Best of
Young-Adult-Contemporary

2019

Even If I Fall


Abigail Johnson - 2019
    Brooke and her family became social pariahs, broken and unable to console one another. Brooke’s only solace remains the ice-skating rink, where she works but no longer lets herself dream about a future skating professionally.When Brooke encounters Calvin’s younger brother, Heath, on the side of the road and offers him a ride, everything changes. She needs someone to talk to…and so does Heath. No one else understands what it’s like. Her brother, alive but gone; his brother, dead but everywhere. Soon, they’re meeting in secret, despite knowing that both families would be horrified if they found out. In the place of his anger and her guilt, something frighteningly tender begins to develop, drawing them ever closer together.But when a new secret comes out about the murder, Brooke has to choose whose pain she’s willing to live with—her family’s or Heath’s. Because she can’t heal one without hurting the other.

Paper Avalanche


Lisa Williamson - 2019
    Never Mum or Mummy or Mother. Just Bonnie.'When it comes to flying under the radar, Ro Snow is an expert.No friends. No boys.No parties.And strictly NO VISITORS.It may be lonely, but at least this way the truth remains where it should – hidden.Then Tanvi Shah, the girl who almost died, comes tumbling back into her life, and Ro finds herself losing control of her carefully constructed lies.But if Ro’s walls come crumbling down, who’s going to take care of Bonnie…

Roam


C.H. Armstrong - 2019
    They had a normal life back in Omaha, but thanks to her mother’s awful mistake, they had to leave what little they had behind for a new start in Rochester. Abby tries to be an average teenager—fitting into school, buoyed by dreams of a boyfriend, college, and a career in music. But Minnesota winters are unforgiving, and so are many teenagers. Her stepdad promises to put a roof over their heads, but times are tough for everyone and Abby is doing everything she can to keep her shameful secret from her new friends. The divide between rich and poor in high school is painfully obvious, and the stress of never knowing where they're sleeping or where they’ll find their next meal is taking its toll on the whole family. As secrets are exposed and the hope for a home fades, Abby knows she must trust those around her to help. But will her friends let her down the same way they did back home, or will they rise to the challenge to help them find a normal life?

The Quiet You Carry


Nikki Barthelmess - 2019
     Now, dumped into a crowded, chaotic foster home, Victoria has to tiptoe around her domineering foster mother, get through senior year at a new school, and somehow salvage her college dreams . . . all while keeping her past hidden. But some secrets won't stay buried—especially when unwanted memories make Victoria freeze up at random moments and nightmares disrupt her sleep. Even worse, she can't stop worrying about her stepsister Sarah, left behind with her father. All she wants is to move forward, but how do you focus on the future when the past won't leave you alone?

Forward Me Back to You


Mitali Perkins - 2019
    Since he knows nothing about his past, how is he supposed to figure out what comes next?Robin and Kat meet in the most unlikely of places — a summer service trip to India to work with survivors of human trafficking. As bonds blossom between the travel-mates, Robin and Kat discover the healing superpowers of friendship.At turns heart-wrenching, beautiful, and buoyant, Mitali Perkins' new novel explores the ripple effects of violence — across borders and generations — and how small acts of heroism can break the cycle.

Within and Without


Deborah Maroulis - 2019
    But how far is too far?A stunning YA debut that touches on a teenage girl's emotionally haunting journey to self acceptance.When sixteen-year-old Wren Newmann is forced to move from her small California town to her grandmother’s vineyard after her parent’s divorce, she’s convinced she’ll die a shriveled, wine-country virgin.Her dating life improves when Jay, the son of Granny’s vintner and her long-time country crush, notices her. She tries to be the girl Jay would want—social, skinny, and sexy. But as their relationship heats up, so does her anxiety and the need for her secret purging sessions. Still, she insists Jay is the perfect boyfriend in spite of everyone’s warnings.When Panayis, the cute Greek farmhand, insists on being her friend, Wren finds someone who truly sees her—trouble is she can’t bring herself to look at her own reflection, let alone allow anyone else to see her as she is.When personal tragedy strikes the night of the Spring Break party, Wren is left to pick up the pieces of her broken relationships. Now, she must step up to the plate and decide if the illusion of being loved is worth sacrificing her health, and maybe even her life.

