Staff Favorites: Julie Kwon

The Fill-In Boyfriend, by Kaise West: When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable...convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. The task is simple: two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. The problem is that days after prom, she can't stop thinking about her fill-in boyfriend. But can Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship? Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Kasie West's talent shines in this tale of one girl's unexpected quest to find love...and possibly herself.

PS I Like You, by Kaise West: Signed, sealed, delivered...While spacing out in Chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk, and added a message to her. Intrigue! Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters: sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she's kind of falling for this letter writer. Only who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery, and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can't always be spelled out... Kasie West brings irresistible wit, warmth, and sparkle to this swoon-worthy story of love showing up when you least expect it.

The Memory Book, by Lara Avery: They tell me that my memory will never be the same, that I'll start forgetting things. At first just a little, and then a lot. So I'm writing to remember. Sammie McCoy is a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as possible. Nothing will stand in her way--not even the rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly steal her memories and then her health. So the memory book is born: a journal written to Sammie's future self, so she can remember everything from where she stashed her study guides to just how great it feels to have a best friend again. It's where she'll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime-crush Stuart, a gifted young writer home for the summer. And where she'll admit how much she's missed her childhood friend Cooper, and the ridiculous lengths he will go to make her laugh. The memory book will ensure Sammie never forgets the most important parts of her life--the people who have broken her heart, those who have mended it--and most of all, that if she's going to die, she's going to die living. This moving and remarkable novel introduces an inspiring character you're sure to remember, long after the last page.

My Lady Jane, by Cyhtnia Hand: The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history--because sometimes history needs a little help. At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren't for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

The Last True Love Story, by Brendan Kiely:From the critically acclaimed author of The Gospel of Winter and the coauthor of All American Boys comes a cool, contemplative spin on hot summer nights and the classic teen love story as two teens embark on a cross-country journey of the heart and soul.The point of living is learning how to love. That's what Gpa says. To Hendrix and Corrina, both seventeen but otherwise alike only in their loneliness, that sounds like another line from a pop song that tries to promise kids that life doesn't actually suck. Okay, so: love. Sure. The thing about Corrina--her adoptive parents are suffocating, trying to mold her into someone acceptable, predictable, like them. She's a musician, itching for any chance to escape, become the person she really wants to be. Whoever that is. And Hendrix, he's cool. Kind of a poet. But also kind of lost. His dad is dead and his mom is married to her job. Gpa is his only real family, but he's fading fast from Alzheimer's. Looking for any way to help the man who raised him, Hendrix has made Gpa an impossible promise--that he'll get him back east to the hill where he first kissed his wife, before his illness wipes away all memory of her. One hot July night, Hendrix and Corrina decide to risk everything. They steal a car, spring Gpa from his assisted living facility, stuff Old Humper the dog into the back seat, and take off on a cross-country odyssey from LA to NY. With their parents, Gpa's doctors, and the police all hot on their heels, Hendrix and Corrina set off to discover for themselves if what Gpa says is true--that the only stories that last are love stories.

Secret of a Heart Note, by Stacey Lee: From critically acclaimed author Stacey Lee, an evocative novel about a teen aroma-expert who uses her extrasensitive sense of smell to help others fall in love--while protecting her own heart at all costs--perfect for fans of Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart. Sometimes love is right under your nose. As one of only two aromateurs left on the planet, sixteen-year-old Mimosa knows what her future holds: a lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking--all while remaining incurably alone. For Mim, the rules are clear: falling in love would render her nose useless, taking away her one great talent. Still, Mimosa doesn't want to spend her life elbow-deep in soil and begonias. She dreams of a normal high school experience with friends, sports practices, debate club, and even a boyfriend. But when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and has to rely on the lovesick woman's son, the school soccer star, to help fix the situation, Mim quickly begins to realize that falling in love isn't always a choice you can make. At once hopeful, funny, and romantic, Stacey Lee's The Secret of a Heart Note is a richly evocative coming-of-age story that gives a fresh perspective on falling in love and finding one's place in the world.

--JK

Our Chemical Hearts, by Krystal Sutherland

I really loved this book. It was funny and cute but it also had a lot of meaning. I loved how everything was balanced and it wasn't just a fluffy contemporary and it wasn't one of those books that will leave you feeling like you got ran over by a train. It had a perfect mix of humor and sadness.

I really liked the main character, Henry. I also loved his group of friends as well as his family which are quite amazing. I thought each character had interesting and different perspectives. Although I had a difficult time liking Grace in the beginning of the story. It was very obvious that Grace was keeping something major to herself so it is no wonder that her character was more of a mystery. I also enjoyed the interactions between Henry and Grace when they were together.

The main focus of this book is really solving the mystery that is Grace and Henry slowly builds a relationship with her. Grace does have some tragedy in her past which is greatly impacting her present life. Henry is patient and tries to be there for Grace even though he wants to move forward and focus on a future with her. For Henry, Grace become his total focus often to the detriment of other things in his life. In addition to being a story of first love, Henry learns a lot about himself, his family, and his friends over the course of the story.

