Staff Picks Young Adult
August 2019
Illegal
by Eoin Colfer
This graphic novel tells the story of an immigrant’s journey from Northern Africa to Europe. It humanizes the people and the risks they take and the sacrifices they make to try for a better life. This is not for the faint of heart! Tragedy abounds in this realistic depiction of the immigration saga.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Nonfiction
Letters to the Lost
by Brigid Kemmerer
An amazing realistic romance that will leave readers wanting to know more! Juliet writes letters to her mother and leaves them at her grave. Declan isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery he reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, and can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. Neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they’re not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks fly as they discover truths that might tear them apart.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Teen Librarian
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
July 2019
Somewhere Only We Know
by Maurene Goo
Being a K-pop star is not as glamorous and some might think. For Lucky, she is the biggest K-pop star on the scene. After performing her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to a crowd of adoring fans, she is about to debut in America on “The Tonight Show”. And even though she is hoping for a breakout performance for her career she is also dying for a hamburger. While Lucky is staying at a fancy hotel determined to find a hamburger Jack, on assignment for his tabloid job, sneaks in. When their worlds collide nothing will ever be the same.
Recommended by: April Balasa, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
by Leslye Walton
Ava was born with a sparrow’s wings, but does not fly. Her twin does not speak and spends his life drawing maps. Ava initially remains within the house, but soon makes friends with a local girl and her brother. It is from there that she learns to embrace her identity and begins to understand the trials and values of humanity. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is a difficult book to describe, however Walton’s writing style is so inviting and comfortable that it feels like a warm blanket of words which is reason enough to give it a shot.
Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
June 2019
Falling Kingdoms
by Morgan Rhodes
Four teenagers hailing for three different kingdoms in the land of Mytica encounter a disruption in the trajectory of their lives after incidents occur connecting them all together. Falling Kingdoms is the first book in a series that is perfect for readers looking for something to dive into after the “Game of Thrones” TV show. Don’t get too connected to characters because no one is safe in Mytica. Rhodes constructs a fascinating world that provides you with characters that you want to root for in the beginning and curse at the end.
Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
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