(2) YA Winnie Nash has been out as gay since age four when she kissed another girl at preschool. It's never been an issue. At twelve, she's much more worried about her mom, who is pregnant again after several miscarriages. Winnie's parents are sending her to stay with a grandmother she barely knows for the whole summer, and they warn her not to share their family's private business, including her mom's severe clinical depression and the fact that Winnie is gay. They tell her just to have an enjoyable summer at the Jersey Shore -- but how can she do that when anytime she smiles, she feels like she's stealing a smile from her mom? All she wants is to escape to New York City to attend the Pride parade, where she won't have to hide. In the moody and contrarian Winnie, Melleby has crafted a believable, compelling portrait of a middle schooler struggling to process big, difficult emotions. Though Winnie's family situation makes this novel at times a somber read, joy shines through in unexpected places, as when Winnie delights in playing canasta at the senior center, or in the vivid descriptions of beaches. Winnie's relationship with her grandma is a highlight -- complicated, sometimes tumultuous, but deeply rewarding once she discovers that we really do need to talk about the hard things.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) YA In 1918 Washington, DC, eighteen-year-old Edda St. James is working as a switchboard operator for the Bell telephone company while living in her aunt's boarding house. Though she is grateful for the job, she still suffers fear and anxiety from her recent stint as a Hello Girl operator on the WWI French front, where she patched through coded messages under extreme pressure. Now an anonymous caller has taken her right back with the mention of one word: Brightwood. The word she forgot in a crucial moment, the word she is convinced got the entire Forty-Eighth Regiment from Baltimore killed in battle. Edda is terrified. Who is the caller, and what do they want? With the help of her handsome neighbor, Theo, Edda sets out to discover the caller's identity and somehow atone for her devastating mistake. Hesse maintains steady suspense by alternating between Edda's recent past in France and her present. Red herrings abound as the chapters race toward a climax, and readers may believe that several different characters could be responsible for Edda's torment until the truth, shockingly personal and close to home (and involving a serial sexual abuser), is finally revealed. Historical fiction fans will enjoy this illuminating look at a little-known aspect of WWI.

Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert Swan | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA For her capstone project on the last day of school, Niarah, who is "walking around life with a full plate of anxiety plus a side of depression and a scoop of OCD for dessert," must present an object that represents where she will be in ten years. But she does not have much hope for the future, so she pulls out a bottle of iodine from her survival kit and explains how it will save her in what she sees as "the inevitable doomsday scenario." Her presentation gains her the name Doomsday Girl and a trip to the guidance counselor's office, where she learns that she is in danger of failing sophomore year if she does not complete her capstone project and PE hours. As an alternative to summer school, Niarah joins a hiking club led by the very handsome Mac Torres. Despite herself, Niarah opens up to Mac, who offers to help her build her fallout shelter and count it toward her hours. Through Niarah's prickly, often darkly humorous, and eventually more vulnerable voice in her survival guide entries, text messages, and interactions with others, readers see a well-realized example of how it feels to be a teenager navigating the world with depression and suicidal thoughts. Mental health and related resources are appended.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA The Ybarras and the Moraleses, who own Cuban bakeries across the street from each other in fictional Port Murphy, Washington, have a bitter, decades-old rivalry. Ana Maria Ybarra (who also goes by Amy because no one in her mostly white town can pronounce her name correctly) usually honors the family feud. Until Miguel, a boy with whom she shared a steamy kiss in L.A. months ago, moves to town and reveals that he's a Morales nephew. Try as she might, she can't stay away ("He's technically a Fuentes," she justifies), especially when she learns he's a photography whiz. She's desperate for someone to fix her recipe videos so she can win a scholarship to culinary school. The two create a plan to film cooking videos in secret -- which, of course, devolves into clandestine making out. Ana Maria's family can't find out about either. Castellanos's (Isla to Island4, rev. 3/22) first novel-with-words is a sweet and satisfying rom-com with a relatively low-stakes star-crossed storyline. Ana Maria learns to stand up for her dreams for her future, her love life, and even the name she wants to be called, and Miguel is supportive as she figures it all out. Delicious descriptions of traditional Cuban foods and Ana Maria's updated creations abound. A recipe for guava cream cheese thumbprint cookies is appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Readers learn two things at the beginning of this novel: twelve-year-old Alex did something terrible, and he hates the word opportunity. The word has only come up in the worst moments of Alex's