Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Heartstopper: Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

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Heartstopper: Volume 5 by Alice Oseman cover shows two boys sitting on the ground facing each other and embracing, faces turned away from the audience.

Heartstopper: Volume 5
Alice Oseman
Hodder Children’s Books
Published December 19, 2023

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About Heartstopper: Volume 5

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series.

Nick and Charlie are very much in love. They’ve finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s … Continue reading →

Review: Where There’s Smoke by E. B. Vickers

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Where There's Smoke by E. B. Vickers cover shows the title words blended into orange and red flame-like shapes.

Where There’s Smoke
E. B. Vickers
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published December 12, 2023

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About Where There’s Smoke

In this fast-paced thriller, eighteen-year-old Calli finds herself alone after the loss of her father—until a bruised and broken girl shows up on her property, forcing her to face the present, rethink her future, and unearth the skeletons of her own past.

Life has never been easy in the small desert town of Harmony, but even on the day Calli Christopher buries her father, she knows she is surrounded by people who … Continue reading →

Review: Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen

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Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen cover shows a girl on the left standing with one leg bent and a boy on the right with one hand in his pocket. They hold up a broken heart between them.

Artifacts of an Ex
Jennifer Chen
Wednesday Books
Published November 14, 2023

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About Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen

When Chloe Chang gets dumped via USPS after moving across the county from NYC to LA, her first instinct is to throw her box of memories in the garbage. Instead, she starts buying other teenagers’ break-up boxes to create an art exhibit, Heartifacts. Opening night is going great, until she spots … Continue reading →

Review: I’ll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman

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I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman cover shows a person's silhouetted reflection in the surface of water with raindrops falling across the image.

I’ll Stop the World
Lauren Thoman
Mindy’s Book Studio
Published April 1, 2023

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About I’ll Stop the World

The end and the beginning become one in a heart-pounding coming-of-age mystery about the power of friendship, fate, and inexplicable second chances.

Is it the right place at the wrong time? Or the wrong place at the right time?

Trapped in a dead-end town, Justin Warren has had his life defined by the suspicious deaths of his grandparents. The unsolved crime happened long before Justin was born, but … Continue reading →

Review: Every Time You Go Away by

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Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson cover shows a collage of things arranged in and around the title, like flowers, a cat, a girl in a wheelchair, and a boy sitting on the ground.

Every Time You Go Away
Abigail Johnson
Inkyard Press
Published December 5, 2023

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About Every Time You Go Away

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Abigail Johnson draws a searing and lyrical portrait of grief, forgiveness, and the kind of love that blooms in the aftermath.

Eight years ago, Ethan and Rebecca met, two trouble-making kids sharing secrets and first kisses in a treehouse, until Ethan’s mom returned to take him away. Each and … Continue reading →

Review: Learning to Fall by Sally Engelfried

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Learning to Fall by Sally Engelfried

Learning to Fall
Sally Engelfried
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published September 6, 2023

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About Learning to Fall

Twelve-year-old Daphne reconciles with her father, who left her stranded three years ago and learns forgiveness one fall at a time in this heartwarming debut by Sally Engelfried. For fans of The​ First Rule of Punk.

Daphne doesn’t want to be stuck in Oakland with her dad. She wants to get on the first plane to Prague, where her mom is shooting a movie. Armed with her grandparents’ phone number and strict instructions from her mom to call them if her dad starts drinking again, Daphne … Continue reading →