(1) YA Thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper, maid to a judge, lives through the Siege of Boston only to find herself in a precarious situation when British troops depart the city, her Loyalist employer leaves with them, and her father goes missing. She lies her way into the employment of a Patriot spy, Mr. Pike, whose large household includes his wealthy ward, Hannah. But what Elsbeth doesn’t count on is the smallpox epidemic that ravages Boston from spring until fall of 1776. As she continues her search for her father and contends with the housekeeper’s dis-pleasure, Elsbeth, who previously survived smallpox, nurses five of the Pike children and their mother through the inoculation process; she also gets swept up in Hannah’s personal affairs and develops romantic feelings for a friend. War and disease speed up Elsbeth’s maturation, as does an unexpected loss before the book’s conclusion. Often a footnote in Revolutionary War history, the smallpox epidemic is the focus of Anderson’s (Chains, rev. 11/08, and sequels) compelling and well-researched tale of human frailty and perseverance, fear and courage amid dire circumstances. Through Elsbeth’s whip-smart first-person narration (with asides to readers in parentheses) plus quotes from historical letters opening each chapter, readers learn about the disease, its symptoms and deadliness, the measures taken to contain it, and people’s fear of inoculation. ­Anderson’s return to historical fiction highlights her mastery of the genre, with well-rounded characters, detailed storytelling, and timely subject matter that make it a must-read for today’s youth.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) YA After suffering serious injuries in a motorbike accident, Valentina Camacho is determined to resume fencing and qualify for the Summer Nationals. As seventh grade begins, Vale is motivated to get back into training (“This leg thing? / Just a tiny obstacle for me to conquer / on the path to being / a worldwide champ”), but her recovery is slow going. She is frustrated by pain flare-ups and concerned about what classmates will think if she limps or uses a cane and how she will be perceived if she is no longer the champion athlete she once was. Her competitiveness leads to tension with other fencers, including her ex-best friend, and jeopardizes a nascent friendship and crush on new student Myrka. Secondary characters include Vale’s parents and teenage brother, who offer different modes of support, while a growing friendship with a classmate outside the fencing world provides genuine understanding and respite from all the pressures. Arango’s accessible verse strikes at Vale’s emotional core as she considers her worth and identity in the face of her challenges. Chronic pain, disability, and finding the autonomy to self-identify are prominent themes, and the depiction of a brown-skinned, queer girl in the world of fencing is noteworthy. Myrka, who is Cuban, and Vale’s Puerto Rican family communicate bilingually throughout the book.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) YA Contrary to official sources, Milo doesn’t believe his best friend Arianna’s death was an accident. As a Black trans scholarship student at an elite private high school where the oppressive social hierarchy is enforced through constant physical and psychological violence, Milo knows firsthand just how far his fellow students at Yates Academy will go to maintain power. Despite the traumatic bullying he faced in the past and the danger to himself in the present, he returns to school in search of the truth about what happened to Arianna. Milo’s investigation puts him in the path of Liam Reeves, the boy whose rule over the student body as the so-called King of Yates is thrown into jeopardy by a string of threatening messages accusing him of killing Arianna. Milo agrees to help Liam find the blackmailer and clear his name, but his inquiries only unearth secrets that arouse his suspicions further. Told in multiple alternating first-person narrative viewpoints, the story is suspenseful, full of surprising twists that also dig into the psyches and layered social dynamics of an array of teens. True to its name, the book interrogates the complicity of the various characters, including underdog protagonist Milo, with whom readers are set up to identify.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(3) YA Sixteen-year-old Maya’s best friend’s dad, Ross, is a famous musician. When he comes to Toronto and wants to see his daughter, Maya accompanies her and is swept up in the excitement of hanging out with a rock star. That is, until Ross kisses her, and an almost-inappropriate photo of them goes viral. This hi-lo title features a solid female friendship and strong protagonist who, once she realizes she’s not to blame for Ross’s actions, has the courage to tell him so.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) YA High school senior Hollis Brown, who is violently bullied at school, believes he will be stuck in his “podunk” rural Midwestern town for his whole adult life. His circumstances change drastically when a random encounter leads to a spirit inhabiting his body. Enter Walt, a young man who once lived in Rose Town, the now-abandoned and haunted area adjacent to Hollis’s hometown. While Walt’s initial possession of Hollis’s body is frightening, the two eventually grow to under-stand each other, and the experience helps Hollis build confidence and better re-late to others around him. They eventually work together to tackle some of the unfinished supernatural business haunting Rose Town, conveyed through convincing, vivid descriptions of the intersection of the physical and metaphysical worlds. Ancrum’s narrative style is distinctive, especially in the depiction of the singular situation of Walt and Hollis inhabiting one body. This engaging thriller explores an unusual LGBTQ+ romance, coming of age, and how the present is rooted in the past.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(1) YA Translated by Rosie Hedger. Beasts have invaded thirteen-year-old Abdi’s homeland. With their hoofed feet, long arms, slender hands, and razor-sharp claws, the beasts pursue and kill every living creature. The government has collapsed; there’s no electricity; supermarkets are empty. What’s even worse is the way people have turned against one another, fighting for survival. When their mother is killed, Abdi flees through open ­country with his little sister, hoping to reach the coast and find a boat to take them overseas to their father. Bjerkeland’s propulsive tale is sleek and elegant, a subtle blend of fable and realism that increasingly reflects many of today’s desperate refugees’ experiences. Every sentence is direct and brief, vivid with eventfulness, uncertainty, and Abdi’s deep sense of responsibility for his sister. Even moments of rest and relative safety—the pleasure of food or the solace of finding one trustworthy adult—are highly charged. “I missed grown-ups,” Abdi laments, and in these few words Bjerkeland evokes the failed adult world, the injustice that plays itself out on children. The story’s brevity and abrupt forcefulness, and the characters’ stalwart courage and love, make this tale unusually compelling.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) YA In this ambitious work, Bray alternates three seemingly disparate stories, briefly braiding them into one near the novel's end. In 1940s Germany, Sophie and Hanna are devotees of the Bridegroom's Oak, a hollow tree famed as a post box for exchanging love letters. As the Nazi regime becomes increasingly brutal and the girls work for the resistance, what better use for it than as a drop for forged documents? In the 1980s, overprotected Texan teen Jenny, who has moved with her family to West Berlin, takes on a new, rebellious life when she falls in love with punk band founder Lena, who is determined to pull off a dangerous rescue in East Berlin. And in 2020s Brooklyn, under COVID-19 lockdown, Miles and Chloe use their Zoom meetings to translate clippings and letters belonging to Chloe's German grandmother. The novel's strength lies in Bray's careful characterization of Sophie and Hanna and in the suspenseful life-or-death stakes of their story, generating momentum for the three-strand plot: how are the girls connected to characters in Berlin and Brooklyn? Thematic connections among the three milieux are patent, from fascist "making Germany great again" to perilously restrictive communist East Germany to the murder of George Floyd. Occasional peculiarities of expression ("one day, that fish who had been a boy would grow into a great whale") appear in writing that is generally sharply effective. Throughout, Bray stresses the value of resistance to "our flawed world's inhumanity, intolerance, and authoritarianism" by means of "acts both large and small."

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Sixteen-year-old Cooper King has always tried to follow his father's admonition to avoid political protests for his own safety. But then a schoolmate is shot by the police, and Jason, who is like a big brother to him, plans to loot a high-end fashion boutique during a peaceful protest against racist police violence: "Every time they take one of ours, it's tax season...I'll use that bread to build up the neighborhood, on some real Robin Hood type shit." Cooper is caught between his father's advice and wanting to help the cause. He decides to join Jason in robbing the store—but then shots are fired, a woman is dead, and Jason is arrested for murder. His younger sister, Monique, collaborates with Cooper to find the real culprit and free her brother, but Cooper doesn't tell Monique of his own involvement, even as their friendship turns increasingly romantic. Tension escalates during their sleuthing as they encounter "dirty cops, double agents, [and] confidential informants." As he did in Promise Boys (rev. 1/23), Brooks writes with easily readable prose, abundant dialogue, multiple points of view, and astute social commentary, artfully constructing a complex murder mystery that will engage and involve readers.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) YA Sixteen-year-old Eleanor is obsessed with learning all she can about her birth father, tech mogul Hugo Harrison, who ended his relationship with her mother long before Eleanor can remember. When the opportunity presents itself, she takes a summer job under an assumed name as a nanny for his two-year-old son, Arlo, and in the process gets to know Hugo's young wife, Aurora. As Eleanor takes a front-row seat to a family she thought she knew all about from social media, readers may be less surprised than she is at how much isn't what it seems; however, it's easy to empathize with her wish to know her father and to believe the best of him. And Eleanor, who makes frequent, admiring reference to an early comic-book heroine named Miss Fury, becomes more heroic herself as she grows to question Hugo's ethics in developing his AI projects, including his treatment of both Aurora and Arlo. Her questions are likely to prompt readers' own about how to know what to believe, and about what makes AI (or anything else) go "from cool and interesting to creepy and disturbing."

