Review: Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Out of Darkness
Ashley Hope Pérez
Holiday House
Published September 10, 2019

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About Out of Darkness

“This is East Texas, and there’s lines. Lines you cross, lines you don’t cross. That clear?” New London, TX. 1937. Naomi Vargas is Mexican American. Wash Fuller is Black. These teens know the town’s divisive racism better than anyone. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.

Naomi and Wash dare to defy the rules, and the New London … Continue reading

Review: Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1)
Katherine Rundell
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published September 10, 2024

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About Impossible Creatures

The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it’s the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help.

Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for … Continue reading

Review: Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp by Rachel M. Marsh

Grandpere's Ghost Swamp by Rachel M. Marsh

Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp
Rachel M. Marsh
Greenwillow Books
Published March 24, 2026

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About Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp

Ferris meets Ghosts of Tupelo Landing in this cozy ghost story about family, environmental activism, food, and friendship.

Basil Theriot has spent her entire life in New Orleans—in her family’s famed Cajun restaurant in the French Quarter, really—but she’s never been out to the bayou where her grandfather grew up. She’s also never seen a ghost, even though dozens of ghost tours pass by the restaurant every day and her best friend Tommy is determined to be a ghost hunter.

But then Grandpere’s ghost appears. And he has a mission for her.

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Review: The Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee

Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee

The Heiress of Nowhere
Stacey Lee
Sarah Barley Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published March 17, 2026

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About The Heiress of Nowhere

An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this “atmospheric…beguiling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) historical gothic mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee.

1918. Orcas Island, Washington.

Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore … Continue reading

Review: The Fall of Iris Henley by Jennifer Graham

The Fall of Iris Henley by Jennifer Graham

The Fall of Iris Henley
Jennifer Graham
Wednesday Books
Published February 24, 2026

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About The Fall of Iris Henley

For fans of Megan Lally and Kara Thomas, a twisty thriller about a Texas teen accused of murder who’s desperate to clear her name.

All it takes to ruin someone’s life is the stroke of a key. Just ask Iris Henley. Her life is destroyed when someone posts an anonymous message on her high school’s subreddit thread: “Iris Henley is a killer. I’ve been too scared to come forward until now, … Continue reading

Review: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins - a Hunger Games novel

Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel)
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press
Published March 18, 2025

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About Sunrise on the Reaping

The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series!

When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy … Continue reading