YA

Ariel Crashes a Train / Olivia A. Cole

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Ariel Crashes a Train
By: Olivia A. Cole
Genre: YA, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 464
Published: March 12, 2024
Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Dates Read: February 22, 2025 - March 2, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: mental health, OCD, intrusive and violent thoughts, suicidal thoughts

Ariel is afraid of her own mind and the violent fantasies she can’t control that are taking over every part of her life. She already feels too big, too queer, too rough for what a “good girl” is. Ever since her older sister Mandy left for college, Ariel isn’t sure her counting and rituals are enough to keep everyone safe.

When she returns to her summer job at Wildwood, the local carnival, she’s also without her best friend, Leah, who’s off to DC for Young Chemist. At first Ariel tries to keep everyone out, but then she makes friends with the new workers Ruth and Rex and she questions if what she’s been doing is the best. With help and support, Ariel discovers there’s a name for what she struggles with – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – and that there can be a future where she’s at home in her own body, and where she’s not alone.

This book isn’t an easy read – Ariel’s intrusive thoughts are definitely not kind, they’re bloody and violent, she’s also got unsupportive parents <spoiler> though it does hint that her Dad probably has OCD as well, so unsupportive/in denial </spoiler>. It is written by an author who also struggles with OCD and I feel like this was a well written portrayal. I don’t myself have OCD, but I have friends who do and they’ve described their struggles similarly.

I think the novel in verse format of this works really well for this story because Ariel’s mind can be so scattered and claustrophobic. Cole plays around with the format a bit and it shows a lot of depth you don’t always see in novels in verse. 

Overall, this is a powerful read for those who would like to learn more about living with OCD – it’s a bit heavy at times, but worth it.

National Book Award Nominee for Young People’s Literature 2024

The Face on the Milk Carton (Janie Johnson #1) / Caroline B. Cooney

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The Face on the Milk Carton (Janie Johnson #1)
By: Caroline B. Cooney
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 208
Published: May 22, 2012 (1st Published February 1, 1990)
Publisher: Ember
Dates Read: February 22, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

When Janie sees the girl on the back of her friend’s milk carton at lunch, she instantly remembers wearing that dress in the photo, she remembers the itchiness of the fabric against her skin. That little girl with pigtails is her! But how could that be?

As Janie starts to piece together everything, nothing makes sense. Are Mr. and Mrs. Johnson really her parents? Why does she remember other children? Who exactly is she?

I honestly don’t remember why this basically lived in my checkout shelf on Libby for nearly 6 months (yea, I just kept renewing it/putting a hold on it). I think it had to do with it being a banned book for sexual content, challenging authority, and inappropriate for age group. Janie is fifteen and she found out her parents aren’t her biological parents and has been not only lied to, but kidnapped… I think she’s gained the right to be “challenging authority”. 

Now, all that being said, did I find this book to be the best written novel in literature? No. Would I have probably enjoyed it a lot more if I read it younger? Yes. By the end of the book, Janie was slightly getting on my nerves and I was also annoyed that I didn’t know if I could trust what the parents said, cause it all sounded CRAZY! Oh, and then I found out this series has FIVE more books?!

Overall, I think young adults would still enjoy reading this. I especially think they would enjoy seeing how kids did their research “back in the day” as Janie tries to find out the truth.

The Last Bookstore on Earth / Lily Braun-Arnold

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The Last Bookstore on Earth
By: Lily Braun-Arnold
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 320
Published: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Dates Read: February 16, 2025 - February 18, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: body horror

Ever since the first storm wreaked havoc and changed the world as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been surviving in her old job, the bookstore in the New Jersey suburb she grew up in, trading books and letters for supplies. It’s her safe space. Until she heard about the next storm coming soon.

Then she meets Maeve, someone who breaks into the bookstore one night looking for shelter. Maeve and Liz butt heads, but Maeve has the skills Liz lacks that are needed to fix the dilapidated store before the next storm hits. Liz agrees to let her stay.

As the girls grow closer and feelings start to appear, they realize there are more threats than just the storm and they find themselves fighting to stay alive.

Though this book is post-apocalyptic, I will say it does focus more on Liz and Maeve’s relationship than it does the world around them. Which ended up being a little disappointing to me because I would have loved to read more about it – especially how Liz handled the days following the event and making it into the bookstore. 

I didn’t think realistically that Liz would have even lasted the amount of time that she did last before Maeve showed up. Maeve came in and showed a lot more of what it was like in the “new world”, but we never got into detail about Liz’s. <spoiler> and then what she did with her hand and the generator as a whole was crazy </spoiler>.

