Author: Kelly Jensen

Hey YA Readers: It’s time to stock up on some cheap reads.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by our $100 Amazon gift card giveaway! Enter here.

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Since y’all have been enjoying these bi-weekly Saturday deal round-ups, we’ll keep them coming. Expect to see them approximately every first and third Saturday and prepare your wallet accordingly.

Here are some of the best YA deals this week. Current as of Friday, April 5!

• Pick up the lush, magically real Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore for $2.

Shane Burcaw’s hilarious and wickedly enjoyable first memoir Laughing At My Nightmare is $3 and I cannot recommend it more.

• Speaking of memoirs, Elena Dunkel and Claire B. Dunkel’s dual memoir about an eating disorder, Elena Vanishing, is $2.
• Though Jordan Harper’s She Rides Shotgun is an adult book, it was an Alex Award winner and is one YA readers will love. $2.
• The first book in Claudia Gray’s “Defy The Stars” series — called Defy The Stars — is $2.
• Want a survival story? Try SA Bodeen’s The Raft. $3.
• Furyborn, the fierce and fiery first book in Claire Legrand’s new fantasy series, is $3.

Want a realistic queer story about girls of color? Misa Sigiura’s It’s Not Like It’s A Secret is $2.

• You’ll also want to check out this YA queer girl book for $2: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown.
• Shatter Me, the first in Tahereh Mafi’s series, is $2.
• Last but not least, even though it’s a little bit more in price than I normally include in these, I’m adding Saundra Mitchell’s anthology All Out. Tons of great stories about queer teens through history, as written by queer authors. $4.50.

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Enjoy yourself some new reads, and we’ll see you again on Monday!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers: Let’s get series-ous!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by the late spring and summer picks of the Class of 2k19 books, 20 authors, 20 MG and YA novels debuting in 2019.

WE RULE THE NIGHT: “The richly textured world, filled with disparate people who want to win the war, is background to a powerful story.” – Kirkus starred review

THE BEST LIES: Told in alternating timelines, Thelma and Louise meets Gone Girl in this twisted psychological thriller about the dark side of obsessive friendship.

ALL OUR BROKEN PIECES: “Crichton is a master at manipulating her reader’s emotions […] sharply written and deeply moving.” -Tamara Ireland Stone

THE GRIEF KEEPER: The Grief Keeper is a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.

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Next Monday, over on Book Riot, I’ve got a mega list of completed YA book series that should be on your to-read, if you haven’t already marathoned them. What I didn’t include on the list were series coming to a close this year, so it seemed only right to do a small round-up of those titles here.

I struggle with series books because I need to read the series cover-to-cover. So I’ll get my hands on the first book, then I’ll be sad to have to wait for years to get the final one before starting. I am not patient and it’s too easy for me to forget key parts of a story while waiting for so long.

But completed series? Sign me up. Here are a handful coming to their conclusions in 2019. I’ve included the Goodreads descriptions for the first book, mostly because I’ve not read any of these said for above-stated reasons and to avoid potential end-of-series spoilers in using final book descriptions. I’ve included the title and publication date of the final book in clickable links.

“The Bone Witch” series by Rin Chupeco, ending with The Shadowglass which is available now.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

“The Black Angel Chronicles” by Kristen Orlando, ending with You Won’t See Me Coming, available now.

Seventeen-year-old Reagan Elizabeth Hillis is used to changing identities overnight, lying to every friend she’s ever had, and pushing away anyone who gets too close. Trained in mortal combat and weaponry her entire life, Reagan is expected to follow in her parents’ footsteps and join the ranks of the most powerful top-secret agency in the world, the Black Angels. Falling in love with the boy next door was never part of the plan. Now Reagan must decide: Will she use her incredible talents and lead the dangerous life she was born into, or throw it all away to follow her heart and embrace the normal life she’s always wanted? And does she even have a choice?

 

“Alex & Eliza” by Melissa de la Cruz, ending with All for One, publishing April 16.

Their romance shaped a nation. The rest was history.

1777. Albany, New York.

As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuylers’ grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country’s founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters—Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival that of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball.

Still, she can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can’t believe his luck—as an orphan, and a bastard one at that—to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.

“Three Dark Crowns” by Kendare Blake, ending with Five Dark Fates on September 3.

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

“Royal Bastards” by Andrew Shvarts, ending with War of the Bastards on June 4.

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey

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Happy reading, y’all! Thanks for hanging and we’ll see you again later this week for some YA news.

PS: If you haven’t already, check out our brand new podcast all about kid lit!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

 

Hey YA Readers: Let’s highlight some upcoming YA nonfiction for our TBRs!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Disney Publishing Worldwide, publisher of The Devouring Gray.

After the death of her sister, Violet finds herself dragged to the hometown her mother fled years ago. Violet may be new to Four Paths, New York, but she soon learns her family isn’t. They’re one of the revered founding families of the town, where stone bells hang above every doorway and danger lurks in the depths of the woods. When Violet accidentally wanders into the Gray and unleashes the monster, Violet and her new friends must band together to unearth the dark truths behind their families’ abilities in order to defeat the monster… before the Gray devours them all.

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I’m a big fan of YA nonfiction, and I’m so thrilled to see that it’s been growing as a category in the last few years. While I’ve hit on some great collective biographies that are coming out this year (or have hit in recent memory), as well as a handful of memoirs, I haven’t highlighted some of the awesome YA nonfiction that has hit or will hit shelves shortly this year.

Let’s change that now.

Because I’ve not read all of these — I’ve only read a couple and the rest are sitting on my never-ending stacks — I’m pulling descriptions from Amazon because I can’t come up with better. If you haven’t read YA nonfiction before, these titles would be excellent starting places. There are Young Reader Editions (aka: the books adapted from adult books for younger audiences) and original titles.

Dissenter on the Bench by Victoria Ortiz (June 4)

Dramatically narrated case histories from Justice Ginsburg’s stellar career are interwoven with an account of RBG’s life—childhood, family, beliefs, education, marriage, legal and judicial career, children, and achievements—and her many-faceted personality is captured. The cases described, many involving young people, demonstrate her passionate concern for gender equality, fairness, and our constitutional rights. Notes, bibliography, index.

Dreamland by Sam Quinones (July 16)

As an adult book, Sam Quinones’s Dreamland took the world by storm, winning the NBCC Award for General Nonfiction and hitting at least a dozen Best Book of the Year lists. Now, adapted for the first time for a young adult audience, this compelling reporting explains the roots of the current opiate crisis.

In 1929, in the blue-collar city of Portsmouth, Ohio, a company built a swimming pool the size of a football field; named Dreamland, it became the vital center of the community. Now, addiction has devastated Portsmouth, as it has hundreds of small rural towns and suburbs across America. How that happened is the riveting story of Dreamland. Quinones explains how the rise of the prescription drug OxyContin, a miraculous and extremely addictive painkiller pushed by pharmaceutical companies, paralleled the massive influx of black tar heroin–cheap, potent, and originating from one small county on Mexico’s west coast, independent of any drug cartel.

Introducing a memorable cast of characters–pharmaceutical pioneers, young Mexican entrepreneurs, narcotics investigators, survivors, teens, and parents–Dreamland is a revelatory account of the massive threat facing America and its heartland.

Girl Mogul by Tiffany Pham (April 2)

Welcome to Girl Mogul! No matter who you are or where you come from, this book can help you define success, envision it, and make it happen―in school, in your personal life, and at work. Get ready to awaken all the awesomeness that is already inside of you.

You are fierce.
You are bold.
You are unique.
You are driven.
You are inspiring.
YOU ARE A GIRL MOGUL

Tiffany Pham, founder and CEO of Mogul, created one of the most successful platforms for girls worldwide, reaching millions of people to enact true change in their lives, after receiving thousands of emails asking for advice. In Girl Mogul, she speaks directly to teens and young adults, sharing insights from her own life as well from the lives of the most incredible and inspiring women on Mogul. Tiffany has proven that with the right attitude, the right people, and the right vision, there’s nothing girls can’t do.

It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah (available April 9)

Trevor Noah, the funny guy who hosts The Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist–and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his keen smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.

This compelling memoir blends drama, comedy, and tragedy to depict the day-to-day trials that turned a boy into a young man. In a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity, Trevor surmounted staggering obstacles and created a promising future for himself, thanks to his mom’s unwavering love and indomitable will.

It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime not only provides a fascinating and honest perspective on South Africa’s racial history, but it will also astound and inspire young readers looking to improve their own lives.

The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller (August 27)

When the Dionne Quintuplets were born on May 28, 1934, weighing a grand total of just over 13 pounds, no one expected them to live so much as an hour. Overnight, Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie Dionne mesmerized the globe, defying medical history with every breath they took. In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario government took custody of the five identical babies, sequestering them in a private, custom-built hospital across the road from their family–and then, in a stunning act of hypocrisy, proceeded to exploit them for the next nine years. The Dionne Quintuplets became a more popular attraction than Niagara Falls, ogled through one-way screens by sightseers as they splashed in their wading pool at the center of a tourist hotspot known as Quintland. Here, Sarah Miller reconstructs their unprecedented upbringing with fresh depth and subtlety, bringing to new light their resilience and the indelible bond of their unique sisterhood.

The Stonewall Riots by Gayle E Pitman (May 14)

This book is about the Stonewall Riots, a series of spontaneous, often violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBTQ+) community in reaction to a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The Riots are attributed as the spark that ignited the LGBTQ+ movement. The author describes American gay history leading up to the Riots, the Riots themselves, and the aftermath, and includes her interviews of people involved or witnesses, including a woman who was ten at the time. Profusely illustrated, the book includes contemporary photos, newspaper clippings, and other period objects. A timely and necessary read, The Stonewall Riots helps readers to understand the history and legacy of the LGBTQ+ movement.

VIRAL by Ann Bausum (June 4)

Thirty-five years ago, it was a modern-day, mysterious plague. Its earliest victims were mostly gay men, some of the most marginalized people in the country; at its peak in America, it killed tens of thousands of people. The losses were staggering, the science frightening, and the government’s inaction unforgivable. The AIDS Crisis fundamentally changed the fabric of the United States.

Viral presents the history of the AIDS crisis through the lens of the brave victims and activists who demanded action and literally fought for their lives. This compassionate but unflinching text explores everything from the disease’s origins and how it spread to the activism it inspired and how the world confronts HIV and AIDS today.

Want more YA nonfiction recommendations? I pulled together 50 must-read YA nonfiction books you might like, too! 

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Thanks for hanging out and we’ll see you later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Fans: Pour yourself a cuppa and let’s catch up on the latest news.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

In the tradition of The Lunar Chronicles, this sweeping reimagining of Les Misérables tells the story of three teens from very different backgrounds who are thrown together amidst the looming threat of revolution on the French planet of Laterre.

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For the talk of YA book sales being down, there sure has been a lot of adaptation news lately, suggesting that perhaps the sales come later in the book’s life, as opposed to its arrival? I’m chewing over some thoughts on this, especially related to the old statistic that the bulk of YA books are purchased by adults. Are we seeing this level off and are seeing more organic purchases from teens themselves? There’s a lot to unpack in that article, and I don’t have the answers.

• YA luminary Laurie Halse Anderson talks with the New York Times in their “By The Book” column and it’s a masterclass in awesome book recommendations.
• This isn’t a perfect article, but it is one of the best about YA book criticism and “cancel culture” so far, as it digs into the institutional responsibilities that are missing when it comes to inclusive YA books.
• Leigh Bardugo has an adult novel coming out, and here’s the cover and preview.
• There’s a new Sabrina The Teenage Witch comic coming. 
• A nice piece about the rise of LGBTQ YA and what we might see on the horizon in queer YA books.
• YA author Diane Peterfreund has a Clue themed book. 
• All American Muslim Girl looks like a must-read.
• Want to expand your speculative fiction reading? The Tiptree long lists are out, and the YA selection is fabulous.
• A book about a teen who grew up with anti-vaxxer parents who wants to be vaccinated. I’m ready for this.
•  The YA Groundhog Day book of my dreams (which is so good!) has been optioned for film.
• I know nothing about The Naming Girl book — it’s not even out yet! — but it’s been optioned and the director is a woman of color.
• Did you know there’s a spinoff series to Pretty Little Liars? Here’s a bit about it.
• I have a piece over on School Library Journal about YA horror and some of the trends in recent years.
• Jennifer E. Smith’s sweet romances This Is What Happy Looks Like and The Geography of You and Me have been optioned for film.
• The Facebook adaptation of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly was renewed for another season. Have you watched this? I have a hunch Eric Smith and I might give it a shot for a future episode of Hey YA.
• Sarah Dessen will be on tour for her new book. Here’s where you can see her.

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┃┃╱╲ In this
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╱╱╭╮╲╲ we
▔▏┗┛▕▔ support
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beautiful YA
maps
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— HMH Teen (@HMHteen) March 19, 2019

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Recent Book Mail…

This huge stack doesn’t even cover it all. The fall releases are hitting fever pitch at my doorstep (and I’m still reading books from this month, y’all!). From top to bottom, starting with Maybe This Time, as the two books above it aren’t YA books.

Maybe This Time by Kasie West

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie

Deathcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

The Beholder by Anna Bright

Girls of July by Alex Flinn

Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

The Language of Fire by Stephanie Hemphill

Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hnhn

In Another Life by CC Hunter

Dreamland by Sam Quinones

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We’ll see you next week with some more book lists, book talk, and more.

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are (currently $2, y’all!).

Hey YA readers! Let’s talk books.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Penguin Teen Canada.

Poppy used to be an optimist. But after being publicly fat-shamed, she’s having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition.

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It’s been a month of great book talk over on Book Riot. Let’s settle in and catch up. Grab your TBR list because chances are, it won’t be getting smaller!

• Since you came here for this first and foremost: YA books for every introvert type and YA books for ever extrovert type.
• Do you know how this generation of teenagers reads? Hear from the experts on how Generation Z reads.
• Add some new YA paperbacks to your spring TBR.
• Fall in love with these 10 new enemies-to-lovers YA books.
• Want some YA books that have romance but might not be capital-R Romances? Here you go!
• Read these 50 awesome YA mysteries.
• Which Defense Against The Dark Arts professor from Harry Potter are you?
• Speaking of Harry Potter, how about some Harry Potter escape rooms?
• Where to begin reading the incredible work of Jason Reynolds.
• Enjoy some school field trips that have gone horribly wrong.
• Theater kids in YA.
• This one is for the comics lovers: costume ideas for becoming your own Miles Morales.
• Read about some badass girl crews in YA.
• Maybe you need some hockey YA reads right about now.
• We asked readers to share their favorite YA dystopia books and here are the top 18 picks.
• Although the titles here are a mix of YA and adult, this round-up of climate fiction is great for YA readers.
• Ever wanted to start a podcast in your high school library? Here are some reasons why you might want to.
• Another one for comics lovers and one that cracked me up: The Defenders as the Baby-Sitters Club.
• Have you picked up any of these new YA books that hit shelves this month?
• Shout about these amazing quotes from Laurie Halse Anderson’s new memoir SHOUT.
• And finally, why you might want to pick up Unbroken, especially for excellent disability representation.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again later this week for a dive into the latest in YA news.

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Fans:

Spend your weekend curled up with some excellent reads. Here’s a handful of awesome YA books you can snag on the cheap for your ereading pleasure:

Allow me to indulge here: you can grab my anthology Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World for $2!

• Grab Jenn Bennett’s Alex, Approximately for a contemporary read with some romance for $2.
• If you like a fairy tale twist, try Rosamund Hodge’s Cruel Beauty for $2.
• True stories of growing up a girl something you’re itching for? Pick up Because I Was A Girl by Melissa de la Cruz for $3.
• Another fantasy worth checking out is the first in a series, too. Grab Aimee Carter’s Pawn for $2.
• Karen Blumenthal writes excellent YA nonfiction and her biography of Hilary Clinton is no exception. Hilary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History is $3.
• Dystopian sci fi calling out to you? Pick up another first in series book, Taken by Erin Bowman, for $3.
• The Girl With The Red Balloon by Katherine Locke is a historical fiction with a bit of magic. It’s on sale for $2.
• K. Ancrum’s The Wicker King looks like the perfect read for those who want something slightly horror-tinged and something totally different. $3.
• Never Never by Brianna Shrum is a Peter Pan retelling. $4.

Want a twist on a classic? Pick up Megan Shepherd’s The Madman’s Daughter for some gothic greatness. $3. It’s the first in a series, and you can grab Her Dark Curiosity for $4 and A Cold Legacy for $3 to round out the trilogy.

• The first book in Anna Godbersen’s juicy “The Luxe” series, The Luxe, is $4. I have no idea how much this book might hold up ten years later, but it was fun when it first came out!
• Destiny Soria’s historical horror book Iron Cast is $5.
• Zoraida Cordova’s Labyrinth Lost, first in the “Brooklyn Brujas” series, is just a little bit over $3.

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Thanks for hanging out & we’ll see you again on Monday!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers: Let’s talk teen pregnancy.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Epic Reads.

Robin of Locksley is dead and the people of Locksley town need a protector. The dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé. Who is there to stop them? Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood.

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Teen pregnancy is a reality. Although it is at the lowest ever-recorded rate, there are still 20 births for every thousand teens with uteruses between the ages of 15 and 19. When it comes to teen pregnancy and teen parents in the world of YA, it’s a theme that waxes and wanes. I’ve written more in-depth about the portrayal of abortion in YA in years past, as well as rounded up additional titles.

Given the relentless assaults on reproductive autonomy in recent years, it’s no surprise that teen pregnancy, teen parenthood, and more, teen abortion access are becoming major topics within YA fiction this year.

Find below a round-up of YA books out in 2019 that feature pregnancy, abortion, or reproductive rights. This is likely not comprehensive, but it gives a good overview of the titles that will be hitting shelves. Descriptions pulled from Goodreads since I haven’t yet read any of these!

Note: while there are a small number of books here by and/or about teens of color, the vast majority are by or about white teens. This is, as always, worth thinking about in terms of whose stories get told and which are stories safest to tell.

As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl (August 20)

In one impulsive moment the summer before they leave for college, overachievers Scarlett and David plunge into an irresistible swirl of romance, particle physics, and questionable decisions. Told in non-linear, vivid first-person chapters, As Many Nows As I Can Get is the story of a grounded girl who’s pulled into a lightning-strike romance with an electric-charged boy, and the enormity of the aftermath. Cerebral, accessible, bold, and unconventionally romantic, this is a powerful debut about grief, guilt, and reconciling who you think you need to be with the person you’ve been all along.

Belly Up by Eva Darrows (April 30)

When 16 year old Serendipity Rodriguez attends a house party to celebrate the end of sophomore year, she has no intention of getting drunk and hooking up with a guy she’s just met, let alone getting pregnant. To make matters worse, she has no way of contacting the father and she and her mother are about to move to a new town and in with her grandmother.

It’s hard enough to start your junior year as the new kid in school, but at 5-months pregnant it’s even harder. So when Sara meets Leaf, who asks her out and doesn’t seem to care that she’s pregnant, she finds herself falling.

Juggling the realities of a pregnancy with school and a new relationship are hard enough, but when Jack, the father of her baby, turns back up, Sara’s life goes from complicated to a complete mess. With the help of her overbearing mother and grandmother, Sara will learn to navigate life’s challenges and be ready for anything, as she prepares for the birth of her baby.

The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me by Olivia Hinebaugh (Available now)

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke is the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she’s never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she’s been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita.

But then everything changes.

When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls’ restroom. But things with Theo become complicated quickly, and Lacey is soon not just keeping everyone else’s secrets, but hers as well.

Girls Like Us by Randi Pink (October 29)

Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy.
Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies.

In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.

Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future.

Girls On The Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller (April 9)

Camille couldn’t be having a better summer. But on the very night she learns she got into a prestigious theater program, she also finds out she’s pregnant. She definitely can’t tell her parents. And her best friend, Bea, doesn’t agree with the decision Camille has made.

Camille is forced to try to solve her problem alone . . . and the system is very much working against her. At her most vulnerable, Camille reaches out to Annabelle Ponsonby, a girl she only barely knows from the theater. Happily, Annabelle agrees to drive her wherever she needs to go. And in a last-minute change of heart, Bea decides to come with.

Girls on the Verge is an incredibly timely novel about a woman’s right to choose. Sharon Biggs Waller brings to life a narrative that has to continue to fight for its right to be told, and honored.

The How and The Why by Cynthia Hand (November 6)

Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…

Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can’t answer, no matter how much they love her.

