The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Young Adult Fiction

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

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The Thrashers by Julie Soto
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Ask my cat how much I enjoyed this book because I gave him the full rundown while pacing around my living room! Compulsively readable and emotionally layered, this is a fantastic YA debut with the sharp edge and angst of a 90s teen thriller. Julie Soto captures just how brutal high school can be. Loyalty, power, and popularity can quickly blur into something dangerous. Every page felt charged, and that final gut-punch of an ending has me hoping (begging, please Julie) for another one!

The Thrashers by Julie Soto, (List Price: $20, Wednesday Books, 9781250377173, May 2025)

Reviewed by Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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Nahia by Emily Jones

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Nahia by Emily Jones
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Solidly enjoyable YA historical fiction. As an avid reader of Clan of the Cave Bear as a child, this one immediately jumped out at me (LOVE the cover). It’s fun to have a “next generation” of this type of story to introduce to teen readers. I loved the historical context provided at the end and appreciate the research and care that went into accurately representing the world.

Nahia by Emily Jones, (List Price: $18.99, Holiday House, 9780823458356, April 2025)

Reviewed by Kate Snyder, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Kentucky

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When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

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When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao
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Eric, devastated by the death of his best friend, creates his own reality by living his life as if the people he misses are still there. Dreams and reality collide when Haru, a guy he spent a brief few hours with in Japan last summer, shows up in Chicago. Is he real? Or is he in Eric’s head? When Haru Was Here explores devastating loss and figuring out how to let go.

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao, (List Price: $20, Wednesday Books, 9781250762061, September 2024)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

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Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel
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What a gripping, original story! Instantly, I knew Xavier was a narrator who was going to be plum fun to read. Having a completely unrelatable story be told by someone so likeable and relatable is a stroke of genius. This story really makes you stop and think about what we are born into and how our beliefs are shaped by our exposures, and it makes you consider what YOU would do if one day you woke up in this strange new world.

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel, (List Price: $19.99, Scholastic Press, 9781546158202, June 2025)

Reviewed by Mandy Martin, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

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Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
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Everything We Never Had will bring you on an in-depth journey of generations you’ll never want to leave! These stories weave together in the most beautiful way, allowing you to jump between decades so naturally and feels, in a way, magical. This book offers the reader a look into the past with the true historical context, and a look into the future, as the reader is able to find themselves in one, or all, of the characters. Flip through these pages and allow yourself to become inspired by Francisco’s dreams. Surprise yourself with your understanding of Emil. Or find a personal memory in Enzo’s experience of the COVID pandemic. Read along to watch this exceptional set of characters find their way in the world, and with each other.

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay, (List Price: $18.99, Kokila, 9780593461419, August 2024)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy

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Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy
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This is an excellent young adult fiction about six Muslim teenagers who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have to fight against discrimination to earn justice and decide whether to save themselves or expose their secrets for a chance to free them all. I love that this book highlights the major effects and unfairness of discrimination in our world, and the bravery it takes to fight back and uncover the truth.

Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy, (List Price: $12.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316564601, September 2025)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

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Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
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A modern high school rom-com in signature Albertalli fashion. As the fall musical approaches, Kate and her best friend, Anderson, want nothing more than to finally have their time in the spotlight. However, complications arise when their communal summer crush transfers to Roswell High and auditions for the musical. A dramatic and humorous coming-of-age tale centered around first crushes and the relationships that matter most. Kate in Waiting is sure to deliver all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli, (List Price: $12.99, HarperCollins, 9780062643841, July 2022)

Reviewed by Asia Harden, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

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Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan
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For fans of Six of Crows and The Familiar, this high-stakes, winner-takes-all heist story is perfect for you! Travel back to the gilded world of 1500s Florence, where the sinister Medici family has an inescapable grasp on the city. Follow four talented grifters, each with their own complicated pasts, as they plot the most difficult, most thrilling heist of the century. Schneiderhan’s cinematic prose is full of family drama, quirky rivals-to-lovers romance, conversations on wealth and authority, and, to one’s surprise, cameo appearances by Michaelangelo. Medici Heist is full of charm and calculated wit, perfect for young adult and adult readers who love a bit of Robin Hood-esque thievery.

