Imogen, Obviously

by Becky Albertalli

YA FIC ALBERTALLI

High school senior Imogen has always thought of herself as a straight ally to the queer people close to her. But a visit to her best friend, first-year college student Lili, complicates matters. For one thing, Lili, in the process of trying to feel more secure in her pansexual identity, has told her college friends that Imogen is her ex-girlfriend. For another, the feelings Imogen develops for Tessa, one of those friends, tend toward romantic attraction. These experiences raise uncomfortable questions for the protagonist: why is she just beginning to realize she might be bisexual?

At 16, Perla is a senior at the ambitious Monte Verde high school. She applies for her dream college, Delmont University, but is rejected. Not sure what to do with the rejection, and fearful of disappointing her parents, she claims she got a full-ride scholarship. Perla sneaks into an unused dorm room and begins to pretend to be a student, so that she can create a perfect application for the spring.

Blood Debts

by Terry Benton-Walker

YA FIC BENTON-WALKER

Twin brother and sister, mourning the death of their father, find out that their mother is not sick - but has in fact been cursed by a rival family council member of the New Orleans magic community. Both teens must face their demons and draw upon their connections to the magical community to find out who wants to so desperately destroy their family while staying out of trouble - as the non-magical community is up in arms and protests against the magic in New Orleans.

Firekeeper’s Daughter

by Angeline Boulley

YA FIC BOULLEY

Reeling after the death of her uncle, Daunis is trying to adjust to her new normal, a challenge at the best of times in her gossip-prone town, especially when her scandalous origins leave her caught between two worlds: Ojibwe on her father's side, but not officially enrolled as a member of the tribe, and French, dating back to fur traders, on the side of her mother, who considers the other half of Daunis' heritage a defect. When she witnesses a murder at the hands of someone who is addicted to meth and from a prominent family of her tribe, she has a choice: let the cycle of pain continue or protect her community.

We are Not Free

by Traci Chee

YA FIC CHEE

Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco. Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted, whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps. In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.

Dear Medusa

by Olivia A. Cole

YA FIC COLE

Since she hit puberty, Alicia has been sexually harassed by older men who should, by all accounts, know better. Her world is ripped apart when she is sexually assaulted by a beloved teacher at her school, and she spirals out of control. She lashes out at teachers and spends much of her time in in-school suspension. But when Alicia finds notes in her locker suggesting there is another victim of this teacher, she starts to question her life and behavior. Through connections with new friends and with a girls' discussion group, Alicia is able to see beyond her psychic pain and forge a stronger, healthier sense of self.

Legendborn

by Tracy Deonn

YA FIC DEONN

After her mother's accidental death, Bree Matthews seeks refuge in a high school program at UNC–Chapel Hill, where she witnesses a magical attack on campus by a flying demon. Bree discovers a secret society, the "Legendborn," comprised of students who hunt these creatures. Uncovering her own magical abilities and a suppressed memory linking her mother's death to a mysterious Merlin, Bree infiltrates the Legendborn with the goal of uncovering the truth, forming an alliance with Nick, a disgruntled member. As the Legendborn reveal their connection to King Arthur's knights and warn of an impending magical war, Bree faces a crucial decision about her role in the conflict.

Those Pink Mountain Nights

by Jen Ferguson

YA FIC FERGUSON

In Alberta, where a series of Indigenous women and girls have gone missing, Kiki Cheyanne Sound, a Black and Cree teenager, has been missing for five months. Classmates Cameron Sound, Berlin Chambers, and Jessie Hampton, facing their own challenges, join forces at Pink Mountain Pizza, a local Black-owned eatery, after Berlin spots Kiki nearby. As they investigate Kiki's disappearance, the trio must also thwart the pizzeria's owner, who plans to sell and franchise the establishment.

Now That I’ve Found You

by Kristina Forest

YA FIC FOREST

Evie is a Hollywood actress on track to reach mega stardom, like her grandmother Gigi. However, when a scandal leads to Evie being blacklisted, she makes a desperate bid to wiggle her way back into Hollywood's good graces by presenting her beloved celebrity grandmother an honorary award. Unfortunately, Gigi goes missing before Evie can execute her scheme. It's now up to Evie to search New York City to find Gigi and hopefully save her career in the process, enlisting the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Where You See Yourself

by Claire Forrest

YA FIC FORREST

Because of her school's poor accessibility compliance, wheelchair user and senior Effie is used to her mother stepping in to campaign for proper accommodations. Effie's mom, knowing she won't be there to help her daughter at college, compiles a list of wheelchair-friendly universities, but Effie dreams of studying in New York, "one of the least accessible cities in America." Encouraged by her crush, Effie advocates for her own accommodations by speaking up against school administrators for the right to participate in senior off-campus lunch. But after discovering so many accessibility barriers on Prospect's campus, Effie must reevaluate how to move forward.

