#teen reads

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Your entire life, your entire world, can change in an instant. This is a sentiment not unknown to sixteen year old Deka. Awaiting the traditional blood ritual that will decide if she can take a place amongst the rest of her village, she knows that just as easily as everything can go right, it can also go disastrously wrong. Fighting for a place and for acceptance, Deka must learn that nothing, or no person, is as it seems, even herself. Even if you are new to the genre, you will not regret reading this book! Set in an astonishing and complex world, The Gilded Ones is a great choice for any fantasy fan.

Flamer by Mike Curato is a realistic, sometimes brutal, often tender portrayal of a teen boy figuring out that he is gay in the hyper heteronormative environment of a boy’s summer camp. Mostly depicted in delicate black ink brushstrokes,  Emotional scenes are highlighted with fiery orange and red flames, harkening to the title.  Some readers may find the barrage of anti gay slurs offensive or challenging to read; many readers will recognize they represent an accurate depiction of cultural norms in the 1990s.  The emotional climax of the story will have you in tears.  Flamer is sure to become part of the canon of queer teen literature. 

TW—disordered eating, racism, cancer

Mary H.K. Choi’s author’s note for Yolk suggests that the story may be “emotionally expensive for you” if you struggle with disordered eating, dysmorphia, or bulimia, and encourages readers to “be gentle with yourselves—sensitivity is a superpower.”  

I was attracted to this book because of its prettiness-the golden color, the beautiful falling girls, the interlaced hands on the pages—but beneath the prettiness lie complex struggles.

Jayne is something of an antihero—petty, jealous, insecure, privileged, and constantly comparing herself to others unfavorably.  Jayne struggles to process the cultural pressures of being a child of immigrants, as well as the materialism and sexism of US youth culture and social media, culminating in disordered eating.  Jayne is consumed by consumer culture, whether she is obsessing on the brand of a romantic rival’s boots at the beginning of the book, or an expensive cheese at the supermarket at the end. Her manner of speaking is abrasive and full of self doubt, and what seems like a strong intellect is fully occupied with self conscious superficiality. Jayne’s thirst for approval, especially from status-conscious white young men, is saddening.

Still, I really enjoyed her as a character.  Jayne elicits compassion from the reader, and in doing so, allows the reader space to reflect on their own struggles with self compassion.  

When Jayne is confronted with her seemingly perfect elder sister June’s life changing diagnosis, the two are thrown together, both in need of different kinds of support.  I found myself rooting for both siblings as they confront their illnesses and repair their relationship.  If you are a Jane Austen fan, you may sense some Sense and Sensibility/Elinor and Marianne Dashwood vibes from this sibling dynamic. I liked that there is no strong redemptive moment for either sister’s less-than-charming personality characteristics, just tentative acceptance of themselves, and each other.

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

Set in the United States during World War II, We Are Not Free by Traci Chee follows a group of American teens of Japanese descent. At first, life is pretty straightforward - the standard dramas of high school, the looming specter of adulthood on the horizon. Then, Japanese-Americans are removed from their homes, forced to leave most of their possessions behind, and relocated to camps. Inside the fence, life is different, but the teens are still teens: they love, they laugh, they dance, they fight, they play sports, they create, and they dream. Their circumstances initially bind them together, but everyone is unique, and eventually different ideas about how to respond to their internment threaten to drive everyone apart. Relocation, imprisonment, and even death are all distinct possibilities. College is one possible way out of the camp, for those who can convince the admissions office they are real Americans; another is the Army, which brings the dangers of fighting Nazis in Europe. Chee uses the voices of fourteen different teens to show many different perspectives, challenges, and circumstances, and weaving all those threads into one narrative highlights the power of community in the face of oppression.

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The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Your life can change in an instant. Just ask Avery Grimes, one day a normal teenager trying to escape family problems, the next, she is a multi-millionaire! While the whole country wants to know who she is and why Tobias Hawthorne left her his fortune, Avery must move from her home in Connecticut and into the mysterious and eccentric Hawthorne mansion. But sudden wealth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Avery must not only learn to live with the rest of the Hawthorne family, under the same roof, but she must also learn to work with them to figure out what is going on?! Why is she here? Why did Tobias Hawthorne leave her his fortune? Perfect for fans of mystery, suspense, and the movie Knives Out, this book is not to be missed!

Logan and Cade, two high school seniors, are appalled when a favorite history teacher gives them an assignment to debate the Final Solution, the Nazi plan for genocide against the Jewish people, in which they must reenact the Wannsee Conference of 1942, each taking sides, and debating the Final Solution from the Nazi perspective. How could anyone want to rationalize genocide and hatred? Immediately, some students start spewing hatred, while others silently object. But not Logan and Cade. They take a stand and fight for humanity and refuse to do the assignment and push for its cancellation, all while fighting against hatred and bias in their own community.

Based on a true story about two teens fighting against a similar assignment, this timely, fast-paced book shows the importance of student activism and fighting for what’s right. You won’t be able to put it down until you reach the end.

Nineteen year old Sadie is missing and no one knows where she is, but her disappearance happened right after the murder of her little sister and there are theories as to where she went and what she is up to.  After hearing about Sadie’s disappearance a podcast is created to document a journalist’s attempts to track her down.  Through the podcast readers learn about Sadie’s backstory, the event’s leading up to her sister’s death, and the clues that could lead to Sadie’s whereabouts. However, the book does not only give the point of view provided by the podcast but alternates between the podcast and Sadie’s own point of view as well.  Sadie believes she knows exactly who killed her sister and she is willing to cut all ties and leave everything behind to seek revenge.

Sadie is a page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you race through the book to find out what has happened to Sadie.  Did she find her sister’s murderer?  Did she take revenge?  Where is she now???   This book is often described as a thriller but it is also about grief and loss and will break your heart while reeling you in to Sadie’s suspenseful journey for revenge.

    Have you ever met a teenager who would admit that their parents are right? Especially after getting dumped by their significant other, whom their parents never really liked? Ashish Patel doesn’t want to, but challenging them to prove him wrong may prove to be more than he anticipated, or bargained for. Sweetie Nair is the exact opposite, she wants to prove to her parents that they are dead wrong. She can be a great track athlete, a singer, and have a relationship, even if they think she is considered to be “fat.”

But at what cost does this come at? Through the assistance of their friends,their well-meaning, but stubborn, parents, and even some foul-mouthed parrots, Ashish and Sweetie are in for quite the adventure. 

This book is perfect for any reader looking for a sweet love story. But more importantly, it is important for anyone who is struggling with accepting their body. It is the best confidence booster and you will surely be rooting for our couple right to the very end.