Overall, this was a cute sapphic post-apocalyptic young adult novel set in a bookstore where people still exchanged goods for a book.

*Thank you Delacorte Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Everything is Poison / Joy McCullough

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Everything Is Poison
By: Joy McCullough
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 304
Published: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Dates Read: February 9, 2025 - February 12, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Death, abortion, blood and gore, physical and sexual assault, domestic violence

As soon as Carmela turned sixteen, she was finally allowed into the workroom of her mother’s apothecary in the 17th-century Campo Marzio neighborhood of Rome, where her mother and two women make some of the most effective remedies for the community. But the workroom of La Tofana is no simple place and for every flowery suave and tonic, there’s another potion where the main ingredient is dried blood or something else unpleasant. And then there’s Aqua Tofana – the apothecary’s remedy of last resort and a secret Carmela never bargained for.

So, I knew of Joy McCullough from a middle grade book of hers I read years ago, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, so this was my first Young Adult book of hers. I picked it up both because of her and as well as a women run 17-century apothecary sounded amazing!

Carmela, though she was sixteen, still had a lot of growing up to do within these pages. I know sixteen was a decent age during the 17-century, but sometimes Carmela’s attitude towards patrons of the apothecary kind of annoyed me. She was there to help people, regardless of their life standing. I was glad to see her growth with her empathy by the end of the book, especially when it came to Violetta because I felt she was holding a childhood grudge that needed to be let go.

Overall, I loved learning about a time period in history where women were undermined badasses who helped each other right under men’s noses.

Under This Red Rock / Mindy McGinnis

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Under This Red Rock
By: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: YA, Mystery
Number of Pages: 336
Published: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Dates Read: January 29, 2025 - January 31, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: Depictions of suicide and suicidal ideation

Neely has been battling her hidden monsters, the disembodied voices that shadow her every move, since she was little. Lately though, they’ve become louder and more mobile.

To try and get some peace from them, Neey takes a job as a tour guide in the one place her monsters can’t follow – the caverns. There she meets Mila. Mila is everything Neely isn’t – beautiful and confident. As the two become closer, Neely’s crush grows. When a staff afterparty exposes Neely to drugs, she follows Mila’s lead, but that causes her hallucinations to escalate.

The next work day, Mila’s body is found brutally murdered in the caverns and Mila’s memories of the party are super fuzzy. With her hidden monsters not so hidden anymore, Mila must figure out who kills Mila… and face the possibility it may have been her.

So I actually went into this book pretty much blind. I started Under This Red Rock as an audiobook without looking into what it’s about and I ended up really enjoying it. The suspension mixed in with Neely’s mental health struggles and not knowing what was real and what wasn’t made it interesting to me. Though I would get slightly annoyed with Neely when she would straight up lie about something that she absolutely knew was real – don’t make life harder for yourself!

Overall, I think this would be a fantastic read for those who like suspense and thrillers mixed with some mystery.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl / Angela Shanté

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The Unboxing of a Black Girl
By: Angela Shanté
Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 160
Published: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Page Street YA
Dates Read: December 16, 2024 - December 17, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: racism, sexual assault, misogyny

In this collection of vignettes and poetry, Angela Shanté reflects on Black girlhood in New York City.

I am not a Black woman and this collection was not written for me, but there were still parts of this collection that resonated with me.

Shanté’s writing was raw and moving and shows the love she has for her friends and family while also showing how the world treats black girls throughout their lives.

This is a super quick read, but still powerful.

Teenage Dirtbags / James Acker

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Teenage Dirtbags
By: James Acker
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 384
Published: April 9, 2024
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Dates Read: December 11, 2024 - December 15, 2024
Format: Library Book /eBook

Trigger Warnings: Toxic Relationship(s), bullying

Phil Reyno is short tempered and marked as a trouble maker, which is why when the viral video at last year’s dance announced his relationship with universally loved Cameron Ellis, people were surprised.

Jackson Pasternak is the school’s “good guy”; Junior Class President, star rower, Ivy League bound. But Jackson is burnt out and misses the only person who really knew him – his ex-best friend, Phil.

When Cameron dumps Phil and plummets his already iffy reputation, Phil hatches a plan to expose Cameron for who he truly is – two-faced. Jackson agrees to infiltrate Cameron’s circle and uncover dirt to use as ammunition. But, as Phil and Jackson rekindle their friendship (and more), they start to wonder if knocking Cameron off his pedestal will really solve their problems.