The Virus of Beauty


C.B. Lyall - 2019
    When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the magical realm. He'd rather play soccer than practice magic, but he's forced to make a choice between the life of a normal teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal's secrets - but will it be too late to save her?

The Long Distance Playlist


Tara Eglington - 2019
    It's been radio silence ever since - until Taylor contacts Isolde to sympathise with her breakup: the breakup that she never saw coming; the breakup that destroyed her confidence and ended her dreams of joining the National Ballet School.Taylor's had his own share of challenges, including a life-altering accident that has brought his hopes of competing at the Winter Olympics to a halt.Isolde responds to Taylor, to be polite. But what starts out as heartbreak-themed Spotify playlists and shared stories of exes quickly becomes something more.And as Taylor and Isolde start to lean on each other, the distance between them begins to feel not so distant after all ...A boy. A girl. A one-of-a-kind friendship. Cross-country convos and middle-of-the-night playlists. With big dreams come even bigger challenges.

When the Truth Unravels


RuthAnne Snow - 2019
    Lucky to be going to prom with her three best friends, like any other teen. Like it never happened. And if she has anything to say about it, no one but her best friends will ever know it did.Jenna, Rosie, and Ket will do anything to keep Elin's secret—and to make sure it never happens again. That's why they're determined to make prom the perfect night. The night that convinces Elin that life is worth living.Except, at prom, Elin goes missing.Now it's up to her friends to find her. But each of the girls has her own demons to face. Ket is being blackmailed by an ex. Rosie is falling in love for the first time. And Jenna . . .Jenna is falling apart.And no one, not even her best friends, knows why.Heart-wrenching and utterly impossible to put down, When the Truth Unravels follows four friends as they confront their greatest hopes and darkest secrets in one life-changing night.

Throw


Ruben Degollado - 2019
    She was the lechuza, the owl you see just before someone is about to die, the one that haunts you in your dreams and you never want to see in real life because it means you are about to lose someone you love.”Llorona is the only girl Güero has ever loved. A wounded soul, she has adopted the name of a ghost from Mexican folklore. True to her namesake, Llorona cast Güero away with the coldness of the apparition she has become. But Güero—though he would never admit it to his friends—still wants to get back together with her.Güero spends time with his friends Ángel and Smiley—members of the HCP (Hispanics Causing Panic) gang—roaming the streets of the South Texas border towns they inhabit, trying to forget Llorona even as she seems to appear around every corner. Over three days Güero’s increasingly violent confrontations with Llorona’s current boyfriend will jeopardize the lives of Ángel and Smiley and the love he hopes to regain. As events begin to accelerate toward their conclusion—and gang signs are thrown as both threats and claims of identity—the question arises: will Güero throw the HCP sign, or will he throw off that life? Güero’s life will be irrevocably changed by violence and loss, but who will he lose, and will he—somewhere along the way—lose himself?

Kick the Moon


Muhammad Khan - 2019
    There’s no space in Ilyas’ life to just be a teenager.Serving detention one day, Ilyas finds a kindred spirit in Kelly Matthews, who is fed up with being pigeonholed as the good girl, and their friendship blows the social strata of high school wide open. But when Kelly catches the eye of one of the local bad boys, Imran, he decides to seduce her for a bet – and Ilyas is faced with losing the only person who understands him. Standing up to Imran puts Ilyas’ family at risk, but it’s time for him to be the superhero he draws in his comic-books, and go kick the moon.

