EDITOR’S NOTE

YOUNG ADULT | Laura Simeon

great teen titles coming this fall

With so many stellar titles being released in the next few months, readers might not know where to begin. Here is a brief sampling of books that are not to be missed. Thrillers are perennially popular, and fans of the genre are sure to enjoy Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt (Peachtree Teen, Sept. 6) and The Getaway by Lamar Giles (Scholastic, Sept. 20). DeWitt’s Las Vegas casino heist pits a group of teens— friends from an online asexual community—against a corrupt hotel magnate. In Giles’ latest, a powerful rural Virginia family runs a resort for the wealthy, exerting undue control over employees as natural disasters loom.

Both If Not Us by Mark Smith (Text, Oct. 11) and Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt (Zest Books, Nov. 1), offer critical visions of hope amid a discouraging barrage of environmental news. A teen surfer speaks out against the impact of fossil fuels on his Australian hometown, and a Potawatomi botanist outlines a sustainable path for integrating Western science with Indigenous approaches to the natural world.

If you enjoy an immersive love story, look for The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls (Walker US/Candlewick, Sept. 20) and Love From Mecca to Medina by S.K. Ali (Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster, Oct. 18). A boy called off to war, an unplanned pregnancy, and a global pandemic: Two young people in love are swept up in overwhelming events in Nicholls’ novel. Ali reunites readers with Adam and Zayneb from 2019’s Love From A to Z as the couple’s relationship is tested by distance and external forces, and they must find their ways back to one another.

No U.S. student has been left untouched by the looming threat of gun violence. For many families, the unthinkable happens and lives are forever changed. Two memorable, heartbreaking graphic novels explore different scenarios: If Anything Happens I Love You by Will McCormack and Michael Govier, illustrated by Youngran Nho (Andrews McMeel Publishing, Sept. 6), follows parents who lose their daughter, and Numb to This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting, written and illustrated by Kindra Neely (Little, Brown, Oct. 11), reveals the lasting mental health impact on a survivor.

Youth and protest are inextricably intertwined. This fall, readers can dive into powerful books that show events that echo today: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile (Norton Young Readers, Sept. 27), and Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Carolrhoda, Nov. 1). Smith achieved fame for his courageous public stand for racial justice, along with fellow medalist John Carlos, at the 1968 Olympics. Miller-Lachmann’s novel, set in 1969 Czechoslovakia, introduces readers to a time of unrest as forces of liberalization clashed with those of authoritarianism. The incomparable value of art to elevate and extend well-crafted text is on full display in two works that adapt folktales for teens: You Can’t Kill Snow White, written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna, and translated by Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong (Unruly, Oct. 25), and Shuna’s Journey, written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki, and translated by Alex Dudok de Wit (First Second, Nov. 1). Alemagna’s largeformat picture book, which our review calls “visceral and surreal,” challenges readers to consider the story of Snow White from the point of view of the wicked stepmother. Miyazaki, beloved founder of Studio Ghibli, presents a Tibetan folktale in which fans of his anime will recognize his sweeping imagination.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.

Islamically married but living apart—Adam’s in Doha and Zayneb’s in Chicago—the couple meet for short international getaways while Zayneb finishes law school. They’re both hiding internal stressors: Adam’s art gigs and income have dried up, and Zayneb faces unstable housing, and old scandals linked to the undergraduate Muslim Student Association’s leadership threaten her future in international human rights. Eagerly awaiting a romantic reprieve in an English cottage, Zayneb is disappointed when Adam, who’s in a period of remission from multiple sclerosis, suggests they instead make Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Zayneb is sorely tested when Adam’s old crush is a leader of their Umrah group who seemingly tries to keep the couple apart. The novel’s dual narrative structure references a curated selection of artifacts as it considers faith and emotion in ways that are unapologetically Muslim and entirely human. Adam and Zayneb draw from prophetic examples and Quranic stories to strengthen their faith and interrogate injustices—both Western democracies’ double standards and intragroup oppression. The examinations of their inner selves, vulnerabilities, feelings of selfworth, and growing codependence are religiously framed and skillfully navigated. Rich descriptive details immerse readers in the landscape of Islamic history.

