(3) YA Darkest Minds series. Five years after the events of The Darkest Minds trilogy, tensions are rising around the reintegration of Psi kids into society. After a public event goes horribly wrong, Zu goes on the run with Roman and Priyanka, two mysterious Psi teens with secrets of their own. This fast-paced dystopian novel delves into very contemporary concerns of power and morality, with forthright conversations about how to effect social change.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs

(4) YA Etta (a modern-day violin prodigy) and Nicholas (a former eighteenth-century slave), on separate, dangerous journeys through time, try to find a powerful astrolabe and each other. Meanwhile, a revelation about Etta's own backstory makes her question her loyalties. This duology conclusion should satisfy Passenger fans' curiosities, but the effort of keeping track of the many threads outweighs the excitement of the (long-deferred) romance.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Prosper Redding thinks he's an ordinary kid--until he discovers there's a demon living inside him. Prosper's many-times-great-grandfather broke a deal with a Malefactor, and now Prosper's demon wants to end the Redding line. Enemies become friends, then family, then enemies again in this entertaining story full of sharp humor, incompetent evil, and engaging magic.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA Present-day New York City teen Etta, a violin prodigy, learns she's part of a family of time travelers. She finds herself and fellow traveler Nicholas on a search across time for a powerful astrolabe. Fans of time-travel adventures should enjoy the characters' zipping from one era to another, and readers who love intrigue will find plenty of it in this series-opener.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Darkest Minds series. This series follow-up collects three previously released novellas set in the Darkest Minds world, in which youth with extrasensory powers are imprisoned and exploited. Each story draws on series events to explore another character's parallel (or sometimes extended) experiences. Danger, injustice, and secrets provide a compelling backdrop on which to explore loss--of friends, faith, and self--and the power of empathy.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) 4-6 These adaptations--published in advance of the 2015 release of the seventh Star Wars movie--assume readers are familiar with the franchise and the plots of the original trilogy. The authors bring their own unique, fresh takes to elements not explained or mentioned in the movies. The novels include black-and-white halftone illustrations and full-color section-opening paintings by Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston. Review covers these Star Wars titles: Return of the Jedi, A New Hope, and The Empire Strikes Back.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) YA Darkest Minds series. Revolution rages in a dystopian near-future where child survivors of a virus gained extrasensory powers and were institutionalized. Multiple resistance movements converge on the search for both cure and cause of the powers (hint: the government is corrupt), with flawed, empathetic mind-manipulator Ruby at their center. Bracken skillfully juggles realistically messy politics, tense action, and fraught relationships in this gripping series conclusion.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) YA Darkest Minds series. Caught between a post-plague government that imprisons the (now psionically gifted) surviving children in camps and a resistance movement that forces them to become weapons, Ruby searches for information about the plague's origins and cure in this second installment. Though the narrative wanders due to antagonists on all fronts, the characters are complex and the world-building engages readers with powerful questions about corruption and fear.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) YA One of many children locked up after a nationwide epidemic of extrasensory powers, Ruby escapes her prison camp after years of psychological torture and joins a group of kids searching for the elusive leader of a resistance movement. Healing friendships, a warm romance, and Ruby's fraught relationship with her own power add tenderness and complexity to a familiar action-packed dystopian setup.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old Sydelle, a gifted weaver, lands in the middle of a political and magical melee when the king dies mysteriously. A strange wizard whisks Sydelle away from her village, using her as a tool to prevent all-out war. Although the thinly written narrative leaves puzzling gaps in the story's development, its themes of romance, ingenuity, and self-discovery make for an enjoyable read.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem