I love reading YA Contemporary!
Synopsis from Penguin Random House: A book that “speak[s] volumes about our need for connection—human, feline or otherwise” (The San Francisco Chronicle), The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice that shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy. We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to … Continue reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery’s never been there, but she’s heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a … Continue reading Two Can Keep a Secret Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: The highly anticipated second novel from Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give, returns to the world of Garden Heights in a story about an aspiring teen rapper. Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her … Continue reading On the Come Up Review
Synopsis from Workman Publishing: Adventure and discover with the bold and intrepid Becket Branch when her family’s move from city to a country farm means big changes! Everything is changing for Becket Branch. From subways to sidewalks to safety rules, Becket is a city kid born and raised. Now the Branch family is trading urban … Continue reading The Becket List: A Blackberry Farm Story Review
Synopsis from Macmillan Publishers: In Adrienne Kisner's Dear Rachel Maddow, a high school girl deals with school politics and life after her brother’s death by drafting emails to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in this funny and heartfelt YA debut. Brynn Haper's life has one steadying force--Rachel Maddow. She watches her daily, and after writing to … Continue reading Dear Rachel Maddow Review
Synopsis from Penguin Random House: Named A Highly Anticipated Book for 2018 by InStyle online, Elite Daily, and Hello Giggles! One of Popsugar’s “10 Books Your Favorite Celebrities Are Reading This Spring” The author of The Garden of Small Beginnings returns with a hilarious and poignant new novel about four families, their neighborhood carpool, and … Continue reading Other People’s Houses Review
Synopsis from St. Martin's Press: For fans of Eleanor & Park and Emergency Contact comes a sweeping romance about the love that got away. Eugene and Tatiana could have fallen in love, if things had gone differently. If they had tried to really know each other, if it had just been them, and not the … Continue reading In Paris With You Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: In the second of three companion novels from fan-favorite author Kasie West comes an effervescent story about chasing your dreams and following your heart, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Huntley Fitzpatrick. Lacey Barnes has dreamed of being an actress for as long as she can remember. So, when she gets … Continue reading Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss Review
Synopsis from Hachette Book Group: Max Einstein is not your typical genius. She… -Hacks the computer system at NYU to attend classes -Builds inventions to help the homeless -And talks to Albert Einstein! (Okay that’s just in her imagination) But everything changes when Max is recruited by a mysterious organization! Their mission: solve some of … Continue reading Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment Review
Synopsis from Groundwood Books: In 1970 Vancouver, thirteen-year-old Charlotte and her best friend, Dawn, are keen to avoid the pitfalls of adolescence. Couldn’t they just skip teenhood altogether, along with its annoying behaviors – showing off just because you have a boyfriend, obsessing about marriage and a ring and matching dining-room furniture? Couldn’t one just … Continue reading Dodger Boy Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Becky Albertalli, award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, combine their talents in this funny, heartfelt collaboration about Arthur and Ben, two very different boys who can’t decide if the universe is pushing them together—or … Continue reading What If It’s Us Review
Synopsis from Scholastic Inc: One high school girl's comedic examination of her dating past as told by the friends, family, and boys who were involved! Avery Dennis is a high school senior and one of the most popular girls in her class. But a majorly public breakup with the guy she's been dating causes some … Continue reading It’s Not Me, It’s You Review
Synopsis from Candlewick Publishing: Roar! It’s not bad enough that Mom and Dad are heading to California, leaving Judy and Stink with Aunt Awful (er, Opal), but now two of Judy’s friends are going Splitsville, too. Just when it looks like her summer is going to be BOR-ing- eureka! — Judy comes up with the … Continue reading Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Review
Synopsis from Simon & Schuster: Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Mean Girls as lovably flawed high school student Chloe Snow chronicles another year in her life while she navigates the highs and lows of family, friendship, school, and love in a diary that sparkles with humor and warmth. It’s Chloe Snow’s sophomore year of high school, … Continue reading The Year of Living Awkwardly Review
Synopsis from Little, Brown, and Company: James Patterson presents this emotionally resonant novel that shows that while some broken things can’t be put back exactly the way they were, they can be repaired and made even stronger. Kira’s Twelve Steps To A Normal Life 1. Accept Grams is gone. 2. Learn to forgive Dad. 3. … Continue reading Twelve Steps to Normal Review
