(3) YA Nineteen-year-old Elisabeth has abandoned childhood play with the Goblin King in favor of family duty. When his underground kingdom seduces her sister away, Elisabeth must again play his games and discovers an alluring world all her own. This historical fantasy, set in nineteenth-century Germany and written in lush prose, features a young woman's self-actualization through music, passion, and sexual desire.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) YA "Good Korean Girl" Hannah convinces her free-spirited older sister, Grace, and best friend Lo to drive to Las Vegas to surprise Hannah's longtime BFF, Nick--whom she's never met in person (they have an intense internet and phone relationship) and for whom her feelings have moved beyond friendship. Hannah's dithering over whether to tell Nick grows tiresome, but the story is escapist fun.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) YA In an unnamed town in what could be the American Southwest or Latin America, seven young adults stand out from the vanilla residents. Each has a secret, but each also has knowledge about someone else's. This work of magical realism provides a thoughtful examination of gender, guilt, fear, and forgiveness, weaving together cultural traditions from Pakistan, Latin America, and the U.S. in unexpected ways.

Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(4) YA Jacob can "tunnel" into anyone's mind by touching an object the person once possessed. Discovered by the government, he's manipulated into becoming an asset and, after attempting to work in secret from home, eventually locked away. The drama of balancing regular life with government-controlled tunneling doesn't fit well with the extreme twists that propel the book's latter half, though both provide solid entertainment.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) YA After being kicked out of yet another boarding school, troubled Summer is living in Paris, attempting to put her crumbling life back together to claim her inheritance. She falls for two opposite boys: classmate Moony, who's positive and gentle; and Kurt, a brooding bad influence. Touching on death, addiction, and suicide, Jacobus's debut is a powerful look at tragic flaws and human resilience.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(3) YA The Paloma and Corbeau families, who perform in traveling shows as mermaids and fairies, respectively, have hated each other for two decades. Despite their bitterly feuding relatives, Lace Paloma and Cluck Corbeau fall in love after Cluck saves Lace's life. Heavy with magical elements, foreign phrases, and lovely imagery, this is a challenging, poetic, and unhurried read.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Fear Street series. Hoping a return to normalcy will aid her emotional recovery after a car accident that took her father's life, Lisa agrees to babysit a neighborhood boy. While on the job, she struggles to separate reality from hallucinations--and then her friends start dying. Driven by cliffhangers and plot twists, the story lacks depth and complex characters but offers chills at a quick pace.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old Bec thinks she's in Rome for a boring internship at a fashion magazine. But it turns out her summer is anything but boring: Bec investigates--along with the CIA--a plot to kidnap the visiting First Lady, while juggling two cute guys. Bec's fashion-meets-espionage escapades are surprisingly tedious, but her computer skills (she's adept at hacking) add some hi-tech pizazz.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Cam fakes his death to join an elite team of operatives committed to spending the final year of their lives as drug-enhanced spies, completing secret missions for the greater good--or so they think. Royce's vivid narrative reads like an action movie, favoring plot over characterization. A cliffhanger ending sets up the next installment.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(4) YA A teen agent for the CIA's time-travel division, Jackson Meyer is injured and trapped under a force field in the future. His recovery is mixed up with an assortment of people, including his dad, his former love, and Tempest and Eyewall agents. Light on action, this trilogy-ender (Tempest; Vortex) focuses on Jackson's past and the effects of time travel.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA During senior year, Kara, a talented dancer, is hit by a drunk driver, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Everyone around her talks about how inspirational and strong she is, but Kara rejects those ideas; she's just doing what she has to do now. Based on Hill's real experiences, this quick read is a nuanced portrayal of a life altered.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Conquered Earth series. In the trilogy's conclusion, Holt and Mira separately gather forces for an all-or-nothing battle to rescue Zoey from the alien Assembly and save Earth. The post-apocalyptic world changed by alien domination continues to be intriguing; followers of the series will overlook the slightly draggy middle and enjoy the emotional roller coaster and suspense that lead to a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) YA Fear Street series. This addition to the recently revived series follows teen Rachel, who's ecstatic over an invitation to her crush's birthday party on his family's secluded private island. But when party pranks turn deadly, Rachel wishes she had heeded her friends' ominous warnings to stay away. After a sluggish opening, Stine's signature brisk plotting moves toward an effective twist ending, leaving character development in the dust.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(4) YA Nym is a storm siren and a slave. Able to create storms and call down lightning, she is given the choice to hone her ability and fight in the centuries-old war her kingdom is losing or be executed. The world-building and secondary characters are unsubstantial, but a compelling plot with plenty of action will keep fantasy fans riveted.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) YA Jackson Meyer is a teen agent for Tempest, the CIA's time-travel division. Eyewall, another shadowy CIA group, begins attacking the agents of Tempest, and Jackson finds his life once again entwined with Holly's, the girl for whom he changed history in Tempest. Cross allows readers to closely connect with her characters in this fast-paced sequel.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA Conquered Earth series. Mira and Holt must take Zoey to the middle of the Strange Lands, where the laws of physics don't work, to unlock the secret of her powers and her connection to the alien invaders. Breakneck action is balanced by plot twists, and new characters add to the complex narrative without overly complicating the story.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) YA Conquered Earth series. Earth is now controlled by aliens known as the Assembly. When bounty hunter Holt and his latest captor, Mira, discover a crashed Assembly ship with a human girl inside, they all must work together to discover why the aliens want her. The plot moves at a breakneck pace full of action and danger, with lush descriptions of a landscape changed by alien domination.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) PS Illustrated by Steve Smallman. Ellis retells forty familiar stories from the Old and New Testaments using simple language and repetition: "Pound! Pound! Saw! Saw! Joseph made a table." The tales are stripped to the bare-bones plot, and each concludes with a suggestion for a related activity (e.g., making a rainbow, singing a song, talking about kindness). Smallman's cartoon-style illustrations are kid-friendly.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth