(2) YA Eighteen-year-old Bea runs away from a home situation that includes an abusive stepfather; a mother who takes his side; and her confused and angry fifteen-year-old brother, Ezra. The novel is composed of messages she sends from a secret email account, and Ezra's responses, with brief why-haven't-you-answered-me missives lending real-time immediacy amid the longer emails delivering the narrative (with perhaps an unrealistic amount of detail, but then, it's their only means of communication). While the conflict at home heightens and Ezra goes to stay with Bea's boyfriend's family, Bea meets up with a "Mystery Guy"--and it isn't revealing too much to say that she believes he's one long-lost family member...and he's actually another. That encounter leads to the uncovering of more and more secrets about Bea and Ezra's past, which keep the pages turning, but the crux of the novel is the siblings' emotional realizations as they begin to process their experiences, allowing themselves and each other space to be flawed. Appended with resources for those experiencing abuse.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Former "America's Fattest Teen" Libby Strout has finally lost enough weight to go back to school, only to immediately find herself at odds with popular Jack Masselin, who has a secret of his own: he has prosopagnosia (face blindness). Themes of seeing and being seen resonate throughout the novel, with an alternating narrative that effectively captures both Jack's and Libby's unique perspectives.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) YA Theodore Finch, a moody "freak," and Violet Markey, mourning her sister's death, meet on their school's bell tower, both flirting with jumping. When they partner on a project to discover the wonders of Indiana, a tentative relationship begins. Told in distinct alternating voices, this novel will affect readers as much with its charming romance as with its heartbreaking portrayal of mental illness.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen