she doesn't love Landon, he is a kind man, and she knows he will assure her coven's protection. She is willing to make this sacrifice until Wolfe Hawthorne, who practices high magic and lives with a hidden coven on the island, appears to her at midnight during her coven's annual ritual where they release their magical powers into the ocean.  Missing the annual purge, Tana seeks out Wolfe to help her drain the potentially deadly excess magic from her body. Wolfe complies and they begin a clandestine relationship which evolves into a passionate love. Wolfe tries to convince Tana to embrace her magic.  The purging ritual is disturbing the ocean currents and threatening the island's fragile environment.  Tana is torn between her obligation to her coven and her love for Wolfe, and the exhilaration she experiences when she practices high magic. Their midnight meetings help Tana begin to embrace a major change in her destiny. 

What Happens After Midnight introduces Lily Hopper, who attends an upscale boarding school in Rhode Island, because her mother is a faculty member. Each year the student body taps a "Jester," who masterminds an elaborate prank.  This year Lily is mysteriously invited to join the Jester's pranksters to steal and hide the annual yearbooks, which are scheduled to be handed out by class president Daniel Rivera, Lily's prom date.  When she finds out the Jester is Tag Swell, her ex-boyfriend, whom she still loves, she almost backs out. Tag has planned a complicated scavenger hunt for Daniel to complete in order to find the yearbooks.  Hiding the clues requires the use of her mother's keys, which Lily reluctantly steals. Of course, the pranksters set out at midnight to steal the yearbooks and hide the clues.  As Lily and Tag work together, they revisit their two-year relationship via flashbacks.  They dodge school security, faculty members and fellow students who are also out after midnight. Tag's Type 1 diabetes is woven into the story, creating complications in completing the prank. Old feelings resurface and Lily realizes that the biggest obstacle to their happiness was Lily's insecurity about other girls vying for Tag's attention, and that he was only marking time until he could convince her to give him a second chance.  Swift action and near misses in getting caught, as well as the "will they, won't they get back together" question, make this a real page turner.

The Fight for Midnight focuses on Alex Collins, who is facing a lonely summer after the death of his best friend, Jesse.  He fills his time doing community service at an adult day care center, reading Game of Thrones to an 85-year-old man, Mr. Monahan.  When Cassie Ramirez, a girl Alex has had a crush on since elementary school, calls him to come to the Texas Capitol building to protest Wendy Davis's historic filibuster of the abortion bill HB2, Alex goes, despite having no opinion on abortions.  Wendy must talk nonstop until midnight to keep the bill from passing.  At the Capitol Alex finds himself in the middle of a tense scene full of pro-choice "orange shirts," and pro-life "blue shirts," and hypocritical politicians playing political games. At first, he has no problem siding with Cassie, but then he runs into Shireen, Jesse's former girlfriend, who is adamantly pro-choice, and he begins to search his soul about how he feels about the issue.  The backstory of Jesse's death and Alex's crime which led to his community service, is woven into present-day events.  Once again midnight figures significantly in the changes the protagonist goes through to become an adult.  There is an author's note about his personal experience at the protest in 2013. 

Teen Rom/Coms

 Why do readers and filmgoers enjoy romantic comedies or Rom/Coms so much? According to movie web, pleasantries felt while enjoying Rom/Coms elicit dopamine and serotonin, aka "happy hormones." Different from a straight romance, the central romantic relationship in a Rom/Com creates comedic tension. In Jessica Q. Sutanto's Didn't See that Coming, an outspoken gamer girl, poses online as "DudeBro" to avoid harassment. When she transfers to a new school, she realizes her online best friend "Sourdawg" goes there and is either her crush or her nemesis who are both gamers.  Eric Smith's With or Without You pits two teens whose parents own rival cheesesteak trucks against each other, even though they are secretly in love. Mindy Kaling's book club pick this month, Amy Lea's Woke Up Like This, is an adult/YA crossover about two battling teens who are transported 13 years into the future where they are engaged to be married. Unaware of what happened in the last 13 years to change their feelings for each other, they struggle desperately to get back to their teenage years and high school prom.

In Didn't See that Coming, Kiki Siregar, who lives in South Jakarta, Indonesia, games under the name "DudeBro" to avoid being objectified by guys in the gaming universe. Worrying that Kiki is too liberal, her parents transfer her to a traditionally Chinese school, where she immediately draws negative attention when she stands up to a bully, Jonas Arifin, and is branded on TikTok as #Crazy Kiki. She confides in her online best friend "Sourdawg," but later finds out he goes to her new school.  She wonders if he is her sweet sensitive lab partner Liam, or Jonas, whose delusional attraction to her is making her life miserable.  She enlists the help of the Li'l Auntie's dating service to solve the mystery. Although serious subjects of gender bias and STEM related topics are explored, they are dealt with in humorous ways.  As Kiki struggles to stand up to aggressors and be true to herself, she also recognizes that she doesn't want to alienate her crush Liam. Readers will find Kiki's entertaining hijinks a fun romp that of course, leads to a happy ending. 