I really enjoyed the theme of “putting people on blast” and what that means for everyone. Nowadays, when people get canceled and it’s all over the internet, there really aren’t secrets. This book does a fantastic job at addressing what that can look like for various people.

I also appreciate the relationship everyone had with one another, it was complex, raw, and realistic – not everyone was perfect friends with each other.

Overall, if you’d like a YA book where events (and characters) are messy, this book is for you.

Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known / George M. Johnson, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)

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Flamboyants: the Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known
By: George M. Johnson, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)
Genre: Nonfiction, YA
Number of Pages: 144
Published: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Dates Read: December 9, 2024 - December 10, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover / Audiobook

Through 14 personal essays, George M. Johnson talks about writers, performers, and activists from the 1920s who were both Black and Queer. Mixed together with personal narrative, poetry, and illustrations from Charly Palmer, Flamboyants looks at parts of icons’ history that are not always celebrated in their entirety.

I loved how Johnson put his own wittiness into the essays and didn’t sugarcoat the history. He called out the inner homophobia that some people had and how some thoughts and feelings that people were having over 100 years ago, are still happening today. Throughout the minibiographies, Johnson talked about himself to make personal connections with the reader – which was kind of a pro and con all in one, sometimes I just wanted to hear about the person being highlighted.

This book serves as a wonderful introduction for young readers to the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Some won’t be so well known, while others are, but it will definitely open the door for readers to do more research.

A Crane Among Wolves / June Hur

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A Crane Among Wolves
By: June Hur
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 359
Published: May 14, 2024
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Dates Read: December 5, 2024 - December 8, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: murder, violence, death, kidnapping, mentions of rape, suicide

Set in Joseon, Korea, 1506, when the people of Korea are suffering under the rule of the cruel tyrant King Yeonsan. He takes their land for his own recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and abusing thousands of women and girls as his personal playthings.

When seventeen-year-old Iseul’s sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest pretty, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her sheltered, privileged life to reach the capital in hopes of stealing back her sister. But she soon discovers that to challenge the king is certain death, so she must be strategic.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the shadow of his half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan abuse his power with executions and abuse of his people, Daehyun wants to dethrone him once and for all. When the idea of a coup is raised, he knows failure is fatal and he’ll need all the help he can get.

When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s paths cross, they join forces to save her sister, free the people, and destroy the king.

Yet another novel written about a time in history I was not taught about in my American public school.

I loved both main characters, but I had a hard time with Iseul – she was very bratty (in general) to her sister when they were together and then she suddenly was going through all these challenges to get her back. She was privileged in a way that you kind of hate, so I totally get that was her character. She did have redeeming qualities throughout the book.

Overall, the writing in this novel is more on the serious note, and reads on the slower side, so as long as you’re not looking for something super action packed and that’s about history not usually touched upon, this is for you.

*Thank you Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for a for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Grief in the Fourth Dimension / Jennifer Yu

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Grief in the Fourth Dimension
By: Jennifer Yu
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 344
Published: July 16, 2024
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Dates Read: December 1, 2024 - December 4, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: Depression, death, grief, racial and migrant issues, mention of suicide

Kenny Zhou and Caroline Davison were in two separate universes in school – Caroline’s is one of softball and family dinners; Kenny’s is one of textbooks and late-night shifts at his parents’ Chinese restaurant. But after their deaths, they find themselves as roommates in a mysterious white room with a large hi-def TV that shows their loved ones’ lives.

As Kenny and Caroline watch their loved one’s life continue on, they realize they can influence events through radio signals, psychic mediums, and electromagnetic interference. As they try to help their loved ones through their grief, Kenny and Caroline start to understand the depth of how their lives and deaths were connected and how to help their families.

Jennifer Yu did a wonderful job bringing up heavy topics without making them heavy. It was an easy read, that still brought up physics and philosophy in ways that made you think.

My only con of this is I wish we did get a little more about Kenny. I understand the reasoning why we didn’t in a way, but I felt like the focus of the novel was more on Caroline and her family’s healing.

<spoiler/> So this one is a little close to home in a way, especially after we find out how it was Kenny’s mom who killed Caroline and the court process her family was going through. The guy who hit and killed my dad got 5 days in jail and probation. Drugs were kind of a factor, but it of course, is complicated </spoiler>

Overall, this is a great read about grief and the passing of loved ones. It probably won’t be for everyone, and in all honesty, may make you cry if you’ve recently lost someone.