The YA novel, A Secret Princess,  is a creative collaboration by two renowned young adult literature authors, Margaret de la Cruz and Margaret Stohl.  With clear homage to Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of The Secret Garden, A LittlePrincess and Little Lord Fauntleroy,  de la Cruz and Stohl weave an entertaining but fanciful story around three young people who chance to meet in a repressive English boarding school called The Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Gentlemen. The 2022 novel holds no surprises in plot, setting or character development.  Teenage attraction at almost first sight, the unfair use of adult power, the instant friendship formed from disadvantage and the magical powers of a hidden garden are formulaic and expected.  The surprising and refreshing aspect of this light and breezy novel is the inclusion of a person of color, Sara from the Philippines, who experiences subtle and blatant prejudice from every class level in pre-industrial England. The “prince” is a physically challenged young man whose wealth and privilege cannot bring him what he most desires: health and mobility. The third main character is Mary, a strong-willed, determined young woman who will not be the “lady” that is expected of her. 
     The rewriting of the classic stories by Burnett to reflect multi-cultural backgrounds and people of color is to update the original work with an air of honor and respect. These young characters overcome difficulties through friendship, courage and a bit of “luck”.  A Secret Princess is a whimsy, frivolous read.

Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions is a classic high school novel with a cast of diverse and unique characters. Sunny, a nerdy senior with a stutter, must make his way through a night full of trying experiences and difficult revelations. With the help of Mindii, the strange and aggressive girl he met at prom, Sunny will start making his own “rash decisions”, and in doing so learn more than he expected about himself and his deceased brother. 

Throughout the book, Sunny is constantly driving around his town on his quest to make rash decisions. This makes the book quite a page-turner, but it also means there are very few characters who are fully fleshed out and developed. Also, while it is realistic for a high school-age environment, the frequency of swear words is both jarring and distracting from the actual plot. This book will make you realize why most YA novels choose to include only a few swears.

Sunny’s continuous struggle throughout the book is his grappling with the death of his brother, who was an alcoholic. Other themes include bullying, cultural differences, and personal identity.

Overall, Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions is an engaging book that will easily kill a few hours of time. However, the overwhelming host of problems the main character is faced with, as well as the quick, snappy writing style, can cause it to be a bit much at times. 6.5 out of 10 Stars.

In Jordan Ifueko’s sequel to Raybearer, Tarisai will be tested physically and mentally as she begins her control of the throne as Empress. Tarisai is still a rock star of a heroine, staying one step ahead of most issues that arise but when spirits of the past add that additional layer of doubt, Tarsai takes a little of a Christ-like role in deciding if she can live with her people or if she must die to absolve them of past transgressions. This fantasy world continues its mythical tale as beautifully crafted as Tarisai’s characterization. Fans of Raybearer will enjoy Redemptor’s 2nd and final part of the story.

Minda Harts gives heartfelt advice on everything from finding your first job to reacting to squabbles between friends or break-ups of family, and from self-advocacy and positive self-reflection to being vulnerable in relationships. While race and gender positivity are obviously the reason for the book, this white reader could read it from the advocate’s lens as well as the learner’s lens. Discussion questions for chapters are at the end as well as reflective questions for a white audience and comments for a white caregiver. This is the “gift” book that counselors, teachers, guardians, and advocates can share with the beautiful brown girls in our lives. Harts writes in conversational, tell-it-like-it-is prose that creates the authentic cradle of care these girls need to be leaders in our society. You Are More Than Magic is highly recommended for school libraries.

Eric Smith along with Alanis Morisette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard have taken the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical by the same name and novelized it for a high school audience. This is a grand-salami story from five teen voices where perspectives are not always what they seem and choices have repercussions. The main storyline focuses on the Healy family who tries to be picture-perfect but the frame slams to the ground. There are so many, many layers as the jagged little pill dissolves — people exploring their sexuality, people learning to trust themselves, people taking a social stand, people learning how relationships work. “Harder” pills of rape, drug addiction, and mental health issues will also push a fast-paced plot that includes text message conversations for audience appeal. Jagged Little Pill has a broad audience and will be an easy sell when book-talked. Highly recommended.