In With or Without You the legendary rivalry between cheesesteak trucks Plaza Steaks and Ortiz Steaks is fueled by high schoolers Jordan Plaza and Cindy Ortiz, whose escalating insults go viral. What spectating customers don't realize is the bickering is a marketing ploy.  Jordan and Cindy have been secretly in love for years.  Hoping to put the antics behind them when they graduate, they are conflicted when TV executives propose a reality show based on the rivalry. The two families are scheduled to compete in a "Truck Off!" food fair and as competition heats up, real grievances begin to arise.  Jordan wants to buy his own food truck and set off across the country with Cindy, whereas she would rather attend college to study the television industry The story is told in alternating perspectives with reality TV-style confessionals.  Will Cindy and Jordan find a way to make their relationship work, yet keep their families and TV executives happy, especially when their dreams are diverging?

Woke Up Like This introduces high school senior Charlotte Wu, who has despised golden boy J.T. Renner since he stood her up for Freshman Homecoming. Adding insult to injury, he runs against her for student council president and wins effortlessly, after she has devoted four years to student service and clearly deserves the job. During a prom decorating accident, Char falls off a ladder into Renner, and they slip through a wormhole to 2037 where they wake up in bed together a week before their wedding.  They now work at their former high school (She is a counselor, and he is a gym teacher.) and must keep up appearances as they try to figure out how to get back to 2024.  As they spend time together, trying to unravel the mysteries of the past, they learn more about each other. Char, who narrates the story, becomes desperate to get back to the past and make changes in decisions she made.  Their chemistry and witty bickering, as they evolve from enemies to lovers, make this a widely appealing rom/com. 

Teens Dealing with Grief

 Coping with the death of a friend or family member is not easy for people of any age.   Reading about how main characters  in novels deal with death in their lives may inform readers about coping mechanisms and support systems that enable young adults to move on from the devastating experience.  This month I will recommend three new YA novels about teens dealing with grief. In A Pretty Implausible Premise by Karen Rivers (You are the Everything) two teen athletes find comfort in each other after experiencing tragedies that derail their Olympic dreams.  Someone You Loved by Robin Constantine (The Season of You and Me) finds Sarah and Jakes navigating the death of her boyfriend/his best friend Alex, who died in a horrific fall off a cliff. They feel guilty about finding solace in each other through their shared grief. I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold (The Electric Kingdom) is a speculative love story where two teens are brought together across their present, past and future lives by shared music only they can hear. 

 A Pretty Implausible Premise introduces Hattie and Presley, two teen athletes whose Olympic dreams are dashed by tragedy. Hattie, whose mother took off when she was six, hopes they will be reunited when Hattie swims in the Olympics.  But when 7-year-old Elijah dies while Hattie is lifeguarding, she begins experiencing panic attacks whenever she tries to swim.  Presley, an ice-skating phenom, loses his twin brother in a car accident that leaves him with injuries that end his competitive career.  When Presley transfers to Hattie's high school, he immediately recognizes her "haunted shimmer." Their relationship quickly progresses in ways that are uncannily similar to the romance novel that has been Hattie's lifeline since Elijah's death. When wildfires threaten their town, an evacuation and impromptu road trip gives them an opportunity to bond over shared losses and feelings of guilt. Through encouragement from Presley's therapist and Hattie's coach, as well as the novel that is an integral part of Hattie's recovery, their healing journey ultimately leads to love and hope for the future.  

When Alex dies in a 130 foot fall off a cliff in Someone You Loved, he leaves behind a grieving girlfriend Sarah, his sister Ashley, and his best friend Jake, who witnessed the accident. Sarah and Ashley are best friends. Two months before his death, Alex and Sarah's relationship evolves from friendship into a romance.  Following the accident, Sarah is not only dealing with her own grief, but Ashley's as well.  After running into each other at a cafe, Sarah and Jake begin nightly phone calls that soon become more than sharing their mutual grief.  Jake, who constantly hears Alex's voice in his head, is wracked with survivor's guilt and the feeling that he is taking over Alex's former life.  The only happiness he feels is when he talks to Sarah, which his therapist encourages.  As they grow closer, they worry about what Alex would think and how Ashley will handle their relationship.  Although they try to get involved with other people, finding solace in each other is something they desperately need. 

In I Loved You in Another Life two teens experience tragedies that hinder their plans for the future.  Shosh Bell, an aspiring actress, loses all ambition and turns to alcohol when her beloved sister is killed.  Evan Taft has dreamed of a wilderness program in Alaska for his gap year when his father leaves and his mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. He feels responsible for the well-being of her and his neurodivergent 7-year-old brother. They both begin hearing a song in their head that ultimately leads them to each other.  When they finally meet, they feel like they've met before, and indeed they have.  Their alternating points of view are interspersed with stories from their different lifetimes together - Paris 1832, Tokyo 1953, Oslo 2109. When they hear a performer, Neon Imposter, singing the songs they thought only they could hear, they realize the connection is larger than themselves.  Together these troubled characters find healing in each other.  The author writes and records songs as Neon Imposter, including ones from this book that can be found online.

Cultural Comparisons

 Having students do a cultural comparison between their own culture and one represented in a book they are reading is an efficient way to combine reading and writing skills.  Three books that lend themselves to this exercise explore Chinese, Korean and Indian traditions. The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach finds Francine Zhang enlisting the help of Ollie Tran to stand in as her dying grandfather's male heir.  In the Chinese culture only a male can ceremonially honor ancestors. The Name Drop by Susan Lee enlists K-drama tropes to tells the story of two Korean teens who switch identities for a summer internship.  He is the son of the corporation's CEO and she is the daughter of an employee who worked to create the internship program. Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel follows two feuding teens to Dubai where they are celebrating Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights with their families. Copious details about Dubai and Diwali make this an informative, as well as entertaining read. In all three books the struggles females face to achieve in their culture are explored. 