But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for.

Alternating between Cass’s search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who gave her up for adoption, this voice-driven narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.

Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan (September 10)

It’s 1992, and there’s a rumor spreading in Baton Rouge…

When it comes to being social, Athena Graves is far more comfortable creating a mixtape playlist than she is talking to cute boys—or anyone, for that matter. Plus her staunchly feminist views and love of punk rock aren’t exactly mainstream at St. Ann’s, her conservative Catholic high school.

Then a malicious rumor starts spreading through the halls…a rumor that her popular, pretty, pro-life sister had an abortion over the summer. A rumor that has the power to not only hurt Helen, but possibly see her expelled.

Despite their wildly contrasting views, Athena, Helen and their friends must find a way to convince the student body and the administration that it doesn’t matter what Helen did or didn’t do…even if their riot grrrl protests result in the expulsion of their entire rebel girl gang.

The Sound of Drowning by Katherine Fleet (April 9)

Meredith Hall has a secret. Every night she takes the ferry to meet Ben, her best friend and first love. Though their relationship must remain a secret, they’ve been given a second chance, and Mer’s determined to make it work. She lost Ben once before and discovered the awful reality: she doesn’t know how to be happy without him…

Until Wyatt washes ashore―a brash new guy with a Texas twang and a personality bigger than his home state. He makes her feel reckless, excited, and alive in ways that cut through her perpetual gloom. The deeper they delve into each other’s pasts, the more Wyatt’s charms become impossible to ignore.

But a storm is brewing in the Outer Banks. When it hits, Mer finds her heart tearing in half and her carefully constructed reality slipping back into the surf. As she discovers that even the most deeply buried secrets have a way of surfacing, she’ll have to learn that nothing is forever―especially second chances.

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan (September 10)

Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she would wish she’d failed a test until she finds herself holding a thick piece of plastic in her hands and staring at two solid pink lines. Even the most consistent use of condoms won’t prevent pregnancy when your boyfriend secretly pokes holes in them to keep you from going out-of-state for college.

Veronica needs an abortion, but the closest place she can legally get one is over nine hundred miles away—and Veronica doesn’t have a car. Too ashamed to ask her friends or family for help, Veronica turns to the one person she believes won’t judge her: Bailey Butler, Jefferson High’s own little black cloud of anger and snark—and Veronica’s ex-best friend. Once on the road, Veronica quickly remembers nothing with Bailey is ever simple and that means two days of stolen cars, shotguns, crazed ex-boyfriends, truck stop strippers with pro-life agendas, and a limo driver named Bob. But the pain and betrayal of their broken friendship can’t be outrun. When their fighting leads to a brutal moment of truth, Bailey abandons Veronica. Now Veronica must risk everything in order to repair the hurt she’s caused.

What Every Girl Should Know by J. Albert Mann (Available now)

Margaret was determined to get out. She didn’t want to clean the dirty dishes and soiled diapers that piled up day in and day out in her large family’s small home. She didn’t want to disappoint her ailing mother, who cared tirelessly for an ever-growing number of children despite her incessant cough. And Margaret certainly didn’t want to be labeled a girl of “promise,” destined to become either a teacher or a mother—which seemed to be a woman’s only options.

As a feisty and opinionated young woman, Margaret Higgins Sanger witnessed and experienced incredible hardships, which led to her groundbreaking work as an advocate for women’s rights and the founder of Planned Parenthood. This fiery novel of Margaret’s early life paints the portrait of a young woman with the passion and courage to change the world.

With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (May 7)

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again soon!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers: It’s news o’clock.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Flatiron Books.

Welcome to Finale, the final book in Stephanie Garber’s #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series! It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist. Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend. After uncovering a secret, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change him. Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun.

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Happy Monday! Let’s launch this new week with some YA news. There is a whole lot of awesome adaptation news to highlight.

