Happy release day to Catherine Arguelles and her debut middle grade novel, FLIP TURNS! Thirteen-year-old Maddie just wants her classmate, Lucas, to leave her alone. He keeps asking her out—as if she hasn’t already said no a thousand times! Focusing on her competitive swim team, the Electric Eels, Maddie tries to ignore him, hoping he’ll […]
I was absolutely floored by the premise of MUFFLED by Jennifer Gennari. I was especially struck by the theme of noise, and the importance of finding the silent spaces in between it. Have a look: Amelia does not like noise. In fifth grade, she has to learn to play an instrument or, as she […]
I was so intrigued by the premise of Jamie Pacton’s contemporary YA LUCKY GIRL that I had to feature it. Jamie Pacton also has a YA fantasy, THE VERMILLION EMPORIUM, with an expected publication date of November 1, 2022. 58,642,129. That’s how many dollars seventeen-year-old Fortuna Jane Belleweather just won in the lotto jackpot. […]
Back in 2018, I was lucky to feature Lily Anderson’s book NOT NOW, NOT EVER. She’s great at penning YA paranormal horror, and ner newest book, SCOUT’S HONOR, is no exception: Sixteen-year-old Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs―interdimensional parasites who feast on […]
I featured Ashley Blooms’ debut novel, EVERY BONE A PRAYER back in 2018, and when I saw the premise of her new book, WHERE I CAN’T FOLLOW, I couldn’t wait to spread word about it: Walk through the door and leave all your problems behind…but you don’t know what’s on the other side. And […]
When I saw Maggie Tokuda-Hall talk about her YA Graphic Novel SQUAD on a panel, I had to feature it. She also has a new picture book, LOVE IN THE LIBRARY. When Becca transfers to a high school in an elite San Francisco suburb, she’s worried she’s not going to fit in. To her […]
I featured another one of Tara Sim’s books, RAVAGE THE DARK, earlier this year. Her newest book, THE CITY OF DUSK, is the first in an epic fantasy trilogy: The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there […]
Last year, I was ecstatic to feature Jessica Khoury’s MYSTWICK SCHOOL OF MUSICRAFT, a middle grade fantasy that features a relatable main character and a great plot! The sequel, THE MIDNIGHT ORCHESTRA, came out on June 14, 2022: Things are finally looking up for Amelia Jones: she’s officially a Mystwick student, and she even […]
For anyone looking for LGBT Sci-fi, Emily Skrutskie is definitely an author to follow. Her space opera series, The Bloodright Trilogy, concludes with VOWS OF EMPIRE, which just came out on June 14, 2022. I’ve also featured her previous books, including Bonds of Brass, the first in The Bloodright Trilogy, as well as Hullmetal Girls […]
I saw Gretchen McNeil at this year’s YALLWEST festival, and I also featured her here and here. She is one of today’s best writers in YA horror and suspense, and her newest book, DIG TWO GRAVES, came out on April 26,2022: I did my part, BFF. Now it’s your turn. Seventeen-year-old film noir fan Neve […]