Young Adult 
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A grieving teen uses necromancy to revive her dead sibling with harrowing results in this spine-tingling novel, which triumphs in its frank examinations of sisterhood, grief, healing, and cycles of generational trauma. Throughout her gripping debut, Yun peppers heartrending prose that conjures meaningful interpersonal sequences with grisly, pulse-pounding depictions of supernatural horror.
In Nguyen’s enthralling graphic novel romance, a high schooler recovering from burnout struggles to balance grief, newfound responsibilities, parental expectations, and the beginnings of a crush on the person behind a local theater mascot. Fanciful, gorgeously rendered artwork; playfully ornate detail; and organic, often snarky tongue-in-cheek dialogue culminate in a whimsical tale about communal support during hardships both big and small.
In Browne’s mournful remembrance of those who died during the Covid pandemic, mesmerizing poetry and at times gut-wrenching prose combine to depict a series of seamlessly interconnected stories following New York City students, siblings, essential workers, and more. It’s a powerfully humanizing portrayal of, and ardently impactful love letter to, the resilient teens of N.Y.C.
A living teen seeking more out of life and a malevolent spirit with unfinished business find themselves sharing the same body in Ancrum’s striking queer romantic thriller. Subtle, rhythmic prose conjures a psychologically suspenseful and emotionally intimate tribute to matters of personhood, bettering one’s own circumstances and those of one’s community, and the simultaneously selfless and selfish nature of love.
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Across this fascinating and disturbing work, Fleming highlights the potentially destructive values and demands of historical and contemporary cults to chronicle the events leading up to the murder of more than 900 individuals by Peoples Temple cult leader Jim Jones. Searing firsthand accounts intermingle with riveting forthright text that unravels Jones’s personal history and poses complicated ethical quandaries about autonomy and manipulation.
A teen steward acting as a bridge to the afterlife wonders if there’s more to her existence in McBride’s eerie and philosophical speculative novel, which considers the weight of grief and loss on Black youth. Richly imagined settings evoke Black Southern gothic imagery, adding texture to this achingly tender tale that explores existential questions about life and death.
After coming out as transgender, a high school athlete resigns herself to giving up her passion for football—until her former captain asks her to rejoin the team. Perceptive narration and alternating timelines set before and after the protagonist’s transition emphasize the vulnerable underbelly of locker room posturing in Zeller’s blistering debut, an experience-informed interpretation of toxic masculinity.
Told via blog posts, this affectionate character study follows an autistic theater kid’s attempt to navigate the aftermath of a friendship-ending error. Characterization is a standout feature of this poignant and self-aware debut, which Metallo presents using rueful, laugh-out-loud narration that balances acerbic comedy with insightful examinations of neurodivergence, friendship, forgiveness, and accountability.
A formerly incarcerated Punjabi teen must protect his loved ones from the consequences of his past gang activity in this dazzling contemporary drama. First love blossoms across a high-stakes plot that explores Indo-Canadian gang culture and the pressures felt by children of immigrants, which Deo crafts via sharp, multifaceted narration that counsels empathy, fosters tension, and heightens urgency.
Brimming with electric-feeling affection and longing, this extraordinary novel, Selznick’s illustrated YA debut, follows two teens who meet and fall in love in 1986 Rome. Elegantly overlapping through lines center the teens as they take in the sights and recount the “stories… secrets… histories” of the city, and their time together winds down, resulting in an intricately woven Roman holiday.
En route to boarding school in Dublin, a teen suddenly transported to another realm finds herself traveling alongside a time-jumping salesman in O’Donoghue’s sensational series opener. Inventive worldbuilding complements an elaborate plot that advocates for social justice and immigration reform, while witty banter and burgeoning romance inject buoyant atmosphere into increasingly dangerous, high-stakes action sequences.
The stories of two girls—one in 2011 Amsterdam and another in 1943 Nazi-occupied Netherlands—intertwine in this touching graphic novel about a teen’s desire to investigate her family history. Told via an omniscient blackbird narrator and conveyed in van Lieshout’s fluid two-toned figure drawings, it’s a nuanced rumination on the importance of creative expression and art’s ability to foster change and connection.
In Tamaki and Goux’s incisive look at how corrupt organizations maintain power at the expense of vulnerable teen girls, instances involving substance use and sexual misconduct come to light when a boarding school student becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. Pink hues accent the noir-like illustrations, softening weighty emotional sequences and intensifying high-energy reveals across this arresting graphic novel.
Three teenagers must decide the lengths to which they’ll go to win an intense survivalist competition in this stunningly propulsive dark academia thriller, which features a complicated love triangle and Shakespearean tragedy vibes. Barrow balances layered discussions of class differences with gruesome portrayals of hunting and medical drama to deliver a brutal tale about expectations and ambition.
Slam poetry allows a pregnant teen the opportunity to explore her emotions and relationships, and provides the communal support needed to make difficult decisions in this empowering read. Sawyerr combines fast-paced, unwavering verse poems with authentic-feeling text messages, social media transcripts, and more to deliver an astounding portrait of a teen in transition that earns all the snaps.
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