In The Boy You Always Wanted Francine Zhang's dying grandfather, A Gung, regrets having no male descendants to honor their ancestors, so she comes up with a plan.  She ask Ollie Tran, who like Francine is a Chinese/Vietnamese American, to become A Gung's honorary heir.  Although Ollie is at first opposed, he realizes their families have know each other since before they came to the U.S., and A Gung provided for Ollie when his father died and left his family destitute. In return Francine will help Ollie beef up his extracurriculars for college applications. They join the multicultural club where he's responsible for a booth at their annual fundraising event, showcasing his family history, about which he knows little.  As he researches and pours over old pictures Francine has provided, he discovers an alarming secret.  Told from alternating perspectives, the story highlights two teens growing romantically involved as they investigate their heritage and the ties that bind.

Switched identity, ala The Prince and The Pauper, is explored in The Name Drop. Jessica Lee is a top southern California high school student who earns a summer internship in New York with her father's employer, the Korean tech company Haneul Corporation.  Elijah Ri is the son of Haneul's Seoul-based CEO and will reluctantly be spending the summer as an executive trainee there. Because their Korean names Yoo-Jin Lee are the same, the airlines confuses them and puts Jessica in first class and Elijah in coach.  When they arrive, Jessica is whisked off to a townhouse and Elijah ends up in a cramped apartment with the interns.  By the time the two figure out what happened, Elijah, who has been yearning to live a less sheltered life, proposes they continue with the switch, and Jessica, who turns out to be an excellent leader, agrees.  The two bond while working together on a company event, but differing perspectives on life threaten their budding romance.  Told in Jess and Eli's alternating perspectives, peppered with classic K-drama tropes (demanding parents, an elite male attracted to a low status female, a Cinderella makeover) this humorous and romantic tale is filled with rapid-fire banter and a relatable emotional connection where the lovers give each other the strength to follow their hearts.

Sleepless in Dubai introduces former best friends, Nikki, an aspiring photographer, and Yash, a graphic artist, who are neighbors whose parents are also best friends. The kids had a falling out when, confronted by her parents, Yash confirms Nikki had been sneaking out with friends to go clubbing.   She is furious and gives him the silent treatment for most of the school year. To complicate matters he accidentally drives over her most prized possession, a camera gifted to her by her dad.  When their parents plan a trip to Dubai for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, Nikki realizes that her parents are hoping she will let go of her grudge and make up with Yash.  Arriving in Dubai, Nikki attempts to mend fences, especially since her parents will not allow her to go out alone.  When Yash presents her with a new camera, they begin taking excursions and Nikki realizes she's developing romantic feelings for him.  Nikki confesses her crush, but Yash reveals a secret that has her reeling.  The elaborate descriptions of Dubai and the constant smorgasbord of Indian delicacies delightfully illustrates a culture that readers will devour. This book comes out October 24, 2023.

New LGBTQIA Young Adult Novels

  Young Adult books that includes characters that are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning or asexual (LGBTQIA) are becoming ubiquitous in YA literature. Of note, the focus is not their coming out or disapproval from family and friends. They are merely characters in a story whose romantic involvements are not heterosexual. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee takes the fake-dating rom/com trope and spins it into a tale of a gay aspiring chef entering a Mooncake-making contest in the hopes of winning and saving his aunt's Chinese takeout restaurant. Stars Hide Your Fires by Jessica Best is a sci-fi murder mystery set in outer space. Cass, a con artist who attends a galactic ball, hoping to steal enough jewels to retire, teams up with Amaris, a beautiful rebel leader who is trying to expose a political conspiracy. Unexpecting by Jen Bailey introduces a gay teen who finds himself an expectant father. In none of these books does the character's sexuality significantly impact the outcome of the conflict.

In Fake Dates and Mooncakes aspiring chef Dylan Tang hopes to save his Auntie Jade's Singaporean Chinese takeout, the Wok Warriors, from eviction by entering a mooncake-making contest.  The prize is exposure on a famous Malaysian chef's cooking show.  While he is preparing for the contest, Dylan meet the wealthy charming Theo Sommers whose friend is rude to Dylan during a food delivery. Theo shows up at Wok Warriors and raves over their xiao long bao and flirts with Dylan.  When he finds out about the restaurant's financial woes, he sends $5,000 to Auntie Jade from a fake grant program.  Dylan confronts him and Theo says he can repay him by being his fake date to a wedding in the Hamptons. The familiar fake-dating rom/com trope is developed in a delightfully unique setting as Dylan navigates first-love and family issues.  Witty dialogue, Chinese cultural references and delicious cuisine make this a sweet read. 

Stars Hide Your Fires, an intergalactic sci-fi murder mystery introduces Cass, a petty thief who lives on Sarn, an arid minor moon of the planet Danae.  When she hears of the Ascension Ball, where the emperor's successor will be announced, she figures she can steal enough jewelry to support her ailing father and her crew for life.  Things go suspiciously well when a prince gives her a ticket to the ball, and she meets the alluring rebel leader Amaris who enlists her aide in uncovering political conspiracy.  Then the emperor is murdered, and Cass is the primary suspect.  She and Amaris pose as a married lesbian couple as they search for the real culprit, all set in a world with clones, marital discord and political intrigue.  The intricate plot in this fast-paced thriller will keep the reader enthralled until the satisfying ending, complete with a romantic denouement.

