McCauley, Kyrie. 2020. If These Wings Could Fly. HarperCollins (Katherine Tegen Books). 400 pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-288502-9.

 If These Wings Could Fly is a breathtaking and emotional story of domestic abuse, and how it truly feels to live through such tragedy. Our main character, Leighton, is the oldest of three daughters and has taken up the role of protector as their father’s rage builds over the years - and as their mother stands by and does nothing. Leighton is in her senior year of high school, and her only goal is getting out, getting away from the horrors of her own home and of the small town that turned a blind eye; however, she’s also being held down by the crushing guilt of leaving behind her sisters in such a place. And then the crows appeared. Soon their small town is overtaken by crows, as the rage inside her father grows, so do the number of crows filling the sky. The rest of the town is annoyed by the lovely black birds, but Leighton and her sisters find a sort of comfort under the creatures’ watchful gaze. As the school year progresses, another wrench is thrown across Leighton’s path, a wrench in the form of fellow senior Liam - a charming and stubborn boy who wriggles his way into the heart of our strong Leighton. 

 Mcauley has written a book that shows how it actually feels to grow up in an unstable household, how it feels when all that pain is hidden behind smiles and Saturday breakfasts, how a person can still love the abuser. The crows themselves serve as an amazing metaphor for the growing strength of not only Leighton, but of her sisters and mother, as well. Liam serves as a strong support system for Leighton, but he isn't her knight in shining armor. He’s there to show that good still exists in the world and to help Leighton heal, but he also doesn’t magically fix the problems or fix Leighton. They’re both complex and fully fleshed out characters who exist together without taking away from each other. (NS)

Soria, Destiny. 2021. Fire With Fire. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion Books). 432pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-35-832973-2.

  Fire with Fire is a compelling story of two feuding sisters. Set in the modern day and age, Eden and Dani seem to be normal teenagers. The catch is that their whole family hunts and kills dragons. The family dynamic is skewed when Dani befriends a dragon and has to help him save his species. Dani refuses to join the Head Sorcerers clan and help slay the dragons; however, Eden does join the rankings. The sisters struggle to fight one another, even though their beliefs are different: they are still family. Eden and Dani both try to persuade one another, but toward the end, Eden realizes her wrongdoings. Eden aids Dani in saving the few remaining dragons, and their broken bond is fixed. 

The plot of this book does start out slowly. The two main conflicts in the first half of the book relating to the sisters’ training and Dani’s relationship with the dragon are fairly common, which makes the beginning fairly predictable. However, as the story progresses, the conflicts become more complicated and action becomes more frequent, making it definitely worth the wait. Overall, the book has a rich plot that will keep anyone interested in fantasy and action engrossed in the story. This book is full of action, adventure and even some humor. (EL) (JB)

Mafi, Tahereh. 2021. An Emotion of Great Delight. HarperCollins. 256pp. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-06-297241-5.

An Emotion of Great Delight is a very eye-opening novel about Shadi, a girl in college who has a sister. Shadi is Muslim. Her mom is depressed, and her dad is in the hospital. Her best friend stopped talking to her, and her brother recently died in a car accident. Shadi is also struggling with the recent events of 9/11 and the U.S. declaring war on Iraq. She tries to keep her head down and  get through her day, but Shadi is struggling. Readers get a glimpse of Shadi’s life, one year full of ups and downs, problems and solutions. In the end, we realize not everything can be a perfect fairy tale, as Shadi’s life is not magically fixed by the last chapter. The whole book does a wonderful job of telling the story of Shadi, a Muslim girl, living during an anti-Muslim time. We see how differently Shadi is treated and how much 9/11 has changed her life. This book feels very real; it is a quick read full of emotions. (EL)

Libenson, Terri. 2021. Truly Tyler (Emmie & Friends). HarperCollins (Balzer + Bray). 384pp. $12.99. ISBN 978-0-06-289456-4.

