Older Readers
The Ancient’s Game.
By Loni Crittenden.
Oct. 2024. 352p. Harper, $19.99 (9780063296435). Gr. 8–12.
Orphaned Kellan DuCuivre has just one person in her corner: her mentor, Edgar, whom she helps run a makecraft shop, which she is technically outlawed from working in due to her lower-class status. Despite the legality, her extreme talent at the metal-carving technique that creates magical items from delicate and dangerous runes keeps them afloat. Her ambition dovetails with her desire to help Edgar in a plan to go to the Annual Makers’ Exposition and steal a look at a prototype that will help her create the new hand Edgar desperately needs. There, an irresistible opportunity presents itself: an invitation from her idolized hero to compete for a life-changing apprenticeship. As her skills are put to the ultimate test, friendships are formed and a forbidden romance blossoms, all as she discovers that things aren’t quite adding up. Kellan, a talented, determined Black heroine, takes on a steampunk, New Orleans–inspired city that goes topsy-turvy in madly riveting ways. A spectacular, mechanical fantasy that is expansive and immersive, Crittenden’s debut combines traditional cultural elements of the African diaspora with contemporary-feeling teens. —Allie Stevens
Casters and Crowns.
By Elizabeth Lowham.
Oct. 2024. 384p. Shadow Mountain, $20.99 (9781639933204). Gr. 8–12.
Brave princess Aria is desperate to protect her kingdom from dangerous casters, who use their magical powers for wrongdoing, according to her father, the king. But she also wants nothing more than to take over for her father. To stave off war, Aria seeks out Widow Morton, a powerful caster and enemy of her father’s. But Aria’s bravery doesn’t pay off in the way she’d hoped: Morton curses her to stay awake for 100 nights, slowly sapping her strength. Another caster, Baron Reeves, might be able to help Aria’s fate, and when they ultimately meet, their obvious feelings for each other take center stage and move the story ahead at a quick pace. Lowham builds compelling emotional conflict both between characters and internally, as Aria struggles with her own desire to do everything right. The banter with Baron is sharp, and the themes of breaking away from difficult family expectations and discovering what it means to truly love and trust will make this a strong choice for fans of magic and royal intrigue with a dash of romance. —Aurora Dominguez
A Cruel Thirst.
By Angela Montoya.
Dec. 2024. 432p. Random/Joy Revolution, $19.99 (9780593643372). Gr. 9–12.
Two foes are forced together in this dreamy romance with high stakes. Scholar Lalo Villalobos spends all of his time trying to find the monster that murdered his parents. Upon confrontation, he is turned into the very beast he hates and the clock starts counting down, as he has limited time before he loses his humanity completely. Lalo and his sister Fernanda flee to the small town of Del Oro to learn how to rid the world of vampiros. There, he meets Carolina and her hunter family, who are tasked with protecting the townspeople from attacks. Carolina is the only person who sees Lalo for the monster that he is but agrees to help him uncover the secrets of Del Oro. Their temporary friendship blooms into a fragile love that is at risk of being destroyed by the very creatures they hunt. Lalo and Carolina could have benefited from more space to grow into their characters, but readers will be hard-pressed not to fall for their love story and the mythology they uncover. —Amber Hayes
Dead Girls Don’t Dream.
By Nino Cipri.
Nov. 2024. 304p. Holt, $19.99 (9781250791405). Gr. 9–12.
Something is lurking in the Voynich Woods. For the last century, beginning with the disappearance of young Camille Voynich, people have been going missing under the trees, never to be seen again. Riley Walcott isn’t scared of the woods, though; she grew up in the nearby town and helps her uncle run a museum and tour about Voynich’s creepy happenings, knowing to follow the rules. But when she follows her little sister, Sam, off the path one afternoon, she learns firsthand the rumors of ritual sacrifice are all too true. Enter Madelyn: daughter of a local witch, she lives deep within the woods, terrified of her mother’s rage and cruelty. But still, she brings Riley back to life at huge risk to herself. It will take both Madelyn and Riley to fight against the cycles of life, death, and exchange of power that have ruled over Voynich for far too long. As twisting and haunting as a gnarled old tree, this queer coming-of-age novel is chock-full of body horror, monsters, strange magic, and a mythos so strong it bursts through the pages. —Ana Cackley
The Forbidden Book.
By Sacha Lamb.
Oct. 2024. 256p. Levine Querido, $19.99 (9781646144563). Gr. 7–12.
Without an angel on either shoulder and with a dybbuk claiming co-ownership over her body, Sorel finds herself on the run, desperately avoiding her impending marriage to the local rebbe’s son. The dybbuk is the displaced soul of a boy named Isser, whose criminal dealings went a step too far after he stole a divine artifact from the rebbe (at Sorel’s father’s behest) and was killed. Sorel teams up with Adela, the girl who was Isser’s lifelong partner in crime, and starts following the murky trail Isser left behind in the name of revenge. With a delightful folkloric cadence that gives a classic Disney tone combined with a high-stakes tale of intrigue, everything about Sorel’s story has wide appeal. Heavily underrepresented Jewish mythology and the prolific use of untranslated Yiddish take the classic girl-impersonating-boy trope to interesting places, with the added twist of acknowledged queerness. Overall, an easily accessible bridge to YA that remains a fantastic adventure for readers of all ages. —Austin Ferraro
The Glass Girl.
By Kathleen Glasgow.
Oct. 2024. 464p. Delacorte, $21.99 (9780525708087). Gr. 9–12.
Bella has more on her mind than any 15-year-old should reasonably have to handle. Her parents’ divorce, her breakup and her ex’s immediate new girlfriend, the death of her beloved grandmother—and on top of it all, the responsibility of the house and caring for her younger sister. Bella has found a way to cope, though: alcohol. She had her first drink at 11, and at 15, she is coaxing people outside liquor stores to buy her alcohol, drinking at parties, even gulping NyQuil if need be. When a spectacularly awful episode at a party lands her in the hospital with acute alcohol poisoning, Bella is set on a path to rehab, where she will learn to set healthy boundaries and confront her self-denial. Glasgow
