Anger Is A Gift
Anger Is A Gift by Mark Oshiro is the powerful story of a young person of color dealing with violence, racism, and coming of age in a time of intolerance. Moss Jefferies is black, gay, overweight, and dealing with the murder of his father by an Oakland police officer six years earlier. In the years since the loss, there has been no accountability for the officer and the media vilified his father instead. Things only get worse for Moss when his high school decides to crack down on students by treating them like criminals. He is gripped by anger, grief, depression, and panic attacks. Will he be able to overcome the oppression of a racist system before his own demons consume him? Anger Is A Gift is a powerful novel that is unflinching in its portrayal of police brutality, intolerance, and the violence of racism. Filled with a diverse cast of LGBTQ characters, Oshiro has penned a gripping novel that will speak truth to power to a younger generation. His razor-sharp prose vividly portrays both the vulnerability and strength of teens today. (Tor Teen)
Noteworthy
Noteworthy by Riley Redgate tells the story of a questioning teenaged girl who disguises herself as a boy to join an all-male a cappella octet. Jordan Sun is a talented Chinese-American student on scholarship at the exclusive Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts. She's a talented Alto 2 singer, perhaps the most important supporting role, but also the least glamorous. As a result, she's been passed over three years straight for the fall musical. When a spot opens in the Sharpshooters, the school's coveted and elite octet, Jordan is determined to win that spot. The only problems are the part is for a Tenor 1 and the octet is all-male, but why let gender norms stand in the way when there's singing to be done. Jordan auditions in her most convincing drag persona and wins her place in the Sharpshooters. Noteworthy deals with the fluidity of gender roles in a light-hearted and humorous manner and is filled with a variety of inclusive characters. Redgate has penned a novel that will provide a worthy message for today's youth, woven within a story that will inspire and entertain. (Abrams Books)
Ringer
Ringer by Lauren Oliver is the bestselling author's follow-up novel in the Replica series. The story revolves around the lives of two adolescent girls and the mysterious Haven Institute. Not just a factory for human replicas, it was also the site of horrific medical experimentation. Lyra has been infected with an unnamed disease at Haven and her symptoms are getting worse, while Gemma has learned of her father's connection to the institute. After Caelum, the boy with whom Lyra had escaped, disappears without warning, Gemma and Lyra are left to find the answers and a cure they so desperately seek. This time, Gemma is mistaken for a replica and finds herself imprisoned with the human clones by bounty hunters. Here she learns that the institute wasn't destroyed -- and with frightening consequences. Ringer is two stories in one--literally, with one side of the book of being Gemma perspective, and flip it over to read Lyra's. Their stories have parallel timelines, so the reader has the option to read them separately or pivot between the two, chapter by chapter, for some added excitement. Ringer is an emotionally compelling saga of two girls seeking answers to the world around them, and finding themselves in the process. (Harper Collins)
What If It’s Us
What If It's Us by good friends Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera is a modern-day romance of two New York teens who learn life isn't always as simple as a Broadway show. Arthur is Jewish, gay, 16, and in New York for the summer as an intern. Ben is 17, gay, Puerto Rican and off to the post office with a box of his ex's belongings. There, the two meet -- and it's magical. What follows is a story of missed connections, failed first dates, and second chances. It almost seems as if fate had destined the two to be together, but then made it as difficult as possible for that to actually happen. Is the universe pushing them together or pulling them apart? Authors Albertalli and Silvera became friends after an introduction by their mutual literary agent. The pair spent three years writing What If It's Us by phone and over email. Albertalli wrote from Arthur's perspective while Silvera wrote from Ben's. Their novel doesn't shy away from difficult issues like white privilege and homophobia, and the characters are vivid and real, from Ben's ADHD made manageable by Ritalin to Ben's constant distress in trying to pass for white. What If It's Us in the end is a modern romantic comedy about two young men finding love isn't always as easy as it should be. (Harper Collins)
Beneath The Citadel
