(2) YA Illustrated by Tea Bendix. Ness's postmodern short story (a version of which was previously published in an anthology), intermittently illustrated with Bendix's striking pencil drawings and digital collage, candidly depicts the relationships among several teenage boys in eastern Washington. Narrator Ant's frank, earnest musings on masculinity, companionship, and the degree of his own virginity are tempered by his self-censorship, with literal black bars concealing nearly all instances of cursing and sexual activity (though homophobic slurs aren't censored--a decision meta-commented on by the characters themselves). A key flashback reveals the clandestine sexual relationship between Ant and his friend Charlie, who publicly projects a homophobic persona and denies Ant the intimacy of a kiss. Conflict erupts after a joke from Jack, the subject of Charlie's homophobic bullying, inadvertently uncovers Ant and Charlie's secret, which leads to a violent outburst from an emotionally broken Charlie (illustrated across a double-page spread in monstrous detail). The lean narrative moves briskly with a focus on dialogue, dry humor, and Ant's wonderings--feeling much like a stage play composed of only a handful of scenes. Ant's conclusion is uncertain and hopeful, neither storybook nor tragic. An honest, profound kiss from Jack ends up meaning more to Ant than anything he ever did with Charlie, leading Ant to accept that his virginity is not defined by others' rules and expectations, but rather "I think I'm the one who says."

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) YA It's 1957, and Sarah Dewhurst's father has hired a dragon to work on their farm despite his prejudices against them. That's not really big news; in this alternate universe, humankind has maintained an uneasy peace with dragons for centuries. But, as Sarah learns, dragons are more complex than she'd imagined--and the situation is more perilous: a cult of Believers, who worship the magical creatures, has sent a teenage assassin to the United States in an attempt to start a prophesied war (though he's been told his mission is to stop one), a war that will directly affect Sarah and everyone she loves. Nothing is quite as it seems in this imaginative novel. Timelines fluctuate, characters change species, and genres tangle together. However, the plot is solid enough to ensure that, with a healthy suspension of disbelief, readers will follow the story with ease as the stakes get ever higher. Ness's (The Knife of Never Letting Go, rev. 11/08; Release, rev. 9/17) engrossing historical-­fantasy adventure is at once accessible and complex, tackling both human issues--racism (Sarah is biracial; her love interest is Japanese American), war, religion--and grand fantasy action with skill.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(4) YA Class series. These tie-in novels to the alien-focused BBC TV series Class follow a group of students at Coal Hill School who must solve mysterious occurrences. Ram wakes up in the wrong body thanks to alien technology in Joyride, and April discovers missing students were fighting an alien war in What. While the series' premise promises much, the multi-perspective stories are a mishmash of mystery and extraterrestrial encounters. Review covers these Class titles: Joyride and What She Does Next Will Astound You.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA Illustrated by Rovina Cai. Bathsheba lives in a futuristic whale society that has adopted many customs of seafaring humans; they explore, hunt, and use ship-building technology. Led by Captain Alexandra, the pod "hunt[s] for a legend, a myth, a devil": Toby Wick, a human whale-killer. Their fantastical, violent quest is infused with Ness's powerfully made allusions to Moby-Dick and richly illustrated with Cai's swirly, atmospheric art.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Class series. These tie-in novels to the alien-focused BBC TV series Class follow a group of students at Coal Hill School who must solve mysterious occurrences. Ram wakes up in the wrong body thanks to alien technology in Joyride, and April discovers missing students were fighting an alien war in What. While the series' premise promises much, the multi-perspective stories are a mishmash of mystery and extraterrestrial encounters. Review covers these Class titles: Joyride and What She Does Next Will Astound You.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(2) YA Ness follows seventeen-year-old Adam through one eventful day preceding a goodbye party for his ex-boyfriend Enzo. In interspersed passages, the ghost of recently murdered classmate Katherine wanders the town. Release references Mrs. Dalloway (but with a more grounded voice) and, like Judy Blume's Forever, is frank about teen sexuality. Though it functions as an accessible, standalone coming-of-age story, awareness of its influences makes for a layered reading experience.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) YA Mikey's town is "just like your town," except that every once in a while impossible things (the undead, vampires, soul-eating ghosts) invade it and are driven out by the heroic "indie kids." In this often-hilarious (and just as often poignant) parody of fantasy stories from Harry's to Buffy's, not everyone is a Chosen One, but "everyone's got something"; everybody matters.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(3) YA As the novel opens, Seth drowns; he wakes up in a world like his own, but seemingly without people. He wanders until he finds two other teens and together they try to make sense of their lives, their apparent deaths, and their current warped reality. Ness is a good storyteller and an interesting prose stylist, but the world-building here is too enigmatic.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(2) YA Illustrated by Jim Kay. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd. A monster spirit visits Conor to tell him three stories before Conor must tell him a fourth--the story of his recurring nightmare. The mysterious content of the nightmare physically affects Conor in ways that are both organic to the story and emotionally powerful. Kay's drawings effectively enhance Ness's heart-wrenching and thought-provoking narrative.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(2) YA Chaos Walking series. This trilogy-ender begins in the midst of a three-sided war. While Todd and Viola continue to narrate their stories, a mesmerizing new voice joins the chorus: 1017, Todd's erstwhile nemesis, now a prominent leader of the Spackle (native people). The series stands as a timely examination of human nature, human society, and the terrible costs of violence.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(2) YA Chaos Walking series. In this sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd, believing Viola to be a traitor, colludes with Prentiss. The struggle to reconcile Todd's supposed innocence with his unforgivable actions will provoke as much thought as the depictions of slavery, genocide, and torture. Ness's fascinating world, with its fully formed characters and conflicts, draws attention to difficult issues with unblinking candor.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) YA Chaos Walking series. Todd lives in a brutal all-male society where thoughts are audible. He escapes, embarking on a classic coming-of-age survival journey accompanied by his loyal dog and a mysterious girl. Todd's world is fascinating, and the psychological and sociological impact of being unable to shut out others' thoughts--or hide your own--is creatively explored. The relationships, too, have considerable emotional depth.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2008