After returning from Christmas break, Tyler and Emmie team up for an art project. Emmie has a huge crush on Tyler. Tyler starts missing basketball practice because of this art project, and his friends start to question his commitment to the team and to them. Tyler has a complicated life. His dad lives far away, and any time he Facetimes, it's only to talk about basketball. Then Tyler’s life gets interrupted by his girlfriend. After being teased too much, Tyler tries to distance himself from Emmie; however, they eventually end up even closer, and his friends start to accept their relationship. Their friend groups even end up combining. This book goes through real life issues some people face. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about drama. (EL)

McGinty, Sean 2021. Rainbow in the Dark. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion Books). 336pp. $17.99. ISBN  978-0-35-838037-5.

 After being transported into a world with no memories of your life, what would you do? This exciting book makes you its main character as you live through the perilous journey the author has set out for you. You arrive in a strange place with no memories of how you got there or who you are. As you journey through this weird and fantastic world, you find yourself slowly remembering your past. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants something new. It shifts between 2nd person point of view and 1st point of view throughout the book. When remembering your past, the book is written in the 2nd person point of view, while it pulls you back to the 1st person perspective when you are in the present setting. Rainbow in the Dark takes on some heavier themes, including depression, identity, and giving up. As you read, memories flood your mind, and you have to decipher them to find out what happened in your past. You end up learning about your brother and the strained relationship between you two. The author thoroughly explores this relationship and its effect on your mental health. After finishing the book, you find yourself with a lot of questions, giving you a lot to think about and contemplate. If you are looking for something fresh, I would highly suggest Rainbow in the Dark. (ES)

Stork, Francisco. 2021. On The Hook. Scholastic Inc. (Scholastic Press). 304pp. $17.99 ISBN 978-1-33-869215-0.

    Hector Robles, a 16-year-old from El Paso, Texas, lives in the projects with his mom, his older brother Fili, and his little sister Aurora. Hector is always a good kid. He wants to be the captain of his high school’s chess team, wants to go to college and get his family out of the projects, but all that changes due to one person. Joey Mendez, the little brother of a drug dealer, is a kid from Hector’s school. Joey goes to Hector’s work and harasses him, carves a C for coward in Hector's chest, and tells the teen he is going to kill him– maybe not that day, but maybe the next, or some day.  Hector then lives with the fright that Joey’s words may come true, but he also has to try to move on.  Hector is then chosen first place for an essay he wrote about the pursuit of happiness. Later, at the banquet where Hector is to receive his award, he sees Joey standing in the back of the room watching him  As Hector is riding home with Fili and his girlfriend Gloria, they pull over at a church to show Hector their engagement ring, and that’s where the blue Chevy Impala owned by Chavo shows up.  Chavo and Gloria had been in a relationship, but she left him for Fili.  Chavo wants to confront Fili about this, so they both get out of their cars and start arguing. Hector is frozen in fear when Joey gets out of his car with an aluminum bat and walks over to the fight and hits Fili in the back of the head– killing him. Then Joey and Chavo walk back to their car. That’s when Hector comes to life. He moves to the driver’s seat, puts the vehicle in reverse, and he puts it in drive, plowing toward Joey and Chavo. Joey is able to dodge the car, but Chavo is not so lucky. Hector and Joey are both sent to Furman Academy because of their actions, and their lives take a turn while they are there. This book is about focusing on what is important in life and how to make amends. This book is truly amazing. It’s action-packed and threw out all types of emotions.  With Hector being a teen, this book speaks to other teenagers. However, all ages could find themselves enjoying this book.  Readers will find themselves continuously engaged in the book. (KY)

Khan, Sabina. 2021. Zara Hossain Is Here. Scholastic Inc. (Scholastic Press). 256 pp. $18.99. ISBN 978-1-33-858087-7.

