Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Review: Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

Diary of a Confused Feminist
Kate Weston
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published January 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Diary of a Confused Feminist

Kat wants to do GOOD FEMINISM, although she’s not always sure what that means. She also wants to be a writer, get together with Hot Josh (is this a feminist ambition?), win at her coursework and not make a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT of herself at all times.

But the path to true feminism is filled with mortifying incidents, and when everything at school starts to get a bit too much, Kat knows she’s … Continue reading →

Review: Heartstopper: Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

By | | , , , ,
4 Comments

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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 house … Continue reading →

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

By | | , , , ,
Comments Off on Review: Where There’s Smoke by E. B. Vickers

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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

By | | , , , ,
Comments Off on Review: Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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

By | | , , , , ,
Comments Off on Review: I’ll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Review: Every Time You Go Away by

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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 →