This month at BookPeople we’ve gotten a real onslaught of fabulous books for teens. I haven’t even gotten to read all the February titles yet, but as far as realistic fiction goes, these are the books you MUST pick up:
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
When she was fourteen, Ellie’s sister disappeared. Bescause Nina was a wild child, everyone assumed she was doing her thing would come home eventually. But she didn’t, and now it’s been two years – Ellie is still dealing with the loss. She is sure Nina is out there somewhere, and when she finds one of Nina’s drawings in an old book, she is sure this is the clue will lead her to her sister. Ellie’s best friend is hesitant to help – she’s seen Ellie’s disappointment too many times. But handsome stranger Sean knows well what it’s like to lose a loved one, and when he meets Ellie at a party, it’s not long before the two of them are roadtripping to Nebraska to find Nina together. Part Romance, part mystery, part thrill-ride, Wherever Nina Lies is a well-crafted adventure that will suck you in and keep you on your toes.
Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee
Lisa Yee’s first young adult novel begins in Florida, where Maybe – short for Maybelline Mary Katherine Mary Anne Chestnut (she’s named for her mother, Chessy’s favorite mascara and two beauty queens) – has finally had it. She’s sick of Chessy, who dotes on her charm school students. She’s sick of Chessy’s students, who pick on her in school. And she’s sick of Chessy’s fiancee (who will be her jillionth stepdad) who has finally overstepped his bounds in a serious way. Worst of all, Chessy blames her. Determined to find her real dad, Maybe grabs her BFF Ted and they hitch a ride to L.A. with Hollywood, a friend who just enrolled at UCLA and is heading west for summer classes. But things aren’t as glamourous as they should be – if she’s going to turn her life around, Maybe has to be proactive. And with a few nudges from her friends, a wacky new job, and the sudden reappearance of a loved one from her past, she just might make it through the summer. Lisa Yee has put together a stunning novel, both fun and heartbreaking as we watch Maybe hit rock bottom and find her way back. Absolutely Maybe won’t be easy to forget.
The September Sisters by Jillian Cantor
Abigail Reed and her younger sister Becky have never gotten along. Their birthdays are very close together – just 24 hours apart – and their mother swears that one day they’ll be best friends and love sharing a special day. Abby doesn’t think this is possible – she can’t stand Becky. But when Becky goes missing, taken from her bedroom in the middle of the night, the Reeds’ world is turned upside down, Abby can’t help but feel a sinking sense of guilt. While she struggles with this loss, the police begin to suspect her parents, and her mother becomes more and more depressed. It is only when Tommy, a new neighbor, befriends Abby that she can begin to rebuild her life, and reestablish her own identity. This is not just another missing-persons mystery, but a touching, beautiful story about one girl’s struggle to find love in the rubble left by a whirlwind of unimaginable events. The September Sisters is both tragic and sweet, captured perfectly with Cantor’s striking voice.
Madeline
Meghan
juliewbp
