I just finished Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti, a mystery novel written in the style of four unique characters being interviewed by police about a disappearance that happened the night before. Maylee invited four friends into a spur-of-the-moment camping trip to a creek that is infamous for teenage girls disappearing in it. When Maylee breaks off from the group, the four teens left call the police and are called in for a witness interview.
Dry by Neal Shusterman is a young adult dystopian novel set in a near-future California ravaged by a severe drought. The story follows the journey of several teenagers and their families as society collapses due to the lack of water. Tensions rise, resources become scarce, and desperation drives people to extremes.
Sitlali is a girl in the modern day who wants to cross the border to the US after a gang leader gets interested in her. On the other hand, Calizto is a warrior in Tenochtitlan in the 1500s fighting against the Spanish to save his country. Both want to protect themselves and least want a romantic relationship that would do nothing for them. However, when they discover that the moon conch connects them from different eras, their ideas of love change.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman is a gripping young adult dystopian novel set in a future where death has been conquered, and society is governed by a group of individuals known as Scythes who are responsible for population control. Two teenagers, Citra and Rowan, are chosen as apprentices to a highly esteemed Scythe, but they must compete against each other to secure the position.
Parker is a 12 year old girl who has trouble staying quiet in public places. This causes her to often go on rants about random things; losing potential friends in the process. However, Parker not only has no friends, but is also bullied by Cassandra and her friend group. So naturally, when Parker discovers Camp Care, she sees the summer camp as a getaway from all her troubles. A fresh start, a chance to reinvent herself. Little does she know, her worst enemy Cassandra has been going to the same summer camp for years, and Parker is in the same cabin as her.
The protagonist of Concrete Rose is 17 year old Maverick (Mav) Carter, who is the son of a gang leader. His father being in prison, Mav wishes to fill his father’s shoes, as he desperately needs to provide for his family. Mav feels that the way he must do this is by dealing drugs, as that's exactly how his father had provided for their family. However, everything is quickly complicated when Mav finds out he’s a father. Mav struggles to tell his girlfriend Lisa, as the mother of the newborn is another girl.
This novel takes place on an isolated island, known as The Folly, which is dark and gloomy and ironically the wedding destination for the picture-perfect couple, Jules and Will. Jules is the author of an online magazine and Will stars in a survival show on T.V. They appear to be the dream couple, but unknown to all the guests, a lot of secrets and lies hide within their relationship. The couple’s family and friends also get caught up with their own twisted secrets of their own, and the unraveling of it all throughout the wedding is what makes this story so riveting.
In a war-torn world with the commanding general as a mother and a chronic medical condition, Violet only prays she’ll be able to live a peaceful life as a scribe like her father, who always told her that scribes held the history of their race in their hands. However, her mother has a much different plan in mind for Violet - to bond with a dragon and become one of the warriors of their nation. Forced to enter the dragon rider quadrant, she begins training at first with trepidation, only trying to survive.
Rowan has been given an ultimatum, forcing him to take over the amusement park Dreamland and put in place serious renovations - or lose his fortune. Zahra is an employee at the park’s hair salon, with some brutal opinions about what the park is lacking. When Rowan hires Zahra as a Creator - one of the park’s designers and a highly sought after job - the combination is electrifying, both in terms of their ideas and their feelings. However, Rowan tries his best to push down his growing feelings as Zahra balks at her cold, unfeeling, and seemingly immoral boss.
Alex Volkov is not a good person. With the death of his parents during childhood and a sworn quest for vengeance, he doesn’t believe in love. But when his best friend needs him to take care of his little sister for a bit, Alex begins to realize that his preconceived ideas might be a bit off. But his dark past will come back to haunt not just him but the girl he is slowly falling for as well.