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan, (List Price: $13.99, Square Fish, 9781250907172, August 2025)

Reviewed by Catherine Pabalate, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

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This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
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Supreme and magnificent world building. Tahereh Mafi has created a book to lose yourself in. This Woven Kingdom has it all. Amazing world building, forbidden love, suspense, and unexpected twists and turns. Be prepared for anything! I did have a little problem with the first quarter of the book just because of the extensive world building but after that the story pulled me in as if a string was attached on one end to my heart and the other to the story of Alizeh.

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi, (List Price: $15.99, Storytide, 9780062972453, December 2022)

Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore & Bistro in Oxford, North Carolina

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The Floating World by Axie Oh

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The Floating World by Axie Oh
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Ren lives in hiding with her adopted family in the mountains, performing as an acrobat in their traveling caravan. When danger strikes, she releases her magical power of light. Sunho lives in the Under World, his memories erased. He is one of many sent to find Ren and capture her. When they meet, he doesn’t realize she is the girl he’s looking for as they begin their journey together.. This immersive fantasy world is very cinematic with an intriguing story.

The Floating World by Axie Oh, (List Price: $19.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250853080, April 2025)

Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater

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The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater
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The Raven Boys is one of my absolute favorite series, and I was really interested to see how it would be adapted for this graphic novel. The storyline is complex and not necessarily well suited to this format, and the writing is so beautiful and atmospheric that I wasn’t sure how it would translate. I can happily say this edition does a SUPERB job. Everything looks exactly as I imagined. Every page was full of magic and atmosphere. As a fan of the series, there were so many foreshadowing clues. I absolutely cannot wait to see the rest of the series adapted. Whether a long-time fan or a newbie to Maggie Stiefvater, any lover of magic and dark whimsy will devour this!!

The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater, (List Price: $17.99, Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593621189, August 2025)

Reviewed by Rachel Randolph, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum

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The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum
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At a crossroads within a dying, haunted town, Hollis Brown agrees to help and house Walt, a strange boy he’s just met. This promise is far more literal than it seems, and Walt settles within Hollis’s bones, taking control of his life. With gritted teeth and righteous fury, Hollis has to figure out how to make peace with the spirit who lied to him and now lives within him. And all too quickly, their relationship blooms into something far more dangerous and cascading than a mere possession. This was an achingly romantic story that I had no choice but to devour all at once, at any and all costs. An instant favorite.

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063285835, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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On Again, Awkward Again by Kelly Erin Entrada

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On Again, Awkward Again by Kelly Erin Entrada
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First loves and crushes are always awkward, but never have they been this awkward. From raging bowels to horrible allergy attacks, Star Trek references and Vanilla Ice, Pacy and Cecil are two hot messes. This story of nerd love will leave your heart full as you can’t help by root for these two to get together, but you also can’t help feeling a little vicarious embarrassment as things go horribly wrong.

On Again, Awkward Again by Kelly Erin Entrada, (List Price: $19.99, Amulet Books, 9781419775635, April 2025)

Reviewed by Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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This book is perfect for anyone who wants to read beautiful prose while being absolutely wrecked in the process. Two boys so different you would think they wouldn’t work, but their care for each other runs deeper than their differences. Follow Aristotle and Dante as they grow together and apart. A story about growth and learning to love all the pieces you hated about yourself. A story about healing from the past and letting those feelings be expressed.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, (List Price: $24.99, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665925419, November 2022)

Reviewed by Gabriela Warner, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Pride or Die by CL Montblanc

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Pride or Die by CL Montblanc
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If you want the Scooby gang, but queer and a little dark, then boy do I have a treat for you. A couple of chapters into this book, I found myself laughing out loud. The characters are funny, the mystery is intriguing, and the representation is fantastic. I’m sure you’ll find yourself rooting for this group just like I did.

Pride or Die by CL Montblanc, (List Price: $20, Wednesday Books, 9781250340474, April 2025)

Reviewed by Brianna Lloyd, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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