Relaxing with Rom/Coms

When I am looking for escape and relaxation, a young adult romantic comedy is just what the doctor ordered.  Three of my favorite YA rom/com authors have new books out that I would recommend.  Lynn Painter's Trust Fall finds a midwestern girl's life changed overnight when she inherits a brownstone in New York City. Jennifer Chen's Checking You Out focuses on Lizzie who finds notes in her favorite fantasy novels at the library. She is determined to find the author. Sarah Dessen's Change of Plans introduces Finley Hope who thinks she is going to NYC with her divorcee mom, only to find out Mom has cancer and is taking them to the rural summer home she has agreed to sell. 

In Trust Fall Julia Lowell’s life changes overnight when her family inherits a historic brownstone in NYC from an old man her family befriended in Nebraska. In order to inherit the family must live in the brownstone for at least six months.  Julia and her twin brother Liam attend Gardenwood Academy where they meet Damion Rutledge, Lou’s nephew who expected to inherit Lou’s home. Not knowing his background Julia falls in love with Damion, but is devastated when she finds out the truth.

Checking You Out  features Dylan and Lizzie, who meet while volunteering at a kitty nursery.  Lizzie loves reading fantasy novels and someone is leaving her notes in all her favorite books.  She and her friends are determined to find out who it is, so she starts leaving notes for him.  Dylan, the captain of the tennis team, was bullied at his last school for reading fantasy novels.  He is determined not to make that mistake at his new school, so when Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he denies it.  She is sure her mystery pen pal has to be a reader and is sure it can’t be Dylan, even though their attraction to each other is undeniable. 

In Change of Plans Finley Hope, who has always preferred to live in the shadow of her boyfriend Colin, heads off for a two-week summer vacation to NYC with her distant divorcee mom, while Colin goes on a Disney cruise with his family.  Then Mom abruptly changes their plans and takes her to her family's rural summer home that she has agreed to sell.  Finley is reintroduced to her aunts and the rest of the extended family whom she met when she was young.  She inadvertently fins out Mom has breast cancer and is facing surgery and treatment in the near future, explaining why she is ready to sell.  Finley is thrown for a loop when Colin breaks up with her over a video call and abruptly throws her phone in the lake in a fit of anger, distancing herself from communication with her dad and friends at home.  As the family prepares the home for sale, Finley befriends new people including Ben, the shy adorable cook at her aunt's diner. She realizes that all her future plans revolved around Colin and determines that she is in charge of her own destiny.  

Young Adults Who Work in the Entertainment Industry

 Young adults who work in the entertainment industry are colorful main characters for YA novels. Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray focuses on Bowie James who is assigned community service which he serves at the local radio station.  A Season for Falling by Kate O'Shaughnessy reunites child stars Luke Cordova and Claire Hopper, when he hires her to show him a normal teenager's life for his new upcoming show. In The Music of Us by Emerald Alexandrea, Lucy, whose mom is injured and is having trouble paying medical bills,  asks childhood friend Jake, who is in a boy band, to help raise money for mom's medical bills. 

In Radio Free Texas Bowie James starts his senior year in a small 1980 Texas town by taking the blame for setting off a firecracker that was actually set off by his crush Comet Jensen.  His punishment is 100 hours of community service which he chooses to serve at a local radio station run by the anti-establishment DJ Marlon.  In order to keep the radio station on the air, Bowie recruits his friends, including Comet, to work there as interns. When Marlon asks Bowie to do the Sunday night “sermon,” Bowie finds that he actually has something to say about rock and roll, love and coming-of-age.

In A Season for Falling child star CeCe Lafayette, is now Claire Hopper, a senior in a Connecticut high school. She was devastated when her show House of Bricks was cancelled, and she found out her dad had stolen all her money.  When her former costar Luke Cordova comes to town to shoot a film, he hires her to show him what a normal teenager’s life is like. She is struggling to find a way to pay for college, so she is thrilled with the opportunity to earn some money. Accepting generous payment toward her college fund, Claire once again falls under Luke’s spell. Keeping her former relationship with him secret proves to be a challenge.