Overall, Our Chemical Hearts is a great read. It's so well written and original. *JK*

Nature is the Worst: 500 Reasons You'll Never Want To Go Outside Again

Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S), Flame Spouts, Deadly Quicksand... These aren't just imaginary and horrific myths meant to keep curious explorers and wanted criminals from venturing into the Fireswamp. They actually exist! That's right. These stranger-than-fiction quirks of nature are actially not fictional at all.

*insert shock-eyed emoji here*

You'll read about these horrors and more in Nature is the Worst: 500 Reasons You'll Never Want to Go Outside Again. New to the Teen Department's Nonfiction shelf (dewey # T508.02R to be exact), this is your handy guide to all the strange, creepy, weird, and downright horrific things you can find in nature if only you dare to look. Some in distant, far-flung locales and others right in your backyard. Sometimes even hidden on your own body (shudder).

If you want a warm and fuzzy story about cuddly puppies, look elsewhere. This book is not for you. But if you want to read more about murderous ducklings, vampire deer, and storms that rain frogs (and other oddities), you'll definitely want to check out Nature is the Worst. 

One thing's for certain. You'll never see the world the same way again!

--AJB

Teen Staff Favorites: Alissa's Picks

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray: Cameron is dying. He's also the only one who can save the world as we know it from complete and total annihilation. Armed with only vague clues from a punk-rock angel (who may or may not be real), Cameron teams up with a paranoid dwarf and an enchanted yard gnome. Together, they set off on a cross-country quest to find the Mysterious Dr. X and stop the Forces of Darkness & Chaos that have been set in motion. But an army of vigilante snowglobe sellers hot on their trail, ready to stop Cameron and Co. at all costs. Get ready for a thrill ride of epic porportions that incliudes Happiness Cults, Vanilla Smoothies, Schrodinger's Cat, Viking Gods, the Ultimate Spring Break Party, and a surprise reunion of the World's Greatest Band. This modern-day parody(ish) of Don Quixote is not to be missed.

Keeper, by Kathi Appelt: Keeper, 10, has had the worst day ever. Somehow she's managed to anger her guardian and both her neighbors over the course of one single morning. She figures the only way to make it better is to track down her mother and ask for advice. Problem is, Keeper's mother, who is a mermaid, swam away several years earlier and has not been seen or heard from since. But that doesn't stop Keeper from sneaking out, borrowing the boat, and rowing out to the Sandbar, the last place she saw her mother. This is the story of what happens over the course of a single day and night along the stretch of a quiet costal town. Multiple viewpoints give the reader a 360 degree of what's really happening.

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart: Two summers ago, Cady woke up on the beach, half-dressed and injured, and without any memory of what brought her to this point. No one is talking to her about it. Even her closest friends, The Liars, remain stubbornly tight-lipped. This is the story of Cady's return to the scene of what happened. As she slowly and painfully pieces things together and fills in the holes in her memory, something shocking and terrible is uncovered. Something so unthinkable, Cady unconsciously blocked it out. But once she remembers, she can't go back. 

September Girls, by Bennett Madison: Sam, 17, doesn't expect a summer at the beach with his loser older brother and depressed father to be anythihg special. But there's something strange about this beach: It's populated with impossibly (and creepily) beautiful girls. Girls with strange accents, odd names, and alien eyes. Girls who all seem to want something from Sam. Soon Sam befriends DeeDee, one of the girls, and learns the terrible truth of who the girls really are, why they're all at that beach, and what happens to them in the end unless... This is The Little Mermaid meets Stepford Wives shot through with a dose of feminism. It's about finding your voice and becoming who you're meant to be, sometimes in surprising and unexpected ways. It's a book you won't forget.

Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh: Do you ever read one of those books that makes you laugh out loud shamelessly? Laugh so hard you end up with tears running down your cheeks? Laugh so hard you have to excuse yourself so you don't cause a further scene (but, as you walk away, you continue to snicker to yourself about what you found funny)? This is that book. Based on the popular blog of the same title, this is the author's humorous take on everything from childhood memories to depression. CAN depression be funny? In the hands of Brosh, you bet. 

 Alissa J. Bach, Teen Librarian

This Adventure Ends, by Emma Mills

Sometimes you read a book that surprises you in magical and unexpected ways. A book that just GETS to you. And, before you know what is happening, you find yourself so completely invested in it you can think of little else...even after you've read the final page and returned it to the library. This book doesn't have to be action-packed, doesns't have to be about a grand romance, doesn't have to have a unique plot twist or feature a beloved dog that actually lives. But something about the book gets inside you and doesn't let go. And you know you'll remember this book for a long time. This is what happened for me with This Adventure Ends, the latest offering by author Emma Mills. 

This Adventure Ends centers around Sloane and the events that happen her senior year of high school. Although smart, funny and, in general, a nice person, Sloane has always been kind of a loner. Sure, she's hung out with people, but she's never had any real friends. And that's how she expects it to be when her family moves from New York to Florida so her novelist father can get over his writer's block.