Beneath The Citadel by Destiny Soria is a young adult fantasy tale about a group of four teenagers battling against a repressive regime. Set in the mythical city of Eldra, the people are ruled by ancient prophecies and a high council of elders. After the last prophecy came to pass, growing unrest and a series of murders and unexplained deaths have led to a decade's long rebellion. It is up to Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels to fight against their oppressors in the citadel and beneath it, and save the people of Eldra. Featuring a youthful cast of LGBTQ-friendly and POC protagonists, Beneath The Citadel is an inclusive sci-fi fantasy for teens and young adults. Their feelings and motivations will resonate with the youth of today, featuring such issues as love, betrayal, friendship, burgeoning sexuality, and gender. At its heart, though, this is a fantastical adventure along the lines of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, but far more readable for a younger audience. Soria has created two strong alternative heroines who have their flaws, but ultimately prevail by finding strength not only within their group of friends but also from within themselves. (Abrams Books)
The End of Eddy
The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis is the autobiographical novel about growing up gay in small working class village in France. Childhood was not the greatest time for Eddy Bellegueule (the author's birth name). His memories of it are filled with alcoholism, racism, homophobia, bullying, and a life lived on the outside. His father worked in a local factory, like most in the industrial town, until an on-the-job injury forced him into a life supported by the government and increasingly torn apart by pain and alcohol. Eddy's is a violent life, where he and the school bullies have an arranged daily meeting for a beat-down. He tries to fit in, but always finds himself on the outside looking in. Every morning he looks in the mirror and tells himself that this is the day he will be "tough and manly," and every day, he fails to meet the local -- and toxic -- ideas of masculinity. The End of Eddy is the acclaimed author's painful yet ultimately inspirational account of his early life coming to terms with both himself and his place in the world. Only when he escapes his village to attend the prestigious Ecole Normale Superieure does he find himself and his path in life, changing both his name and his destiny. (Picador)
The Brilliant Death
The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta is the young adult, LGBTQ-friendly fantasy novel featuring two gender fluid characters who must use their secret powers to overcome their overlords. Life is not easy for Teodora and Cielo. They are stregas, beings blessed (or cursed) with transformative powers. Set in a lush fantasy world steeped in Old World Italian culture and traditions, Teodora has made enemies of her powerful Mafia family by turning them into decorative objects. When a poisoned letter arrives and leaves her father in a coma-like state, she must use these powers to transform herself into a boy so that she can travel across the mountains to fight for her family's survival. Together, with the also gender-fluid Cielo, the pair must learn how to both hide and use their powers -- and in the process, they become more than friends. Capetta has written a beautiful novel with vivid characters who learn to embrace their nature and use it to overcome life's obstacles. Along the way there is danger, adventure, and romance. The Brilliant Death presents a riveting story that features lush settings, well-developed characters, and a lesson in inclusion and tolerance. (Penguin Random House)
Release
Release by Patrick Ness follows an unsettling and difficult day in the life of a gay teen -- with a parallel ghost story. Adam Thorn is 17, gay, and having a rough time as of late. He is struggling not just with his sexuality, but also his faith. After all, his father is an evangelical pastor and his family is fervent in their beliefs. He's also coming off a difficult breakup and, even though he has a new boyfriend, he still has strong feelings for his ex. Add to that workplace sexual harassment in dealing with his predatory boss. Despite it all, he ultimately learns that blood is thicker than bigotry, and family is just about the most important thing of all. Release is a frank tale of identity, love, yearning, and tolerance, and one that does not shy away from its description of emotions or sexual situations (making it more appropriate for older teens or college-age young folks). Ness has written a poignant, beautiful tale rooted in reality that will resonate with many young adult readers. (Harper Collins)
CATS VS. ROBOTS: This Is War
CATS VS. ROBOTS: This Is War by Margaret Stohl and Lewis Peterson is the story of cats battling robots in space who come to earth in search of a special computer chip. Human twins Max and Min are opposites in just about every way. Max likes video games and chatting with his online friends much more than getting good grades. Min is a robot enthusiast who thrives on homework, school, and order. When Max finds two kittens and wants to bring them home permanently, Min is having none of it. After all, they might mess up her preparations for the upcoming Battle of the Bots competition she intends to win. What neither sibling knows is that the kittens are emissaries from a distant galaxy in search of a special chip that will allow their fellow citizens in the Feline Empire to live past their nine lives. Standing in their way is their way is the Robot Federation which also seeks the chip because it will grant them everlasting battery life. This Is War is more than just a sci-fi story with robots battling cat -- it's one that celebrates non-binary thinking in a black and white world. It's also an incredibly amusing tale of lazy cats more interested in their next nap than saving their species, alien robots on a mission, and a brother-sister rivalry that every sibling, and parent, can identify with. (Harper Collins)