Hipster Death Rattle


Richie Narvaez - 2019
    As fear and tension rise in the summer heat, police detectives Petrosino and Hadid eye local gangbangers for the crimes. Meanwhile, slacker reporter Tony Moran and his ex-girlfriend Magaly Fernandez pursue a cold case involving an old woman who mysteriously disappeared a year before. But the closer they all get to the truth, the closer they get to losing their heads.Filled with a broad cast of local characters and told with sardonic wit, this fast-moving, intricately plotted story plays out against a backdrop of rapid gentrification, skyrocketing rents, and class tension, written like only a true native could.Praise for HIPSTER DEATH RATTLE:“Richie Narvaez has created something that’s been missing from recent fiction: a vivid, loving look at city living from the street view.” —Sara Paretsky, award-winning author of Shell Game“Hipster Death Rattle is a smart piece of work featuring the unlikely yet likeable hero Tony ‘Chino’ Moran. Fierce and funny…with a light touch that masks Narvaez’s biting social commentary.” —Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of What You Break“[Narvaez] has one of the most compelling writing styles I’ve come across in years.” —Lawrence Kelter, author of Back to Brooklyn“Hipster Death Rattle is a debut bursting with verve and personality, loaded with memorable characters and a clear, distinctive voice—courtesy of Richie Narvaez’s knack for sly wit and a crackling plot. A love letter to a forgotten slice of New York that manages to also evoke classic mystery novels of years past, Hipster Death Rattle is both of the moment and evergreen. Not an easy feat, but Narvaez does it with panache. I couldn’t put this book down.” —Alex Segura, author of Blackout and Dangerous Ends“Edgy and wildly entertaining, with a colorful cast of characters and a sweep reminiscent of Tom Wolfe, Hipster Death Rattle is the slasher novel you need in your life right now.” —Michele Campbell, international bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband“Narvaez has some brutal points to make about gentrification…that give the text a crackling fission you don’t find in a typical mystery.” —Mystery Tribune

We Speak in Storms


Natalie Lund - 2019
    So when another tornado touches down in the exact same spot on the anniversary of this small-town tragedy, the town is shaken. For Brenna Ortiz, Joshua Calloway, and Callie Keller, the apprehension is more than just a feeling. Though they seem to share nothing more than a struggle to belong, the teens' paths continue to intersect, bringing them together when they least expect it, and perhaps, when they need it most. Both the living and the dead have secrets and unresolved problems, but they may be able to find peace and move forward--if only they work together.A beautifully told, haunting yet hopeful novel about pushing past the pain, facing the world, and finding yourself.

My Secret Santa


Jaclyn Weist - 2019
    Not since I lost my dad last year. The lights, the music, the happy people. Everything reminds me of him. And if he were around still, maybe he could get Chad to leave me alone. On top of all that, Mr. Walker had to give us this assignment to be a Secret Santa for someone, and you'll never guess who I got. Okay, you probably can, but can you blame me for not wanting to do the assignment? Except . . . Chad doesn't seem to be a bad guy when his friends aren't around. He might even be someone I could like. But can I handle letting someone in right now, especially when his ex-girlfriend and half the cheerleading squad are doing everything in their power to keep us apart? Read all the novels by Jaclyn Weist! Lost in a Fairy Tale Timeless Fearless Endless Limitless The Luck Series Stolen Luck Twist of Luck Best of Luck More Than Just Luck No Such Luck Just My Luck Lost Luck Seeking His Luck Gates of Atlantis (Middle Grade) Magicians of the Deep Celtic Fairy Tale Romances Leana Keela

Break in Case of Emergency


Brian Francis - 2019
    Her mother died by suicide five years ago, and her father left their small town before Toby was born. Now a teenager living on her grandparents’ dairy farm, Toby has trouble letting people in. She keeps even her closest friend, the brash but endearing Trisha, at arms’ length, and recently ended her first relationship, with Trisha’s burnout brother, Mike. Convinced that she is destined to follow her mother’s path, Toby creates a plan to escape her pain.But with the news that her father is coming home and finally wants to meet her, Toby must face the truth of her family’s story. Not only is her father gay, but he’s also a world-famous female impersonator—and a self-absorbed, temperamental man-child who is ill-prepared to be a real parent.When Toby’s careful plans go awry, she is forced to rebuild the life she thought she knew from the ground up. While she may not follow an expected path, through the support of a quirky but lovable circle of friends and family, Toby may finally put together the many different pieces that make up her past, her present, and her future.

Find The Girl: All That Glitters


Lucy Connell - 2019
    Things can change pretty quickly. Nina has been accepted onto a Guildhall music course and is famous because of her pop star boyfriend, Chase. Nancy is trying to put her name on the map by becoming a music journalist and is not getting distracted by Chase's hot bandmate Miles. When their estranged dad shows up out of the blue and shows an interest in Nina's budding music career, Nancy isn't sure he's just there to make amends. As they attempt to find their way through new challenges, they both have to remember that you have to pave your own path to success and sometimes fame comes at a price.