We hope you were able to celebrate Mother’s Day in some way this past weekend. Much love and respect to all the moms out there who are now shouldering even more than usual.
There are a lot of great books releasing this week, so pick out something that will help you escape to another world.
Happy Reading,
Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, and Elizabeth
YOUNG ADULT NOVELS NEW IN STORES NEXT WEEK
Betty & Veronica: The Bond of Friendship
by Jamie Lee Rotante
Paperback
Random House
Released 5/12/2020
There are a number of truths in Riverdale–Archie Andrews will forever be clumsy and love-struck, Jughead Jones has an appetite that can never be satiated, Pop’s will always serve the best burgers and shakes and Betty and Veronica will be best friends no matter what comes between them. But when a career day at Riverdale High has the two BFFs examining their futures, they start to wonder just where they’ll end up—and how their lives may take very different paths. This original graphic novel explores the unbreakable bond that allows Betty and Veronica’s friendship to withstand the tests of space and time.
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Dear Universe
by Florence Gonsalves
Hardcover
Little, Brown Books for Young
Released 5/12/2020
It’s senior year, and Chamomile Myles has whiplash from traveling between her two universes: school (the relentless countdown to prom, torturous college applications, and the mindless march toward an uncertain future) and home, where she wrestles a slow, bitter battle with her father’s terminal illness. Enter Brendan, a man-bun-and tutu-wearing hospital volunteer with a penchant for absurdity, who strides boldly between her worlds–and helps her open up a new road between them.
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Deep Dark Blue : My Story of Surviving Sexual Assault in the Military
by Polo Tate
Paperback
Square Fish; Reprint edition
Released 5/12/2020
I want to be in the Air Force someday.
These are the words Polo Tate engraved on her junior dog tags at age eleven. It was an unpopular dream for most young girls, but her hard work paid off and at age eighteen, Polo started basic training at the United States Air Force Academy.
She does everything right, from academics to athletics. But no one prepared her for what came next: physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of her superiors. Harassment from peers who refused to believe her story.
But this is a story that needs to be told.
Purchase Deep Dark Blue : My Story of Surviving Sexual Assault in the Military at Amazon
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Girl, Serpent, Thorn
by Melissa Bashardoust
Hardcover
Flatiron Books
Released 5/12/2020
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.
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House of Dragons
by Jessica Cluess
Hardcover
Random House Books for Young R
Released 5/12/2020
When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year these five outcasts will answer the call. . . .
THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.
THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.
THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.
THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free–he must take what he wants.
THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.
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More Than Maybe
by Erin Hahn
Hardcover
Wednesday Books
Released 5/12/2020
Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.
Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out of this world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?
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Night Owls and Summer Skies
by Rebecca Sullivan
Paperback
MacMillan
Released 5/12/2020
Emma Lane’s forced to face her fears when her mother unceremoniously dumps her on the doorstep of Camp Mapplewood, abandoning her for the summer while she heads off on a cruise with her latest husband. It’s the last place Emma wants to be with no shortage of creepy creatures, keen campers, and mandatory activities that she fears will hinder managing her anxiety and depression. When Emma breaks into the tool shed on her first day there, the fall out from her escapades leads her right into the path of her counsellor Vivian Black, and nothing is ever the same.
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Say Yes Summer
by Lindsey Roth Culli
Hardcover
Delacorte Press
Released 5/12/2020
The perfect book to kick off summer! For as long as Rachel Brooks can remember, she’s had capital-G Goals: straight As, academic scholarship, college of her dreams. And it’s all paid off–after years of following the rules and acing every exam, Rachel is graduating at the top of her class and ready to celebrate by . . . doing absolutely nothing. Because Rachel Brooks has spent most of high school saying no. No to dances, no to parties, and most especially, no to boys.
Now, for the first time in her life, there’s nothing stopping Rachel from having a little fun–nothing, that is, except herself. So when she stumbles on a beat up old self-help book–A SEASON OF YES!–a crazy idea pops into her head: What if she just said yes to . . . everything?
And so begins a summer of yes. Yes to new experiences and big mistakes, yes to rekindled friendships and unexpected romances, yes to seeing the world in a whole new way.
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Superman Smashes the Klan
by Gene Luen Yang
Paperback
DC Comics
Released 5/12/2020
The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman!