Tin Man
Tin Man by Sarah Winman is the unforgettable story of two boyhood best friends who go their separate ways as adults, only to reunite later in life with heartbreaking results. Ellis and Michael were two outsiders adrift together in 1960s Oxford, England. Together, they shared their love of art, swimming and, cycling -- and soon discovered, a love for each other. Then, Ellis falls for a girl. At first, the three form a bond almost as fierce as the one between just Michael and Ellis, but things change over time. Michael soon realizes he is the odd man out and leaves to explore the world while Ellis stays home and devolves into an ordinary life. When Michael returns years later, though, their affection picks up where it left off. Left unsaid, though, is that the past leaves unresolved baggage that sometimes is impossible to fully resolve. Told in a free-form narrative without quotation marks, Tin Man is an almost love story that is full of the emotional highs and lows of life, as well as the consequences of life decisions. Winman expertly captures the impact of friendship and loss, and the ultimate survival of love, (Putnam)
Here to Stay
Here to Stay by Sara Farizan tells the story of a happily unnoticed teen who is suddenly thrust into the limelight, and the hatred and bigotry that follow. Bijan Majidi is the type of son who would make his family proud. He gets good grades, he has a positive disposition, he and his best friend Sean stay out of trouble, and he even plays on his private school's basketball team albeit a perennial bench-warmer. When he is bumped from the JV team to varsity, he finds himself taking and making the game-winning shot. Suddenly he is the most popular guy on campus and getting invites to hang with the jocks and the cool kids. But not everyone is happy that a brown-skinned foreigner is getting all the accolades and acceptance, and someone photoshops his head onto the body of a terrorist. Just as quickly as he became a hero, Majidi is now a suspect. Here to Stay is a story of racism, homophobia, and intolerance, but it is also one that shows how perseverance and a positive disposition can overcome the worst elements of humanity. Farizan is the daughter of Iranian immigrants and uses her background to perfectly capture the nature of bigotry and assimilation, which is ultimately overcome by a protagonist with the right attitude who shows the true spirit of the American ideal. (Algonquin)
The Sidekicks
The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis is the story of three disparate Australian teens brought together by the death of their mutual best friend. Ryan, Harley, and Miles all know each other but run in different social circles at their high school. Ryan is a swimmer and gay, Harley is a rebel, and Miles is the intelligent nerd. The only thing they have in common is Isaac, their shared best friend. Then they are brought together to be told Isaac has died in an accident. What follows is a story of how each of them deals with the loss and eventually learn to rely on each for solace and strength. In the process, they find they have a lot more in common than their late friend. The Sidekicks is the American release of the runaway Australian bestseller from award-winning author Kostakis. He expertly captures the suffering of losing a loved one as his characters question their choices, blame themselves, and seek a way to change the past. In the end, The Sidekicks is a tale of redemption and the strength of the most unlikely of friendships. (Harlequin Teen)
Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel
Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequelby A.W. Jantha is the exclusive sequel to the classic Disney film, plus a fresh retelling of the original story. After moving to Salem, Mass. from California, Max Dennison accidentally releases a coven of witches, the Sanderson sisters, from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends must find a way to stop the evil sisters before they carry out their plans to torment Salem for eternity. Twenty-five years later, Max is an adult with a wife and teenaged daughter, Poppy, who is an introspective, aspiring photographer and doesn't much care about Halloween. Along with her BFF Travis, a math and chemistry wiz, and the popular Isabella, the trio find themselves facing the Sanderson sisters all over again. It's another race against time for Poppy and her friends to save their family and Salem from the sisters' latest evil plan. A fun retelling of the original story -- with a whole new story featuring the next generation of Dennisons on the 25th anniversary of the Disney classic. (Freeform Books)
Babymouse: Tales From The Locker
