Format: Young Adult

Tempest by K. Ibura

Tempest by K. IburaTempest: A Young Adult Southern Gothic Fantasy of Elemental Magic in New Orleans by K. Ibura
on June 3, 2025
ISBN: 0063081032
Genres: Magical Realism
Format: Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Veronique has a secret.  She can control the winds.  After the death of her parents, when Veroniques was quite young, her grandmother took over the responsibility of raising her and helping her learn to control the wind.  Now her grandmother is ill and Veronique must go live with family she never knew existed.  As her life goes through turmoil, so does her ability to keep the winds at bay.  Now there is a secret society after her and others that hold similar powers. 

The contemporary fantasy feels like a nod to the 1990s TV series Captain Planet.  Besides Veronique’s wind power, others control the earth, fire, water, etc.  As one reads there are more and more secrets and questions about each character’s trustworthiness.  Right up to the end, it’s anyone’s guess as to who is on the “right” side of history and power.  It definitely feels like a sequel would be in line.  The book is an easy read and is very engaging, yet is slightly disappointing on the delivery of a climax and resolution.  While there are teenage relationships that push this novel into the YA category, it is also appropriate for mature middle grade readers.

Reviewed by Heidi Kopishke, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME.

three-stars

The Scammer

The ScammerThe Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Quill Tree Books on October 7, 2025
ISBN: 0063271273
Genres: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Despite her parents’ belief that she is destined for Yale, Jordyn decides to attend Frazier University, an HBCU. She immediately hits it off with her suitemates, and hopes that this new sense of belonging will help her through the grief of losing her brother. When Devonte, the older brother of a roommate, and who is fresh out of prison, needs a place to stay, the group takes him in and quickly falls under his charismatic, worldly spell. Soon, the friends are questioning everything they thought they knew about race, gender roles, nutrition, and themselves. Only Jordyn starts to question Devonte’s need to control them, and worries she might be too late to break the brainwashing that is spreading through her dorm and out into the campus.

Fast-paced and interesting, The Scammer is a solid YA psychological thriller that helps draw some attention to the spread of misinformation and the manipulation that can result from it. Jackson adds a final twist that will be divisive, definitely a love-it-or-hate-it situation, but for those it works for, this will be a big hit.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

I Love You S’More

I Love You S’MoreI Love You S'more by Auriane Desombre
Published by Penguin Random House on April 8, 2025
ISBN: 0593807545
Genres: LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Ivy’s long-time girlfriend Ally, a teen TV superstar, has just dumped her and very publicly begun dating her co-star.  The internet is abuzz with gossip, and while fans are thrilled and more than ready to ship their two favorite stars, they are less kind to Ivy, who can’t seem to stay away from the comments on Ally’s social media. Heading to the woods to be a counselor at Camp Acorn Hill, her childhood camp, feels like a welcome, even necessary, escape. Ivy wants nothing more than to hide from the world for two months while she gets over Ally.

But when she arrives, she is devastated to find that her former best friend Rynn, who she had a falling out with years before, is also a summer counselor. Tension builds from there – starting with a rivalry, but then turns into something Ivy didn’t expect: attraction.

A fun sapphic enemies-to-lovers summer romance with likeable characters and a well developed cast. Elements of summer camp, theatre and social media culture move the storyline forward and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Not a must-have, but a nice addition to a library collection that patrons will enjoy.

4 stars

– Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

four-stars

Costumes for Time Travelers

Costumes for Time TravelersCostumes for Time Travelers by A.R. Capetta
Published by Penguin Random House on May 27, 2025
ISBN: 1536233714
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Calisto (they/them) lives in Pocket, the town that all time travelers but one must pass through on their way to any other when. They love their town, their family, and their job at their grandmother’s shop, Costumes for Time Travelers. Despite Pocket being only a stop on the journey for most travelers, Calisto never wants to leave.

Fawkes is the exception to the rule: somehow, and nobody quite knows why, Fawkes can travel to any when without passing through Pocket. In fact, he’s never been there until now. When Fawkes and Calisto meet, it’s the first time for Calisto, but not for Fawkes, who has been dipping in and out of time for his entire life, and therefore already knows at least some of what the future has in store for the two of them.

Unfortunately, Fawkes doesn’t arrive in Pocket alone: he’s being chased by Time Wardens, who see time travel as an aberration that must be stopped, no matter who or what that will erase. Not only Fawkes himself, but all time travelers – and Pocket itself – are at risk.

Fawkes and Calisto must rush through whens and wheres from the modern Stanford campus to ancient Greece on a mad dash to save what they love. Including, it turns out, each other.

Costumes for Time Travelers is an engaging, original story that feels like a tumble thorough childhood – playful, magical, and just the right mix of fantasy, adventure, villainy and a touch of pure love. Calisto and Fawkes are likeable, complex characters and secondary characters are well thought out and three dimensional. The world-building is deftly developed. A beautiful cover makes it an eye-catching addition to the shelf.

Highly recommend for older MG and teen readers who love adventure, fantasy, good/evil storylines, and gentle romance.

5 stars/cream

– Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Leaving the Station

Leaving the StationLeaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow
Published by HarperCollins on August 19, 2025
ISBN: 0063078775
Genres: LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Zoe’s first semester at college was a disaster. She was supposed to have been figuring out how she wanted to present to the world – definitely more masc than she allowed herself to be in high school – and meeting her first girlfriend. Instead she met Alden, and was instantly, confusingly, attracted to him. But as their romantic relationship developed, Zoe began to realize that it was not straightforward attraction; it was more that she wanted to embody his masculinity. This was exciting but also deeply confusing, and between the relationship and inner turmoil, Zoe found herself increasingly isolated, missing classes, and generally…failing. So when Thanksgiving break arrives, she boards an Amtrack train to travel back to Seattle, with no intention of returning but hoping she will have figured out a way to explain that to her parents by the end of the four day cross-country journey.

On the train she encounters Oakley, who appears to be a beautiful loner with her life utterly together. But as they get to know each other it becomes clear that Oakley has her own complicated problems that she’s both running from – and heading towards.

Arlow’s sophomore work is a nuanced YA novel that hits the balance between grappling with some big issues – gender, identity, religion, sense of self and belonging – while also being a genuinely enjoyable read. There is some romance (Zoe and Oakley are definitely attracted to each other, and they do act upon that, but not with a this-will-end-happily-ever-after default expectation, because of what of what they are each grappling with outside of the train journey), and excellent supporting characters. The experience of all this playing out over four days in a distinct and unusual environment adds a layer of fun.

This book will fit well in any library’s YA collection. Zoe’s feelings, and her struggles with identity, will no doubt resonate with the teens who need to see that on the page; other readers will enjoy it for the sapphic romance in an unusual setting. Highly recommend; 5 stars.

– Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Angelica and the Bear Prince

Angelica and the Bear PrinceAngelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen
on October 7, 2025
ISBN: 0593125479
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Angelica and the Bear Prince” is a YA graphic novel by Trung Le Nguyen. Angelica (“Jelly”) is a teenager getting over a mental burnout after taking on too many things by herself. She speaks with a counselor and has now just one additional thing on her plate: an internship at a local theater. Jelly has strong memories of this theater as a child and wants to do her best to help. She has also been exchanging online messages with a theater fan account based on the theater’s mascot, Per the Bear Prince. Readers will follow Jelly as she deals with the grief from the death of her beloved grandmother, along with her relationship with her best friend, and her mysterious online friend.

Nguyen does a great job of exploring teenage anxiety, expectations, grief, family dynamics, and friendship. The anonymous online account did make me hesitate a little, since it’s usually not a good idea to share personal information with strangers, but her friend brings up the concerns I had in a conversation with Jelly. A must-buy for all YA graphic novel collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.

four-stars

Love at Full Tilt

Love at Full TiltLove at Full Tilt by Jenny L. Howe
on July 22, 2025
ISBN: 0593809106
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
four-stars

Jenny L. Howe, the queen of plus sized rom coms, has done it again with her first YA romance, Love at Full Tilt. In their last hurrah before going to college, Lia invites her best friends, Tess and Issy, to help her compete in a scavenger hunt style competition at the most magical place on earth, Fableland (Disney World). Lia believes that the grand prize ($50,000) is the only thing that can free her from her suffocating parents and the life they have planned out for her, but tensions rise when her friends don’t take the competition seriously and Lia teams up with a handsome local, Mason.

Mason is a balanced match for Lia. She is loud – He is quiet. She is a dreamer – He is a realist. And though this romance takes place in less than a week, there is something about the setting and competitive atmosphere that makes this whirlwind insta-love feel believable. For a romance set at a Disney World-like theme park, Howe expertly crafts a sweet romance without letting it get too saccharine. Themes of abandonment, anxiety, and false assumptions are very present in the plot. Lia is aware that her friends have outgrown the Fableland magic that used to hold them together and struggles with feeling left behind as they get ready to go to college without her. Her mother has extreme anxiety that controls Lia’s entire life and even threatens to end the trip if Lia isn’t in constant contact with her. And instead of confronting the people she loves, Lia often assumes the worst and runs away.

Lia being plus sized (and this being prominently featured on the cover) will be a breath of fresh air for readers who need it most and will hopefully be a window for others to learn about the accessibility issues and harassment that people with bigger bodies too often face. Though there are mentions of having previously lost her virginity and one PG-13 make out session, the story is appropriate for the younger audience this may attract. There is a saturation of romcoms at the moment and many teens may not pick it up because of its setting, but Love at Full Tilt is worth purchasing to increase the body-diversity in your romance collection.

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars

The House of Quiet

The House of QuietThe House of Quiet by Kiersten White
Published by Delacorte Press on September 9, 2025
ISBN: 0593806573
Genres: Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
two-stars

It’s a dark world in which parents can register their children for a procedure that will imbue them with an ability that could increase their odds of a better future, and Birdie’s parents opted in for their younger daughter Magpie. Birdie has  been searching for her sister ever since Magpie underwent the mysterious operation. Hearing that she might be in The House of Quiet, a brooding house full of powerful teens set in the middle of a peat bog, Birdie worms her way in as a maid to discover what really happened to Magpie.

Fans of Kiertsen White might be taken aback by the pacing of this YA dystopian novel, which is a truly slow burn. It moves along glacially, and while the worldbuilding and characters try their best to carry the story, the questions just keeping mounting with very little resolution. Readers who enjoy dream sequences might enjoy it, but that seems, perhaps, too niche to consider this one essential for a library collection.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

two-stars

Difficult Girls

Difficult GirlsDifficult Girls by Veronica Bane
on July 8, 2025
ISBN: 0593903986
Genres: Mystery, Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
two-stars

Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane  

This young adult thriller about a teen looking for a fresh start in her summer job at an amusement park with a sinister past ultimately falls flat.  

After surviving a scandal at her high school, Greta is excited for a fresh start working as an usher at Hyper Kid Magic Land. She’s making new friends, flying under the radar and even talking to her “celebrity” crush, one of the main stage performers. But when Greta is the last one to talk to her coworker that goes missing, in the same way one of the most famous performers did years ago, she may not be as far away from trouble as she thinks… 

This book was commendable in that it addressed victim blaming and misogyny in school administration and discipline tactics. Though overall, the mystery itself was disjointed and concluded in a way that was both rushed and incredibly drawn out. This may appeal to younger middle schoolers that are just dipping their toes into the young adult section. It has a very mild romance and a main character that reads a lot younger than her age, but teens will likely find it too simple and too spelled out. In conclusion, consider only if your middle schoolers have run through all your other thrillers.  

Reviewed by Hannah Doktor, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

two-stars

Kill the Lax Bro

Kill the Lax BroKill the Lax Bro by Charlotte Lillie Balogh
ISBN: 059389927X
Genres: Mystery, Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Kill the Lax Bro by Charlotte Lillie Balogh 

A teen murder mystery filled with wit, classic high school stereotypes and nostalgia for the 90s, this read will keep students theorizing what really happened long after they finish the book.  

When the body of star lacrosse player, Troy Richards, is found at the schoolwide lock-in the night before graduation, a ragtag group of five teens is shocked… or are they? After all, they consist of the ex-best friend, the girlfriend, the overachiever, the troubled teen and the quiet freshman who had come together in the previous weeks to pull pranks that would finally hold “untouchable” Troy accountable.  So sure, everyone had their own reasons to hate him, but did someone take it too far? 

With an eye-catching title and trendy 90s thriller premise, teens will naturally gravitate towards this book. Multiple POVs push the story along, with each unique perspective offering clues to what really happened and potential motives. Where the novel falls short is in its vague ending; it’s not clear who exactly committed the murder or if everyone worked together. While some teens may find this frustrating, it does make the book great for discussion and practicing critical thinking skills.  Overall, though this might not be the most clear-cut novel, it will no doubt get lots of circulation in young adult and high school collections. 

 Reviewed by Hannah Doktor, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

four-stars