Category Archives: By Genre

Review: Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

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Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

Not Like Other Girls
Meredith Adamo
Bloomsbury YA
Published April 30, 2024

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About Not Like Other Girls

A girl risks everything to find her former best friend in this powerful debut mystery about trauma, girlhood, and what we deserve.

When Jo-Lynn Kirby’s former best friend—pretty, nice Maddie Price—comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it’s some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked—and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.

Everyone is quick to write … Continue reading →

Review: Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke and Mel Valentine Vargas

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Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke and Mel Valentine Vargas

Pillow Talk
Stephanie Cooke
Illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas
HarperAlley
Published April 30, 2024

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About Pillow Talk

Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that’s part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself. For fans of Check, Please and Bloom.

When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport. Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for … Continue reading →

Review: Sound the Gong by Joan He

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Sound the Gong by Joan He

Sound the Gong (Kingdom of Three #2)
Joan He
Roaring Brook Press
Published April 30, 2024

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About Sound the Gong

From New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, comes the dazzling and sweeping conclusion to The Kingdom of Three duology, Sound the Gong, the breathtaking sequel to the critically-acclaimed Strike the Zither.

All her life, Zephyr has tried to rise above her humble origins as a no-name orphan. Now she is a god in a warrior’s body, and never has she felt more powerless. Her lordess Xin Ren holds the Westlands, but her position is tenuous. In the north, the empress … Continue reading →

Review: The One That Got Away With Murder by Trish Lundy

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The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy

The One That Got Away with Murder
Trish Lundy
Henry Holt & Co.
Published April 16, 2024

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About The One That Got Away with Murder

Be careful who you fall for…

Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and privileged, the Crestmont brothers’ have enough wealth to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they’re behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, … Continue reading →

Review: Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

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Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

Deep Is the Fen
Lili Wilkinson
Delacorte Press
Published April 16, 2024

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About Deep Is the Fen

Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.

But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides … Continue reading →

Review: Fake Chinese Sounds by Jing Jing Tsong

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Fake Chinese Sounds by Jing Jing Tsong

Fake Chinese Sounds
Jing Jing Tsong
Kokila
Published April 30, 2024

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About Fake Chinese Sounds

A middle-grade graphic novel about a Taiwanese American girl navigating identity, bullying, and the messy process of learning to be comfortable in her skin.

Between homework, studying, and Chinese school, Měi Yīng’s summer is shaping up to be a boring one. Her only bright spots are practice with her soccer team, the Divas, and the time spent with her năi nai, who is visiting from Taiwan. Although Měi Yīng’s Mandarin isn’t the best and Năi Nai doesn’t speak English, … Continue reading →