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Ash Woods, the transmasculine alchemist who saved the city from his father’s destructive magic in Infinity ­Alchemist (rev. 3/24), begins this novel now licensed, honored by House Alexander, and cohabiting with the two people he fell in love with, Callum and Ramsay. But Ash is coping with symptoms consistent with PTSD and is worried that the other two will realize they love each other and not him. When Lord Alexander suggests—threateningly­—that Ash become his spy in the outlaw Alchemist Liberation Party, and then the ALP kidnaps Ash to recruit him to spy on Lord Alexander, Ash becomes a double agent to protect Callum and Ramsay from attack but ends up forced to betray each of them. The motivations and pressures brought to bear can be difficult to track at times, but Ash finds he aligns with the goals of the ALP and takes steps he can’t back away from, alienating both of his lovers in the process. Meanwhile, chaos energy left over from Ash’s father’s attack raises the stakes to potential universal destruction. Fast-paced action sequences and a dollop of metaphysics make this exciting sequel a good fit for those who like their fantasy to take big swings.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(4) YA When thirteen-year-old Gonzalo and his famous author abuelo are forced to spend time together over summer break, a rogue road trip helps them bond and heal: Gonzalo from the death of his father and Abuelo from past traumas and loss. Told from several points of view (including an overly involved narrator), the novel is a bit didactic. However, as a teaching tool, this is an enticing entry point to narrative elements for readers ready to delve into literary analysis.

Reviewer:

(1) YA In this Cape Town–set verse novel, each woman in the Strand family gains magical abilities when she turns fifteen. As Nell Strand approaches her fifteenth birthday, she is painfully aware of the potential dangers that can accompany this “gift.” Her older sister, Mora, carries songs underneath her skin—and has been hospitalized for trying to cut the music out. Their mother’s age changes daily, and there is no guarantee she’ll have the maturity on any given day to be the parent Nell or Mora needs. Nell’s gift is that her emotions manifest as insects: ladybugs when she feels hopeful, blue stick insects for sadness, beetles and flies during uncomfortable interactions with her piano teacher, and wasps when she becomes angry. Nell’s attempts to suppress her feelings result in a vicious cycle of disordered eating, and it will take everything in her to do the one thing she fears most: face the swarm. While the book covers dark themes (parental neglect, molestation, suicidal ideation), positive elements including a budding relationship with a new boy at school help reframe Nell’s perspective. Vividly and fluidly written verse (“The moths thrill and flutter, a thousand little shadows / Mama lets go of me. I lose her in all the gray”) sets a gradual pace that allows readers to immerse themselves in Nell’s complex reality and her path to womanhood in a world both harsh and hopeful.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) YA Divine Traitors series. This story of dragons and magic set in the warring nations of San Irie and Langley picks up shortly after the cliffhanger ending of So Let Them Burn (rev. 3/24). Faron, linked spiritually and mentally with the dragon Lightbringer and with Iya, the would-be god possessing the body of the boy she loves, hopes to free him, undermine the war effort from inside Langley, and keep innocents alive. Back on San Irie, her sister, Elara, is the new Maiden Empyrean, chosen by the gods to wield their power and charged to defeat Iya and send all dragons away, regardless of the attachments that humans—especially her own girlfriend—have with dragons. Many of the first novel’s charms carry through this one, topmost amongst them the complex, flawed, yet easy-to-root-for sister protagonists and their dedication to each other. The writing successfully balances the tension between the pain of separation and comfort found in moments of connection and solidarity. The world is lushly built, though some aspects of the series (blood magic; the fallibility of gods and dragons alike) could be further explored. Cole sticks the landing, however, with a satisfying ending including hard-fought wins, believable losses, and the end to war as its own kind of magic.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) YA "The upside of being born on reaping day is that you can sleep late on your birthday. It's pretty much downhill from there." This prequel to the original trilogy (The Hunger Games, rev. 9/08, and sequels) features Haymitch Abernathy, whom fans will recognize as the irascible mentor to later District Twelve tributes Katniss and Peeta. The reaping for the annual televised death game's Quarter Quell—double the number of tributes this time—takes place on his sixteenth birthday. One of the selected tributes tries to escape and is shot dead; chaos ensues, and Haymitch's efforts to protect his girlfriend, Leonore Dove, result in his being illegally reaped himself. Haymitch gets pulled into the familiar rituals of the Hunger Games, and while readers know quite a bit about the outcome of these Games, Collins successfully leverages that knowledge to surprise us with plot twists, unexpected revelations, and new background information. Haymitch has always been a tragic figure, and his character arc is handled particularly well here. Even more successful than earlier prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (rev. 9/20), this one rises to the level of the trilogy in terms of its examination of the political morality of both nations and individuals, particularly in relation to timely themes of autocracy and disinformation. This new installment should easily satisfy existing fans and bring new ones into the fold.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) YA Emily Chen-Sanchez, a Taiwanese and Panamanian American sixteen-year-old living in South Carolina, feels out of place with her wild hair, artistic passion, and too-tall body in a "tri-country" family that praises her quiet, "perfect" sister. Emily takes an unconventional summer job as an aide to an elderly woman, Mrs. Granucci, whose own wild hair and wacky life appeal to Emily. At last, the teen finds solace from home stress (Mom has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer) and from awkwardness with her friends. Her duties for Mrs. Granucci—some practical (turning off appliances) and some more unusual (wearing a particular pair of blue leather shoes)—become a familiar routine, along with the chief assignment of helping her employer preserve her memories. But soon, she starts to see concerning behaviors—harmful microaggressions, a car accident—that make her question her promise to Mrs. Granucci's grandnephew to stay silent. Con Morse's immersive novel is steeped in the quotidian moments of life: drinking sour lemonade at Mrs. Granucci's, the way drawing with chalk pastels can bring Emily joy. These moments add up to a summer of transformation in which the protagonist finds her voice and self-acceptance.