life, most recently when his court-mandated social worker arranges for him to volunteer over the summer at the local retirement home full of old people whom Alex thinks are "gross." At Shady Glen, Alex meets bossy kid volunteer Maya-Jade as well as 107-year-old Holocaust survivor Jozef Kravitz, who serves as the story's narrator, though he has an omniscient perspective. Jozef, who has been silent for five years, begins to share with Alex the story of Olka, the love of his life, and the hardships they endured in Nazi-occupied Poland. As Jozef opens up, so does Alex's world; he befriends other residents and Maya-Jade and learns to look beyond the pain, anger, and self-loathing that have been churning inside him ever since his mother's disappearance and his kinship foster care placement. Forman crafts a unique story, told in the voice of a wiser, older character; everything feels close and personal, from Alex's present to Jozef's past. She captures the quietly powerful moments of feeling seen and known, how friendships can make a bleak life feel fresh with possibilities, and how a person's worst moments need not shape their future.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA After seventeen-year-old Small Sade ages out of her orphanage, her primary goal is to discover a home where she truly belongs. However, her physical appearance, marked by vitiligo and a maimed foot from a childhood accident that requires her to use a cane, sets her apart in a fantasy world that, like many societies, looks upon difference cruelly. But Sade possesses a unique gift -- the ability to perceive and cleanse malevolent spiritual energies. That gift leads her to unexpected encounters, including one with the enigmatic Crocodile God, who is afflicted by a seemingly unbreakable curse. Prophesied as his deliverer, Sade initially chooses her own path in Oluwan City, impressing the wealthy elite with her spiritual powers. However, her course pivots when she confronts the darker realities lurking beneath the surface of the city. Awakening to these realities and deepening ties with the Crocodile God, Sade realizes the imperative for social change not just for herself but for all who are marginalized and oppressed. This standalone novel, set within the same universe as Ifueko's Raybearer duology, offers a fresh narrative lens within that universe by prioritizing the perspectives of commoners over royalty. While familiar characters and settings are present, Sade's narrative enriches them, offering deeper insights into their complexities. First-person narrator Sade's distinct voice and her journey of discovery and transformation are likely to captivate readers.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA A teenager newly arrived in the United States from Nigeria uses movies such as Sixteen Candles, Mean Girls, and Heathers to prepare for attending an American high school. Enore Adesuwa's family immigrates just two months after the death of her father. Her younger sister appears to adjust more easily to life in a small town in New York's Hudson Valley than Enore, who spends most of her time at home watching DVDs. These movies influence Enore to set ten rules about surviving in a U.S. high school; e.g., steer clear of the popular kids, "no crushes," and avoid the spotlight, rules she breaks when her audition for the school musical goes viral. And rules or no rules, sparks fly during a chance encounter with cute Brazilian American boy Davi Santiago. Their friendship leads to an eventual romance, which helps Enore to deal with her grief. Davi also helps the protagonist handle her fear of disappointing her mother, who is pressuring her to follow in her footsteps and become a doctor. Igharo deftly handles the excitement, intensity, and confusion surrounding young love as well as the mountain of emotions one goes through when mourning a loved one, through characters who are relatable and genuine. A highly entertaining and heartwarming story with a couple to root for.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(1) YA "On a full moon night, after a day of fasting, the young bride Sorel Kalmans leapt from a window and left her life behind." Seventeen-year-old Sorel is betrothed to the rebbe's son, a rather milquetoast character, but something compels her to flee. That something turns out to be both her own impulse and an otherworldly force, which is revealed partway through this unique and absorbing novel. Disguised as a boy, she doubles back to her own pre-wedding "beggars' feast" and encounters a young peddler, Sam, who helps protect her from the city guards after a case of mistaken identity (or is it?) gone wrong. The two are joined by a third ally, revolution-minded Adela, in helping find the missing boy whom Sorel so resembles. There are many gripping twists and turns, along with dubious motivations, questions of faith and orthodoxy, friendship, identity (gender and otherwise) -- and a stolen book that was "written by an angel, with its own hand." Says Sam: "Paradise is a book...a place built of the same Hebrew letters that built the world. No book a human hand could write contains all of Paradise, but a book that captures even one chapter of it can change the world." In this worthy follow-up to When the Angels Left the Old Country (rev. 1/23), Lamb demonstrates a deep commitment to this heady idea while crafting another page-turning and un-put-downable narrative.