Zara Hossain Is Here is an amazing story that highlights the struggles of the immigrant community in the U.S. This story puts the reader in the shoes of an openly gay Muslim who is facing constant bullying and harassment from classmates. Zara is constantly trying to protect her fellow LGBTQ friends and classmates from bullies, but it finally comes to a head when Tyler, her biggest bully, spray paints a racist message on her garage door. Her father has had enough and makes the mistake of going to the bully’s house where he gets shot and is thrust into a coma. Her father also faces criminal charges for trespassing, and this situation threatens the family's immigration status. This novel is full of great heart touching moments and romance. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about some of the experiences that people in the LGBTQ community face. (OP)

Gerber, Alyson. 2021. Taking Up Space. Scholastic Inc. 272 pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-1-33-818600-0.

Seventh grader Sarah Weber loves playing basketball with her two BFFs, Ryan and Emilia. But her body is changing, making the former star player feel slow on the court and causing her worry about being cut from the team. Since Sarah’s mother has a complicated relationship with health, sometimes skipping meals, Sarah decides to follow suit, taking her coach’s advice to cut junk food and bread. Though constantly hungry as a result, Sarah starts playing better and liking the way her clothes fit. When the boy both she and Emilia like asks her to be his cooking partner for a school contest, Sarah keeps their meetups a secret for fear of losing Emilia’s friendship. Soon, tensions escalate with her friends and mother, her eating habits (or lack of them) draw unwanted attention, and Sarah no longer knows what or how to eat. (KW)

Vincent, Rachel. 2021. Red Wolf. HarperCollins (HarperTeen). 368 pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-241162-4.

Red Wolf is about a girl, Adele, who is born into a world of small villages surrounded by a magical mysterious forest. Everyone knows to stay out of these woods, as there are monsters who live inside them that feed on humans. However, these monsters will not come into the light of the village. Adele is a 16 year old girl whose life gets flipped upside down when she finds out about her family’s secret. She goes into the woods and is met by a werewolf-like creature that she finds the strength to kill. Upon killing this creature, her body transforms into one similar to the animal she just killed. Eventually, Adele changes back into her human form. When she arrives home and tell her family about her tale, Adele finds out that the women in her family have a job, to protect the village from the beasts that want to hurt them. However, Adele doesn’t want this responsibility. She really wants to settle down and live with who she believes is her soulmate, Grainger. However, Grainger goes mad and pushes Adele away from him. Then, Adele and Max hit it off and move to his home village together. I would Recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about fantasies, as this book is a great fantasy read. (KT)

Thomas, Angie, et. al. 2021. Blackout. HarperCollins (Quill Tree Books). 256 pp. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-06-308809-2.

Blackout follows two different stories during a blackout in New York City. It’s the hottest day it's ever been in New York City. Tammi is in the city for a job she is applying for, but little does she know, her ex-boyfriend, Jacorey, is also in New York. As the two sit in a waiting room, all of the power in New York City goes out. After realizing all the trains aren't working, Tami and her ex realize the only way to get home is to walk all the way across the city. They struggle getting along for a while, but as they get closer to home, they slowly fall in love with each other again. While stuck in a subway tunnel, Jacorey contemplates his feelings for Tremaine. Hoping to play matchmaker with his grand-daughter, Ike has Nella and Joss search for a photo of his deceased wife. While wandering around a library for hours, Lana builds up the courage to confess her feelings to her best friend, Tristan. If you like reading stories where there is more than one character narrating what happens when the lights go out, this is a book for you. (SG)

Schrefer, Eliot. 2021. The Darkness Outside Us. HarperCollins (‎Katherine Tegen Books). 393 pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-288828-0.