• The CCBC released their data on children’s books featuring and written by people of color this week and it’s not only worth digging into, but it’s well worth reading the insights from fellow children’s lit folks.
• We’re getting another YA-adapted rom-com on Netflix. Get ready for The Perfect Date.
• We’re also getting an adaptation of Cursed by Frank Miller on Netflix.
• A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi will be adapted.
• Did you watch the Facebook adaptation of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly? Maybe you should, considering it was renewed for another season. (I’ll be tuning in soon, along with Eric Smith, for a segment on Hey YA in the future — here’s your heads up!).
• The Fall of Innocence, which came out last year, is going to be adapted.
• The line of Jimmy Patterson books you might have seen in the YA section (there’s some super popular books published under it!) might be seeing some adaptations soon.
• Some news about the adaptation of Stephanie Perkins’s There’s Someone Inside Your House.
• Get ready for the Stranger Things YA novel, being written by YA favorite Brenna Yovanoff.
• The Book Expo Buzz Panels have been announced. That’s publishing-world speak for you’ll want to know these YA books because there will be big buzz for them. I can confirm The Revolution of Birdie Randolph is outstanding.
• A peek at the new Sarah Dessen book hitting shelves this summer.
• This YA book by a trans woman about a trans teen’s coming of age sounds fabulous.
• Sonia Sotomayor has a YA book coming out this fall.
• Take a look at this cover!:

I'm so excited to share the cover I illustrated for the upcoming YA book, 'The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan' by @sherrythomas, cover designed/art directed by @neilswaab. It hits shelves Sept 10, 2019! Thank you so much to the team at @tubooks @LEEandLOW 💞 pic.twitter.com/TV8oyPvPB1

— Christina Chung 鍾書寧 (@christinaillos) March 6, 2019

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Read These Books

Are you looking to read something different in the YA world? I just blew through Hanna Alkaf’s debut The Weight of Our Sky. The story, set in May 1969 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, follows the political uprising and surrounding riots that occurred in the country through the eyes of Melati, a teen girl who, in addition to dealing with the events going on around her, also struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder. That OCD is especially well-rendered and offered up in context to how Muslims in that time and place perceived mental illness — as an evil djinn one had. It’s an absorbing read and one I think is worth highlighting so more readers pick it up. It came out in February, so grab it now.

Although not a YA book, I’m going to give a little space to recommend that readers who love YA and who are passionate about teenagers pick up David Cullen’s Parkland. Cullen, best known for his incredible look at the realities of the Columbine shootings nearly 20 years ago, takes a different approach in his latest book, in part because he’s tired of being seen as the one writing about all of these tragedies. Parkland instead follows the teenagers behind the March for Our Lives movement, offering incredible insight into the work they’ve done, the time and energy they’ve poured into it, and the lessons and changes they’ve learned and made along the way. It’s a book that leaves you feeling hopeful, rather than defeated, and one that opens up a lot of information that hasn’t been shared by mainstream media. I was particularly impressed to hear how hard the teens worked to educate themselves on gun violence in Chicago, from Chicago teens, and worked to make their own group more inclusive and representative of their generation.

me on ellen

ellen: so I heard you like YA books

*the entire audience lets out a breath they didn't know they were holding*

me: omg ellen you didn't

— racquel marie ✨ (@blondewithab00k) March 6, 2019

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Thanks for hanging out and we’ll see you again later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers! Let’s highlight some books about rad women and nonbinary folx through history.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Flatiron Books, publishers of Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza.

Bestselling author of All the Bright Places Jennifer Niven calls emerging talent Shivaun Plozza’s charming and romantic second novel “from cover to cover swoon-worthy, moving, deep, and funny”!

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Over the last few years, there has been a wave of collective biographies highlighting women who’ve done awesome things throughout history. Whereas these books used to be very white, they’ve become more inclusive, both in terms of racial and religious diversity, as well as in including those all along the gender and sexuality spectrum (and those who choose not to identify on a spectrum at all).

The point of collective biographies isn’t to tell the whole story. Rather, it’s to encourage further exploration of the amazing people who have done — or are currently doing! — groundbreaking things. Browse a few collective biographies and it becomes clear whose histories have been told and whose histories have been buried. I know whenever I pick up one of these books, I find myself itching to dive into some long, juicy biographies.

Here are a few of the standouts within this sub-genre of nonfiction worth picking up and sharing not only for Women’s History Month, but all year long.

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World by Pénélope Bagieu

This collection of ladies through history is not only a book in translation. It’s also a comic. Learn about brilliant women like Naziq al-Abid, Nellie Bly (my favorite!), Josephine Baker, and more. Not only is this one fascinating because of the women included, but the art is spectacular.

