YOUNG ADULT
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
chapter books
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN
Written by John Green
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Aza Holmes is on a mission to track down a fugitive billionaire for a huge cash prize. Although this novel begins with Aza's ambitious mission, the book mainly focuses on Aza's ever-tightening spiral of endless thoughts. Aza struggles with anxiety and OCD, mental illnesses that impact her daily life. This book is a must-read for young adults who have been affected by or need to better understand the struggles of mental illness.
THE POET X
Written by Rainbow Elizabeth Acevedo
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Xiomara Bastima is a girl who finds her voice through writing poetry after attending her school in Harlem, New York. Read about her endless thoughts on identity, family, religion, body image and more. Xiomara's story is bound to stick with readers across the nation as they relate to and try to understand her ever-changing emotions. Acevedeo's poetry makes Xiomara's story come to life.
duologies + trilogies
STRANGE THE DREAMER
Written by Laini Taylor
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Join Lazlo Strange, junior librarian and avid daydreamer, as he explores a magical place that he has been obsessed with from childhood. The lost city of Weep has moving statues, talking ghosts, floating castles and so much more! But it also has some unanswered questions, and Lazlo is determined to solve them. This captivating duology is perfect for high-fantasy loving readers!
MONSTERS OF VERITY
Written by Victoria Schwab
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Kate is a human. August is a monster. In a war-filled world overrun by both, our two interesting protagonists have to decide which side they truly belong on. Explore the difference between good and evil, in this duology. Told from the two perspectives, Monsters of Verity makes them start to question themselves on what truly is right and wrong.
CARAVAL
Written by Stephanie Garber
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Scarlett and Tella are whisked away to the game of caraval‒ a faraway and magical performance where the audience gets to participate. However, this year's game revolves around finding Tella, Scarlet's younger sister, who got kidnapped once they had arrived. Scarlett's been told that everything in caraval isn't real, but when she becomes entangled in a game of love and war, she starts to question her own sanity.
SERIes
THE LUNAR CHRONICLES
Written by Suzanne Collins
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Join Cinder, a gifted cyborg mechanic, as she uncovers her mysterious past and attempts to save the world. From fighting with her evil stepmother, to falling in love with Prince Kai, to investigating people from the moon, Cinder has a lot on her cyborg hands. This entire series is based off a collection of different fairy tales, with much higher stakes and of course, much more struggle.
EMBER IN THE ASHES
Written by Sabaa Tahir​
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Destruction and suffering ravage through the impoverished streets Laia was raised in. When her brother gets arrested for treason, Laia is forced spy on the empire's greatest military academy by pretending to be a slave. She meets Elias, a solider who's dying wish is to escape from the corrupt influence of the academy. Follow the tale of Laia and Elias, two strong characters whose lives are more intertwined than they know.
THE RAVEN CYCLE
Written by Maggie Stiefvater
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Join Blue Sargent as she gets tangled up with the raven boys, a group of four troublesome boys who attend the Aglionby private school. Blue's been told to stay away from boys at Aglionby academy, but can't help but join the raven boys on their special and mysterious quest. Blue's been told all of her life that she would cause her true love to die. Although this was never a problem at first, she can't help but wonder if her fate has anything to do with the raven boys and their different pasts.
THE DARK ARTIFICES
Written by Cassandra Clare
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Cassandra Clare knows how to make her readers hurt. The Dark Artifices is a page-turning trilogy that takes place after Cassandra Clare's legendary series, the Mortal Instruments. This trilogy is about Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorn family, an elite group of Los Angeles demon-hunters who are destined to save the world. The beautifully written story embraces the importance of family, adventure, passion, sacrifice, and of course, love.
ARC OF SCYTHE
Written by Neal Shusterman​
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In this world people called scythes are required to kill others to keep the population under control. When two teenagers, Citra and Rowan, are to apprentice a scythe, they must learn how to master the "art" of killing people‒ or be killed themselves. In this thrilling trilogy, learn the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, and what humanity truly is at its core.