In Unexpecting Ben Morrison, who has come out as gay, finds himself an expectant father, after he and his good friend Maxie experiment to confirm his sexuality.  Maxie's strict parents are determined to put the baby up for a closed adoption, but Ben, who has never had a stable father figure in his life, wants custody.  His mother and Stepdad #3 support him, but also try to expose the challenges he will face.  He has SATS, robotics team competitions, a job and an invitation to a summer internship to juggle, as well as a blossoming romance with a former stepbrother.  As his grades and responsibilities start to suffer, Ben begins to realize that fatherhood will come with a lot of sacrifices.  When the fetus appears to be in danger, Ben recognizes that he must do what's best for the baby. Refreshingly, this poignant portrait of family dynamics focuses on the difficulty of teen parenting rather than Ben's sexuality. 

New YA Intrusion Fantasies

 Last year I introduced the concept of intrusion fantasy, a subgenre of fantasy fiction in which fanciful events intrude on an otherwise normal world.   Once again I am recommending three intrusion fantasy novels that I enjoyed. The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell finds a high school senior, who meets a runaway prince, enlisting his help to return home before a comet hits the earth. I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman is a time travel mystery where a young teen tries to prevent his grandparents' deaths and thus change the trajectory of his life. Always Isn't Forever by J.C. Cervantes introduces Ruby and Hart, teens whose future is derailed when he is killed in a boating accident. When his soul is reinstated in another dying boy's body, it is up to Hart to win Ruby back without telling her who he really is. 

In The Prince and the Apocalypse Wren Wheeler is on her senior-year trip to London.  The much anticipated trip is turning out to be a disaster.  Hoping to end on a high note, she goes to The World's End restaurant, only to find it closed. But there she meets Prince Theo, who is on the run from the palace and his mother. When Wren helps him escape, he gives her his number and offers to return the favor, which she uses when her flight home is cancelled.  A comet is heading toward earth, and the world is ending in eight days.  Prince Theo offers to take her to Santorini and send her home on the family's private jet.  Traveling through Europe by boat, train and an accidentally stolen automobile, trying to avoid the paparazzi,  Wren and Theo develop a bond that only seems threatened by the apocalypse. The undeniable chemistry and amusing banter make this a fun read, albeit the dire consequences. 

I'll Stop the World, a genre-bending mystery, introduces Justin Warren, whose life has always been overshadowed by his grandparents' deaths.  His orphaned mother is now an alcoholic, who had him out of wedlock. Stan, her live-in boyfriend is obsessed with the murders. When Justin drives off a bridge and lands in 1985, he has an opportunity to redirect his future. He meets Rose Yin, a do-gooder who becomes his ally, and together they attempt to solve the murders before it's too late. The story unfolds over the course of one week in a world 38 years before the present. Solving the mysteries of his complicated family history, as well as his time travel, make for an entertaining read with a satisfying ending. 

In Always Isn't Forever soul mates Hart Augusto and Ruby Amanté are planning a future together when he dies trying to save a child in a boating accident  As Ruby is struggling with her grief, Hart finds himself negotiating with Lourdes, an angel who mistakenly took him before he was actually dead.  She offers to bring him back to life in another body, and he requests to be near Ruby. Bad boy Jameson Romanelli, Ruby's nemesis, is near death after a motorcycle accident and Lourdes places Hart's soul in his body.  Now it is up to Hart, who is forbidden from telling anyone who he really is, to win Ruby back. Ruby is confused as to why she is suddenly drawn to Jameson and why he reminds her so much of Hart.  Will their love be strong enough to bridge the distance and give them a new chance at a future together?

New YA Novels: While You Were Dreaming, Good As Gold, and Ride or Die

Much has been written about there only being a few basic story plots, so it's no wonder books we read remind us of stories with which we are already familiar.  It's fun to think about ways in which books we are reading compare to books or films we know. This year's Pulitzer Prize winner Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is basically a retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Although the protagonist is a young boy, it would be difficult to categorize the book as young adult because it is so gritty.  Instead, I will recommend several new YA books appropriate for younger readers. While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai is reminiscent of the Sandra Bullock film While You Were Sleeping. An Indian American girl dressed in a Comic Con outfit rescues a boy who is drowning in a canal. Although she tries to remain anonymous, she ends up falling for his brother.  Good As Gold by Candace Buford will remind readers of the TV show Outer Banks. An African American girl whose family is down on its luck decides to search for the legendary treasure for which her tourist town is famous. Ride or Die by Gail Agnes Musikavanhu gives a nod to the film Baby Driver starring Ansel Elgort. Thrill seeker Loli Crawford gets involved in a daredevil contest with an anonymous guy, taking greater and greater risks with each dangerous dare she undertakes. 

While You Were Dreaming introduces Sonia Patil, whose mother originally came to the US seeking treatment for her daughter Kareena's leukemia.  When her mother is deported, Sonia, who was born in the US, is terrified her undocumented sister will be deported as well.  During a local Comic-Con, Sonia, who is dressed as a superhero, rescues James Cooper, who falls in a canal.  A picture of the rescue goes viral, and Sonia struggles to remain under the radar.  When she visits James' family restaurant to check on him, his family mistakes her for his girlfriend.  She finds herself not only drawn to the close-knit Black/Indian American family, but his older brother as well.  This homage to the 1990s film While You Were Sleeping explores the topics of undocumented immigration, health care and the toxic use of social media with a blend of reality and romance.