History Vs. Women: The Defiant Lives That They Don’t Want You To Know by Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams

“From Mongolian princesses to Chinese pirates, Native American ballerinas to Egyptian scientists, Japanese novelists to British Prime Ministers, History vs Womenwill reframe the history that you thought you knew” — that’s from the description on Goodreads and frankly, I couldn’t do any better. Well-known feminist Sarkeesian teams up with academic Adams to offer up stories of amazing women throughout history that haven’t had their stories shared. This book, like the others, has lovely illustrations that make these women’s stories come even more alive.

Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History by Blair Imani

The focus of this collective biography is not only on the changemakers of the past, but it explores those who are making the world a better place today. It celebrates not only cis women, but people who identify as genderqueer, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, trans, and more. Imani is herself a young Muslim activist, so her keen eye and insight into those who are changing the world makes this particular title especially powerful.

Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz and illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl

You might be familiar with Schatz’s work with her previous two collective biographies, which covered rad women of American history and rad women of history throughout the world. This book, which came out last year, is similar but it focuses on young women who are making — or have made — a difference. There are the usual suspects like Malala and Jazz Jennings, but there are plenty of young people included who are lesser known but whose stories deserve attention.

Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played To Win by Rachel Ignotofsky

A couple of years ago, Rachel stopped by this newsletter to talk about her first book, Women in Science. This is her followup, highlighting 50 awesome women athletes throughout history. Her biographies are not only short and sweet, but they’re well-designed and visual treasures. There are infographics, statistics, and the book highlights not just a wide range of women. It also highlights a wide range of sports.

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Thanks for hanging out & we’ll see you again next week for even more talk of badass ladies, feminism, and the latest in YA news!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers: Let’s talk upcoming feminist books for your TBR!

“What’s Up In YA?” is sponsored by Fierce Reads and What We Buried by Kate A. Boorman.

“Do you ever just want to be believed?” Siblings Liv and Jory Brewer have grown up resenting each other. The only thing they have in common is contempt for their parents. When their parents mysteriously vanish, Jory and Liv are forced to work together. What starts as a simple overnight road trip soon takes a turn for the dangerous and surreal. And as the duo speeds through the deserts of Nevada, brother and sister will unearth deep family secrets that force them to relive their pasts as they try to retain a grip on the present.

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Sorry to keep this a little shorter and less chatty than normal, but with some personal life things going on, I’m pooling all of my energy to pull together a useful newsletter. Essentially, that means I’m apologizing for the Goodreads blurbs below — these books sound amazing.

I’ve pulled five titles hitting shelves this fall you’ll want on your radar for their feminist themes. I’ve included a little bit of everything and a whole lot of stuff I’m so eager to get my hands on ASAP.

Slay by Brittany Morris (Sept 24)

Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the black man.”

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically black in a world intimidated by blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan (Sept 10)

It’s 1992, and there’s a rumor spreading in Baton Rouge…

When it comes to being social, Athena Graves is far more comfortable creating a mixtape playlist than she is talking to cute boys—or anyone, for that matter. Plus her staunchly feminist views and love of punk rock aren’t exactly mainstream at St. Ann’s, her conservative Catholic high school.

Then a malicious rumor starts spreading through the halls…a rumor that her popular, pretty, pro-life sister had an abortion over the summer. A rumor that has the power to not only hurt Helen, but possibly see her expelled.

Despite their wildly contrasting views, Athena, Helen and their friends must find a way to convince the student body and the administration that it doesn’t matter what Helen did or didn’t do…even if their riot grrrl protests result in the expulsion of their entire rebel girl gang.

There’s a real interesting microtrend this year of YA about abortions worth digging into in a future edition of the newsletter. (In the literary world, this might be considered foreshadowing!).

 

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai (September 3)

In the final days of the Việt Nam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms—and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country.

Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Việt Nam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn’t know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her.

Hằng is overjoyed when she reunites with Linh. But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed. Though the distance between them feels greater than ever, Hằng has come so far that she will do anything to bridge the gap.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (Sept 17)

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (August 18)

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender.

While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.

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Thanks for hanging out & we’ll see you later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.