A contemplative exploration of faith, love, and the human

condition. (author’s note) (Fiction. 1418)

DEMON IN THE WOOD

Bardugo, Leigh Illus. by Dani Pendergast Roaring Brook Press (208 pp.) $19.99 | Sept. 27, 2022 978-1-250-62464-2

A villain-origin prequel to Shadow and Bone (2012), adapted from “The Demon in the Wood: A Darkling Prequel Story” (2015). Aleksandr, the boy who will grow up to be the Darkling, and his mother are Grisha—humans who practice magic, or “small science.” They’re on the run from witch-hunting drüskelle, but they must also be wary of fellow Grisha, who don’t always react well to the duo’s shadowsummoning powers. The storyline is tightly focused on a short period of time in Aleksander’s life. When his mother finds a Grisha camp with a strong leader, they see the chance to stay put through the winter. There, Aleksandr befriends a girl named Annika when he helps her defend her “otkazat’sya” (non-Grisha) little sister from bullies, and he has a glimpse of what it would be like for outsiders to band together. Readers see the birth of Aleksander’s ambitions—his craving for safety, stability, a home for his people. They also see the harsh experiences—from his mother’s pragmatic and brutal teachings to betrayals—that shaped him. The graphic novel is calibrated for heartbreak, both in its tragic content and for Grishaverse readers seeing Aleksander’s innocence while knowing where his story leads. Attractive, full-color art emphasizes characters’ expressive faces, and the format is welcoming to Darkling fans coming to the series from the Netflix show (Aleksandr resembles the actor who plays the Darkling, and the book has the general aesthetic of the show). Characters are depicted with pale skin.

A poignant, humanizing backstory for the antagonist of

this beloved, long-running series. (Graphic fantasy. 1218)

MONSTERS BORN AND MADE

Berwah, Tanvi Sourcebooks Fire (352 pp.) $18.99 | Sept. 6, 2022 978-1-72824-762-5

A young woman defies the caste system by entering a competition reserved for the elite. In Sollonia, a world where the line between upper-caste Landers and lowercaste Renters is strictly defined, Koral’s family is condemned to fall in between. As a Hunter, a member of a Renter subcaste, she captures and trains maristags—deadly, temperamental sea monsters—for Landers participating in the Glory Race, a lethal chariot competition in which only one Champion is crowned. Forced to serve Landers but shunned by Renters as sellouts, her family’s crippling debt worsens when they fail to capture a maristag and can’t afford the medicine for Koral’s ailing younger sister. Driven by desperation and rage, Koral risks it all to sneak into the Glory Race. While other competitors have spent their lives training, Koral must rely on pure grit and her knowledge of maristags to stand a chance of surviving and saving her family. The Landers are determined to destroy her, but the Freedom’s Ark, a fractious and riotous band of rebels, may prove to be her downfall. Berwah’s worldbuilding is intense, depicting a cruel society in which the power-hungry elite are just as monstrous as the terrifying oceanic beasts. Readers will feel the rawness of Koral’s suffering, beg for a reprieve for her, and question how she can possibly still be alive after being ridiculed, chased, and attacked at every turn. Characters are diverse in physical appearance.

For dystopian fantasy fans seeking something fresh and

savage. (Fantasy. 1218)

NOTES FROM A SICKBED

Brunton, Tessa Graphic Universe (152 pp.) $14.99 paper | Nov. 1, 2022 978-1-72846-293-6

In imaginative, often funny autobiographical vignettes, a comics creator depicts life with myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome. Years before she’s diagnosed with ME, Brunton is forced to take to her couch, miserable and in pain. The vignettes take place over several years, as readers see Brunton,

“Lively and well told, with twists galore.”

children of ragnarok

who reads White, go through multiple hair colors and styles. Some episodes are fully realistic depictions of a creative young woman learning to live with a life-altering illness, and others are fantastic visions of her imagined worlds. Lovingly detailed, blackand-white cartoons of idealized mobile beds and homes include a snail shell, a giant cake, and a multipage spread of a tower home with a bed flume, talking goats, and a room dedicated to Halloween costumes. Brunton rarely offers medicalizing details about the symptoms she experiences, with only brief mentions of headaches, fevers, and brain fog. Instead, she focuses on some of the infuriating aspects of ME, including its unpredictability, postexertional malaise, and the exhausting grind of despair and grief. She falls for a few wellness scams and is gaslit by labor-intensive diets that can’t possibly be implemented by anyone who needs their claimed benefits. The final comic ends with Brunton, in bed long enough for her hair to grow, pondering the fantasy and science-fiction comics she wants the energy to write. This honest work depicts a bleak but not comfortless world familiar to many readers with chronic illness and disability.

Painfully real. (Graphic memoir. 1318) (This review is printed here for the first time.)