In Gold As Gold Casey Whitlock's family has fallen from grace with her father's bankruptcy.  Once a part of the "charmies," the rich kids in Langston, Georgia, she is now a "downstreamer," living in her grandmother's tiny house on the wrong side of town.  Threatened with losing that house as well, Casey reaches out to Tanner for help in selling her family's last valuables in his stepdad's pawn shop.  A rust-colored coin she's trying to sell is actually part of Langston's buried treasure that tourists and locals are seeking.  Tanner, Casey and his friends, Squid and B decide to look for the treasure and end up finding out the original town Toulouse, a black community now underwater, holds the clues they need to find the treasure.  Echoing the popular TV series Outer Banks, the treasure may be the key saving Casey's family and her future.  

High schoolers Loli Crawford and her best friends Ryan Pope and Cairo Dahmani live for thrill seeking adventure and reckless car chases in Ride or Die.  Although she is the ringleader, they enable her high jinks.  When Loli throws a "rager" at her ex-boyfriend's mansion to create a diversion so she can steal back a necklace Ryan gave her from her ex's new girlfriend, she gets trapped in a closet with an unidentified boy she calls Mysterious Voice or MV.  He challenges her to a game of risky undertakings that she can't resist.  They communicate via letters and anonymous chats challenging each other to increasingly dangerous dares. Ryan and Cairo have her back but are more and more critical of what she is doing. Loli selfishly puts the dares before her safety and friendships.  When she ultimately discovers MV's identity and he challengers her to disappear with him, she must decide where her loyalties lie.  Reminiscent of the film Baby Driver, including Ryan's prized blue Mustang called "Baby," as well as his passion for music, highlighted by a predictive track at the beginning of each chapter, this high octane thrill ride will keep readers turning pages to see what is coming next. 

Embedded Research in New YA Novels

 Embedded research is information that is embedded so seamlessly into the story that it enriches the detail and realism in the story without seeming didactic. After introducing students to novels with embedded research, I would ask them to research a topic of interest and have them embed it in their own story. This month I am recommending three new novels that are enhanced by embedded research. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (The Firekeeper's Daughter) explores the issues of repatriation of Indigenous artifacts, as well as murdered Indigenous women.  One with the Waves by Verzna Andrews introduces a grieving teen who experiences the healing power of surfing. Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning is an adult crossover book about the unionization of miners in early 20th century Colorado as seen through the eyes of a teenage daughter of one of the miners. 

In Warrior Girl Unearthed Perry Firekeeper-Birch, a bi-racial (Black and Anishinaabe) teen whose twin Pauline is the achiever, hopes to spend her summer fishing and slacking off.  However, after trashing her aunt's car, she finds herself working with Pauline in the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe's summer internship program to pay for damages. She is assigned to work at the tribal museum where she discovers remains and artifacts from deceased Anishinaabe tribe members are being claimed by the local university.  Determined to return them to the tribe, she comes up with a heist plan and in doing so uncovers a mystery involving missing Indigenous women.  Always headstrong, Perry gets into trouble by acting before she thinks.  Adding first love, sexual harassment, and colorism issues to this thriller makes for an engaging and thought-provoking read.  The author, who is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, includes a great deal of information about repatriation of cultural artifacts and human remains, as well as missing Indigenous women, both pressing issues for Native Americans.

One with the Waves is set in South California in the 1980s.  Following her father's death from cancer, Ellie Brzozowski's mom, a NYC gallery curator, sends her to live with her Aunt Jen and Uncle Charlie in California.  She doesn't fit in with the preppie girls at her new high school, who bully her and call her a beach rat.  Both avid surfers, Jen and Charlie foster her interest in surfing, which becomes her passion and her refuge.  Her magical encounters with dolphins, whales and sea lions, as well as other accomplished surfers who befriend her, aid in the healing process. When her mom arrives for the summer, Ellie recognizes her mom is an alcoholic and fears that she will force her to move back to NYC.  Ellie navigates the challenges at school and with her mother, employing the newfound strength and confidence she has developed through surfing.  The author, who is a "soul surfer mom," fills the novel with authentic details about surfing, beautifully capturing the solitude and healing power of being a one with the ocean. 

Gilded Mountain introduces teenage Sylvie Pelletier who moves from Vermont to Moonstone, Colorado, in the early 20th century, after her father Jacques loses his mining job over unionizing issues. She and her mother and brother join her father who is now mining marble in Colorado.  Leaving her family's shanty in Quarrytown, Sylvie takes a job in Moonstone with K.T. Redmond, a female socialist newspaper editor who champions the labor cause and is critical of the Padgett family who own the mine.  When at K.T's urging, Sylvie takes a job as secretary to "Countess" Inge Padgett,  she is exposed to their opulent lifestyle and deplorable labor practices, secretly reporting back to K.T. Meanwhile, Jacques and outside labor organizers attempt to unionize the miners with dire consequences.  Sylvie finds herself drawn to Jasper Padgett, the heir to the Padgett fortune and sympathetic to the Gradys, former slaves who are  now the Padgett's' servants but dream of starting a utopian Black community in Eastern Colorado.  Sylvie struggles to find her way amid conflicting loyalties toward the vastly differing worlds she is inhabits. Drawn from true stories of Colorado history, this is a coming-of-age tale infused with love and loss, as immigrants and robber barons develop the American West. 