Babymouse: Tales From The Locker by siblings Matthew and Jennifer L. Holmes is their latest addition to the story of an anthropomophic mouse in middle school. The sound of texting is in the air as Babymouse now has a cell phone! She's right in the thick of texting, selfies, social media, and emojis, and has built up quite a following on SoFamous. But if she's so popular online, then how come it feels like she has no friends in real life? It's enough to make Babymouse tear her whiskers out. Babymouse is perfect for children learning about the responsibilities that come with having a cell phone. By following along in big, easy-to-read fonts children will learn valuable lessons about balancing one's real and digital world, and the value of friendship. Loaded with tons of funny illustrations, Babymouse is a funny and light addition to the series that will delight children while teaching them life lessons. (Random House Children's Books)
The Mermaid’s Daughter
The Mermaid's Daughter by Ann Claycomb is a modern-day expansion of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale. This debut novel weaves a tale of magic that emphasizes the power of love as a descendant of the original mermaid fights to save herself from a terrible curse that has stricken generations of women in her family. The story opens with teenaged Kathleen suffering from unexplained pains in her mouth and feet. No medical treatment can alleviate the pain, only the touch of seawater provides temporary relief. Years later, Kathleen is a promising opera student with a girlfriend, Harry, who worries about her phantom pain and obsession with the ocean. Even more concerning is the family history of suicide, something Harry is desperate to prevent. She convinces Kathleen to learn more about her family history in their native Ireland. There, she learns the full truth of who she is and the dangers that come with this knowledge. Claycomb had taken the classic fable and turned it into a modern day LGBTQ+ romance story -- where the choices in life make it far more difficult than a simple fairy tale. (Harper Collins)
Record of a Spacebound Few
Record of a Spacebound Few by Becky Chambers is the second installment of her young adult sci-fi Wayfarer series. When the Earth was becoming uninhabitable, humanity constructed the Exodus Fleet to transplant their culture into the stars. The story picks up centuries later, after their descendants have been accepted into the established species that govern the Milky Way. The Exodus Fleet is a living relic few have ever visited. While proud of the culture and traditions, humanity is dispersed throughout various alien planets and cities. Those who remain on the Fleet are left to ponder their own lives and future, including a horrible accident that takes the lives of 43,000 travelers. An assortment of characters young and old, human and alien beings are left to deal with the aftermath and the universal questions that arise from such disasters. There is the young woman in a dead-end composting job, a man concerned about the future of his family, a boy yearning for something more than his current prospects, an archivist tasked with ensuring no one's story is forgotten, an alien academic, and more. Chambers has penned a fitting sequel where the basic yearnings and desires of humanity transcend time and space with startling consequences. (Harpers Collins)
Someday
Someday by David Levithan reintroduces to readers to "character A," who since birth has every day woken up in the body and life of a different person. The series speculates on what it would be like to grow up and live life without gender, sexual orientation, race, family, or any other societal factor with which to define one's self. The previous installment, Every Day, focused on love and acceptance for someone who defies definition and social or biological classification, but in Someday, Levithan explores the parallel extremes of love and loneliness, as well as the question of whether one can survive without the other. This is especially true when A makes a connection with Rhiannon, the sixteen-year-old girl who falls in love with this wandering spirit. When A discovers there are others in a similar transitory situation, there is an initial exuberance only to later realize perhaps not everyone uses this gift or curse benignly. Matters only get more complicated when A stays too long in the body of a teen named Nathan, who soon discovers A's email account used to communicate with the normal world. Levithan's writing shatters boundaries and binaries alike to advocate for inclusion, empathy, and understanding for others to his young readers. (Alfred A. Knopf)
You Are The Everything
