"I have a heart for every year I’ve been alive.” Lira, a Siren princess, has collected the hearts of
17 princes, one for each birthday. She lives her life under the sea, as the daughter of the Sea
Queen and future inheritor of the crown. Long ago, the sirens were wronged by humans, and are
now hell-bent on getting revenge by killing them. However, she makes a mistake just before her
eighteenth birthday, and her mom banishes her to the surface, turning her into a human (think
What is Not Yours is Not Yours is a collection of short stories written by Helen Oyeyemi, all
tied together through the motif of keys--a key to a heart, a key to a house, or the key to a solution.
Not all of these short stories take place at the same time or in the same place, but there are certain
short stories that have overlapping characters or small details that remind you of something else you
Introduced as a historical fiction romance, The Poetry of Secrets by Cambria Gordon
becomes much more than just a love story: it is the story of identity, family, loyalty, feminism,
religion, and internal conflict, all during the Spanish Inquisition in Spain in 1481. This novel follows
Isabel Perez, a converso, or a Jew forced to convert to Catholicism. But like many conversos in Spain
during that time, her family, although attending church every Sunday, still practices Judaism in the
Lore, by Alexandra Bracken, takes place during the Agon, a hunt once every seven years where
Greek Gods are made mortal and hunted by mortal descendants of Greek heroes. When a god
is killed, the hunter who dealt the blow gains the powers of that god. Lore Perseous fled this life
long ago, after the death of her entire family. However, she’s drawn back in by Castor, a friend
long thought dead, and Athena, one of the last original gods who needs her help. Lore binds
The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides, takes place six years after the death of Gabriel
Berenson. His wife, Alicia was convicted of the crime and institutionalized. Since her husband’s
death, Alicia has been entirely silent, and only through her diary do we get to see her side of
events. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, has become obsessed with her case and goes to the
Grove, the institution where Alicia lives, to try to get her to talk and reveal her secrets. This
Cassie, the main character in The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Bares, is an expert at reading
people. Cassie doesn’t expect this knack for understanding others to get her much until she’s
recruited to join a group of other teenagers investigating FBI cold cases. Cassie, the newest
“Natural”, lives with 4 other teens with gifts like hers. The Naturals are nothing like they seem,
and Cassie’s mentors aren’t average agents either. When a new killer strikes, Cassie and the
The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, starts with the death of Tobias Hawthorne, a
billionaire who leaves his entire fortune to a random girl named Avery Grambs. Avery has never
met Tobias but suddenly has to solve the riddles in his house in order to receive her inheritance.
She also has to deal with the Hawthorne family, who was snubbed in the will and want their
money back. This family includes the four Hawthorne sons, who were also given puzzles to
Scythe by Neil Shusterman is the story of Citra and Rowan, who live in a world without disease,
hunger, injury, or death. In order to prevent overpopulation, Scythes end the lives of random
citizens. Citra and Rowan are chosen as apprentices to a scythe and must learn the ways of
scythes. Neither wants to be a scythe, as scythes are feared by many. In order to survive, the
two must take on the dreaded responsibility of killing others. This book was absolutely brilliant.
I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson, is a realistic fiction coming-of-age novel about two twins as
they experience life, with and without each other.
