Title: Barely Missing Everything

Author: Matt Mendez

Recommended Grade Level: 9 and up

Summary: Juan and his friend JD dream of getting out of El Paso hometown and away from their complicated personal lives. When Juan finds out his father may not be dead after all but incarcerated, the two friends take a road trip to visit him while also embarking on a journey of self-discovery. Where I found it: Goodreads.com

Why I chose it: This books gets lots of comparisons to Mexican Whiteboy which my 14 year old son just read and really enjoyed. I also like that it is a book that might appeal to boys but isn’t all about sports.

"Mendez offers enticing glimpses of Mexican-American life, and he has an uncanny ability to capture the aimless bluster of young boys posturing at confidence, behaving rashly to mask feeling insecure...we can almost feel the existential claustrophobia of adolescence." Mj Franklin, ~ The New York Times, Book Review 

Title: The Gilded Wolves

Author: Roshana Choksi

Recommended Grade Level: 9 and up

Summary:  Wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is forced to undertake a mission on behalf of the elite Order of Babel in nineteenth century Paris.

Where I found it: Public Library

Why I chose it: The reviews describe it as a book of suspense and intrigue that is hard to put down.

“Chokshi delivers a thrilling, gritty new fantasy set in an alternate nineteenth century Paris… Chokshi shines as a master storyteller in her newest novel; the setting, world building, plot, and conflict are all staggering. However, the elements that perhaps shine the most are the history, riddles, mysteries, and science, woven together in a world brimming with power and magic.” ― BOOKLIST, Starred Review

Title: Beware the Night

Author:  Jessika Flek

Recommended Grade Level: 7 and up

Summary:  On the island of Bellona, people are sacrificed to the Sun in order to protect themselves from the Night, a group of dangerous people which snatches citizens during the night. Seventeen year old Veda finds out that the story she has been told about who is good and who is bad is not so clear cut after all as she embarks on a journey to save her grandfather from being sacrificed.

Where I found it: Public library

Why I chose it: It sounds like it would appal to teens--fantasy, romance adventure all in one.

The first in a series, this fantasy adventure is quickly paced with surprises at every turn and an ending that will leave teens breathless and awaiting more. Fleck has crafted a fully realized world complete with its own history and mythology to immerse her readers. VERDICT: Finely tuned and masterfully written, this is a must-purchase for all fantasy shelves." --School Library Journal

Title: Sadie

Author: Courtney Summers

Recommended Grade Level: 9 and up

Summary: Sadie has spent her life trying to keep her younger sister Maddie safe, but then Maddie is murdered and Sadie is determined to find the man she knows killed her sister.

Where I found it:  My school library

Why I chose it: This sounds like it is both suspenseful and heart-wrenching, a combination that I think will appeal to teens.

Awards: Amelia Bloomer Lists - Young Adult Fiction: 2019

               Edgar Allan Poe Awards: Best Young Adult

   School Library Journal Best Books: 2018

“This is one of those stories that seeps into your bones somewhere along the way, and it changes the way you look at the world a little. It is the best mystery—and one of the best books, period—that I have ever read, and it is also one of the bleakest, most devastating reading experiences of my life.”-- Amazon reviewer