Sponsored by Traitor by Amanda McCrina with Fierce Reads
Amanda McCrina’s Traitor is a tightly woven thrill ride exploring political conflict, deep-seated prejudice, and the terror of living in a world where betrayal is a matter of life or death.
“Alive with detail and vivid with insight, Traitor is an effortlessly immersive account of a shocking and little-known moment in the turbulent history of Poland and Ukraine—and ironically, a piercing and bittersweet story of unflinching loyalty. I think Tolya has left my heart a little damaged forever.” —Elizabeth Wein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity and The Enigma Gam
Hey YA Readers!
As we round out August, I didn’t want to miss the chance to talk about one of the big literary events of this month: Women in Translation Month. You can read through the link to discover how rare it is for women to be published in translation in the US, and you can add an even more narrow percentage when you account for the number of women writers in translation for young adult readers.
Three percent of the books published in America are in translation, even smaller for women in translation, and even smaller for YA by women in translation.
Let’s highlight a handful of the excellent YA in translation by women published in 2019 and 2020, though, perfect for adding a more global array of books to your TBR.
Descriptions come from Amazon, but I’ve noted where I’ve read the title. I’ve stuck to the author identifying as female in these books, and in some cases, the translator may not share that gender identity.
Almond by Won-Pyeong Sohn, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee from Korean
Published by an adult imprint, I read this one and can say it’s got great YA appeal and, being published for young adults in its home country, see no reason it doesn’t belong here!
This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster.
One of the monsters is me.
Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say “thank you,” and when to laugh.
Then on Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s sixteenth birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and they develop a surprising bond.
As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people—including a girl at school—something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero he never thought he would be.
b, Book, and Me by Kim Sagwa, translated by Sunhee Jeong from Korean
This is another one I’ve read and encourage you to, too.
Best friends b and Rang are all each other have. Their parents are absent, their teachers avert their eyes when they walk by. Everyone else in town acts like they live in Seoul even though it’s painfully obvious they don’t. When Rang begins to be bullied horribly by the boys in baseball hats, b fends them off. But one day Rang unintentionally tells the whole class about b’s dying sister and how her family is poor, and each of them finds herself desperately alone. The only place they can reclaim themselves, and perhaps each other, is beyond the part of town where lunatics live―the End.
In a piercing, heartbreaking, and astonishingly honest voice, Kim Sagwa’s b, Book, and Me walks the precipice between youth and adulthood, reminding us how perilous the edge can be.
The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano from Japanese
Elin’s family has an important responsibility: caring for the fearsome water serpents that form the core of their kingdom’s army. So when some of the beasts mysteriously die, Elin’s mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath she manages to send her daughter to safety.
Alone, far from home, Elin soon discovers that she can talk to both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great powers, but it also involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war? Or is there no way of escaping the terrible battles to come?
Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier, translated by Romy Fursland from German
Way up in the Swiss mountains, there’s an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year’s Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways.
Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure―and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.
Escape Room by Maren Stoffels, translated by Laura Watkinson from Dutch
There’s no escape from this room. Full of menace and suspense, it’s an unputdownable thriller–and a paperback original!
Alissa, Sky, Miles and Mint are ready for a night of fun at the Escape Room.
It’s simple.
Choose their game.
Get locked in a room.
Find the clues.
Solve the puzzles.
And escape the room in 60 minutes.
But what happens if the Game Master has no intention of letting them go?
Want more? Over on my personal blog last year, I compiled 50 YA books in translation.
Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you later this week!
— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.
Boys Over Flowers (inspired by the Japanese manga series 
Get Even (inspired by 
Selection Day (inspired by the adult novel 
We Are The Wave (Inspired by 
I wrote about a recent book that really captured a body experience I’ve had since being young, and rather than try to summarize it, I’ll just link straight to it: 
