Taking a look at some of the most recent additions gracing the shelves of our YA department.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
"The Gilded Ones" follows Deka, a sixteen-year-old who lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. And on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity. A mysterious woman then comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. With this decision, Deka finds out that nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be.
"Brutal, and occasionally graphic in its depiction of violence, this is nevertheless a must." -- School Library Journal
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston
"That Inevitable Victorian Thing" is set in a near-future world where the British Empire was preserved, not by the cost of blood and theft, but by effort of repatriation and promises kept. We follow Victoria-Margaret, the crown princess of the empire, a direct descendant of Victoria. The imperial practice of genetically arranged matchmaking will soon guide Margaret into a politically advantageous marriage. Before that, though, she will spend a summer in Toronto, where she meets Helena Marcus and August Callahan. Margaret, Helena, and August discover they share an unusual bond and they have a chance to change the world.
"A thoughtful exploration of class consciousness, genetics and politics that doesn't lose track of the human story." -- Kirkus Reviews
His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler
"His Hideous Heart" is a reimagination of Edgar Allan Poe's most surprising, unsettling, and popular tales for a new generation by thirteen of YA's most celebrated names. "His Hideous Heart" includes stories like It's Carnival! by Tiffany D. Jackson, which takes the source material of The Cask of Amontillado and spins it into a new way. Another story is Happy Days, Sweetheart by Stephanie Kuehn, based off of The Tell-Tale Heart. This story takes a turn from the source material and turns itself into a story primarily about revenge (versus a story about guilt). And another story is Red by Hillary Monahan. It is based on the short story The Masque of the Red Death and transforms it into the modern world.
"A refreshing assortment of diverse voices and contemporary themes ensures there's something for everyone in this delightful compilation." -- Publishers Weekly
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
In "Between Shades of Gray", we follow Lina, a fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She likes to paint, and she likes to draw. Until one night Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. Lina documents all the events around her by drawing them, hoping these message will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.
"Sepetys' flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling." -- Kirkus Reviews
The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen
In "The Merciful Crow", we follow Fie, a member of her Crow caste, Crown Prince Jasimir, royalty who faked their own death, and Hawk warrior Tavin, a bodyguard of Crown Prince Jasimir that values the prince's life more than his own.
"Full of romance and suspense, this is a tale that will leave readers hungry for the next book in the series." -- MJ Franklin, New York Times
The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott
In "The Good Hawk" Agatha is a Hawk who protects her people by patrolling the high walls of their island home, and she is proud of this job. Jaime, however, is an Angler, but he hates the sea. Worse, he's been chosen for a duty that the clan hasn't required for generations: to marry. The elders won't say why they have promised him to a girl in a neighboring clan. Disaster strikes and the clan is kidnapped, and it is up to Agatha and Jaime to travel across the haunted mainland of Scotia to Norveg, with help along the way from a clan of nomadic Highland bull riders.
"With its blend of unusual character development and clever exploration of ancient realms, The Good Hawk is a story fantasy-loving young readers may not even know they've been waiting for." -- Kaitlyn Wells, New York Times
Just Our Luck by Julia Walton
In "Just Our Luck", Leo is a Greek boy who, after a fight in school, is being made to enroll in a self-defense class by his father. When going to enroll, Leo sees Evey Paros, a member of the family that supposedly has a curse on Leo's family of bad luck, at the front desk at the local gym. Evey cuts Leo a deal, she will enroll him in a yoga class instead of the self-defense class for a vague price, but what could Evey want from Leo?
"A feel-good story, with shades of Holes and The Karate Kid." -- Bulletin
Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross
In "Don't Call the Wolf", after the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake. Ren, the forest's young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz - the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers - and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest...if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.
"An earnest first novel from a promising author." -- Kirkus Reviews