Grown

by Tiffany D. Jackson

YA FIC JACKSON

When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead body, Enchanted's dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey's charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he's dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted.

Invisible Son

by Kim Johnson

YA FIC JOHNSON

Like so many young Black men, Andre feels invisible. Falsely accused and convicted of a crime, Andre emerges from juvenile detention intending to return to some sense of normalcy. However, he comes home to his rapidly gentrifying Portland, Oregon, neighborhood just as the world is plunged into a global pandemic. His friend Eric, who Andre hoped would help clear his name, is missing, which raises questions around why Eric's seemingly perfect, diverse family appears unconcerned about his vanishing without a trace. Are Andre's arrest and Eric's disappearance connected?

An Appetite for Miracles

by Laekan Zea Kemp

YA FIC KEMP

Danna tries to reconnect with her grandfather, who is losing his memories and the fight against dementia, through the foods he once reviewed. Meanwhile, Raúl, coping with his mother's wrongful incarceration, finds solace in playing guitar for the elderly. When Danna and Raúl cross paths, they form a connection and join forces to heal her grandfather and themselves, discovering that the path to healing is often different from what they expected.

This Woven Kingdom

by Tahereh Mafi

YA FIC MAFI

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight. The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can't put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom--and the world

The Davenports

by Krystal Marquis

YA FIC MARQUIS

In 1910, the Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they're not supposed to.

The Astonishing Color of After

by Emily X.R. Pan

YA FIC PAN

Leigh travels from the U.S. to Taiwan, where she hopes to come to terms with the tragedy while getting to know the maternal grandparents she has never met. Convinced that her mother has been reincarnated as a great red bird and eager to understand what happened, Leigh looks for symbols and meaning in the world around her; a stack of incense sticks grants her visions that allow insight into her mother's past and family history. As she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.

All My Rage

by Sabaa Tahir

YA FIC TAHIR

Salahudin and Noor, once inseparable in the small desert town of Juniper, California, become estranged after an incident they call The Fight. Sal struggles to manage the family motel amid his mother's declining health and his father's descent into alcoholism. Simultaneously, Noor navigates a challenging situation at her uncle's liquor store while secretly applying to college to escape Juniper. As Sal's efforts to save the motel go awry, both friends must confront the value of their friendship and the challenges posed by their past and present demons.

If You’ll Have Me

by Eunnie

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC EUNNIE

Momo is the kind of friend who's always ready to lend a helping hand. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player.. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship--but with their drastically different personalities, Momo's overprotective friend, and PG's past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG's romance is put to the test.

The Infinity Particle

by Wendy Xu

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC XU

Clementine leaves Earth to study robotics and engineering at a university on Mars where the renowned Dr. Marcella Lin has her lab. Dr. Lin's premiere Artificial Intelligence build is Kye, who, unlike most robots on Mars, looks like a human man.. Clem and Kye connect over his interest in learning about Earth. He begins to experience emotions beyond his programming; he and Clem grow closer, infuriating Dr. Lin. As Clem and Kye learn more about Dr. Lin and the things she's hidden in Kye, they are shocked to realize they have surprisingly similar origin stories.

Brooms

by Jasmine Walls

[GRAPHIC] YA FIC WALLS

In an alternate 1930s Mississippi, magic is carefully regulated among marginalized communities by white people in power. Because of this, a group of teens form a team and participate in illicit broom races as the Night Storms, hoping to raise enough money to pay the government exemption fee that would allow them to move to where they could practice magic legally before the youngest teammates’ powers are discovered and they're either whisked away to a boarding school where any traces of their inherited magic will be stamped out in favor of approved, white-washed magic or worse, taken from them the way they took powers from their cousin.

March

by John Lewis

[GRAPHIC] YA B LEWIS L

Beginning with a dream sequence that depicts the police crackdown on the 1965 Selma-Montgomery March, this memoir then cuts to Congressman John Lewis's preparations on the day of President Obama's inauguration. Lewis provides perspective on the occasion, explaining and describing his own religious and desegregationalist origins in Alabama, his early meeting with Dr. King, and his training as a nonviolent protester. The bulk of the narrative centers around the lunch counter sit-ins in 1959 and 1960 and ends on the hopeful note of a public statement by Nashville Mayor West.