New Young Adult Mysteries

 Mysteries are arguably the most popular genre in fiction. In teaching the mystery genre, analyzing the author's use of classic mystery techniques: clues, suspects, red herrings, foreshadowing, and cliff hangers among others, can help students understand why mysteries are such page turners. I am recommending five new young adult mysteries this month. I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman is a genre-bending mystery which finds the main character traveling back in time to solve his grandparents' murder. Marie Lu's new series opener Stars and Smoke is a spy novel which teams up a pop star and his bodyguard. Three Drops of Blood by Gretchen McNeil is a Hitchcock inspired murder mystery where the protagonist witnesses a murder while looking out the window, but no one will believe her. Royal Blood, the first in a new trilogy by Aimee Carter, introduces Evan Bright, the illegitimate daughter of the British King, who becomes a murder suspect when she goes to Britain to meet her family.   The Night in Question, the second in the Agathas series by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Larson, is a closed circle mystery, where Alice and Iris attend a party on an island where a murder occurs. 

In I'll Stop the World Justin Warren travels back in time to find out who set the high school fire that killed his grandparents and to try to stop them.  Justin's life has always been overshadowed by his grandparents' deaths.  His orphaned mother is now an alcoholic, who had him out of wedlock. Stan, her live-in boyfriend, is obsessed with the murders. When Justin drives off a bridge one rainy night and lands in 1985 prior to his grandparents' deaths, he has an opportunity to change the trajectory of his life.  He meets Rose Yin and together they attempt to solve the murders before it's too late. This coming-of-age second chances novel was published by Mindy Kaling's new book studio. Time travel books are tough to pull off and this one with a story line that unfolds both over the course of one week and 38 years has an amazingly satisfyingly ending. 

Stars and Smoke finds a secret agent teaming up with a pop star to bring down a crime syndicate boss. Winter Young, a Chinese American superstar, is recruited by the Panacea Group, an espionage organization, when he is invited to play at crime boss Eli Morrison's daughter's birthday extravaganza.  Winter and Sydney Cossette, a Panacea spy who is posing as his bodyguard, must infiltrate Eli's inner circle and find out about a chemical weapon he is developing.  Although Sydney dismisses Winter as just another pretty face, she soon discovers there is more to him than meets the eye. Their backstories and budding romance are secondary to the action adventure which spy novel fans will love.

In Three Drops of Blood plus-size actress Kate Williams lands a co-starring role on Dirty Pretty Teens, opposite former Disney star Belle Masterson.  Just as Kate makes the decision to skip college and pursue acting, Belle gets caught in a compromising position with the 38-year-old showrunner, and the series is cancelled.  Kate's parents are determined to change Kates mind about college and start charging her for food and rent, so she takes an evening job, filing at her best friend Rowan's dad's law firm. One night she is looking out the window and witnesses a double murder. Nobody wants to believe her except Rowan's brother Ty, whose heart she broke the previous year.  Kate  struggles to be taken seriously, both as an actress looking for roles other than the fat funny sidekick, and as the witness to a serious crime.  Inspired by Hitchcock's Rear Window, this is a page turning thriller and sweet romance with an unconventional protagonist. 

The first book in the Royal Blood trilogy introduces Evan Bright, the illegitimate American daughter of Britain's King Alexander.  After being expelled from her ninth boarding school for setting it on fire, the king's personal secretary spirits her away to Windsor Castle, where her half sister and stepmother greet her with cold shoulders. Evan wants to go home to her mother Laura, who is schizophrenic, but because of the disease, Evan is not allowed to live with her.  Her 18th birthday, when she can make her own decisions, is only a month away. But during her time in England, Evan is assaulted by Jasper Cunningham who ends up murdered with Evan being the prime suspect She and the king's nephew Kit attempt to clear her name.   Readers who enjoy everything royal will find this a unique take on the genre.

The Night in Question, the second book in the Agathas mystery series, finds Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams attending a Sadie Hawkins dance at Levy Castle, the site of one of Castle Cove's unsolved murders.  Mona Moody, a classic film star, died in the island castle almost a century ago. Alice, who is wandering around looking for clues about Mona's death, walks into a new crime scene.   Rebecca Kennedy is lying in a pool of blood, and Helen Park is standing over her holding a letter opener, the presumed murder weapon.  Although the police think it is an open and shut case, Alice and Iris suspect that Helen is innocent and set out to prove it. Quotes from Agatha Christie's mysteries, as well as fictious quotes from Mona Moody movies, open each chapter. This book comes out May 4, 2023. 

Regency Novels - An Improbable Season, Queen Bee, and To Swoon and To Spar

 With the popularity of the Bridgerton TV series,  Regency novels  have a newfound resurgence in young adult literature.  Regency romances are novels set during the period of the British Regency (1811-1820). They include highly developed sense of social standing for characters, with an emphasis on "manners" and class issues, as well as the emergence of modern social thought. Three new Regency novels are coming out in April. An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves finds three cousins heading to London for their first season with plans that are immediately derailed by scandal. Queen Bee by Amalie Howard reveals an elaborate revenge plot orchestrated by a young lady whose reputation has been ruined by her former best friend. To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters is the fourth in her Regency Vows series.  Lord Penvale, in order to regain his ancestral estate, agrees to marry his uncle's ward, who has designs of her own on the family lands.  