In The Music of Us Lucy, who is college bound, manages a cat café with her mom. When mom is injured, Lucy emails her childhood best friend Jake, who is now in a boy band.  Even though he ghosted her when he joined the band four years ago, she hopes he and his band will play a concert at the café to drum up business. Jake shows up and they manage to corral his bandmates into doing a fundraiser concert.  Misunderstandings between Lucy and Jake are orchestrated by his manager, who wants him to leave his past behind. But ultimately love prevails. 

The To Do List Structure in YA Novels

 It's a great time for a breezy summer read before going back to school.  I found it interesting that several of the young adult romances I found on NetGalley employed a "To Do List" structure that was entertaining to follow.  In K.L. Walther's The Summer of Second Chances, Olivia Lupo decides to postpone going to college to be with her grandmother who has dementia. When Olivia's stepmother invites her to spend a month on Martha's Vineyard, Olivia realizes she has an opportunity to follow her grandmother's book of memories from the time she spent there.  Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson introduces the main character, Emily, who is looking forward to spending the summer with her best friend Sloane. But Sloane disappears, leaving Emily a letter with 13 tasks for her to complete. An Introvert's Guide to Kissing In Europe by Brenda Janowitz focuses on a bereaved teen struggling with her sister's death. Her grandmother, a former member of the singing duo "The Flower Sisters," suggests she go to Europe and replicate the tour the Flower Sisters took in 1966. In each book the main character meets a love interest who is more than willing to help her check off each item on her "To Do" list. 

 The Summer of Second Chances finds a recent high school graduate, Olivia, choosing to postpone going to college to stay home with her beloved grandmother, Annie, who has dementia.  When her stepmother invites Olivia to spend time with the family on Martha’s Vineyard, she’s reluctant to go.  Then she finds a box of pictures and memories from Annie’s time there and decides to go and visit all the places Annie describes as magical. Olivia plans to get pictures of herself in all of the same places to make a photo album with their pictures side by side. When she arrives in the Vineyard, Olivia reconnects with Connor, whom she has met previously. He offers to help her reconstruct her grandmother's memories with the hope of becoming part of Olivia's future. 

In Since You've Been Gone Emily’s best friend Sloane disappears without a word, and Emily is devastated. Sloane has always called the shots, with Emily tagging along. Then a letter arrives from Sloane outlining 13 tasks for Emily to complete.  Thinking they will lead her to Sloane, she begins completing the tasks with the help of new friends Frank, Emily and Collins.  As they work together on the to-do list, Emily and Frank grow closer despite his having a long-time girlfriend who is out of town.  Emily gains self-confidence as she “Hugs a Jamie,” Steals something,” Goes skinny dipping” and more. This engaging story about a side kick who becomes the star of her own life will delight readers.

 An Introvert’s Guide to Kissing in Europe introduces Emily Tannenbaum, whose sister  recently died. Emily vows to be the safe girl that her parents don’t have to worry about.  But as she is graduating from high school as valedictorian, she realizes she needs an adventure before heading off to Dartmouth.  Her grandmother, a former member of the famous Flower Sisters music duo, proposes that Emily take time off to follow the European tour the Flower Sisters took in 1966.  Emily is befriended by a variety of traveling teens, and hits it off with Penny, who agrees to join her on her European tour. They meet Nick and Alfie and travel with them until the boys have to return to London to see their sick grandmother. Of course, Emily and Nick reconnect, and as her European trip draws to a close, Emily realizes that Nick could be “The One.”  

Young Adults Who Love YA Literature

 Young adults who love literature would seem to be a natural focus for YA novels.  In Left on Read by Marissa Eller the main character Nova has a passion for American Lit and dreams of being a professor in the future. Unfortunately her American Lit teacher has lost her interest in teaching, so Nova takes over the class.   Checking You Out by Jennifer Chen focuses on two characters  Dylan and Lizzie, who love fantasy literature. Lizzie is determined to find out who her mystery pen pal is, who loves fantasy. The pen pal  Dylan is captain of the tennis team and has learned the hard way that athletes are not supposed to like fantasy novels, so hides his interest. The Beckett Effect by Nashoe Jones finds Wren Richardson, a film lit student,  attempting to get revenge on Beckett Lane who humiliated her sister by dumping her soon after they begin dating. Wren's film lit project focuses on proving Beckett is a Byronic hero who doesn't deserve redemption. 

