(3) YA High-school junior Brynn works as a con artist so that she can afford college and escape her mom's drug-dealer boyfriend. Her swindling talents earn her a spot at secretive boarding school Vale Hall, making her dreams of escaping come true--at a cost. This twisty, high-stakes modern thriller (based on Norse mythology) will make readers question their own codes of ethics.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA A newly discovered ability to channel the perspective of an unknown serial killer raises a serious dilemma for sixteen-year-old morgue reporter Nathalie Baudin: reveal her supernatural powers and aid the police, or reject them for a life of normalcy? Set in nineteenth-century Paris, a time when the city's fascination with death warranted daily newspaper morgue reports, this eerie historical mystery will appeal to fans of Gothic thrillers.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) YA After a serious car accident, Olivia wakes up--but discovers that her consciousness survived the crash in the body of her best friend, Morgan. Suddenly submerged in Morgan's privileged life, Olivia discovers unnerving secrets about the girl she thought she knew. The novel's central mystery, although suspenseful, doesn't really pay off, though other elements of this body-swap thriller will satisfy romance and psychological-thriller fans alike.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) YA Four years after the extraterrestrial Luxen invasion, the world is a dangerous, divided place. Still, seventeen-year-old Evie never expects that a night out dancing and a club where humans and aliens mingle will change everything. But Luc, the sexy and mysterious alien club owner, blows apart Evie's whole life. Sharing the world of Armentrout's Lux series, this steamy if formulaic spinoff will hook paranormal-romance fans.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA In nineteenth-century Connecticut, Valentine Deluca must brave the suspicious jeers of townsfolk who cannot forget that her mother was hanged for killing Nigel Bradshaw. But a string of mysterious disappearances--including that of her father and the town reverend who believes that Valentine's mother was innocent--compels Valentine to uncover the truth, with unexpected help from Bradshaw's son. A romantic thriller for fans of Gothic mysteries.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) YA Illustrated by Rhys Davies. Ryber is the only Sister at the convent who hasn't become a Sightwitch with the gift of foretelling. When the other Sisters mysteriously disappear into their goddess's mountain, Ryber sets out after them to discover why. This prequel to Truthwitch and Windwitch--a novella of journal entries and drawings from multiple sources--doesn't stand alone, but it will appeal to fans of the fantasy series.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) YA When Ang's boss is framed for the murder of Bar-Selehm's prime minister, the seventeen-year-old former steeplejack is determined to clear his name. But with a racist coalition government at the helm and a mysterious illness sweeping the nonwhite neighborhoods, it won't be easy for her. This conclusion to the timely alt-history fantasy trilogy (Steeplejack; Firebrand), led by a remarkable female protagonist of color, is both eloquent and exciting.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) YA Adventures of Arabella Ashby series. In the conclusion to this steampunk/alternate-history trilogy, England has defeated Napoleon on Venus and now intends to conquer Mars. Heroine Arabella is of English descent but was raised on Mars, so even though her new husband is leading England's mission, she allies herself with the native Martians. Levine once again successfully injects commentary on colonialism into an action-packed science-fiction tale.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Students are injured by police--and African American protagonist Moss's boyfriend is killed--in a series of escalating altercations in California's West Oakland High School. Moss, who suffers panic attacks due to his father's earlier murder by police, finds the courage to fight back. A large, diverse cast of characters and many plot threads shed light on issues related to police brutality from multiple angles, and the climax is compelling.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Two years after their high-school breakup, musicians Vee and Cam are awkwardly reunited during a nationally televised battle-of-the-bands tour. Through alternating perspectives and shifting chronologies, this breezy but heartfelt debut explores what happened then--and what might be possible now. Music fans and aspiring rock stars will especially enjoy this new-adult road-trip novel.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) YA In this To Catch a Killer sequel, sleuth Erin helps her uncle run a CSI summer camp; it's an entertaining distraction, but it doesn't keep Erin from meddling in her boyfriend's convict father's murder case. Erin and her friends are still improbably skilled in a variety of crime-solving skills, but those who are able to suspend disbelief will find a quick-paced, fairly satisfying teen whodunit.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) YA In a polluted, dystopic future America, smuggler Marin comes from a line of corsarios (pirates). Riots over the Relocation Act--moving impoverished "Shorelings" to the man-made island Pacifica--connect Marin with the president's son Ross, who ultimately needs Marin's help on a desperate sea-faring quest. The dark, atmospheric story's theme of internment (expanded on in the author's note) echoes history, while the climate change–ravaged dystopia rings unsettlingly possible.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) YA After Thrace falls, Attia is enslaved in Rome and must hide her identities--as the heir to Thrace and as the mysterious gladiator, Spartacus. Her plans for escape and revenge against Rome are disrupted, however, by her growing affection for champion gladiator Xanthus and other members of their owner's household. This epic, action-packed historical reimagining ends with hints that Thrace will rise again in future volumes.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA Reluctant witch Cam's mother invites her to join her wicked coven, only for a hex to immediately descend on the group. Cam and a talented (and rather domineering) young witch named Poppy work together to solve the mystery of the hex. The third novel (Seriously Wicked; Seriously Shifted) continues do-gooder Cam's moral disposition to use "vegetarian" spell ingredients, which keeps this modern-day witch tale lighthearted.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) YA Mana (Flying) doesn't know whom to trust when a dying alien gives her a crystal and tells her to find other enhanced humans like herself. Chased by aliens and humans, Mana struggles to prove she's not a danger to humanity. Mana's frustrations and fears ground the funny and action-packed story, keeping it tongue-in-cheek instead of goofy.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) YA Adventures of Arabella Ashby series. Levine's steampunk alternate history shifts the Napoleonic Wars to Venus, where French forces mistreat British POWs. Masquerading as captured Captain Singh's wife, Arabella (Arabella of Mars) launches a mission to rescue her beloved, despite the obstacles presented by a cagey chaperone and by a pirate captain's flirtations. Levine touches on the problematic aspects of colonialism even as the novel as a whole leans toward plucky adventure.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac