young adult

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The Waking Land — Callie Bates (ARC Review)

At five years old, Elanna Valtai is seized from her family at gunpoint and kidnapped by a powerful king who raises her as his own, in his palace, under one condition: her father is never to come and reclaim her. In her home land of Caeris, Elanna was loved and doted upon, warmly welcomed for her natural inclination to magic; in the royal city of Laon, however, despite the king's growing affections for her, she is subjected to prejudices for her darker skin, her Caerisian blood, and her family name. Worst of all, she must hide her magic at all costs, for the witch hunters would surely execute her if they found out her blood could wake the stones and the earth, and bring forth spirits of ancestors past.

When the king is poisoned and his daughter takes her place as Queen, she accuses Elanna of regicide, and thus begins an adventure that leaves Elanna running for her life - right into the arms of the family she was stolen from. They've got big plans for her and her magic, but will she be able to leave behind the life the kingdom gave her?

Thirteen Chairs — Dave Shelton

When Jack enters the old, dark house, he isn't sure what he'll find in these mysterious rooms, this long hallway with a sliver of candlelight beneath just one cold door. Jack is more curious than sensible, though, and allows himself into the meeting of twelve, each surrounding a table, each facing a candle. Each will tell a story, and in time, Jack must tell a tale of his own, too.

Stalking Jack the Ripper — Kerri Maniscalco

“Roses have both petals and thorns, my dark flower. You needn’t believe something weak because it appears delicate. Show the world your bravery.” The year is 1888, and Audrey Rose is determined to go against everything that society expects of a young, British lady: rather than waste her time with tea parties and courting politicians, she sneaks out in the evenings to train under her uncle in the forensic sciences. She prefers slicing open corpses to being coddled and reprimanded,...

We Are Okay — Nina LaCour

Winter break has come, and while everyone else has gone home to see families and significant others for a few weeks, Marin would be perfectly content to stay in her dorm room, alone with her grief, pretending that her life from before doesn't exist anymore. Life is never quite that simple, though, and Mabel is coming to visit, shoving her way into Marin's after. Marin has a lot of skeletons in her closet that need to be faced, but can she handle letting go of her denial long enough to heal - and to move forward with Mabel?

The Seafarer’s Kiss — Julia Ember

Ersel's tribe of merpeople has been exiled to the coldest habitable water remaining, far north, and every year, their population dwindles as mermaids' eggs are frozen in their wombs, doomed to infertility. In an act of desperation, the king has enforced a law that, in their nineteenth year, each mermaid must undergo a test of fertility - and the female with the highest likelihood of successful brooding becomes a prized possession, coveted by all of the mermen. To be fertile, and wanted, is the greatest pride any mermaid in their tribe can hold.

Internet Famous — Danika Stone

Offline, Madison Nakama’s life is difficult, at best. First, there’s the mother who randomly leaves to jet halfway across the world for new teaching jobs, leaving her family in shambles without remorse. Then, there’s her father, Charles: the famous writer, whose entire focus in life revolves around keeping their family’s reputation scot-free and away from the careful scrutiny of his conservative readers. Last, there’s Sarah: Madison’s younger sister, who depends on her to keep a strict routine, as well as acting as Sarah’s primary caretaker.

Online, however, things are easy: Madison becomes Madi, creator and owner of the famous pop culture blog MadLibs, where she attracts countless followers and carries on intimate online friendships.

Paperweight — Meg Haston

When Stevie is admitted against her will to a rehab for her eating disorder, she sees it as nothing more than a temporary setback. Her loving father and the hippie shrink, with all of their good intentions, aren't enough to take away the fact that there are only 27 days left until the anniversary of Stevie's older brother's death. There are only 27 days left until the anniversary of the night she killed him.

There are only 27 days left until she repays that debt with her own life.