Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones

Guardians of Dawn: Ami (Guardians of Dawn #3)
S. Jae-Jones
Wednesday Books
Published August 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Guardians of Dawn: Ami

When the Pillar blooms, the end of the world is not far behind.

Li Ami was always on the outside—outside of family, outside of friendships, outside of ordinary magic. The odd and eccentric daughter of a former imperial magician, she has devoted her life to books because she finds them easier to read than people. Exiled to the outermost west of the Morning Realms, Ami has become the sole caretaker … Continue reading →

Review: Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom by Jasmine Skye

By | | , , ,
Leave a comment

Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom by Jasmine Skye

Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom (Witch Hall #2)
Jasmine Skye
Feiwel & Friends
Published February 24, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom

Two girls, bound by magic, must work together to stop an oncoming war, while grappling with unresolved feelings and terrible secrets in Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom, the thrilling conclusion to Jasmine Skye’s queernormative romantasy duology.

“If I ask you to walk into danger with me, Rosamund Holt, will you do it?”

Born a bone witch, with the power to raise the dead, Shaw has spent her life preparing to take her place … Continue reading →

Review: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu

By | | , , , , ,
Leave a comment

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World
Pénélope Bagieu
First Second
Published March 6, 2018

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World

2019 Eisner Award Winner for Best U.S. Edition of International Material

Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit.

With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories … Continue reading →

Review: Postscript by Cory McCarthy

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Postscript by Cory McCarthy

Postscript
Cory McCarthy
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published February 17, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Postscript

From Stonewall Honoree Cory McCarthy, a heartbreaking, joyful, read-it-in-one-sitting YA novel about the last of us.

“I’m not sure the how-pocalypse changes anything. I don’t think about it; this is hard enough.”

This is a depopulated archipelago off the coast of Massachusetts, home to a tiny handful of sapiens sifting the remnants of civilization for scraps of comfort and joy. 

There’s no sense in trying to figure out exactly how humans got to this place of endless gray skies and so many mass graves—that’s a very long letter no … Continue reading →

Review: The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen

By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen

The Firelight Apprentice
Bree Paulsen
Quill Tree Books
Published October 29, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Firelight Apprentice

The bestselling author-illustrator of Garlic and the Vampire, Bree Paulsen, brings her fantastical storytelling and warm, sparkling artwork to this story that celebrates the bond between sisters.

In a city powered by magic and still recovering from a bloody war, Ada is concerned about her younger sister Safi’s developing powers. She understands that Safi could learn how to control her magic under the apprenticeship of a king’s magician. But with the memories of war still fresh, Ada is … Continue reading →

Review: I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

By | |
2 Comments

I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

I’m Still Here: Loving Myself in a World Not Made for Me (Adapted for Young Readers)
Austin Channing Brown
Convergent Children’s
Published April 4, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I’m Still Here

An adaptation of the powerful New York Times bestselling account of growing up Black and female in America, completely rewritten with new stories for young readers

Austin Channing Brown’s first encounter with race in America came at age seven, when she discovered that her parents had named her Austin to trick future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Channing Brown writes, “I had to learn what it … Continue reading →