An Improbable Season, which is set in 1817 London, introduces sisters Thalia and Kalliope, who join their cousin Charis for their first season.  In alternating third-person narration Thalia's love of poetry, Kalli's of home and family and Charis's of natural science are revealed.  With all of society's rules and regulations for debutantes, scandal immediately erupts, and Kalli finds herself engaged to childhood friend Adam to avoid family ruin. Adam has always been in love with Thalia, who is looking for a more intellectual match, which she thinks she's found in James.  Meanwhile Charis, who wants to connect with the scientific community, finds a kindred soul in Mark, who delights in her quirky interest in bugs and birds.  Although all of the girls' initial plans are thwarted by unexpected predicaments, the three band together to navigate societal expectations and find unpredictable happy endings. 

The elaborate revenge plan in Queen Bee, complete with quotes from Italian diplomate Niccolò Machiavelli and allusions to chess moves, consumes Lady Ela Dalvi, as she plots to ruin her former best friend Poppy who slandered Ela with an allegation that destroyed her reputation.  Ela is sent to a boarding school in Cumbria where she is a penniless nobody, abandoned even by her father.  With the help of Church, a wealthy school benefactor whom Ela befriends and nurses back to health, she disguises herself a Lyra Whitley and returns to infiltrate London society.  Not only does she want to take down Poppy, but also Lord Keston Osborn, the Marques of Ridley, her childhood friend and first love, who did not support her during Poppy's sabotage.  She must seduce him to accomplish her revenge plan, but unresolved feelings get in the way.  Church warns her that revenge is complicated, and Ela/Lyra must decide what is more important - happiness or destruction of those who harmed her. 

To Swoon and To Spar, the fourth book in the Regency Vows series, focuses on Lord Peter Penvale, who lost his ancestral home when his parents died.  For years he has been unsuccessfully trying to buy it back from his uncle, when to his surprise the uncle shows up in London offering to sell it, if Penvale marries his uncle's beautiful ward Jane.  Marrying Jane seems a small price to pay to get his home back. Unbeknownst to Penvale, Jane drove the uncle to sell by making the estate seem haunted. With the help of the servants she continues the "haunting," hoping to send Penvale running back to London, but he is not so easily duped.  As they get to know each other, their sparring gets to be more good natured, and they find themselves in love. But will they get out of their own ways to let the romance bloom?  Characters from the previous Regency Vows books appear in this one as well, as they are Penvale's friends.  This series is for mature readers, as there are steamy romantic moments. 

Multi-Ethnic Cultural Identity

 Cultural identity is important to a person's sense of self and wellbeing.  Identifying with a particular culture gives people a sense of belonging and security, providing them with access to social networks which provide support and shared values and aspirations. Multi-ethnic teens struggle, not only with the usual coming-of-age problems, but also with the conflict between ethnicities with differing values. In Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer the main character is of Iranian/Irish American descent. She is hoping to be accepted at NYU to major in journalism, but the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran is a major roadblock to her success. Impostor Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park introduces a Korean/Argentine American teen also looking for acceptance to a prestigious East coast college. The Cartographers by Amy Zhang finds a Chinese American teen deferring her college acceptance in the hopes of dealing with mental health issues brought on by pressures to live up to expectations. 

In Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win Jasmine Katie Zumideh dreams of interviewing rock stars for Creem magazine. She thinks the way to achieve this is by getting a journalism degree at NYU and in the process reinventing herself. In order to pad her application, she says she is class president, although she has just declared her candidacy. She assumes the election is a slam-dunk because she is running against ultra-conservative Gerald whose platform includes reinstating school uniforms and saying the pledge of allegiance. But then Americans are taken hostage in Iran and Jasmine's brother Ali becomes radicalized, vocally supporting the Iranian protesters.  Gerald villainizes Iran in his platform, while Jasmine tries to distance herself from her Persian heritage, which is not easy with Ali staging protests at school. Her campaign managers convince her she must take the low road to win, which includes making ridiculous campaign promises, going by the name Jasmine Katie and revealing that Gerald's dad is in prison. Amidst the campaign controversies, she is also dealing with separated parents, friends cheating on each other and expecting her to keep it secret, and academic pressures.  The historical setting and realistic cultural details, especially focusing on middle eastern food, make this a real win.

Impostor Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim introduces a girl whose Korean ancestors moved to Argentina before immigrating to America.  Ale is a scholarship student a a private prep school in NYC.  Grieving her father's recent death under suspicious circumstances, she dreams of being accepted at Whyder College in Maine, along with her best friend and supporter, Laurel. When a guest lecturer makes a racist comment about her mixed heritage making Ale a shoo-in for college acceptance, Laurel begins circulating a petition to get the man ejected. Ale, who just wants to get through the year without making waves, is horrified about the attention she is getting, including a bogus "diversity award."  As she begins to question Laurel's motivations, Ale must come to grips with the racism and classism that threaten her self-esteem. Told in three parts in a distinctive narrative voice, this coming-of-age tale explores multi-ethnicity, friendship and privilege with a blend of humor and seriousness that make it an entertaining and thought-provoking read.

