Teen Scene
October 2021
by Tiffany D. Jackson
Welcome home? Fresh from rehab for substance abuse, Mari moves with her newly blended family to a gentrifying town where their renovated house is plagued by strange smells, unexplainable shadows and sounds, and sinister forces tied to the town's deadly history.
Reviewers say: "searing social commentary and genuinely creepy haunts" (Kirkus Reviews).
Is it for you? Mari's experience of anxiety and addiction is vivid and gripping; those looking for a less intense (but just as spooky) haunted house story might prefer Cherie Priest's The Agony House.
by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven
Without warning: sixteen-year-old Ezra Ahern's older sister, Bea, runs away, leaving Ezra at the mercy of their abusive parents, with little support beyond his caring boyfriend.
What happens: Email becomes a lifeline between the separated siblings as Ezra hangs on to survival and Bea goes on a quest to uncover hidden truths about their family and find a worthwhile future.
Read it for: a heartwrenching look at family dysfunction and the relationships that sustain us.
by Jessica Lewis
It's a living: With a tough family situation, no money for rent, and not enough hours at her low-paying job, Katrell uses her shaky necromancy skills to support a more profitable gig: raising the dead.
Why you might like it: The emotional stress of poverty merges with the paranormal horror of revenants in this gruesome, riveting read.
Try this next: Aiden Thomas' Cemetery Boys or Zoraida Córdova’s Bruja Born, two further stories about the risks of meddling with death.
by Margarita Longoria, editor
What it is: a wide-ranging anthology by and about Mexican Americans, showcasing the diverse talents and experiences of 20 different creators.
Featuring: short stories, poems, comics, and nonfiction by authors such as Guadalupe García McCall, Anna Meriano, David Bowles, and Francisco X. Stork.
Don't miss: bittersweet emotions in "La Princesa Mileidy Dominguez"; historical exploration in “Filiberto’s Final Visit”; contemporary LGBTQIA connection in "CoCo Chamoy y Chango"; and bicultural longing in "I Want to Go Home."
by Bethany C. Morrow
What it is: a multilayered remix of the classic Little Women, focused on four Black sisters living in the Freedpeople's Colony of Roanoke Island during the American Civil War.
Starring: Jo, determined to protect her community; Meg, unsure of the future family she hopes for; Amy, pushing the boundaries of dance; and Beth, whose self-expression is challenged by illness.
Who it's for: historical fiction readers and fans of Louisa May Alcott's original book (or the movies based on it).
by Patrice Caldwell, editor
What it is: an electrifying collection of fantasy and science fiction stories celebrating the power and limitless possibilities of Black girls and gender-nonconforming people.
Featuring: a star-studded lineup of authors who share their visions of characters such as fire spirits, sea women, magical hairdressers, alien interrogators, and a daytime TV witch.
Try this next: For further speculative tales to set your imagination on fire, try A Universe of Wishes, edited by Dhonielle Clayton.
by Adam Cesare
Welcome to: Kettle Springs, Missouri, a run-down factory town surrounded by cornfields and stalked by a clown-faced killer who channels the atmosphere of distrust between the generations into a blood-splattered murder spree.
Why you might like it: There's no better time than spooky season for an old-school, adrenaline-fueled slasher story packed with sharp modern humor.
Series alert: Think it'll be safe to return to the cornfields? Think again -- Clown in a Cornfield 2 arrives in fall 2022.
by Jeff VanderMeer
What it's about: After inheriting his grandfather's bizarre mansion, 16-year-old Jonathan discovers that it contains a door to a parallel world -- a place where animals and vegetables talk, and warlock Aleister Crowley (along with Napoleon's disembodied head) wages a war that could overtake our world...unless Jonathan and his friends stop it.
Series alert: This outrageous alt-history portal fantasy (the YA debut of Annihilation author Jeff VanderMeer) kicks off the Misadventures of Jonathan Lambshead series.
by Elizabeth Wein
What it's about: Orphaned during the 1940 Blitz, 15-year-old Jamaican British Louisa takes a job near a Scottish Royal Air Force base where she meets military driver Ellen, Flight Lieutenant Jamie, and a pilot from the German Resistance who has intel crucial to the British war effort.
Read it for: compelling characters, intriguing espionage, and a wealth of historical insight.
For fans of: Elizabeth's Wein's previous World War II fiction, such as Code Name Verity and The Pearl Thief, which share characters with The Enigma Game.
by Kelly Yang
Starring: Shanghai teen Claire Wang and Filipina American scholarship student Dani De La Cruz, who are thrown together when Claire's wealthy parents send her to board at Dani's house and attend Dani's private school.
What happens: The barriers between the girls break down as they lean on each other in the aftermath of sexual violence.
Is it for you? Parachutes' honest look at painful realities might not be for everyone, though the book also offers plenty of warmth and hope.
68 Calhoun St.
Charleston, South Carolina 29401
843-805-6930
Original source can be found here.
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