Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Going Dark by Melissa da la Cruz

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Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz cover shows a girl facing the camera, her face dark. She holds up a photograph of a girl's face partly over hers.

Going Dark
Melissa de la Cruz
Union Square Co.
Published January 31, 2023

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About Going Dark

“An intense rollercoaster of a thriller and a searing indictment of which victims get our attention and sympathy.”
–#1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Marie Lu

In this ripped-from-the-headlines GONE GIRL meets A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz weaves a white-knuckle YA thriller about a beautiful young influencer who vanishes after going on vacation with her boyfriend.

#WhereisAmeliaAshley

The Influencer
Amelia Ashley shares … Continue reading →

Review: Starfish by Lisa Fipps

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Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Starfish
Lisa Fipps
Nancy Paulsen Books – Penguin Young Readers
Published March 9, 2021

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About Starfish

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world.

In the water, she can stretch … Continue reading →

Review: You Wouldn’t Dare by Samantha Markum

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You Wouldn't Dare by Samantha Markum

You Wouldn’t Dare
Samantha Markum
Wednesday Books
Published March 28, 2023

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About You Wouldn’t Dare

A rom com about trying to have the summer of your life before everything changes – only to realize change might be exactly what you need…

When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship.

More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life. Now, months since the fallout, Junie and Graham spend most … Continue reading →

Review: Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

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Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

Mirror to Mirror
Ranaji LaRocca
HarperCollins
Published March 21, 2023

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About Mirror to Mirror

In Rajani LaRocca’s breathtaking follow-up to the Newbery Honor– and Walter Award–winning Red, White, and Whole, identical twin sisters with a complicated relationship do everything together—until one day, they break apart.

Maya is the pragmatic twin. But when her sister threatens to reveal her secret anxiety to their parents, she feels completely betrayed.

Chaya is the outgoing twin. With Maya shutting her out, she decides to make a drastic change to give her twin the space she seems to need.

The once-close sisters can’t seem to find their rhythm, but they know … Continue reading →

Review: I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu

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I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu

I Will Find You Again
Sarah Lyu
Simon & Schuster
Published March 14, 2023

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About I Will Find You Again

All the Bright Places meets Ace of Spades in this twisty teen thriller about finding a way to live after losing the one person who feels like home.

Welcome to Meadowlark, Long Island—expensive homes and good schools, ambition and loneliness. Meet Chase Ohara and Lia Vestiano: the driven overachiever and the impulsive wanderer, the future CEO and the free spirit. Best friends for years—weekend trips to Montauk, sleepovers on a yacht—and then, first love. True love.

But when Lia disappears, Chase’s life turns into a series … Continue reading →

Review: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

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The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway
Ashley Schumacher
Wednesday Books
Published March 14, 2023

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About The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favourite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.

Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up … Continue reading →