In Left on Read  Nova and Hayes have been academic rivals throughout high school.  When they are paired for a project on mental health, they begin to realize that they understand each other better than anyone else.  As Nova battles to make the American Literature class she’s been looking forward to worth attending, Hayes is there to support her. The teacher, who is dialing it in, is threatened when Nova takes over supporting fellow students with their class projects. Her dream of becoming an American Lit professor will be enhanced if she succeeds.

Dylan and Lizzie meet while volunteering at a kitty nursery in Checking You Out.  Lizzie loves reading fantasy novels, and someone is leaving her notes in all her favorite books.  She and her friends are determined to find out who it is, so she starts leaving notes for him.  Dylan, the captain of the tennis team, was bullied at his last school for acknowledging the he loves reading fantasy novels.  He is determined not to make that mistake at his new school, so when Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he denies it.  She is sure her mystery pen pal has to be a reader and thinks it can’t be Dylan, even though their attraction to each other is undeniable.  

The Beckett Effect begins when Wren Richardson’s sister is humiliated by Beckett Lane, and Wren vows to get revenge. Girls seem to fall for him despite him dropping them soon after they begin dating.   Wren and her best friend Chelsie decide to focus their Film Lit project on proving him to be a Byronic hero who doesn’t deserve redemption. A Byronic hero is a literary archetype named after the English Romantic poet Lord Byron, characterized by a combination of pride, cynicism, emotional depth and moral ambiguity. Wren attempts to prove the rumors about him only to find that they are all false.  She goes “undercover” and begins to date him and ultimately falls for him as well. Of course, he and her sister find out about the project and Wren must find a way to make amends.  The author adds snippets of film scripts to add to the cinematic value.

Unconventional Career Paths Explored in YA Novels

Students can learn about unconventional career paths in detail by reading young adult novels.  This month I am recommending three new YA novels that explore Formula One racing, stand-up comedy and archeological digs. Formula He's the One by Andie J. Christopher follows a girl whose dreams of becoming a Formula One driver are dashed when her mom dies in a car accident. In  Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic by Patricia Park a former child actress decides to become a stand-up comedian. Ancient History Between Us by Kaitlyn Hill reunites childhood friends who spent their formative years traveling with their parents who are archeologists. 

Formula He's the One introduces Tessa James who spent her childhood dreaming of becoming the first female driver in Formula One. But everything changed when her mother died in a car accident.  Her Indy-car legend father retired to run a small machine shop servicing race teams in Indianapolis, and Tessa manages the front office. When she is invited to Monaco for the Grand Prix, her life changes forever. She falls in love with Formula One driver, Pietro, her childhood competitor, and begins to envision a future outside her comfort zone. 

Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic focuses on  a former child actress who no longer is getting parts due to weight gain and other issues.  When she is ghosted by her ex at a sold-out Josie Kang comedy show, she meets standup comedian Teddy in line and gives him her extra ticket.  By carefully watching other comics, going to open mic nights, and even taking a class, Ambrosia finds her voice. On stage she is able to vent about body image standards, Asian stereotypes, backstabbing and other Hollywood issues. Here her pant size doesn't matter-only her ability to come up with a razor-sharp quip at a moment's notice and with comedic timing.  The narrative employs scripts, text exchanges, journal entries, and comedy sets to illustrate the comedy world.

In Ancient History Between Us childhood best friends Cammie Lovett and West Jacobs spent their formative years traveling with her mother and his father who are archeologists.  After their first kiss and a dramatic misunderstanding, they’ve spent the last three years apart with no communication.  Now reunited for a summer in Italy at the twentieth anniversary of their parents’ discovery of an ancient villa, they bury the hatchet and West helps Cammie on her quest to find her biological father. West, who struggles with crippling anxiety, finds reuniting with Cammie to be therapeutic, as they rekindle their relationship which evolves into love.

Teens Dealing with Death

         Coping with the death of a friend or loved one is not easy for people of any age. For children and young adults the experience may impact who they become as adults.  Reading about how the main characters deal with death in their lives may inform the readers about coping mechanisms and support systems that enable the young person to move on from the devastating experience.  Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman focuses on Skye who is attending a camp for grieving teens after the death of her sister. In You, Me, and Infinity by Deb Caletti Margaret is making a golden record which records elements of her relationship with her deceased boyfriend. Addy, the main character in Light Me Up by Katie Karambelas, must deal not only with her mother's death, but also her father moving the family to his home town, leaving behind Addy's boyfriend Nate with whom she is planning a future. 