Sajni Patel gives readers a fast-paced behind-the-scenes experience of a highly ritualized, richly flavored, visually stimulating, and overly hectic Indian wedding week as Zurika Damani’s older sister ties the knot in an Atlanta, Georgia suburb. Zuri is a gifted violinist who wants nothing more than to please her parents while this week unfolds. The problem is that she has the opportunity of a lifetime — to compete for entry to a prestigious music school the same weekend as the wedding. And as the families converge, Zuri meets Naveen, the groom’s South African cousin, who also will compete for a spot. Competition will turn to flirting as the two navigate the well-scheduled week. Zuri’s own cousins will work behind the scenes to have her sneakily escape to the competition. But of course she’ll get caught and its the resolution that ties a nice, big bow to this story of family love. Much like Crying in H Mart but without the heartache of a death, My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding will be a fun romp around the foods, the feels, and the flaunting of the families who have enough money to throw a lavish affair. I highly recommend this book for upper elementary through high school young adults.

Adrianne Finlay comes up with creative sci-fi twists in Cut Off, where teenagers have signed up to be on a virtual reality show, stranded on an island in a survival-of-the-fittest game. Skym cameras hover over to stream their every move 24/7. Of course, they have the ability to tap out, much like Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid series. Four finalists become the story’s focus, each with different inner reasons (or demons) for why they signed up for this game. But when Brandon is injured during an earthquake and taps, nothing happens. Is it not working because of the earthquake? After finding other contestants equally as shaken up by the earthquake, they quickly learn something is very, very wrong. This story begins with fantastic pace, adventure, and character-building. But about 2/3 of the way through, the sci-fi gets complicated. Readers will probably keep going just to see if the characters they’ve been rooting for survive. Thus this will be hit or miss with some readers. A good sales pitch will definitely get them reading, but they may. not finish, much like a contestant or two.

https://watch.screencastify.com/v/gJNdPZvcsXvsFcNjto1y

Fitz is a senior in high school and a wickly smart logophile who believes he needs to stay close to home for college because his mother is developing dementia. He embarks on a tour of colleges around the east coast with his older brother to appease his mother. Juniper is a senior in high school who can’t wait to get away from her family. They are is overly loving, expecting her to stay close and support elders and siblings. She embarks on a tour of colleges with her long-time boyfriend, trying to find a future where they will both be away and happy. Juniper notices Fitz paying absolutely no attention during a college tour she his excited about. Why is this kid even here? Fate brings them together along the road to their futures. There will be sparks. But reality sets in for each. Does reality include each other? Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka teamed in Time of Our Lives to give us two authentic teens with internal dilemmas representative of many college seniors. No cheese here, just clever timings of events and quirkiness of characters to leave readers feeling relatively happy with how life can turn out.

https://watch.screencastify.com/v/gJNdPZvcsXvsFcNjto1y

Both Sides Now, by Peyton Thomas, provides an honest and hopeful
glimpse into the trans teen experience. Finch Kelly, a trans boy living in Olympia, Washington,
chases his dream of attending Georgetown University by competing in the National Debate
Championship. Finch’s goal of winning Nationals is jeopardized by the financial difficulties of his
family and his growing attraction to his best friend and debate partner, Jonah Cabrera. As they
battle through the rounds of debate against their privileged rivals from Annable academy, they
must face an internal battle when the National debate topic is announced: trans bathroom
rights. Without successfully debating against his own rights, Finch’s dreams of Georgetown and
a future in politics is in jeopardy. Integration of social media formatting into the narrative
enhances the relatability of the story, but some references to other mainstream tech feels a bit
forced. The story feels very relatable as the characters navigate realistic obstacles that many
young people discover standing between themselves and their childhood dreams. Throughout,
the outcome of the story remains tantalizingly obscure right to the last chapter. Difficult
conversations about LGBTQ+ rights and racism are addressed in relatable ways that speak to all
age groups. As teenagers learn to navigate this ever-changing world, Both Sides Now is a
coming-of-age story that speaks to modern situations and dilemmas.

Francisco X. Stork’s On the Hook is a reimagining of his very first book from 2007, Behind the Eyes. In this story, Hector’s moral dilemma is front and center. A gifted student living in a rough area of town, Hector is put in the position of showing a machismo he doesn’t have to defend his brother’s honor. This is the struggle of inner turmoil that young men face more often than society probably acknowledges. Can you be smart and tough at the same time? Hector has a great support system around him, but only he can figure out the type of future he wants to have.

Stork’s writing is quick-paced and takes surprising turns. Readers might be frustrated with Hector’s choices when he clearly has an easy way out of his situation but doesn’t take it. But this allows for Hector’s character development, which 7th- 10th graders need clear examples of. On the Hook is a good addition for collections that need more options male readers.