What’s going on in the YA world? A look into this week’s releases and upcoming events for teens!
New Releases!
SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson
Twenty years ago, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak came out. It was life-changing for many who read it, and yet, two decades later, the system is still broken. SHOUT is a response to society’s cultural failure to change as much as we needed it to, a memoir in verse, and a rallying cry. It’s beautiful, powerful, supportive—speaking truth to power in a vibrant and unflinching voice.
Kids Events & Marketing Coordinator Eugenia loves Laurie and devoured the book. She says: “I’ve been reading Laurie Halse Anderson since I was a teenager, and I remember devouring Speak, connecting to it so strongly. SHOUT is truly remarkable, proving once again that Halse Anderson is not only a stunning writer but that she is able to connect to her readers in a way few authors can– and has done it for decades now. The poetry that fills the pages of SHOUT is elegant and honest, and I have no doubt that readers will come to its powerful lines time and time again.”
Laurie will be in Austin April 5th for a discussion about the book with former Texas Sen. Wendy Davis. Get your tickets and join us!
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
This book sounds so topical and resonant, Ellen Hopkins’ Crankfor now. Fascinating, humanizing, and tear-you-apart painful, but a very necessary read.
A little bit about the book: A wealth of past injuries, a broken home, and social anxiety are all compounded by a car crash that takes Mickey away from the place she’s most comfortable, behind home plate playing catcher for her tournament-hopeful softball team. But there’s something that can take the pain away and get her back where she belongs.
Angel Thieves by Kathi Appelt
We absolutely loved Kathi Appelt’s collaboration with Alison McGhee on Maybe a Fox—it was deeply emotional and thoughtfully handled heavy themes, with an evocative sense of environment. Angel Thieves sounds incredible—perspectively similar to Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, but for older readers.
A little about the book: Cade and his father are angel thieves, paying his landlord with marble angels stolen from graveyards that she can sell for thousands to collectors. The biggest score of their life would be finding the marble angel with one hand open, and one hand closed. Zorra is a trapped young ocelot that a poacher brought to the bayou and lost. Achsah is a freed slave, searching for an angel in a church cemetery with one hand open, and one hand closed. Across time the stories are connected by the bayou, the angel, and a universal desire to be free.
Izzy + Tristan by Sharon Dunlap
Doomed romance, for thee I pine! But seriously—we’re loving that this is not another Romeo and Juliet. Tristan and Isolde (Iseult) had some pretty dark moments and this contemporary retelling seems to be holding true to the emotional depths while enjoying considerable more female agency than the original.
When The Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry
BookPeople Art Director Tomoko is so excited about this release! She says: “I NEED to read this book! I’m heavily leaning towards either Power Rangers as an influence or E.T. (I mean, that cover!!) and I need to know which it is. Also, where has Emily Henry been all my life—seriously, read the summaries for The Love that Split the World and A Million Junes! Absolutely must-reads for magical realism aficionados.”
A little bit about the book: Five years ago, in the small blue-collar town of Splendor, Ohio, the steel mill exploded and nearly everyone was affected—either directly or through someone close. The Ordinary is a group of friends bound by the tragedy. Together, and in the vein of 2011’s Super 8, The Ordinary investigates local ghost stories and legends and film their exploits for YouTube. Something silly to take the edge off the sadness. But then one night, a strange bright light appears in the sky and hurtles into Splendor, changing everything.
Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin
Deep, dark and deliciously creepy with palpable atmosphere and siblinghood? Yes, please! The summary reminds us a bit of Smoke by Dan Vyleta—dark and creepy with an exploration of morality and being. The great thing about literary YA is that it’s so experimental—plus being comped to House of Furies is always a fun thing. Must read!
A little bit about the book: The story of twins Mae and Rossa who know the secret about the house at the end of the lane and how it burned down. And they won’t breathe a word. Spanning five summers, the novel captivates with an atmospheric unraveling of the dark mystery and terrible powers at the heart of the fire.
Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
Beware the Night by Jessika Fleck
Getting vibes of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising from this one–clash of the classes with an ancient Roman government system—and from what we’ve heard: plenty of plot twists!
A little bit about the book: The sophomore novel from Jessika Fleck and a Swoon Reads title, Beware the Night is the first in a dystopic duology about an island society who worships the sun. With caste-separations of the working and ruling classes, Veda’s life is one of back-breaking work and imposing rules in the service of keeping the sun content. But when her grandfather is chosen as the next sacrificial offering, Veda opens her eyes to the injustice of the world and joins the underground revolution.
More Events You Can’t Miss!
April 9 at 7pm—Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu:
The Red Scrolls of Magic
Cassie Clare and Wesley Chu are coming to Austin! Get your tickets and join us at Central Presbyterian Church—they will be talking all things Red Scrolls of Magic and Magnus Bane and signing your copies!
April 17 at 7PM—Ashley Poston: The Princess and the Fangirl
Ashley Poston is back with another installment in the Once Upon a Con series, The Princess and the Fangirl. We fell in love with her witty charm and ability to see the cosplayer in all of us in Geekerella, don’t miss Ashley here with her next book (with new characters to root for and a new crisis with Starfield), right here at the store!
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