Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore

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This is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore

This Is Why We Lie
Gabriella Lepore
Inkyard Press
Published September 21, 2021

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About This Is Why We Lie

Everyone in Gardiners Bay has a secret.

When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.

Once Jenna’s best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to … Continue reading →

12 Amazing Books I Read in Summer 2021

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12 Amazing Books I Read Summer 2021

12 Amazing Books I Read in Summer 2021

Summer is one of my favorite times to read. The more relaxed schedule makes me feel like I’m not so pressed for time, and I usually manage to fit in a few backlist titles I’ve been excited about reading.

This year was better and worse for me reading-wise. I have no shortage of books thanks to my early-pandemic massive orders to indie bookstores near me, as if somehow I alone could save their businesses. (Hopefully I did help, though!)

But I also had a lot of other stuff going on. Some physical. Some just the accumulated exhaustion from an overwhelming school year with my girls. In any case, it was more … Continue reading →

Review: Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

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Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

Defy the Night
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury
Published September 14, 2021

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About Defy the Night

The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.

King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike … Continue reading →

Review: We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley

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We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley

We Can Be Heroes
Kyrie McCauley
Katherine Tegen Books
Published September 7, 2021

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About We Can Be Heroes

“Welcome to Bell, proud home of Bell Firearms for two hundred years, and where five months ago, the teen heir to the Bell fortune took his father’s guns to school and killed his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Queen.” —WE CAN BE HEROES PODCAST

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other, but they always tried their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. After the town moves on from Cassie’s murder too fast, Beck and Vivian finally find common ground: vengeance. They memorialize Cassie by … Continue reading →

Review: Quiet by Susan Cain

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Quiet by Susan Cain

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking
Susan Cain
Crown Publishing Group
Published January 24, 2012

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About Quiet

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society. 

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal … Continue reading →

Review: Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell, and Fiona Wood

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Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell, and Fiona Wood

Take Three Girls
Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell, and Fiona Wood
Sterling Teen
Published April 6, 2021 (Orig. 2017)

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About Take Three Girls

Popular Ady seems cool and confident at school, but at home her family is falling apart. Brainiac Kate wants to pursue her dreams of playing music, even if it jeopardizes her academic scholarship. And swim champ Clem finds herself disenchanted with the sport . . . and falling for a very wrong boy. When these three very different girls are forced to team up in a wellness class, they’re not … Continue reading →