A rom-com with Asian flair, Jennifer Yen’s Love, Decoded mixes the pressures of high school classes, friendships, and angst into a predictable yet modern melodrama. Gigi Wong is a super smart girl with nothing holding her back — she comes from a family with money, she has respect from her peers and teachers, and she has a school that offers the high-level classes to take her anywhere. But like most teens, Gigi doesn’t know where to go after high school. An app creation assignment in class that includes the option of being entered into a contest brings out Gigi’s natural drive to be the best, but this will create conflict in multiple friendships as the story plays out. Gigi is a nice girl that readers will want to succeed and they may get frustrated as they know the tripwire is coming…she will fall down. How she handles both the elements she is in control of as well as those she lost control of will be the make-or-break point for readers. They’ll either see her as authentic or not. This is recommended for all high school and public libraries.

The vibrant graphic novel The Glass Scientists by S. H. Ctugno is a perfect retelling of old gothic folklore turned into a fun slice of life novel. Dr. Henry Jekyll grapples with his inner demon, Mr. Hyde while he goes through day-to-day life in a mad scientists society trying to gain the trust of normal people and cure Dr. Frankenstein of a deadly disease. What I love about this book is the art style. the art style is very colorful with a very simplistic-detailed character design. the colors are vivid showing emotion in every surface. The mostly leisurely story helps the story details the vast array of characters while still giving the hype and stakes when the plot is at full display. The unpredictable plot always keeps the reader in anticipation for the next event in the story. the comedic reimagining of old gothic fiction thrives in this new colorful graphic novel. Graphic novel lovers will love the vibrant pictures and the story while the old gothic fiction lovers will adore the new reimagining of the beloved characters from the old stories.

The Do More Club is a great middle-grades read that inspires students to take action. When Josh Kline, the main character’s school is the target of antisemitic slurs he is motivated to take action. Josh realizes he is not alone and with the help of his classmates takes a stand against the hate by promoting kindness. This book brings up important issues in a gentle and relatable way. This is an important book that helps readers to know that everyone can make a difference and take a stand no matter who you are.

The Way I Am Now is a heartbreaking, realistic, and passionate story of two people with lost souls and their journey as they find themselves and each other. It’s an emotional rollercoaster and a breathtaking sequel to The Way I Used To Be. It depicts Eden’s and Josh’s journeys of trauma, pain, loss, relationships, love, freedom, and what it means to heal. It picks up with the impending trial, where Eden must face the wrongs done to her in the past. The best part of the book is that we now also get to hear the story from Josh’s perspective, who happens to be my favorite character, and Eden’s perspective. This rollercoaster of a story is a book I 100% recommend adding to your reading list. It’s a great addition to any shelf. – Madison Hom, THS 10th grader