Then, while at a party, Sloane stands up for shy Gabe Fuller, a boy she doesn't even know. This gets her an immediate "In" with Gabe's tight-knit circle of friends: Vera (Gabe's social media-obsessed twin), Aubry, Remy, and party-boy Frank. These become the sort of magical friendships one usually only finds in books and movies. The sort of friends who would do anything for each other. Sloane can't believe her luck (although a part of her is always waiting for the other shoe to drop). But something tragic lurks below this perfect surface. Months earlier, Gabe and Vera's artist mom died. And her legacy to her children, a very special painting she completed just before the end, is missing. Taken to a local gallery and sold immediately...and then re-sold again and again. Sloane makes it her mission to track down this painting for her new friends. And everything unfolds from there.

Unlike the title implies, This Adventure Ends isn't about a grand adventue. At least not compared to, say, Frodo's epic quest to dispose of the Ring of Power or Alice's trippy trip to Wonderland. Rather, what's so striking about this story is its characters and their relationships with each other. Sloane and her friends are so realistic they leap from the pages, flaws and all. Even minor characters are multi-layered. But mainly this book just has a lot of heart. And that's something that can only be experienced in the reading. 

This one is highly, highly recommended! --AJB

Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda, by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda, the William C. Morris award-winning debut by Becky Albertalli, is quite possibly the best thing I've read so far this year. It's got humor, heart, and a cast of uber-awesome characters you can't help but feel sorry to leave behind once the final page has been turned.

Although Simon Siper isn't exactly "out" to his friends or family, he doesn't think it would be too tragic if they somehow discovered this little known personal tidbit. He figures some of them probably suspect, anyway. But Simon is still reasonably shaken when classmate Martin "Adderoll" Addison claims to have read his emails and confronts him with a bargain. Ok, a blackmail: Help Martin win the heart of Abby or else. 

"Or else"...what?

Martin doesn't exactly say. He doesn't exactly threaten to expose Simon's emails to the whole school, but he doesn't exactly promise he won't either. But if those emails got out, it would be tragic. Not so much for Simon, but for "Blue," the boy with whom he's been communicating and is beginning to fall in love. See...Blue does want to remain in the closet. He's got very good reasons for it. Simon doesn't even know his identity other than they attend the same school. But still...if those emails got out, Simon would lose whatever chances he has with his elusive pen pal. And therein lies the potential tragedy.

So Simon agrees to help Martin. Reluctantly. Martin is all kinds of obnoxious, and Simon has some serious reservations about inflicting him upon his good friend. But hormones overrule everything.

And here we go.

What follows is a chain reaction of the most hilarious, sweet, and cringeworthy series of events imaginable. And every day brings new challenges and complications. Readers will toggle from laughing out loud to wanting to cover their eyes at the awkwardness in which the characters find themselves enmeshed. Mixed in between the madness readers are privy to Simon and Blue's seriously adorable communications, which deal with everything from flirting and inside jokes about oreos to serious issues about finally coming out to friends and family.

At the end, though, things work out happily for Simon and Blue. We also find out who Blue really is (and it's not who Simon suspected). No spoilers, though. You'll just have to read this one and discover for yourself.

It's easy to see why Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda won such acclaim. This is one book that actually lives up to the hype. --AJB

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity

Jess has just graduated and is gearing up for her first cross-country Big Road Trip from California to Chicago. Her goal? Crashing the wedding of her father, whom she hasn't seen, or even spoken with, in years. Not since he ditched her and her mom for her mom's former best friend...who just happens to be the bride in question. Nevermind that Jess was formally invited to attend the nuptials. She still considers it crashing. Accompanying her on the journey is her BFF Christophe, a.k.a. "Chunk." And their used Honda, "Betty".

Post-high school road trip stories seem to be a current common theme in YA novels. Seems characters don't properly learn the proper life lessons unless they've gone through this gas-guzzling, greasy spoon food-eating, roadside attraction-visiting rite of passage. Of course there must be drama along the way. There must be romance. There must be at least one awkward and/or completely disgustingly embarrassing incident. And there must be a too-neat ending before the credits finally roll.

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity, by Kristin Elizabeth Clark would blend seamlessly into the plethora of Road Trip books already gracing the shelves. Except for the LGBTQ element. 

The last time she saw her father, Jess was Jeremy. She's been transitioning for the past several months and is finally beginning to look on the outside how she's always felt inside (she still has a ways to go, though). Jess believes her trans status is the reason her dad left. He couldn't deal with his son really being a daughter. She harbors a ton of resentment about this. So she plans to attend the wedding and flaunt herself in her father's face. To force him to either accept her or live up to the phobic jerk she believes he is. In fact, she's kind of hoping for the later so she can be right. So right off there's a TON of angsty feels. This is the setup for one heck of a memorable road trip. One that will change Jess and Chunk forever.

This book was kind of cliche and very predictable at times. But I liked it. The best part was the character growth. At first, Jess was pretty bratty and self-absorbed, but by the end she had began to mature into a thoughtful young woman who finally realized what was important (and that the world didn't revolve around her). Of course she almost ruined her life in the process, but everything ended up working out. Sometimes you need to read a book with a Happily Ever After. 

A good, light read--AJB