The Darkness Outside Us is a fantasy story from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy named Ambrose Cusk. It takes place in a time when the Earth has split society into two groups: the Dimokratia and the Federation. The groups speak different languages and are trained very differently, Dimokratia are much stricter and focused on the survival of the fittest. Ambrose is from the Federation. When the story begins, Ambrose has seemingly woken up from a coma in a spaceship, except he doesn’t remember how he got knocked out or why he was in a coma at all. All he knows is that he’s supposed to be on a mission to rescue his sister from the planet Titan. On his ship is another man named Kodiak, who is from Dimokratia. At first, Kodiak is very hesitant toward Ambrose, but they eventually grow closer. The two work together to try and figure out if there’s a deeper meaning to what’s going on in the ship. As their stories repeat, more and more information is revealed, until they finally discover what the mission is truly about. A romantic and action-packed story that is also suspenseful, The Darkness Outside Us is a great book for anyone who enjoys fantasy and space-related themes. The book is diverse, unique, and sometimes makes the reader question his or her thinking on different topics. (LW)

Waters, Erica. 2021. The River Has Teeth. HarperCollins (HarperTeen). 400pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-289425-0.

The two main characters of this book, Della and Natasha, are both in the middle of a family crisis. Della’s family is involved in witchcraft, but their magic has gone wrong and turned her mother into a monster. Now the only thing she and her family can do is damage control, and a lot of that falls on Della’s shoulders. Natasha’s sister is missing, and Natasha wants to find answers– which brings Natasha to Della’s doorstep. This book contains dark content and mature themes. Both characters have not lived the easiest or average lives, and the recent events leave them angry and also a bit hopeless; however, they refuse to let hopelessness overtake them. This book is great if you like mystery and fantasy. (TB)

Latham, Mark. 2017. Sherlock Holmes- A Betrayal in Blood. Titan Books. 288 pp. $14.95. ISBN ‎ 978-1-78-329866-2.

The notorious Sherlock Holmes takes up a case well known to readers: that of Count Dracula and his murder at the hands of Proffessor Van Helsing. The author takes readers down the many paths as Holmes and his accomplice Dr. Watson follow the winding trails of evidence that take them across Europe. After Sherlock acknowledges the intelligence of his adversary Van Helsing, it seems that he may have found an opponent too hard to beat. Will the dynamic duo be able to crack the case before more bodies lie in the wake of this scandalous cover up? This book provides an almost humorous nature to the revered topic of Count Dracula. Maintaining a steady stream of events and reasoning, this book uses the ebb and flow of the story to encapture the reader. While multiple murders take place, the author does well to censor them to a point where anyone can read it. This book is a lovely mystery piece for more than just the Holmes fans. (SM)

Aveyard, Victoria. 2021. Realm Breaker. HarperCollins (HarperTeen). 576 pp. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-06-287262-3.

In a realm, peaceful for many years, a catastrophe like none have seen is about to break loose. When the best fighters fail to stop it, is there any chance that the remainder of their ranks can recruit the right people to help save the world? Realm Breaker follows the quest of Corayne, an-Amarat, as she and her compatriots try to fix the holes that are torn open in the world. Should they fail and the tears accumulate, then an evil beyond comprehension would seek to raze their world to the ground. Will Corayne’s ancient bloodline and good luck carry them into safety? Or will the creatures born from the tears amass enough to wipe  the realm clean? This book is well suited for a young adult read; it has a storyline that readers can follow and provides readers with enough background information to understand the main antagonist. The book keeps readers’ attention with a strong mix of character development throughout the plot buildup. (SM)

Chainani, Soman. 2021. Beasts and Beauty. HarperCollins. 336 pp. $17.99.  ISBN‎ 978-0-06-265263-8.

From the author who wrote The School for Good and Evil, Beasts and Beauty is a collection of retold fairy tales that sparks new life and a modern twist to the stories we know inside and out. Each tale is recounted with words that bring out the true meaning behind many of the stories: old books of careless love and shining. In this book, perfect people are replaced with bitterness, adventure, truth, and a love that doesn’t just take the shape of a man and a woman, a prince and a princess. Beasts and Beauty is a wonderfully written masterpiece that makes us wonder why fairy tales were told in such a way in the past and paints them in a new light today. If you adore fairy tales and wish to read something both familiar and entirely new, I encourage you to pick up Soman Chainani’s Beasts and Beauty. (DR)