Borderless

by Jennifer De Leon

YA FIC DE LEON

In Guatemala City, seventeen-year-old Maya dreams of becoming a fashion designer and starting a business with her mother. Naïve to the gang violence in her neighborhood, Maya's mother grows increasingly anxious and wants to move, but they agree to stay until Maya's upcoming fashion show. When her mother doesn't show up on the big night, Maya's fears become a harsh reality. The story unfolds as the family flees gang violence, embarking on a harrowing journey to cross the U.S. border in search of safety and asylum.

We Deserve Monuments

by Jas Hammonds

YA FIC HAMMONDS

Seventeen-year-old Avery is worried about moving from Washington, DC, to her mom's hometown in Bardell County, Georgia. Avery, who is biracial and queer, feels uncertain about being accepted in the conservative Southern community. Her dying and difficult grandmother, Mama Letty, adds to the mystery, and Avery, encouraged by classmates, starts uncovering family secrets, realizing that her past is linked with her neighbors' in unexpected ways.

You Should See Me in a Crown

by Leah Jackson

YA FIC JACKSON

Senior Liz Lighty has successfully stayed out of the spotlight and off of Campbell County High School's new social networking app, Campbell Confidential. Being poor and Black in affluent Campbell has made her feel like an outsider. But when she is denied a seat in Pennington College's orchestra and a music scholarship at the institution, she decides to run for prom queen for the scholarship money that comes with winning. With the help of her best friend, she plans to become prom queen material.

Transferring to a new school should mean a fresh start for 16-year-old Mexican American lesbian Yamilet Flores, one that she desperately needs after being outed at her old school by her crush and ex-best-friend. Luckily, her mother didn't find out, and since no one at her new school knows she's queer, Yami plans to keep it that way. But Slayton Catholic presents new problems: the student body is overwhelmingly white; and it's difficult to keep her re-closeted mouth shut around the homophobia that's baked into the curriculum. Slayton's only bright spot is outspoken Chinese American lesbian Bo Taylor, the only openly queer person at school. But if Yami wants to maintain her relationship with her mother, getting to know another lesbian, isn't an option.

Gallant

by VE Schwab

YA FIC SCHWAB

Olivia, suffering in the gloomy Merilance School, receives a letter from an unknown uncle inviting her back to the family estate, Gallant. Despite the seemingly pleasant environment, she uncovers unsettling occurrences: visions of her mother's ghoul, a perpetually shadowed garden wall, and her cousin Matthew's hostility. As Olivia explores Gallant, she stumbles upon a mirrored world ruled by a Death-like demon, unraveling the mysteries of her birth, her mother's madness, and the reasons behind Matthew's distant demeanor. The estate conceals dark secrets that force Olivia to confront a malevolent force draining life from all living things.

Nothing Burns as Bright as You

by Ashley Woodfolk

YA FIC WOODFOLK

Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of tumultuous history unspooling like a thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire. They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous. Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren’t so easily tamed. It starts with a fire. How will it end?

Squad

by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC TOKUDA-HALL

New student Becca can hardly believe her luck when Arianna, Marley, and Amanda, who sit at the top of the Piedmont High School hierarchy, pick her to join their exclusive friend group. She does her best to remain in their favor, taking cues from Marley and Amanda about how to go along with whatever Arianna requires of her. One night, the three girls arrive just in time to rescue Becca from being assaulted at a party, revealing themselves to be man-eating werewolves who target predatory boys. It doesn't take much to convince Becca to join their ranks and help them enact vigilante justice. There is a price, however: a hunger that must be satisfied.

Off the Record

by Camryn Garrett

YA FIC GARRETT

Josie's dedication to writing has paid off. In addition to having her name in bylines all over the internet, she's been chosen to be an on-site reporter on the press junket for the movie Incident on 57th Street. Her task: compile a profile on the film's up-and-coming star, Marius Canet. It's the experience of a lifetime in more ways than one. While conducting interviews, she stumbles upon a secret regarding famed director Roy Lennox and several actresses in his movies. As she learns more about Lennox's sexual misconduct, Josie must decide whether to remain an innocent teen pop-culture reporter or to do the right thing and cover this story.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

by Talia Hibbert

YA FIC HIBBERT

Former best friends Celine and Bradley are now enemies and academic rivals. When they both jump at the opportunity to participate in a wilderness competition with a scholarship attached and end up on the same team, they are forced to work together to achieve their individual goals. They also work through what tore them apart in the first place while realizing that there could be more to their feelings.

The Killing Code

by Ellie Marney

YA FIC MARNEY

In 1943 Virginia during World War II, Kit Sutherland becomes a codebreaker at Arlington Hall, a secret US Signals Intelligence facility. Amid the war effort, a series of brutal murders of government girls in Washington DC unfolds, and Kit is drawn into the investigation after discovering a crime scene. Teaming up with fellow female codebreakers, including Dottie Crockford, Moya Kershaw, and Violet DuLac, they strive to find the killer while forming unexpected friendships and romances. However, as the hunt intensifies, it becomes clear that the murderer is closing in, and Kit harbors a dangerous secret.

Ain’t Burned All the Bright

by Jason Reynolds

YA FIC REYNOLDS

A long poem about 2020, the year of being stuck–stuck at home; stuck in the America of violence, racism, pandemic, protests, and screens; stuck with being stuck. Uncover the symbolic and real-world possibilities of breath, change, and family imagery and familiar detail. But even in these tough times, young people leave room for hope.

Golden Boys

by Phil Stamper

YA FIC STAMPER

Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. They are about to embark on the summer before senior year of high school, where each is going on a new, big adventure. Reese is attending a design school in Paris. Gabriel is going to Boston to volunteer with an environmental nonprofit. Sal is interning on Capitol Hill for a U.S. Senator. And Heath is stuck going to Daytona Beach to help out at his aunt’s beachfront arcade. What will this summer of new experiences and world-expanding travel mean for each of them—and for their friendship?

American Street

by Ibi Zoboi

YA FIC ZOBOI

After her mom is taken by immigration officials, Fabiola moves alone from Haiti to Detroit. The relatives she meets there are tough and different from what she expected. As she tries to fit in, holding onto her family's traditions, she faces disconnection and violence. A budding romance and her cousins' support help her find a balance, but when the police ask her to inform on her cousin's boyfriend in exchange for info about her mom, Fabiola has to make tough decisions with incomplete understanding.

In Limbo

by Deb JJ Lee

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC LEE

Ever since her family emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she's felt her Otherness. For a while, her English isn't perfect. None of her teachers can pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes stand out. As the pressures of high school ramp up, everything gets harder. Even home isn't a safe place, as fights with her mom escalate. Deb is caught in a limbo and her mental health plummets. In the midst of struggles, Deb turns to art and self-care, finding resilience. A trip back to South Korea helps her see her family, heritage, and herself in a new light, altering her perspective and fostering a path to recovery.

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

by Joya Goffney

YA FIC GOFFNEY

In Guatemala City, seventeen-year-old Maya dreams of becoming a fashion designer and starting a business with her mother. Naïve to the gang violence in her neighborhood, Maya's mother grows increasingly anxious and wants to move, but they agree to stay until Maya's upcoming fashion show. When her mother doesn't show up on the big night, Maya's fears become a harsh reality. The story unfolds as the family flees gang violence, embarking on a harrowing journey to cross the U.S. border in search of safety and asylum.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

by Holly Jackson

YA FIC JACKSON

Fairview has been haunted by the disappearance of popular girl Andie Bell and the unexpected suicide of her alleged killer, Sal Singh. Five years later, high school senior Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who has had serious doubts about the officially circulated version of the story, decides that proving Sal's innocence will be the focus of her capstone project. But with each new discovery, Pip finds herself racing toward danger in ways she could never have expected. Thankfully, she has Sal's brother, Ravi, to help her along the way, and together they just might solve a mystery nobody else was able to unravel.

One of Us is Lying

by Karen M. McManus

YA FIC MCMANUS

Five teens enter detention, but only four come out. Simon, who runs a gossip app, dies from a suspiciously timed allergic reaction. He has made a lot of enemies in his San Diego suburb, but none with more motive than these four: Bronwyn, the straight-A good girl; Cooper, the unassuming baseball star; Nate, the drug-dealing slacker; and Addy, the enviable pretty girl. Each is hiding a life-altering secret they'd do anything to protect. Either they're all innocent, or one of them is lying.

You Truly Assumed

by Laila Sabreen

YA FIC SABREEN

Sabriya meticulously plans her summer until a nearby terrorist attack prompts widespread Islamophobia. Seeking solace, she turns to her online journal, You Truly Assumed, which unexpectedly goes viral among Muslim teens, fostering a sense of community. With the addition of Zakat and Farah, the trio faces growing popularity and backlash, leading to threats that force them to confront a difficult decision: shut down the blog and forfeit their progress or stand firm, risking everything to amplify their voices and unity. Their friendship is put to the ultimate test in the face of adversity.

You’ve Reached Sam

by Dustin Thao

YA FIC THAO

High school senior Julie is paralyzed with grief over her boyfriend Sam's death in a car accident. She avoids his funeral and throws away every reminder of him. But one night she impulsively dials his cell, and, inexplicably, Sam answers. This is the first of many long conversations they have, neither understanding how or why this is happening but relishing the chance to say goodbye as they could not in life. However, Julie faces a difficult choice: whether or not to alleviate the pain of Sam's loved ones by allowing them to talk to him, though it could put their own connection at risk. Yet, letting go and moving on might be just what she needs.

Himawari House

by Harmony Becker

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC BECKER

When Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, she books a yearlong stay at the Himawari sharehouse. There she meets Hyejung and Tina, two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths. The trio live together, share meals, and even attend the same Japanese-language school, which results in them becoming fast friends. But will they be able to hold one another up as life tests them with new loves, old heartbreaks, and the everyday challenges of being fish out of water?

Hey Kiddo

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC B KROSOCZKA K

In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka grapples with drawing a "normal" family while facing the complexities of his own. His mother's addiction and absence, coupled with an unknown father, leave Jarrett in the care of his loud and loving grandparents. Throughout his childhood, he uses drawing to cope with the unspoken challenges. As a teenager, Jarrett unravels the truth about his family, confronting his mother's struggles and searching for his elusive father. "Hey, Kiddo" is a powerful memoir that explores growing up in the midst of addiction, emphasizing the role of art in survival.