Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) by Livia Blackburne

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Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) by Livia Blackburne

Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)
Livia Blackburne
Quill Tree Books
Published July 18, 2023

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About Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)

You’ve Got Mail gets a YA twist in this rom-com that spotlights the power of activism and community organizing in the face of gentrification.

Clementine Chan believes in the power of the written word. Under the pseudonym Hibiscus, she runs a popular blog reviewing tea shops and discussing larger issues within her Chinatown community. She has a loyal, kind following, save for this one sour grape named BobaBoy888.

Danny Mok is allergic to … Continue reading →

Review: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

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Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino cover shows a girl on the left in a tank top and shorts with her hands one on top of the other with her index finger and thumb extended. Sitting next to her is a boy in a hoodie and shorts with his hands in front of his body, his index finger and pinky extended. Tall grass and flowers in the background behind them.

Give Me a Sign
Anna Sortino
G. P. Putnam & Sons
Published July 11, 2023

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About Give Me a Sign

Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

Lilah … Continue reading →

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 the … 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 →