I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata Emill

March 24, 2026

I Don't Wish You Well by Jumata Emill
on January 20, 2026
ISBN: 059381102X
Genres: LGBTQ+, Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
five-stars

I Don’t Wish You Well is a teen thriller with social justice themes. Pryce is an aspiring journalist in college who stumbles across a message board post expressing that the person the police said was responsible for the serial murders in Pryce’s town five years ago might actually be innocent. Intrigued, Pryce decides to investigate and start a podcast as a journalism project, but as he starts digging up old secrets, he realizes the consequences are very real, and the real killer might be after him.

School Library Journal suggests grades 10 and up, and I would agree with that age range; unfortunately, there are no content warnings at the beginning of this book. While some teens might be okay with murder and pick this up looking for a good mystery, they could be surprised by the heavy topics of sexual assault, abuse, rape, homophobia, and pedophilia that play a central role in the book.

Content warnings aside, Emill tackles many challenging topics with nuance and thoughtfulness. Themes of social justice, sports (particularly football) culture, privilege, race, intersectionality, sexuality, and coming of age are highlighted and make the reader think. There are also twists and turns the reader might not see coming and will keep them guessing. This would be a great addition to any collection that serves older teens and adults who love murder mysteries, serial killers, teens solving crime, or a page-turning read that you can’t put down. This was a five-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

Twin Tides

March 17, 2026

Twin Tides by Hien Nguyen
on December 9, 2025
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars

Vietnamese-American 18-year-old identical twins Caliste and Aria are completely unaware of each other’s existence. Unfortunately, they are brought together under tragic circumstances–identifying the body of their mother, who disappeared 14 years ago. Caliste and Aria get swept up in a tangled web of family secrets, betrayal, and generational trauma as they seek to solve the mystery of their mother’s death.

The story starts out strong with a promising premise and interesting main characters, including a river ghost bent on seeking vengeance against nefarious men. However, the dimension of said ghoul ends up falling flat, which pulls away a piece of the story’s tension. The dynamic between Caliste and Aria is sweet, although a little unrealistic–they trust and rely on each other quite quickly. There are also some unfinished and rushed plot points that I wish had been fully realized. However, the glimpse into Vietnamese culture and the immigration experience, in particular stemming from the Vietnam War, is appreciated and well done. The character development of Caliste and Aria overall is solid, and there are some genuinely chilling moments, which may be enough for mystery/horror fans to see past the book’s flaws.

Grades 8 & up

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

The Summer I Remembered Everything

March 17, 2026

The Summer I Remembered Everything by Catherine Con Morse
ISBN: 0593711424
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars

After being grounded for the summer for a bad grade, Emily Chen-Sanchez is not sure how she is going to survive, considering her best friend Heather is overseas, and she hasn’t spoken to her other best friend Matt in two weeks. Add in her mother’s thyroid cancer diagnosis and the fact that she can never live up to the standard set by her older sister, Emily is desperate to get out of the house. So when she sees a job posting to be a companion to an elderly woman, Emily jumps at the chance. The only problem is that Mrs. Granucci is showing signs of Alzheimers. When she accuses Emily of stealing a piece of jewelry, everything changes.

Emily’s struggle to feel at home with her overbearing family and a sister who can do no wrong will be relatable to many teens. Undoubtedly, seeing an older person succumb to the tragedy of Alzheimer’s will be a scenario readers may be familiar with. Emily’s decision to reach out to Mrs. Granucci’s family about her illness, even though she promised not to, reminds teens that sometimes doing the hard thing is the right thing in the end. A gentle coming-of-age story with Asian-Latine representation.

Grades 7 & up

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School. York

All the Way Around the Sun

March 13, 2026

All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian
on September 30, 2025
ISBN: 0063086077
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
“All the Way Around the Sun” is a young adult realistic fiction novel by Xixi Tian. The book follows Stella Chen as she looks at colleges. Her brother passed away unexpectedly while at college months ago and she is still grieving. Her parents need to go to China to help family, so Stella visits the colleges with her ex-best friend, Alan. The book switches in timelines between Stella’s years with her Nai Nai and brother and her life now. Tian handles the high emotional stakes in this coming-of-age story deftly, dealing with family dynamics, identity, and grief. A suggested purchase for YA collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

The Obsession

March 11, 2026

The Obsession by Natasha Preston
Published by Delacorte Press on December 2, 2025
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
two-stars
Though a widely popular author of teen thrillers, Preston’s latest may ultimately be a hard sell due to its predictable plot and unlikeable main character.

Connie is tired of constantly living under a magnifying glass, as the daughter of a popular family vlogger who spares no detail: no matter how personal. But what happens when those eagerly watching her move from online to in real life?

This book has a promising premise of addressing the dangers of having your entire life online. However, the main character is painfully oblivious in a way that can frustrate the reader and make the “plot twist” no surprise at all. It is definitely still a fast-paced book that will entice readers initially, but overall if you’re on a tight budget there are better thrillers for young adults out there.