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Perspectives in this novel alternate among members of the Maghabol family from four different generations. In 1929, Francisco has recently emigrated from the Philippines to Watsonville, California, where he picks produce and eventually becomes a major labor organizer. In 1965, his son, Emil, has grown up without the presence of his constantly traveling father. Emil finds his way out of poverty by committing to academic and professional excellence. In 1983, Emil's son, Chris, struggles with pressures from his father, who expects him to assimilate and focus on school -- but a class project leads Chris to uncover deep and difficult histories of the Philippines, which is met with Emil's disapproval. And in 2020, Chris's son Enzo witnesses the effects of generational differences, rifts, and trauma when his grandfather moves in with the family as a precaution at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to exploring complex father-son relationships, Ribay takes the reader on a journey through Filipino American history, from the Manong Generation (young, single men who came to the U.S. in the early twentieth century) to the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020. A brief historical note and resources are appended.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Leopold Berry lives in Los Angeles in a world like our own, but since his mother's death when he was twelve, he has experienced dissociative episodes in which he sees unbelievable things, such as a winged parking attendant or a rain cloud chasing a fruit vendor. He thinks of these moments as "Seeing into Sunder" after the short-lived TV show Max's Adventures in Sunderworld, on whose VHS tapes he fixates. Now seventeen, Leopold is adrift, a constant disappointment to his emotionally abusive father, until a raccoon hands him a token for a decommissioned Angels Flight Railway tram that takes him and his best friend to the not-so-imaginary land of Sunder Hill. There Leopold leaps at the chance to prove he's a channeler, the "most powerful magical being on the planet," but things go horribly, publicly awry. Just when everything seems lost, a note from Leopold's late mother sends him on a treasure hunt through his childhood memories, leading to a discovery that changes everything. Fast-paced and inventive, this gateway fantasy has the grubby, off-kilter realism of a Chuck E. Cheese and a satirical nod to reality TV, with first-rate characters that will hook and charm readers. The treasure hunt celebrates L.A. landmarks, and constant new developments keep readers on the edges of their seats, hoping for Leopold's vindication -- and waiting for the next episode in this projected new series.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Lucia Cruz loves the consistency of her daily routine. During a trip to San Diego for her cousin's debut -- a traditional Filipino coming-of-age party in which Luz has no interest -- her world is turned on its head. Her best friend, Esme, reveals her discontent with their customary patterns, and Luz finds out that her mom has been planning her debut, complete with an Eighteen Roses ceremony, behind her back. She returns home to contend with the possibility of trying new things, connecting with classmates besides Esme, and cobbling together an extravagant birthday celebration. Throughout Luz's last year of high school, Rogers sheds light on the overwhelming nature of self-discovery as well as the messiness of conflict between friends and of complicated families (Luz and her younger sister begrudgingly split their time between their Filipina mom and white dad, who is remarried to a younger, now-pregnant Filipina woman). Many of the protagonist's critical observations are based on fear and anxiety and, as it turns out, can be transformed into humor. Despite feeling abandoned by Esme, Luz manages to develop connections with classmates through a stand-up comedy club. And with the power of TikTok, she puts together a unique Eighteen Roses ceremony that fits her personality and style. While she often feels powerless, Luz's courage allows her to build unexpected connections, self-confidence, and community.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Jo is quick to list qualities she's learned are "the trouble with girls like me." She's "wild," "difficult," "a slut." A social outcast after a classmate leaked nude photos, she's mostly ignored by her parents and failing school. When her ex-best friend, Maddie, one of the popular girls, asks for help, Jo can't imagine why -- but before Maddie can explain, she disappears. Everyone thinks she ran away, but Jo believes it's not that simple. She teams up with Hudson, a friend (or maybe more) who has his own reasons to investigate Maddie's disappearance; together, they uncover a schoolwide scandal with dangerous implications. The mystery has all the elements of a good thriller: characters you can't necessarily trust; nail-biting suspense; and a twisty, surprising conclusion. But there's another layer: what happened to Jo at age fifteen, when she and Maddie stopped being friends. Jo's experience, once revealed, is clearly sexual assault, contextualizing her bitterness, rage, and self-blame. It takes time, and some help, for Jo to recognize it, too, and reclaim her body and her voice. Adamo writes with compassion for "girls like me" (an author's note acknowledges firsthand experience) who deserve to be listened to, believed, and loved -- and nothing less.