Lying About Last Summer deals with the death of a sibling.  After her sister dies in a tragic accident in the family pool, Skye’s parents send her to a camp for grieving teens, while they continue to deal with her brother’s heart issues. Skye, who was a competitive swimmer, now doesn’t want to go near a pool or the lake. When she starts getting mysterious texts from her supposably dead sister, Skye must determine who might be sending them.  At camp she deals with her roommates’ issues, as well as interest from two of the guys at camp. Although the book is advertised as a mystery thriller, the focus on grieving is a much stronger element than who is sending the texts. 

You, Me and Infinity focuses on the death of a boyfriend. When Margaret sees Mars for the first time, she feels like they were destined to be together. Her job delivering pizzas for her family’s pizza restaurant brings her to his doorstep. Soon they are stargazing and she is beginning to understand Mars’s passionate interest in the Voyager space capsule’s golden record which preserves elements of humanity indefinitely in space. But when the unthinkable happens, she must carry on without him. She decides to make her own golden record to send a message to him that her love is infinite.

Light Me Up not only explores the death of a parent, but also the main character's plans for the future.  When Addy’s mom dies, and her dad moves the family back to his hometown, she struggles to find a new identity.  She was with the same boy, Nate, since middle school, and they were planning a future together.  But when she gets a job at the town’s “chocolate” amusement park, she develops a whole new circle of friends, including Asher who makes her rethink her future plans with Nate.

YA Novels Filled with Mystery and Suspense

When I decided to make this month's blog focus on mysteries, I wondered, what's the difference between thriller, suspense and mystery novels? Asking AI, I learned in a thriller the protagonist is in danger from the outset.  In suspense novels the main character may become aware of danger only gradually.  In a mystery, the reader is exposed to the same information as the protagonist/detective to solve a crime. The three books I'm reviewing this month all have elements of mysteries. In The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss the main character, whose sister was murdered in season four of a TV show called The Escape Game, competes in season five, hoping to find her murderer. Whispers of Sea Glass by Wendy Lynn Decker is described as a historical mystery.  Set in Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1958, Ivy Munroe investigated the head nun at her catholic school, hoping to find something that would convince her parents to transfer her to public school. Although Megan Lally's  What We Did to Survive is advertised as a survivalist thriller, it also has elements of a mystery.  Hannah and Emmy are vacationing with their families in Mexico.  When they go out for a sail with Ben, a boy Emmy just met, they get caught in a storm.  But the sketchy captain and Ben turn out to be as dangerous as the weather. 

The Escape Game, the first book in a new series, begins with season four of a teen reality TV show, which ended with the shocking discovery of a dead body.  Alicia was a player in the vampire-themed escape room. In season five her sister Sierra, who was suspected of killing her sister, is back, determined to solve the murder. Her team, Team Helsing, includes Carter, star of the show’s fan-run website, Beck, a trans-boy, and Aditya, a bookworm pushed into the series by his mother. The clues to this mystery are woven with several escape room puzzles that the team must solve. 

Whispers of Sea Glass introduces Ivy Jean Munroe who longs to go to public rather than Catholic school.  Inspired by women of espionage novels, she investigates the school’s domineering head nun, whom she sees in civilian clothes, suspecting she’s running a house of prostitution. She enlists the help of Stella, a troublemaker at school.  Her investigation leads her into troubles she could not even imagine. 

In What We Did to Survive Hannah joins her best friend Emmy’s family for a spring break in Mexico. Hannah is heading off to nursing school, and Emmy, the more adventurous of the two, is going to travel the world, so they are celebrating before they go separate ways. Emmy meets wealthy Ben who invites her on a sailing excursion. He agrees to include Hannah and Emmy’s brother Jackson, whom Hannah has had a crush on since childhood.  Because of predicted storms, no reputable company will take them, so Ben hires a private sailboat with a sketchy captain. After a surprisingly carefree day on the water, they lose their captain in a mishap just as the storm hits and Ben shows his true colors. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, adding to the tension created by the weather and the relationships between the people onboard.