Reviewed by Hannah Doktor, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

Keep Your Friends Close

March 10, 2026March 10, 2026

Keep Your Friends Close by Cynthia Murphy
Published by Delacorte Press on September 2, 2025
ISBN: 059380578X
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
This fresh twist on the dark academia trope will immediately pull even the most reluctant of readers in.

Chloe is having a rough start to her senior year. Her best friend not only stole her guaranteed spot of Head Girl, but also stole her boyfriend. At least she still has hopes of obtaining a university scholarship as a member of the elite secret society on campus, Jewel and Bone. Though when her fellow members start showing up dead, she wonders what the real price of success is…

This is a solid, quick read with lots of red herrings that will keep the reader guessing. Though normally an abrupt ending would be disappointing, in this novel it can be a great tool for students to continue discussions of the book long after it is finished. Characters will be most relatable to teens grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Hannah Doktor, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta

The Fangirl Project

March 7, 2026

The Fangirl Project by Beth Reekles
Published by Delacorte Press on November 4, 2025
Genres: Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars
“The Fangirl Project” is a young adult romance by Beth Reekles. Cerys is a teen with a huge crush on her best friend, Jake. She is worried that she will miss her chance at dating him when they go to different schools. She concocts a plan where she will become a huge fan of Jake’s favorite fantasy book/tv series and win his affection that way (by becoming a fangirl). Unfortunately, Jake’s friend Max keeps getting in her way in person, so she decides to use Discord to reach Jake. The book switches between regular first person narration and Discord exchanges.

Cerys slowly learns that you don’t have to pretend to be someone different for people to like you. A lot of teen embarrassment and situations that could have been solved easily with a little communication occasionally made this a tough read, but fans of rom coms will enjoy it. An additional purchase where YA romances with a bit of humor are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

Trail Rides and Starry Eyes

March 7, 2026

Trail Rides and Starry Eyes by Katrina Emmel
ISBN: 0593904060
Genres: Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars
“Trail Rides and Starry Eyes” is a young adult romance by Katrina Emmel. Cassidy works at her family’s ranch. Wilder is an actor trying to learn how to ride a horse to hopefully get his big break in a Western miniseries. We get both Cassidy and Wilder’s points of view in different chapters while we watch their relationship grow. They learn the importance of being willing to try something new and that being very different from each other doesn’t mean things can’t work out. This is an enjoyable YA western romance and a good additional purchase where teen romance is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

Tidespeaker

March 7, 2026

Tidespeaker (Tidespeaker, #1) by Sadie Turner
on January 6, 2026
ISBN: 979-8217024223
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
four-stars
Tidespeaker by Sadie Turner is a debut gothic fantasy that deserves a follow up. Turner builds a grim world with a stratified culture where elemental magic wielders, called Orha, have been punished for generations after an uprising. If they are lucky, they are placed in wealthy homes as servants, and if they step out of line – a life of manual labor, at best. The main character, Corith, is a floodmouth Orha, someone who can control water. She is sent to replace her best friend, who was recently sent to serve House Shearwater, a politically important family, and disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Desperate to find out what happened to her friend, Corith enters into a dangerous bargain with an underground group of rebel magic users called, The Cage. While gathering secrets to sabotage the Shearwaters, Corith becomes closer to the family, developing feelings for the eldest son, and simultaneously more determined to help The Cage when the patriarch repeatedly puts the lives of Orha in danger.

Readers of moody fantasy will easily sink into this atmospheric, at times gothic, world. Corith, who is cued Autistic, is in the Katniss Everdeen mold of YA heroines and is frequently described as stoic and highly observant. The plot moves slowly, but builds with the addition of court politics, family secrets, and Corith’s inner dilemma. Those who are well read in YA fantasy/dark academia/distopians may find the plot twists predictable and be frustrated with where the story ends, but the world and magic system are fresh enough that they will likely keep reading and be ready for a sequel. A recommended purchase for YA collections.

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake

February 27, 2026February 28, 2026

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion
Published by Delacorte Press on January 27, 2026
ISBN: 059390043X
Genres: Psychological thriller
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
four-stars
When five of the eight high schoolers who went missing on a camping field trip make it home shaken but safe, their return is surrounded by rumors and a suspicion that they all had something to do with the three who remain unfound. When one of the missing girls shows up dead in a lake, the suspicion heightens, and soon the teens are not only trying to maintain their innocence, they’re also avoiding a killer who seems determined to finish them off. Throw in a malevolent spirit connected to the island they disappeared on and a couple of vloggers who are constantly following them, and the healing process gets even more complicated.

Main character Evie is tough and guarded, though she completely melts around her dog, Tiger. Through the trauma of being stalked and accused, Evie rekindles a relationship with Sunny, another survivor she has pushed away since returning, and the romance helps to offset an otherwise very dark story.

Give this YA thriller to fans of the Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer franchises, anyone waiting for the final season of Yellowjackets, or anybody who would simply like to enjoy some heavy 90s-slasher style gore.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath