Jennifer E. Smith meets The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy in Lily Anderson's Not Now, Not Ever, a deliciously nerdy companion to The Only Thing Worse than Me Is You (one of Paste's Best YA Books of 2016) Elliot Gabaroche is very clear on what she isn't going to do this summer. 1. She isn't going to stay home in Sacramento, where she'd have to sit through her stepmother's sixth community theater production of The Importance of Being Earnest.2. She isn't going to mock trial camp at UCLA.3. And she certainly isn't going to the Air Force summer program on her mom's base in Colorado Springs. As cool as it would be to live-action-role-play Ender's Game, Ellie's seen three generations of her family go through USAF boot camp up close, and she knows that it's much less Luke/Yoda/"feel the force," and much more one hundred push-ups on three days of no sleep. And that just isn't appealing, no matter how many Xenomorphs from Alien she'd be able to defeat afterwards.What she is going to do is pack up her determination, her favorite Octavia Butler novels, and her Jordans, and go to summer camp. Specifically, a cutthroat academic-decathlon-like competition for a full scholarship to Rayevich College, the only college with a Science Fiction Literature program. And she's going to start over as Ever Lawrence, on her own terms, without the shadow of all her family's expectations. Because why do what's expected of you when you can fight other genius nerds to the death for a shot at the dream you're sure your family will consider a complete waste of time?This summer's going to be great.
Wednesday Books
|
9781250142108
|
Hardcover
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
By Talley, Robin
Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Nina LaCour, this #ownvoices romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley has something for everyone: backstage rendezvous, deadly props, and a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to True Love.Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. What she doesn't have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over. Of course, Mel didn't count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn't expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play's success as Mel.
HarperTeen
|
9780062409263
|
Hardcover
Destination Anywhere
By Barnard, Sara
Sometimes you have to leave your life behind to find your place in the world ... Peyton King has always wanted to belong. She seizes the opportunity to start over at a new school and finally finds real connections with the friends she's always dreamed of and even an actual boyfriend! But after flying high in her newfound happiness, Peyton comes crashing down when reality sets in and the ones she cares about let her down. Peyton's friends can't fix her and she can't help them if they won't let her. If she wants to find real, lasting happiness, Peyton will have to search somewhere else. With nothing but her sketchpad and a backpack, she buys a one-way ticket and gets on a plane. How far will she go to change her story?
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
|
9781534483903
|
Hardcover
Princess of Thorns
By Jay, Stacey
Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne. It's been ten years since Princess Aurora's mother, the Sleeping Beauty, sacrificed her life to give her daughter her magical powers. Aurora knows that magic is never free. The price for hers is that she will never know romantic love. Prince Niklaas is living on borrowed time. Unless he is able to convince a princess to marry him before his eighteenth birthday, he will meet the same terrible fate as his ten older brothers. When Niklaas and Aurora meet under unusual circumstances, they must race to prevent the fulfillment of an ogre prophecy foretelling the end of human life.
Delacorte Press
|
9780385743228
|
Hardcover
The Fight for Midnight
By Solomon, Dan
It's been a rough year for Alex Collins. In the past twelve months, he's lost his best friend, become the target of the two biggest bullies at school, and been sentenced to community service. But on June 25, 2013, he gets a call for help from Cassie Ramirez, the prettiest girl in school. At last, he feels like his luck might be changing. Cassie is at the Texas State Capitol to protest Wendy Davis's historic filibuster of the abortion bill HB2, and she's rallying everyone she knows to join her. Until today, Alex didn't know what a filibuster was, and he'd never given a moment's thought to how he felt about abortion. But at the Capitol, he finds himself in the middle of a tense scene full of pro-life "blueshirts," pro-choice "orangeshirts," and blustering politicians playing political games as Wendy Davis tries to run out the clock at midnight.
North Star Editions
|
9781635830866
|
Hardcover
Promise of Shadows
By Ireland, Justina
A teen who is half-god, half-human must own her power whether she likes it or not in this snappy, snarky novel with a serving of smoldering romance.Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She'd rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changed when her sister was murdered - and Zephyr used a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate. On the run from a punishment worse than death, an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend upends Zephyr's world - and not only because her old friend has grown surprisingly, extremely hot. It seems that Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess that is prophesied to shift the power balance: for hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
Simon & Schuster
|
9781442444645
|
Hardcover
The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen
By Christopher, Nicholas
A richly detailed historical novel from master storyteller Nicholas Christopher that School Library Journal calls "[A] lush tale of music, magic, and intrigue"! Nicol Zen is all alone in 1700s Venice, save for his clarinet, which a mysterious magician had enchanted, allowing its first player to perform expertly. Soon Nicol is a famous virtuoso, wealthy beyond his dreams, but he can't stop wondering if he earned the success himself - or what might happen if the spell were removed. And throughout it all, he continues to think about the girl he met in Venice, what she might be doing and if she's safe from harm. With a guest appearance by composer Vivaldi, and brimming with fascinating period details, this is a compelling coming-of-age story full of universal themes and a love story that will conjure memories of Romeo and Juliet, perfect for teens who love stories set in other times, and a magician who dresses all in white and can be in two places at once.
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
|
9780375867385
|
Hardcover
The Bone Spindle
By Vedder, Leslie
When she pricks her finger on a bone spindle, treasure hunter Fi is stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose, a prince under a sleeping curse, and must team up with a tough-as-dirt girl warrior to free the prince--and herself. Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn't believe in true love. Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way. Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who's been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him. Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi--until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she's stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom. Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way--not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane's heart, along with whatever else she's after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.
Razorbill
|
9780593325827
|
Hardcover
The American Roommate Experiment
By Armas, Elena
From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn't told her family and now has terrible writer's block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina's spare key while she's out of town. But Rosie doesn't know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking - for lack of a better word - on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor.
Not Now, Not Ever
By Anderson, Lily
Jennifer E. Smith meets The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy in Lily Anderson's Not Now, Not Ever, a deliciously nerdy companion to The Only Thing Worse than Me Is You (one of Paste's Best YA Books of 2016) Elliot Gabaroche is very clear on what she isn't going to do this summer. 1. She isn't going to stay home in Sacramento, where she'd have to sit through her stepmother's sixth community theater production of The Importance of Being Earnest.2. She isn't going to mock trial camp at UCLA.3. And she certainly isn't going to the Air Force summer program on her mom's base in Colorado Springs. As cool as it would be to live-action-role-play Ender's Game, Ellie's seen three generations of her family go through USAF boot camp up close, and she knows that it's much less Luke/Yoda/"feel the force," and much more one hundred push-ups on three days of no sleep. And that just isn't appealing, no matter how many Xenomorphs from Alien she'd be able to defeat afterwards.What she is going to do is pack up her determination, her favorite Octavia Butler novels, and her Jordans, and go to summer camp. Specifically, a cutthroat academic-decathlon-like competition for a full scholarship to Rayevich College, the only college with a Science Fiction Literature program. And she's going to start over as Ever Lawrence, on her own terms, without the shadow of all her family's expectations. Because why do what's expected of you when you can fight other genius nerds to the death for a shot at the dream you're sure your family will consider a complete waste of time?This summer's going to be great.
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
By Talley, Robin
Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Nina LaCour, this #ownvoices romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley has something for everyone: backstage rendezvous, deadly props, and a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to True Love.Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. What she doesn't have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over. Of course, Mel didn't count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn't expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play's success as Mel.
Destination Anywhere
By Barnard, Sara
Sometimes you have to leave your life behind to find your place in the world ... Peyton King has always wanted to belong. She seizes the opportunity to start over at a new school and finally finds real connections with the friends she's always dreamed of and even an actual boyfriend! But after flying high in her newfound happiness, Peyton comes crashing down when reality sets in and the ones she cares about let her down. Peyton's friends can't fix her and she can't help them if they won't let her. If she wants to find real, lasting happiness, Peyton will have to search somewhere else. With nothing but her sketchpad and a backpack, she buys a one-way ticket and gets on a plane. How far will she go to change her story?
Princess of Thorns
By Jay, Stacey
Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne. It's been ten years since Princess Aurora's mother, the Sleeping Beauty, sacrificed her life to give her daughter her magical powers. Aurora knows that magic is never free. The price for hers is that she will never know romantic love. Prince Niklaas is living on borrowed time. Unless he is able to convince a princess to marry him before his eighteenth birthday, he will meet the same terrible fate as his ten older brothers. When Niklaas and Aurora meet under unusual circumstances, they must race to prevent the fulfillment of an ogre prophecy foretelling the end of human life.
The Fight for Midnight
By Solomon, Dan
It's been a rough year for Alex Collins. In the past twelve months, he's lost his best friend, become the target of the two biggest bullies at school, and been sentenced to community service. But on June 25, 2013, he gets a call for help from Cassie Ramirez, the prettiest girl in school. At last, he feels like his luck might be changing. Cassie is at the Texas State Capitol to protest Wendy Davis's historic filibuster of the abortion bill HB2, and she's rallying everyone she knows to join her. Until today, Alex didn't know what a filibuster was, and he'd never given a moment's thought to how he felt about abortion. But at the Capitol, he finds himself in the middle of a tense scene full of pro-life "blueshirts," pro-choice "orangeshirts," and blustering politicians playing political games as Wendy Davis tries to run out the clock at midnight.
Promise of Shadows
By Ireland, Justina
A teen who is half-god, half-human must own her power whether she likes it or not in this snappy, snarky novel with a serving of smoldering romance.Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She'd rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changed when her sister was murdered - and Zephyr used a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate. On the run from a punishment worse than death, an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend upends Zephyr's world - and not only because her old friend has grown surprisingly, extremely hot. It seems that Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess that is prophesied to shift the power balance: for hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen
By Christopher, Nicholas
A richly detailed historical novel from master storyteller Nicholas Christopher that School Library Journal calls "[A] lush tale of music, magic, and intrigue"! Nicol Zen is all alone in 1700s Venice, save for his clarinet, which a mysterious magician had enchanted, allowing its first player to perform expertly. Soon Nicol is a famous virtuoso, wealthy beyond his dreams, but he can't stop wondering if he earned the success himself - or what might happen if the spell were removed. And throughout it all, he continues to think about the girl he met in Venice, what she might be doing and if she's safe from harm. With a guest appearance by composer Vivaldi, and brimming with fascinating period details, this is a compelling coming-of-age story full of universal themes and a love story that will conjure memories of Romeo and Juliet, perfect for teens who love stories set in other times, and a magician who dresses all in white and can be in two places at once.
The Bone Spindle
By Vedder, Leslie
When she pricks her finger on a bone spindle, treasure hunter Fi is stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose, a prince under a sleeping curse, and must team up with a tough-as-dirt girl warrior to free the prince--and herself. Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn't believe in true love. Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way. Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who's been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him. Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi--until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she's stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom. Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way--not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane's heart, along with whatever else she's after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.
The American Roommate Experiment
By Armas, Elena
From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn't told her family and now has terrible writer's block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina's spare key while she's out of town. But Rosie doesn't know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking - for lack of a better word - on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor.
The Fairies' Path
By Corrigan, Ava