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Door of No Return series. Continuing the story of a Black family's trials, from Ghana to the United States, Alexander (The Door of No Return, rev. 9/22) sets this installment in Jim Crow era Virginia. Charlene "Charley" Cuffey is an avid follower of baseball's Negro Leagues and aims to be the first female player in the sport. Her grandfather, the supportive Nana Kofi, listens to Charley's triumphs on the diamond and tells her about the skill he showed as a swimmer in Ghana. He also teaches her Twi, his native language, and shares his favorite sayings and stories -- some stories, anyway. Charley's parents have decided she's too young to hear about how Nana Kofi was captured and brought to America, or why "the wonderfuls" (as Nana Kofi ironically calls white people) seem so uneasy around them. When Charley and her best friend, "Cool" Willie Green, challenge the neighborhood bully to a baseball game, it only makes sense that they use the new field in town -- but this decision could cost Charley and Willie more than they ever thought possible. Alexander has created a world that fully immerses readers in the time period and keeps them riveted by this family's continuing story. Charley's first-person verse narrative (with Nana Kofi's recollections interspersed in prose poems) incorporates institutions and notable figures from the era, including Marcus Garvey and Mary McLeod Bethune. A memorable and moving second book in the trilogy.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman. In the harrowing world of these thirteen creative short stories, bicycles can be demonic, your classmates might be zombies, and a fortune cookie might contain more than a harmless slip of paper. In a third collection of scary tales, Allen (Out to Get You; Only if You Dare, rev. 9/21) taps into the "what-ifs": what if, instead of your feeling like the invisible middle child, everyone truly forgot that you existed? What if, instead of your growing out of being afraid of creatures in the dark, those very creatures were just waiting for you to turn out the light and take your time hopping into bed? What if nobody in your new class believed that your old house was haunted by a ghost girl who wanted to chop off your fingers? Coleman's grayscale illustrations match the mild horror of the narratives, which, while not particularly gory, are not for the faint of heart. (Many of the stories' endings imply that the child protagonists die horrible deaths.) The dark fates and creepy buildups will appeal strongly to young readers who love to indulge their fears, and the stories are compelling enough to be read in one or two sittings. Fans of Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (rev. 2/82) will have a great time reading this collection -- although, maybe, a hard time falling asleep.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA In this loose retelling of the Greek myth, Icarus Gallagher is a seventeen-year-old art thief. He breaks into Mr. Black's home, steals his art, and replaces it with forgeries by his father, Angus -- largely as revenge for Mr. Black's role in Icarus's mother's death years earlier. This revenge comes at a cost, however. Angus has strict rules that keep Icarus distanced from others, and he isn't the novel's only abusive father. One night, Icarus meets Mr. Black's son, Helios, who is essentially under house arrest. Against Icarus's better judgment, they strike up a friendship, and then a romance -- and then they must face their inner demons as they plot their escape. Written in brief vignettes that hover somewhere between flash fiction and prose poems, the narrative begins as an impressionistic character study of Icarus. Gradually, a plot emerges, many secrets are revealed, suspense builds, and the romantic tension between the characters ratchets up -- all of it enhanced by the vivid prose in this refreshingly succinct novel.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) YA A funny and fast-paced feminist adventure masterfully told through the comics medium. This alternate-Victorian-era fantasy opens after Jane's parents' death. Since women can't own property, the family estate and fortune will pass to Jane's odious male cousin -- who gives her a week to pack her bags and leave. Unless she can secure a dowry via marriage, she will be penniless as well as homeless. Jane, along with everyone in her seaside village, buys into the dominant and oppressive standards of beauty; she's realistic about the fact that her appearance leaves her with few marriage prospects. While she may be considered plain, Jane is exceedingly clever: she proposes marriage to Peter, a gorgeous fisherman forced into the trade by his toxic father. "We both have problems, and this would solve them." But those plans are thwarted after Peter is kidnapped by a man-eating mermaid, and Jane embarks on an epic undersea journey to rescue him. Along the way, she meets folkloric creatures (selkies, crones, a water demon, etc.) and gains knowledge and the confidence to challenge societal norms. Brosgol's (Be Prepared, rev. 5/18; Anya's Ghost, rev. 7/11) magical story is full of quirky and indelible characters; smart surprises and plot twists; and laugh-out-loud dialogue. Stellar world-building and cinematic cartooning effectively pace the narrative, building suspense and emphasizing moments of horror. Textured colorwork adds further depth to plot and setting, and an author's note invites readers to interrogate the worlds (both real and fictional) with which they come into contact.