CHILDREN OF RAGNAROK

Chima, Cinda Williams Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (560 pp.) $18.99 | Nov. 8, 2022 978-0-06-301868-6 Series: Runestone Saga, 1

This first entry in the Runestone Saga series introduces readers to a world of witches, gods, demons, and humans. Drawing on Norse mythology, this ambitious, original story captivates from beginning to end. Eiric Halvorsen and his mysterious half sister, Liv, are fighting to maintain ownership of Sundgard, their unusually prosperous farm located in the depressed land of Muckleholm; Sten, their drunken stepfather, has designs on it himself. When their mother, Sylvi, dies of exposure while protecting the infant son that Sten has rejected and left out to die, Liv and Eiric know they will be the next victims. Instead, they kill Sten and, for protection, make a deal with Jarl Harald, the regional leader, to search out a group of mythical islands, where the volur, or witches, live. A concurrent storyline follows Reggin, a thrall enslaved by fire demon Asger. Reggin is forced to use her considerable healing and musical abilities to make money, but worse is the painful transmission of her energy that Asger takes by touch to sustain himself. Eventually these two plots converge in a satisfying, organic way. The novel is lively and well told, with twists galore. Liv and Reggin are portrayed as strong, nuanced women; Reggin has a lovely, dry wit. Eiric is a classic Viking. Main characters are White; secondary characters bring racial diversity.

This innovative story with a satisfying ancient mythology

baseline strikes a refreshing note for the genre. (map) (Fantasy. 1318) (This review is printed here for the first time.)

THINGS I KNOW

Close, Helena Little Island (288 pp.) $11.99 paper | Sept. 6, 2022 978-1-915071-03-3

A young woman struggles with anxiety and grief in a coastal Irish town in this contemporary novel. Saoirse’s father moved their family from Limerick to the small town of Cloughmore after the death of her mother two years before. While her awful, image-conscious younger sister, Eva, has blended in, Saoirse and her younger brother, Aran, find their new town narrow-minded and claustrophobic; 18-year-old Saoirse is glad to be taking her final secondary school exams before returning to Limerick for college. However, it doesn’t come soon enough for her to escape being ostracized by the crowd that her ex-boyfriend, Finn, is part of. When he dies by suicide, Saoirse’s mental health is stressed to the point of breaking. The unrelenting pressure Saoirse experiences is vividly depicted in her first-person narration, realistically manifesting itself in stomach upset, breathing difficulties, and blackouts. A large cast of secondary characters, including grieving Dylan, who was Finn’s best friend but with whom Saoirse is also involved, and Jade, her outspoken, complicated, bisexual best friend, are sketched in broad strokes that flesh out Saoirse’s world, grimly but poignantly illustrating how difficult it can be for people to find support. An auspicious ending to this story is both surprising and welcome. Most characters are White.

A bittersweet, honest look at loss and trauma. (Fiction. 1318)

THE LUMINARIES

Dennard, Susan Tor Teen (384 pp.) $18.99 | Nov. 8, 2022 978-1-250-19404-6 Series: Luminaries, 1

A family of monster hunters seeks redemption amid danger and mysteries. Sixteen-year-old Winnie Wednesday is devoted to her hometown of Hemlock Falls and its local branch of nightmarehunting Luminaries. The international organization trains hunters from a young age to deal with all sorts of mythological beasties, such as basilisks and manticores, that emerge from the nightly mist. Luminary members are sorted into clans named after the days of the week, each of which has an associated motto. Winnie hopes to heal some of the damage from an infamous incident involving her father, which resulted in her family’s being made outcasts, by passing the hunter trials like three generations of women before her. Anything to avoid life among the oblivious nons who live outside Luminary culture. The Wednesday family’s arc is satisfyingly earnest, from dealing

with classroom taunting and falls from grace to navigating overnight popularity. A slow-burn romance with a bassist who reeks of cigarettes and weed leads to plenty of ogling during training and a motorcycle ride. The pace rolls steadily along with its gradual buildup of supernatural action and personal stakes before culminating with a tease to the sequel: Readers will want to don a motorcycle jacket and join the nightmare hunt. Main characters read White; the supporting cast includes some diversity in race, religion, and nationality.

An entertaining addition to the tradition of young adult

adventures in finding oneself. (Fantasy. 1318) (This review is printed here for the first time.)

ACES WILD A Heist

DeWitt, Amanda Peachtree Teen (352 pp.) $17.99 | Sept. 6, 2022 978-1-68263-466-0

Five asexual teens infiltrate an illegal den of high-roller gamblers to expose a crime boss with plans to monopolize the Las Vegas Strip. When the FBI arrests his mother, the CEO of the Golden Age Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, 17-year-old Jack Shannon flies home for the summer. The FBI has had its eye on the Shannons for decades, but this time they have sufficient evidence to take action, and Jack knows exactly who gave it to them: his mother’s bitter rival, crooked hotel owner Peter Carlevaro. Despite his older sister’s insistence, Jack has no intention of letting it go. With the help of his four best friends—members of an online group of asexual teens he’s picture books