Tommy adjusts quickly to the fast pace of their new neighborhood, befriending Jimmy Olsen and joining the club baseball team, while his younger sister Roberta feels out of place when she fails to fit in with the neighborhood kids. She’s awkward, quiet, and self-conscious of how she looks different from the kids around her, so she sticks to watching people instead of talking to them.
While the Lees try to adjust to their new lives, an evil is stirring in Metropolis: the Klan of the Fiery Kross. The Klan targets the Lee family, beginning a string of terrorist attacks. They kidnap Tommy, attack the Daily Planet, and even threaten the local YMCA. But with the help of Roberta’s keen skills of observation, Superman is able to fight the Klan’s terror, while exposing those in power who support them–and Roberta and Superman learn to embrace their own unique features that set them apart.
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The Boy in the Red Dress
by Kristin Lambert
Hardcover
Viking Books for Young Readers
Released 5/12/2020
New Year’s Eve, 1929.
Millie is running the show at the Cloak & Dagger, a swinging speakeasy in the French Quarter, while her aunt is out of town. The new year is just around the corner, and all of New Orleans is out to celebrate, but even wealthy partiers’ diamond earrings can’t outshine the real star of the night: the boy in the red dress. Marion is the club’s star performer and his fans are legion–if mostly underground.
When a young socialite wielding a photograph of Marion starts asking questions, Millie wonders if she’s just another fan. But then her body is found crumpled in the courtyard, dead from an apparent fall off the club’s balcony, and all signs point to Marion as the murderer. Millie knows he’s innocent, but local detectives aren’t so easily convinced.
As she chases clues that lead to cemeteries and dead ends, Millie’s attention is divided between the wry and beautiful Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, the charming bootlegger who’s offered to help her solve the case. The clock is ticking for the fugitive Marion, but the truth of who the killer is might be closer than Millie thinks.
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The Fascinators
by Andrew Eliopulos
Hardcover
HarperCollins
Released 5/12/2020
Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia―and their time together in their school’s magic club―to see him through to graduation.
But as soon as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs.
With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the very love of magic that brought his group together is now tearing them apart―and there are some problems that no amount of magic can fix.
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The Girl in the White Van
by April Henry
Hardcover
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Released 5/12/2020
When Savannah disappears soon after arguing with her mom’s boyfriend, everyone assumes she’s run away. The truth is much worse. She’s been kidnapped by a man in a white van who locks her in an old trailer home, far from prying eyes.
And worse yet, Savannah’s not alone: ten months earlier, Jenny met the same fate and nearly died trying to escape. Now as the two girls wonder if he will hold them captive forever or kill them, they must join forces to break out―even if it means they die trying.
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The Henna Wars
by Adiba Jaigirdar
Hardcover
MacMillan
Released 5/12/2020
Nishat doesn’t want to lose her family, but she also doesn’t want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists. In a fight to prove who is the best, their lives become more tangled―but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush, especially since Flávia seems to like her back.
As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Flávia and give their relationship a chance.
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Vincent Book Three : How to be Happy
by Vitor Cafaggi
Paperback
MacMillan
Released 5/12/2020
After having his heart broken by Luna, Princess, and Lady, Vincent decides to focus on himself first. While on a camping trip with his closest RPG friends, this young college student must let go of all his emotional baggage, his past failed relationships, and the magic tricks up his sleeve. He must learn to love himself before falling head over heels with someone else to possibly love him. Who knows, the love of Vincent’s life could be right around the corner? It’s the heartwarming and tear-jerking conclusion of this emotional trilogy.
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We’ll Soon Be Home Again
by Jessica Bab Bonde
Paperback
Random House
Released 5/12/2020
Some of them were children then, and are still alive to tell what happened to them and their families. How they survived. What they lost–and how you keep on living, despite it all.
Jessica Bab Bonde has, based on survivor’s stories, written an important book. Peter Bergting’s art makes the book accessible, despite its difficult subject.
Using first-person point of view allows the stories to get under your skin as survivors describe their persecutions in the Ghetto, the de-humanization and the starvation in the concentration camps, and the industrial-scale mass murder taking place in the extermination camps.
When right-wing extremism and antisemitism are being evoked once again, it’s the alarm-bell needed to remind us never to forget the horrors of the Holocaust.
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