A stunning, heartbreaking, story that was well-performed by the voice actor on the audiobook. Every line seemed to tug my heartstrings, and yet this story felt grounded. Beautiful.
A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh, (List Price: $19.99, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 9781250896704, November 2024)
Reviewed by Nyawira Nyota, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
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So glad to see a new edition of this classic at such an important time for diverse stories to be told widely.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.), (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9780689878459, June 2005)
Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina
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“How will you ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?” John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska unfolds in two distinct parts: before and after “the incident.” The narrative builds gradually, leading up to the event, fostering suspense and posing thought-provoking questions that keep readers engaged. Green adeptly captures authentic teenage angst, unlike Perks of Being a Wallflower and Catcher in the Rye. All three novels explore themes of teenage trauma, love, substance use, and existential questioning within a compressed timeframe. What distinguishes Looking for Alaska is its portrayal of teenagers grappling with credibility, profound existential queries, insecurities, and impulsive decision-making, often disregarding consequences. The characters in Looking for Alaska share similarities with those in John Green’s other works like The Fault in Our Stars. Despite their different genders, Augustus from “The Fault in Our Stars and Alaska from Looking for Alaska lack distinct characteristics that set them apart from each other. Suffering and the afterlife are prevalent themes in this novel. Alaska’s reckless and turbulent behavior originates from witnessing her mother’s sudden collapse and subsequent death, an event that leaves her frozen in shock, unable to intervene or seek help. John Green excels at portraying tragedy. His depiction of character demise is so vivid and poignant that it resonates with readers as if they have lost someone they intimately know. Green possesses a remarkable talent for swiftly establishing a deep and genuine connection between readers and his characters.
Looking for Alaska by John Green, (List Price: $6.99, Dutton Books for Young Reads, 9780525556541, April 2023)
Reviewed by Nichole, Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe in Pensacola, Florida
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Between the World and Me” is an honest, raw love letter from Ta-Nehisi Coates to his fifteen-year-old son, Samori. The six-chapter letter was conceived after Coates watched his son’s heartache at the announcement that there would be no charges filed against Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Coates reveals his own fears for his son and his frustrations with the world the boy is growing up in. He writes about the many senseless murders of black men; men who would still be alive if it weren’t for their black bodies. Coates tells his son, “You have every right to be you. And no one should deter you from being you. You have to be you. And you can never be afraid to be you.” Except the last sentence contradicts the world in which we live. Because Coates is afraid, both for his son and himself, but also of the world in which they live. The word body is repeated excessively in his letter. It is an insightful and persuasive argument that, first and foremost, we are a body. We are a body before any other distinguishing markers or features, and they embody a state of blackness. While this revelation isn’t new, the way Coates strings together his argument so elegantly causes one to pause and contemplate. His contrasts between human ideals and the stark realities of life rooted in racism are raw and painful. I found myself comparing this letter to Isabel Wilkerson’s masterpiece, Caste. While Coates points out the ways black bodies have been mistreated, his letter doesn’t provide the depth of contemplation and assessment that Wilkerson’s excellent work did.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, (List Price: $20, One World, 9780812983814, June 2025)
Reviewed by Nichole, Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe in Pensacola, Florida
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I read this one in two sittings. While a lot more Eurocentric than I was expecting, this little book was simple to follow and SUPER informative. I would recommend to all of “my fellow Americans”.
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder, (List Price: $22, Crown, 9798217087952, May 2025)
Reviewed by LJ, Shelf Life Books in Richmond, Virginia
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I don’t know if it’s the fact that I was living Normal People while reading Normal People, but this book sticks with me, and I recommend it highly to adult readers of all ages. A beautiful and complicated book on growing up and experiencing extreme highs and (mostly) lows in your relationships. I am both a Collin and Marianne apologist; those kids just wanted love!!!!
Normal People by Sally Rooney, (List Price: $17, Crown, 9781984822185, February 2020)
Reviewed by Sarah, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia
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This groundbreaking young adult thriller follows Daunis Fontaine, a biracial Ojibwe girl caught between two cultures, two identities, and two different paths for her future. But when tragedy strikes too close to home, Daunis finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a criminal investigation that threatens to tear her whole community apart. I was completely enveloped by this incredible debut, and if I could put a copy into every single customer’s hands, I absolutely would.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, (List Price: $14.99, Square Fish, 9781250866035, April 2023)
Reviewed by Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia
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Jackson really gets better with every book! I was hooked from page one on this updated version of Carrie, and I think Stephen King would be proud to have inspired this. Maddy is biracial and outcast from her peers and miserable at home with her abusive father. Racial tensions dividing the town of Springville come to a head on prom night, and the results are…explosive. Do not miss this amazing YA thriller!
