Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner

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How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner

How We Ricochet
Faith Gardner
HarperTeen
Published May 24, 2022

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About How We Ricochet

Intimate, impactful, and incisive, this newest novel from Faith Gardner, critically acclaimed author of GIRL ON THE LINE, is an unflinching look into the devastating consequences of a mass shooting for one girl and her close-knit family, for readers of THIS IS HOW IT ENDS and ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES.

It seems sometimes a charade that we continue celebrating in the face of relentless tragedy.

How dare we? But then . . . what else is there to do?

Betty’s mom needed new pants for her job.

That was why Betty was at … Continue reading →

Review: Limitless Roads Café by Samantha Picaro

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Limitless Roads Cafe by Samantha Picaro cover shows a girl in glasses, a white top and jeans holding a clipboard in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Behind her is a line drawing of the outside of a cafe with a potted plant, an awning, and a small table with chairs.

Limitless Roads Café
Samantha Picaro
Published May 15, 2023

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About Limitless Roads Café

Kinsey Fontana relies on lists to navigate the world as an autistic teen. #Goals list: win her dream event planning internship (she knows it’s an ironic dream); master the art of masking; and gain Mom’s approval. Instead, she works at a café hiring teens with disabilities. Although she loves the … Continue reading →

Review: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen

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Worldwide Crush Kristin Nilsen cover shows a girl sitting on the back of a leather couch looking up. Behind her is a giant poster of a boy with a guitar.

Worldwide Crush
Kristin Nilson
SparkPress
Published July 11, 2023

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About Worldwide Crush

Rory Calhoun is a teen popstar with perfect teeth and messy hair who’s inspiring first crushes all over the globe. Millie Jackson is just one of the millions of fans who love him—but that doesn’t mean her heart doesn’t break for him every single day in this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

How many of Rory’s fans collect “data” about him in a special notebook hidden in their underwear drawer? Or … Continue reading →

Review: Andy and the Extroverts by Jessica K. Foster

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Andy and the Extroverts by Jessica K. Foster cover shows a girl peeking over her sunglasses, her arms crossed. She's holding a coffee cup and wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and ripped jeans. Behind her are a forest and three people in the distance.

Andy and the Extroverts
Jessica K. Foster
Winding Road Stories
Published May 16, 2023

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About Andy and the Extroverts

Seventeen-year-old bookish Andy has no friends. When her over-involved mother has the audacity to ship her off to summer leadership camp, she’s thrust into an introvert’s nightmare. Everyone is a Communicator with a capital C, icebreaker activities are … Continue reading →

Review: Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

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Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

Ode to My First Car
Robin Gow
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published June 20, 2023

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About Ode to My First Car

By the critically praised author of A Million Quiet Revolutions , this YA contemporary sapphic romance told in verse is about a bisexual teen girl who falls in and out of love over the course of one fateful summer.

It’s a few months before senior year and Claire Kemp, a closeted bisexual, is finally starting to admit she might be falling in love with her best friend, Sophia, who she’s known since they were four.

Trying to pay off the fine from … Continue reading →

Review: You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

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You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight
Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 20, 2023

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About You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight

At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night?

This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from … Continue reading →