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Review: Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

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Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

Boys I Know
Anna Gracia
Peachtree Teen
Published July 5, 20222

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About Boys I Know

*A high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality.*

June Chu is the “just good enough” girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother’s unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.

While June’s mother insists she follow in … Continue reading →

Review: Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

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Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

Bad Things Happen Here
Rebecca Barrow
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published June 28, 2022

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About Bad Things Happen Here

I KILLED ZOE SPANOS meets THE CHEERLEADERS in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took … Continue reading →

Review: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

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Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Openly Straight
Bill Konigsberg
Arthur A. Levine Books
Published May 28, 2013

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About Openly Straight

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers … Continue reading →

Review: Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

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Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

Funny Gyal: My Fight Against Homophobia in Jamaica
Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland
Dundurn Press
Published June 7, 2022

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About Funny Gyal

“Instead of remaining silent, she chose to speak out…that’s the power of one person.” — Barack Obama

The inspiring story of Angeline Jackson, who stood up to Jamaica’s oppression of queer youth to demand recognition and justice.

When Angeline Jackson was a child, she wondered if there was something wrong with her for wanting to kiss the other girls. But as her sexuality blossomed in her teens, she knew she wouldn’t “grow out of it” and that her attraction … Continue reading →

Review: Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid

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Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid

Before Takeoff
Adi Alsaid
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published June 7, 2022

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About Before Takeoff

The Sun Is Also a Star meets Jumanji when two teens meet and fall in love during a layover-gone-wrong at the Atlanta airport in this thrilling new novel from the author of Let’s Get Lost!

James and Michelle find themselves in the Atlanta airport on a layover. They couldn’t be more different, but seemingly interminable delays draw them both to a mysterious flashing green light–and each other.

Where James is passive, Michelle is anything but. And she quickly discovers that the flashing green light is actually… a button. Which she presses. Which may or may not unwittingly … Continue reading →

Review: Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

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Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

Forging Silver Into Stars
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury YA
Published May 3, 2022

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About Forging Silver into Stars

When ancient magic tests a newfound love, a dark fate beckons . . .

Magic has been banished in the land of Syhl Shallow for as long as best friends Jax and Callyn can remember. They once loved the stories of the powerful magesmiths and mythical scravers who could conjure fire or control ice, but now they’ve learned that magic only leads to danger: magic is what killed Callyn’s parents, leaving her alone to raise her younger sister. Magic never helped Jax, whose leg was crushed in … Continue reading →