Format: Young Adult

Gaslit

GaslitGaslit by Megan Davidhizar
Published by Delacorte Press ISBN: 0593705718
Genres: Psychological thriller
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
four-stars

Ella’s New Year’s Eve takes a tragic turn when she turns up to babysit and finds her aunt and two cousins passed out in their house, which is full of gas. She manages to pull her cousins to safety but is too late to save her beloved aunt. Her grief is overwhelming but it gets even worse when it becomes clear that this was no accident and that whoever wanted her relatives dead might be coming for her next. The fact that she’s dealing with a brain tumor that may or may not be complicating her interpretation of events adds to the chaos and despair of the entire situation.

A twisty, quick-paced read that will introduce teens to the unreliable narrator device, Gaslit is a solid YA thriller with strong characters and enough turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. The back matter includes a discussion guide. Recommend to fans of Karen M. McManus and Jumata Emill.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day

Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present DayTrans History: A Graphic Novel: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex L. Combs, Andrew Eakett
ISBN: 1536219231
Format: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction, Young Adult
Goodreads
five-stars

Combs and Eakett provide a deep dive into the history of trans and otherwise gender nonconforming people, including the acceptance of gender expression, scientific developments, medical care, and activism across cultures and over time.

Thoroughly researched and packed with information, the graphic novel format is easy to follow and digest. Each section includes profiles of historical figures as well as contemporary scholars, advocates, and artists. The authors make it clear that artifacts and records left behind from ancient cultures leave room for interpretation and speculation, but evidence pieced together from archaeologists and historians can still make a case for the existence of trans-similar individuals and experiences. At the end of every chapter, readers are encouraged to consider questions for further exploration and analysis. Source notes provided.

Affirming for trans individuals and essential reading for all. 

Grade 9 and up.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

five-stars

The Life I’m In

The Life I’m InThe Family I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
ISBN: 1338573209
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

John-John is into nerdy things like archery and Star Wars, and he is desperate to see his crush on Ashley turn into something more. His father, Big John, wants to see his son be more like him- a ladies’ man with a successful business and a big reputation. John feels like he will never be able to live up to his father’s expectations and struggles to connect with his dad’s new wife. Meanwhile, his best friend Caleb is struggling too. Ever since his father, Mr. P, suffered a brain aneurysm, Caleb has been working nonstop to help support his family. As various stressors intensify and the obligations stack up, both boys must reconcile with who they want to be and what it means to be a man. 

An excellent coming-of-age story with an intense examination of the relationship between black fathers and their sons. The chapters are short and the characters and their challenges are relatable, making this both an accessible and rewarding read for teens. Readers who have yet to pick up Flake’s companion novels, The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In, will be sure to seek them out to dig deeper into the backgrounds of Maleeka and Char, who play significant roles in this story as well. 

Grades 7 & up

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

four-stars

I Can’t Even Think Straight

I Can’t Even Think StraightI Can't Even Think Straight: A Young Adult Novel in Verse About Queer Identity, Love, and Coming Out by Dean Atta
on May 6, 2025
ISBN: 0063158035
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“I Can’t Even Think Straight” is a young adult novel in verse by Dean Atta. Malachi (“Kai”) is a gay teen who wants to come out, but his best friend, Matt, worries that if Kai comes out, Matt’s religious parents will react badly. The book reads like it’s Kai’s journal, with first-person narration. We watch as Kai navigates being a closeted person of color along with the other challenges that come from just being a teenager. At times Kai seemed a bit unlikeable, but I think it was true to teen behavior. A recommended purchase for YA collections especially where novels in verse are popular.

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

four-stars

The Transition

The TransitionThe Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner
on September 30, 2025
ISBN: 0593814789
Pages: 326
Genres: Horror
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“The Transition” is a young adult horror novel by Logan-Ashley Kisner. Hunter is a transgender boy who survives a werewolf attack. When he starts to change into a werewolf himself, he and his friends go after the werewolf to hopefully cure Hunter. We watch Hunter go through gender euphoria and disphoria as his body changes, along with lots of difficult thoughts and situations, like bullying. In the author’s note, readers are informed about anti-trans bills as well as a general difficult topics warning. For more detailed trigger warnings, the author has a list on his website. This is a tough book to read, but a needed one. The world-building around werewolves was a little confusing at times, but that’s the only critique. A recommended purchase for YA horror collections.

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

four-stars

All Paths Lead to Paris

All Paths Lead to ParisAll Paths Lead to Paris by Sabrina Fedel
ISBN: 0593900278
Genres: Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“All Paths Lead to Paris” is a young adult romance novel by Sabrina Fedel. Aurie is a teenage fashion influencer in Paris with an American dad and a French mother. Aurie has had a lot of success as an influencer, but her manager wants her to fake date another of the manager’s clients, Remy, a Paris musician. The book is quick and fun, especially if you enjoy fake-dating premises and love triangles, and the setting is beautiful, but the characters feel a little thin. Overall a cute, quick read. An additional purchase for YA fiction collections where romance is popular.