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, (List Price: $15.95, Quill Tree Books, 9780063029156, September 2023)
Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
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If you are a fan of Margaret Atwood, and specifically The Handmaid’s Tale, this book is a must-read. Erdrich’s storytelling feels very intimate, which I prefer in a dystopian novel. A larger picture comes into focus through the perspective of Cedar’s individual experience. Quietly disturbing, this story will stick with you long after you’ve read the last page. Though this book is not a new release, I would put it in league with The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.
Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich, (List Price: $17.99, Harper Perennial, 9780062694065, November 2018)
Reviewed by Krista Roach, E. Shaver, Booksellers in Savannah, Georgia
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Thou shalt read this book for laughs, tears, awesome sibling dynamics, romance, and a comedy of errors. This one’s healing, hopeful, and all about learning how to accept and embrace yourself with a little help from the important people in your life.
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes, (List Price: $18.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780063060234, May 2022)
Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
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An amazing, well-rounded debut with a number of different identities represented. Elatsoe had an impressive combination of Indigenous practices and folklore, paranormal elements, and a classic murder-mystery with necessary discussions of injustice and colonization. PLUS lovable characters!
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, (List Price: $12.99, Levine Querido, 9781646142767, October 2023)
Reviewed by Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia
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Adler knocks it out of the park with this sweet, spicy YA romance. Lara has had a crush on teen dream Chase for her entire high school career, to no avail. After a summer spent on her own in the Outer Banks of NC, she returns to school even more beautiful and full of confidence after a romance with a girl named Jasmine. Chase takes notice of Lara for the first time, and she’s about to jump in with both feet when none other than Jasmine shows up at her school. The girls haven’t spoken since they parted for the fall. Lara is torn between the guy she’s always wanted and the girl she never knew she needed. This hits a previously neglected spot in LGBTQ fiction and romance, and I love the way it explores identity and how teens may not understand who they are and how they feel yet.
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler, (List Price: $12, Wednesday Books, 9781250888471, June 2023)
Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The Reader was 2016’s most underrated fantasy title. With vivid world-building, swashbuckling adventure, a softly built romance, and a brilliant heroine, The Reader should have been on every single “Top Books of 2016” list. With The Speaker, Traci Chee builds on her world and crafts a sequel that is enchanting and complex. Driving the story forward is Sefia and Archer’s need for revenge, a task that sends them down a dangerous road. Anger/rage, depression, anxiety, and PTSD are explored and woven into the story beautifully, and with a diverse cast of new characters, Chee’s book answers the call for diverse fantasy.
The Speaker by Traci Chee, (List Price: $10.99, Speak, 9780147518064, June 2018)
Reviewed by Shauna Sinyard, Park Road Books in Charlotte, North Carolina
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The 1619 Project from Nikole Hannah-Jones asserts that to truly understand America today – politically, socially, culturally- and to begin to make repairs, you must move the timeline back to 1619, when the first enslaved people from Africa arrived in Jamestown. In this book—which is 50% more material than the original New York Times project—we hear from all the people who should have been included when we were initially taught American history and social studies. Herein lies a star-studded collection of thinkers, writers, poets and artists and an attempt to fully understand America’s origin story. Required reading for all who care to create a more just America.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones, (List Price: $25, One World, 9780593230596, June 2024)
Reviewed by Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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If you are looking for a perfectly eerie and thrilling young adult mystery, then look no further. The Forest of Stolen Girls follows Hwani, a young woman in 15th-century Korea who has returned home to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her detective father. Her return coincides with the vanishing of 13 young women into the dense woods nearby, and Hwani’s search for her father soon becomes entangled with old grudges, festering secrets, and the sinister threat of a killer lurking in the forest. This book is spooky, suspenseful, and atmospheric, and I cannot recommend it enough.
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur, (List Price: $12.99, Square Fish, 9781250821157, May 2025)
Reviewed by Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia
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