Synopsis from Penguin Young Readers: A status-obsessed senior unexpectedly falls for a freshman because of his Danny Zuko audition in their high school’s production of Grease in this outrageously funny epistolary novel set in 1991. The folded notes collected for this book represent correspondence surrounding one Tara Maureen Murphy, senior at South High c. 1991-1992. … Continue reading Folded Notes from High School Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Millington Valley is a quintessential small Pennsylvania town: families go back generations. Football rules. Kids drink while adults look the other way. High school is a whirlwind of aspiration and rivalry, friendship and jealousy. When smart and pretty Molly Hanover moves to town and attracts the attention of the football team's hero, … Continue reading What the Valley Knows Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Life gets complicated when a teen girl is caught kissing the bad boy next door in this contemporary YA romance from debut author Katy Upperman. “Jilly. . . if you tell me to go home, I will.” After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn't himself. His long-time friend Jillian … Continue reading Kissing Max Holden Review
Synopsis from HarperCollins: What do you do when you’ve fallen for your best friend? Funny and romantic, this effervescent story about family, friendship, and finding yourself is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on … Continue reading Love, Life, and the List Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: In Savannah Espinoza’s small New Mexico hometown, kids either flee after graduation or they’re trapped there forever. Vanni never planned to get stuck—but that was before her father was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, leaving her and her mother to care for him. Now she doesn’t have much of a plan at all: … Continue reading Like Water Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding. But change … Continue reading Always and Forever, Lara Jean Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: In this story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the … Continue reading One of Us is Lying Review
Synopsis from Simon & Schuster: When a beloved high schooler named Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched—not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the officer assigned to investigate her murder. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these … Continue reading Girl in Snow Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: From Edgar Award–winning author Mindy McGinnis comes a dark and riveting psychological thriller about a dangerous split-personality love triangle that begins to fracture the life Sasha Stone has so meticulously built. A gripping look at what it means to give away the heart . . . that isn’t yours to give. Sasha … Continue reading This Darkness Mine Review
Synopsis from HMH Books for Young Readers: Esther is one of the Special Ones: four young spiritual guides who live in a remote farmhouse under the protection of a mysterious cult leader. He watches them around the clock, ready to punish them if they forget who they are—and all the while, broadcasting their lives to … Continue reading The Special Ones Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Lottie Reeves has always struggled with anxiety, and when her beloved Aunt Helen dies, Lottie begins to fear that her own unexpected death might be waiting around every corner. Aunt Helen wasn’t a typical aunt. She was the author of the best–selling Alvin Hatter series, about siblings who discover the elixir of … Continue reading Everything All at Once Review
Synopsis from Lee & Low Books: Claire Takata has never known much about her father, who passed away ten years ago. But on the anniversary of his death, she finds a letter from her deceased father to her stepfather. Before now, Claire never had a reason to believe they even knew each other. Struggling to … Continue reading Ink and Ashes Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: What happens when your BFF becomes your EFF . . . EX-Friend-Forever? When seventh-grader Mango Delight Fuller accidentally breaks her BFF Brooklyn’s new cell phone, her life falls apart. She loses her friends and her spot on the track team, and even costs her father his job as a chef. But Brooklyn’s … Continue reading Mango Delight Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: She’s a tomboy. He’s the boy next door… Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn’t know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds … Continue reading On the Fence Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: Stella never meant to fall for a rock star…much less a Heartbreaker When Stella's sister Cara is diagnosed with leukemia, Stella puts her dreams on hold to move home and be with her family. With Cara's birthday approaching, Stella wants to get her the perfect gift—an autographed poster of her sister's favorite … Continue reading The Heartbreakers Review
Synopsis from Scholastic: What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery? While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! … Continue reading P.S. I Like You Review
Synopsis from Edelweiss: In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture. Maddie's not impulsive. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a … Continue reading Lucky in Love Review
Standalone Sunday is a weekly feature created by Megan @ BookslayerReads to spotlight a standalone novel that you loved and would want to recommend. Be sure to check out her blog and original post by clicking on the link above! Synopsis from Edelweiss: Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven’s New York Times bestseller All the Bright … Continue reading Standalone Sunday | The Art of Feeling