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(3) YA In 1973, Patty Appleton, a young female congressional page, witnesses the political upheavals of Watergate, Roe v. Wade, and the Equal Rights Amendment. She grapples with her conservative upbringing and the feminist movement in this nuanced, thought-provoking exploration of political and personal growth. Historical photos and clippings add immersive context, while relatable characters and sharp social commentary may engage both teens and adults. The insightful back matter includes an epilogue, author's note, selected sources, resources, and photo credits.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(1) YA Fifteen-year-old Somadina has always been close to her twin brother, Jayaike. He is the one person she can count on to support her in the face of anything, from prejudice to their mother’s emotional withdrawal after their beloved older sister leaves to train as a dibia, a special type of magic user with more than one gift. However, a budding romance with their shared best friend and the arrival of their own magical gifts begin to create a rift between Somadina and her twin. Suddenly, there are things she cannot share with Jayaike, whose ability seems so different from her own destructive one. Then, the worst comes to pass: Jayaike is stolen away by a sinister figure who aims to consume the twins’ power. To rescue her brother, Somadina must set out on a dangerous journey and learn to harness the magical gift she fears. Emezi draws on their Igbo heritage to craft an immersive world, bringing it to life with absorbing prose that heightens the emotional impact of Somadina's coming-of-age story. Her journey is at once physical and spiritual, her magic connecting her to the collective history and inheritance of her people as well as to the divine. A haunting and healing tale of transcendent familial bonds.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(1) YA Thirteen-year-old Pakistani American Mohammad and his father move from Queens to Houston to stay with his aunt and cousin while his research scientist mother works in a refugee camp in Greece. Mo’s father’s paranoid schizophrenia, which causes dramatic mood swings, makes it difficult to hold down a job and live independently, and Mo adopts a tough bad-boy act to protect himself from the pain of abandonment and anger at his parents. His aunt provides much needed warmth, love, and support, and his cousin Rayyan, coping with his own father’s tragic death, serves as a friend at his new school. Mo tries to channel his feelings through engrossing himself in South Asian folktales (interspersed throughout the story), boxing, and art. As he discovers truths about his family, he slowly opens himself up to being more accepting of others. Mo’s brave front in trying to deal with volatile situations makes him a sympathetic protagonist. Secondary characters provide nuanced perspectives on how people cope with trials in their lives. A raw portrayal of the pain, confusion, and hurt of a memorable young teenager.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) YA In imperial Mali in 1359, Aminata, a rich merchant's daughter originally betrothed to a noble she loves, loses everything after a false accusation leads to her disownment and the cancellation of her engagement. Now she must work as a servant to Princess Mariama, daughter of Emperor Suleyman, a ruthless man who forces the princess's suitors to undergo impossible Trials that result in their being boiled to death. The only thing keeping Amie afloat is a plan to elope with her beloved, Kader. However, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Mariama, a charismatic young woman who intends to end the Trials for good. When Amie embarks on a quest to steal a hammer from an exiled god -- both the key to ending the Trials and an opportunity to run away with Kader -- she is torn between her promise to her first love and her loyalty to the princess. Romance, court intrigue, and a classic fantasy adventure combine as Fears draws readers in with lush world-building and a flawed but sympathetic protagonist whose passion and resilience sustain her. This solid foundation becomes the springboard for a fast-paced quest arc full of perilous and thrilling encounters, testing Amie's courage and conviction at every turn. The ending feels a bit abrupt, but it sets the stage and builds anticipation for a potential sequel.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA In this “brother novel” to The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In (rev. 3/21), Flake explores the connection between fathers and sons. John-John McIntyre and his best friend, Caleb, enjoy archery, Star Wars, and puzzles: “geeky nerd stuff,” as he puts it. John-John imagines that his father wishes he had a different son—Big John always talks about how popular he was with girls when he was in high school and how John-John needs to toughen up and start dating. He wishes his dad were more like Caleb’s father; even though Mr. P. hasn’t been the same since he suffered a brain aneurysm, he still listens to and respects Caleb. When John-John tries to live up to his father’s expectations, he finds himself saying and doing things that get him in trouble with his friends and at home. As with Flake’s previous books, readers will be able to relate to the struggles many young people face when they don’t fit their family’s perceived ideal.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025