In The Cartographers Chinese American Ocean Sun struggles with depression and anxiety.  Rather than confessing her mental health issues to her demanding mother, she secretly defers her acceptance to a prestigious NYC university and moves in with two girls, Georgie and Tashya, looking for a roommate in Brooklyn. Although they quickly become her friends, they are distracted by their growing attraction to each other and leave her on her own at a nightclub on the night that the city loses power.  She heads to the subway to make her way home, when the lights go out. She is rescued by a graffiti artist known as Constant Brave.  He takes her with him on a spray-painting journey where he graffities subway maps on bare walls and spouts mythological musing that enchant her.  They continue their relationship via google docs, discussing life, society and their dreams.  Ocean frequently questions whether the life she is living is really a waking death.  Their poetic philosophical communications shed light on the desperation of anxiety and living up to others' expectations. Although Ocean sees him occasionally, most of their relationship is conducted online. All of the characters are seeking to map out their lives. listening to their own hearts. 

New YA Books for 2023

 The latest revision of my book What's New in Young Adult Novels? and Ideas for Classroom Use is now available.  Just click on the book icon in the upper right corner of my blog and it will take you to Lulu.com where you can purchase this book.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank NetGalley for providing ARCs of many of the new young adult novels that I review. Four new books that are coming out at the beginning of 2023, I categorize as candy bar books.  These are books that are fun reads about fairly superficial issues such as boyfriend/girlfriend problems, strict parents, or cliques/popularity issues. Frequently, they are told in first person and the voice is very characteristic of how teenagers speak.   Begin Again by Emma Lord finds Andie Rose, an aspiring advice columnist, transferring to her dream college, only to find her boyfriend has transferred to her community college to be with her.  As she navigates the struggles of a long distance relationship, she blossoms in her new role providing anonymous advice on a pirate radio station. The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim introduces Zahra Khan, who defers college after her father dies and begins working at a Pakistani tea shop. As her mother tries to find her a suitable match, Zahra finds herself attracted to a co-worker, a recent immigrant from Bangladesh.  The Wrong Kind of Weird by James Ramos explores the conflict between geek enthusiasm and the need to conform, as Cameron, a member of Geeks and Nerds United has a secret fling with his school's popular It-Girl. French Kissing in New York by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau is a fun romp with an aspiring French chef, who is pursuing a NYC restaurant career, as well as a romance with a NYC boy she met in Paris.  After a magical night together, they agree to meet at midnight in Times Square one year later, ala An Affair to Remember.

Begin Again introduces Andie Rose, who hopes to study psychology at Blue Ridge State, where her deceased mother pioneered the college's pirate radio station. When she is rejected, she enrolls at Little Fells Community College, while Connor, her boyfriend, goes to Blue Ridge.  In a comedy of errors, she gets the opportunity to transfer, only to learn that Connor transferred to Little Fells so they could be together.  As they struggle to maintain a long-distance relationship, Andie finds herself blossoming when she gets the chance to headline the radio's anonymous advice program. As she navigates her problems, including a difficult statistics class and a demoralizing emotional mishap, she finds herself seeking out her surly RA, Milo Flynn, who always seems to appear when she needs help.  Although the romantic triangle is a familiar trope, the humor and sympathetic heroine make this a satisfying read. 

In The Love Match Zahra Khan, an aspiring author, defers her acceptance to Columbia University, when her father's death puts the family in financial straits.  She takes a job at a Pakistani tea shop Chai Ho, as her mother plots to match her with a suitable Bangladeshi boy, Harun Emon.  Though she and Harun have no interest in each other, they agree to fake-date to placate their families.  Meanwhile, Zahra begins secretly dating a co-worker, Nayim Aktar, a recent arrival from Bangladesh.  But as her romance with Nayim heats up, she begins to find herself growing closer to Harun.  The author authentically explores diverse South Asian Muslim identities, describing genuine practices that she experienced growing up in a Bangladeshi community in New Jersey.  In this delightful Bengali Natok (drama) the question looms, "Will Zahra choose obligation or herself?"

The Wrong Kind of Weird finds Cameron Carson and his best friends members of a school club known as Geeks and Nerd United (GANU). After a clandestine summer romance with coffee shop co-worker Karla Ortega, the schools' queen bee, she and Cam agree to keep their hookups secret, while working together on the school's production of Pride and Prejudice.  When he begins bonding over similar geeky interests with Mackenzie Briggs, his former nemesis and newest member of GANU, he wonders if he should end his dalliance with Karla, who continues to snub him in public.  Although Cam's romantic entanglements are the focus of the story, the diverse cast of characters (black, Latine, queer, straight) make this an exploration of identity and learning to accept people across the divide of school cliques. The author, a self-proclaimed geek, realistically portrays geek enthusiasm conflicting with the need to fit in. 

In French Kissing in New York Margot, an aspiring chef from a small French town, meets Zach, a tourist from NYC and enjoys a magical night of romance in Paris. Without exchanging contact information, they agree to meet a year later in Times Square at midnight, believing they are "meant to be."  Margot is heading there after graduation to pursue her restaurant dreams.  Her father lives in NYC and with her mother's help she lands a job at her dream restaurant. Unfortunately, her first day on the job finds her washing dishes when she is supposed to be meeting Zach.  When she arrives late at Times Square, he is nowhere to be found. Heartbroken, Margot enlists the help of Ben, a line cook at the restaurant, to find Zach.  Together, they explore NYC, seeing the sites and sampling delectable cuisine, as they follow clues from her night with Zach.  This mash-up of the films An Affair to Remember and Serendipity is an authentic look at restaurant life, as well as a fun romp with a hopeless romantic, who is clueless when it comes to love.