★ 10/09/2017
The night that Nova’s parents and infant sister were murdered, the Renegades—superheroes who protect her city—never came to save the day. Ten years later, the time has come for 16-year-old Nova to infiltrate the Renegades and exact her revenge: her power to induce sleep has been honed by the Anarchists, the so-called villains of her world. In a vividly dark and fully imagined universe where special abilities are feared unless they can be strictly controlled and labeled, Meyer (the Lunar Chronicles) celebrates and subverts popular superhero tropes while mining the gray area between malevolence and virtue. Third-person narration builds suspense as it shifts between Nova and Adrian, a Renegade with his own secrets; the worldbuilding details and many combat sequences will captivate devotees of superhero comics. Beyond the capes and masks is a strikingly grounded story of star-crossed would-be lovers, deception, and the recognition that most of humanity exists between the extremes of good and evil. A twist ending casts doubt on a key aspect of the story’s history and leaves the door open for future exploration. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Nov.)
This month’s best teen fiction is all about fantasy and science-fiction, whether set in the farthest realms of outer space, in a world with very few men and boys, or inspired by Japanese folklore. Superheroes and teens with extraordinary gifts will keep supernatural readers riveted, while a murder mystery and a heartbreaking love story round […]
November is a love letter to YA fantasy fans! If you’re into queer fantasy, as well as fantasy based on Greek, Chinese, and Japanese legends, consider this a monthlong opportunity to give thanks. Contemporary fans also have plenty to be grateful for, with tales of friendships lost and recovered, life on the factory line in […]
Blast off this week with two sci-fi adventures set among the stars, three fantasies inspired by Chinese, Japanese, and Irish folktales, and a futuristic character study set in a world without boys and men. In contemporary YA, a budding paleontologist gets a taste of professional rivalry, and a female mechanic tries to solve a mystery […]
Hello, fabulous followups to our favorite fantasies and sci-fis! Dying to find out what happens next with Lada and Radu, Audrey Rose and Thomas, Zivah and Dineas, or the royal sisters? Can’t wait to find out who lives, who dies, and who falls in love? Consider yourself officially one step closer to getting all the […]
One of my favorite things about spy plotlines is they can be mashed up with basically any genre, from romcoms to epic fantasies. If you like your books with a side helping of secret identity, be sure to add these novels to your reading list—starting with a classic boarding school/secret agent combo straight out of […]