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Inspired by the author's own immigrant experience, this contemporary-set graphic novel centers Lia, a middle schooler whose family relocates from Romania to Canada. Enrolled in a "welcome class" to learn French with other non-native speakers, Lia struggles to adjust to her new life in Montreal. She grapples with homesickness, difficulties in connecting with classmates, and excruciating menstrual cramps. Her love for art offers a reprieve, and as Lia perseveres, she finds joy through reading her favorite fantasy series, listening to a beloved musical artist, and joining the school's magazine committee as an illustrator. Lia finds a supportive friend group as she turns thirteen and winter break approaches. She faces stressors -- including school, a crush, and a misunderstanding-fueled fight with a friend -- with growing self-confidence. Creative panel work adds depth to the eye-catching visual narrative, which features trendy fashions and uses tropes reminiscent of manga. Exaggerated, humorous forms depict Lia's big feelings. Vibrantly colored emanata enhance characters' reactions, and technological elements (text messages, video calls, and memes) are seamlessly integrated into the slice-of-life story. The art also clearly indicates languages spoken, as well as dialogue the protagonist does not comprehend. The middle-school friendship drama rings true, with flawed, endearing characters; some unresolved plot points hint at a sequel.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Ash Woods is an unlicensed alchemist, a groundskeeper at a college that will employ him but not admit him to study and train to practice alchemy openly and legally. When Ramsay Thorne, a graduate apprentice, catches Ash working a bit of creation alchemy, he proposes a deal: if Ash will help search for the Book of Source, Ramsay will teach him what he needs to know to pass the licensing exam. In the process, Ash falls for the alchemist. Ramsay (who is genderfluid and uses alternating pronouns) has her own skeletons in her past and now seeks to destroy the Book. When the quest goes awry, Ramsay abandons Ash to the authorities to find the Book herself, and Ash is taken captive, kept under the watch of -- coincidentally -- Callum Kendrick, who broke Ramsay's heart back in boarding school, and whose gentleness Ash also finds irresistibly attractive. This elaborate adventure leads to some surprising places -- alternate universes; a threesome involving Ash (who is transgender), Callum, and Ramsay -- but readers will thrill to the high-stakes predicaments and appreciate the characters' attempts to remain true to themselves, no matter the cost.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA Wilhelmina's beloved aunt Frankie died in 2018. Now it's 2020, and Wilhelmina's family and two closest friends still seem cut off from her in her grief; the isolating precautions of the pandemic and the chaotic state of the nation only make things worse. But on October 30, 2020, something changes, and Wilhelmina begins to see sights that can only be magical: an "owl lady," a cryptic golden message, a glow surrounding certain people. Against her will, Wilhelmina must confront the impossible -- but what if accepting the impossible also means accepting her aunt's death? Set during a tense nine-day period surrounding the previous U.S. presidential election and flashing back to summer visits with Wilhelmina's aunts (a loving, eccentric "throuple"), Cashore's novel is rich with a quality of observation and multifarious detail that suits adolescent angst, loss, and the limited stimulation of pandemic "bubbles." Tarot cards; smiles (teasing, ironic, or secretive); bathrobes; doughnuts (lots of good ones); hair; clothing; thoracic outlet syndrome (the afterword offers some startling news about that); birds; two warm, supportive constellations of trios (the aunts; Wilhelmina and her friends); and much more make their way into Wilhelmina's thoughts and feelings as she finally emerges "into her own." Although set in the recent past, this is a work of historical and magical realism with unsettling contemporary resonances.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA This page-turning novel set on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana alternates narration among Mara Racette, Loren Arnoux, Brody Clark, and Eli First Kill, with occasional chapters from the point of view of "unknown." Rayanne, Loren's older sister, has been missing for three months, and the police have done little to find her. The novel opens with a powwow, which includes a giveaway ceremony where Rayanne and Loren's family gives gifts to the community in honor of the sisters' late grandfather. Hours later, Samantha, a teen who received one of the gifts, is found strangled in a trailer. The next day a wildfire breaks out, and while trying to stop the fire, Mara's father discovers Rayanne's body. The discovery leads to an investigation that makes everyone who was at the ceremony a suspect, and Loren will stop at nothing to find her sister's killer. Emotion and suspense build as more people close to the protagonists become suspects. As each character fights to prove their innocence, secrets are revealed and longtime friendships are questioned. Cobell's debut novel highlights the impact that the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People has on communities and families; fictional podcast transcripts provide additional information on the topic, as does an appended author's note. Recommended for readers who enjoyed Boulley's Warrior Girl Unearthed[pcf1] (rev. 5/23) and Ferguson's Those Pink Mountain Nights (rev. 9/23).