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

three-stars

My Mother the Mermaid Chaser

My Mother the Mermaid ChaserMy Mother, the Mermaid Chaser by Jamie Jo Hoang
ISBN: 0593643003
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“My Mother the Mermaid Chaser” is a young adult historical fiction novel by Jamie Jo Hoang. It is a sequel to the book “My Father the Panda Killer,” but can be read as a standalone. The book switches between the son, Paul, and his mother, Ngọc Lan, who walked out on their family over a decade ago, leaving Paul and his sister to deal with their abusive father. In this book, Paul goes to Vietnam to learn about their mother. Chapters switch between Paul and his mother, as they both experienced Vietnam in different ways.

The book deals with a lot of trauma and difficult topics. There is a content warning at the front of the book and a list of resources at the back of the book. Themes about family relationships and mental health make this book a good, but challenging read. Recommended for YA fiction collections where historical fiction is popular.

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

four-stars

An Embroidery of Souls

An Embroidery of SoulsPublished by Knopf Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Young Adult
four-stars

Jade, a thread speaker, has the rare skill of being able to control souls using embroidery. A remarkable talent, but one she is reluctant to use given the consequences it can have. Lukas is trying to do right by his family after the deaths of his father and sister, and is wary of thread speakers due to a family tragedy. When these two meet and find themselves working together to track down a mysterious murderer whose modus operandi involves eye gouging, they find that their histories are as intertwined as the colors Jade sees in human souls.

Inspired by German and Mexican folklore, An Embroidery of Souls is a YA romantasy with a touch of pirate adventure. The romance is slow-going, but the mystery stays intriguing, and the kaleidoscope of emotions and attributes that Jade can see in the human soul is beautifully inventive. Romantasy fans will enjoy this but those looking for more action might find themselves tuning in and out.

Note: Probably best not to recommend this to those with emetophobia.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder

The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to MurderThe Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery
Published by Alfred A. Knopf on October 21, 2025 (USA)
Genres: Family, Humor, Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format: Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

When Ruth’s step-grandmother is found dead – murdered! – on the very morning that everyone is meant to head home after a long weekend at the remote family ranch, she knows it’s time to turn all her crime-reading hours into crime-solving expertise.

Teaming up with her too-cute-for-comfort and newly sort-of cousin Dylan as the Hastings to her Poirot, Ruth begins her investigation. Of course, the fact that the likely murderer is someone in the house – and therefore family (or family adjacent) is less than ideal. But Ruth doesn’t let that stop her. The real problem, she explains to the reader, is that there will be a second body before the end.

This younger YA/older middle grade Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit set in Western Australia is a lot of fun, and perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy a twisty mystery with an engaging, tell-it-like-it-is heroine. While there are two dead bodies, it avoids any goriness that might put some readers off and (spoiler alert!) in the end it transpires that neither death was actually murder – both were accidental. However, that plot point cleverly unfolds in a way that allows for a happy resolution, without disappointing the reader or feeling anticlimactic.

Highly recommend; an excellent addition to library shelves. 5 stars.

– Jenny Martinez, Maine State Library

five-stars

Where Shadows Bloom

Where Shadows BloomWhere Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell
Published by Harper on February 11, 2025
ISBN: 0063359081
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Shadows – deadly monsters that move silently in the night – keep Ofelia little more than a prisoner in her well-guarded home. One of those guards is Lope, who has trained her entire life to be a knight defending Ofelia. Over the years, as their friendship has grown strong, other feelings have grown between them as well, though the difference in their stations prevents Lope from acting on those feelings, and Ofelia from understanding them.

Only the king’s palace offers a safe refuge from the Shadows. Driven by the increasing danger, Ofelia’s mother agrees to go there to ask for shelter for herself and Ofelia. But when she doesn’t return, Ofelia and Lope set out after her. When they arrive, they find her mother has mysteriously disappeared. Revelations unfold; Ofelia learns she is the daughter of the king himself, and he lays claim to her affection while promising her mother is safe. At first she believes him, but Lope, left to her own devices, begins to uncover strange inconsistencies in the king’s highly controlled and madly festive court. The Shadows, she realizes, originate from the palace itself. The king is not the protector of the land, chosen by the will of beneficent gods; he rules because of a deal struck with the Lord of the Underworld and is, in fact, the villain.

Now Lope is trying to protect Ofelia from herself, and the power-hungry king, as well as from the Shadows. Ofelia refuses to believe Lope’s assertion that the king is behind the world’s evil, causing a rift between them. Finally – though now apart – both realize the deadly truth behind the king’s illusions, and that the only way forward is into the underworld, where they might be able to save the other, if not themselves. But a whole new adventure awaits them there, and it is soon clear that sacrificing their lives is not what will change the world above.

Bakewell’s magical, atmospheric novel builds in intensity as the protagonists begin to more deeply understand both the world they exist in, and the depth of their feelings for one another. Unexpected twists allow the reader to get lost in the sometimes dreamy, fairy-tale quality of the story as well as to appreciate the thoughtful world-building and hopeful resolution. Will appeal to readers of sapphic romance, dark-ish fantasy, and satisfying endings.

– Jenny Martinez, Maine State Library

five-stars