29 Dates

Melissa d la Cruz

Fiction

School Library Journal: "Korean teen Ji-Su Kim is not performing as well in school as her parents would like as they expect her to get into a top-tier university in Korea or the U.S. Without her knowledge, her parents enroll her in a California high school for her senior year. At first, Ji-Su is despondent about leaving her friends and her family behind. However, she quickly immerses herself into the culture at her new school as she makes new friends and begins to participate in extracurricular activities. She has been set up with blind dates, called seons, by a Korean matchmaker. These dates don't end when she moves to California because Ms. Moon has many contacts in the Korean American community. The chapters alternate between what is currently happening in the protagonist's life with the transcripts of the conversations she has with each of her dates, starting with the first one in Korea. Though romance is an underlying theme, Ji-Su has no interest in the boys she meets on the seons but does see possible love connections with classmates at her new school. Her interactions with her contemporaries seem realistic, but the depiction of her overbearing but well-meaning parents feel familiar and without much nuance. VERDICT This novel will please teens looking for a light read."

We Set the Dark on Fire

Tehlor Kay Mejia

Fiction

“We Set the Dark on Fire burns bright. It will light the way for a new generation of rebels and lovers.” —NPR.org

“Mejia pens a compelling, gripping story that mirrors real world issues of immigration and equality.” —Buzzfeed

Five starred reviews!!

In this daring and romantic fantasy debut perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Latinx authors Zoraida Córdova and Anna-Marie McLemore, society wife-in-training Dani has a great awakening after being recruited by rebel spies and falling for her biggest rival.
At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.
Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.
And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.

Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love? (Amazon.com)

''A vivid tale of political intrigue, power, and resistance that will thrill the hearts of readers.'' --Traci Chee, New York Times bestselling author

''A richly constructed world full of fantasy and diversity, with a mystery that will keep [listeners] guessing until the very end. A must-have fantasy filled with action and political intrigue.'' --School Library Journal (starred review)

''A masterfully constructed novel...This timely examination of how women move through the world is potent and precise, and readers will be eager for the sequel.'' --Booklist (starred review)

''An action-packed third-person narrative, smart dialogue, and lush descriptions offer readers a fresh and steely heroine in a contemporary coming-of-age story. This well-crafted fantasy offers a mirror that reflects themes in our own difficult world, namely privilege, immigration, and individualism versus the common good...Thrilling and timely.'' --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

''A complicated tale of love, intrigue, moral compromise, and action, with a prescient sensibility that echoes current headlines and political issues...This fierce, feminist novel throws memorable characters into a provocative set of circumstances, and the constant twists will leave readers yearning for the conclusion.'' --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Cold Day in the Sun

Sara Beren

Fiction

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. But when her school team is selected to be featured and televised as part of HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys’ team makes her the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but there’s one person who fiercely supports her, and it’s the last person she expects (and definitely the last person she should be falling for): her bossy team captain, Wes. (Amazon.com)

"Biren has created a romance that fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen should love."
(School Library Journal)

"A fun romp of a teen romance via an exciting hockey season, this book has all the right ingredients—a spunky, multifaceted main character, a love interest who turns out to be a decent individual, and plenty of internal and external conflict . . . A teenage love story steamy enough to melt the ice in the rink."
(Kirkus Reviews)

"A fun read that simultaneously puts the reader into the hockey world as an insider and an outsider . . . It's a last-act gut punch that really puts a spotlight on what female athletes have to deal with. A must-read for anyone who has had to defy expectations."
(Booklist)

"Fans of White’s A Season of Daring Greatly will want to move from the baseball diamond to the hockey rink for this smart, charming sports read."
(The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)