You Are The Everything by Karen Rivers is the darkly humorous story about a girl's first love, and how one tragic incident can change everything. Elyse Schmidt and her not-so-secret crush, Josh Harris, are seated next to each other on a plane returning from a school trip to Paris when their plane crashes, killing everyone but the pair. They become instant superstars in the media with their tale of miraculous survival. Soon, though, the pressure becomes too intense and their families decide it is best to find some quiet and privacy in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming. And yet, there are problems for Elyse. First, there is the glass eye she must use due to the injuries suffered in the crash. Then there are the painful memories and the resulting panic attacks that grip her very soul. Throughout it all, Josh is there for her, comforting her and being the best friend possible in the worst of times. Something still isn't right, though, and her world begins to unravel until culminating in a shocking conclusion. Rivers effortlessly blends tragedy and hope into a narrative that will make the reader want to start the book all over again. (Algonquin)
All We Can Do Is Wait
All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson is the debut novel from the Vanity Fair film critic following a group of teens on a single life-changing night. The Tobin Bridge in Boston has collapsed, and a group of teenagers are in the waiting room of Massachusetts General Hospital, hoping to learn the fate of their missing loved ones. Alexa looks to brother Jason for support while they await news of their parents, but he's got a secret hidden behind the haze of marijuana smoke. Scott is waiting to hear news of his girlfriend, who he fears will leave him permanently when she goes to college. Skyler is bracing for the loss of her sister Kate, who has been like a mother to her. Told from multiple points of view that reveal the backstories of each character, All We Can Do Is Wait is a free-flowing novel that slowly brings depth to their despair as they are forced to face the realities of both their pasts and their futures. Lawson perfectly captures the emotion of loss, but also the fear of being gay in a straight world, the ramifications of racial discrimination, and the need to love and be loved. (Razorbill)
CHANGERS BOOK FOUR: Forever
CHANGERS BOOK FOUR: Forever by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper is the final installment of the young adult series about a person who start each year of high school in a different body and persona. In previous books, the first-person protagonist has lived as a thin white girl, a thin black boy, and a self-described fat Filipina-looking girl. She's still Kim Cruz as Forever opens, but is awaiting her next incarnation. Kim has already come out as gay in the last installment, but soon discovers there's more to life than one's sexuality. When her next transition comes, it puts her into the body and social status of her dreams, but with consequences she never imagined. With her new status comes privilege and adoration, and yet she finds herself using her newfound powers in ways that will haunt her later. Written by transgender man T. Cooper and his partner Allison Glock-Cooper, Forever is refreshingly anti-racist, anti-sexist, pro-queer, and decidedly relaxed on the concept of bisexuality. Together, the pair have penned a novel and series that will help teens understand the complexities of life and individual identity. Just as Kim experiences the subjective nature of race and gender, so too will readers learn the importance of a more tolerant view of one's self and others. (Black Sheep)
BERLIN 1936: Sixteen Days in August
BERLIN 1936: Sixteen Days in August by Oliver Hilmes follows the events of the 1936 Berlin Olympics through the eyes of a diverse and inclusive cast of characters. While planning the next world war, Nazi Germany scored perhaps the greatest propaganda victory of all time by hosting the 1936 Summer Olympics in their capital city of Berlin. Hitler and the Nazis made full use of the games to project an image of peace and progress through a groundbreaking use of theatrics, staging, and film. While American Jesse Owens's epic performance shattered Hitler's goal of proving to the world an Aryan ethnic superiority, it was nonetheless a remarkable and frightening success. Berlin 1936 uses a multitude of anecdotes and individual perspectives to craft a unique and intriguing look at Berlin and the world during a time when the concentration camps were coming into existence. Readers will hear from a young Jewish German boy secretly rooting against his country; displaced Roma, a transgender German woman terrified for her life; a popular club owner keeping his Jewish heritage a secret; and many others. Fast-paced and engrossing, Hilmes has penned an instant primer for the young reader that will educate as well as foreshadow the events both past and present. (Other Press)
Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir
Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir by T. Kira Madden is the debut tale of the author's coming of age as a queer, bi-racial teenager amid the shocking contradictions of Boca Raton, Florida. She lived a life of extravagance and privilege in the late 1990s and early 2000s, from exclusive private school to equestrian trophies and training. But underneath this veneer of stability and respectability, there lay a wild instability. The only child of parents in the grips of substance abuse and addiction, she faced a culture of assault and objectification. Her only lifelines were the desperately loving friendships with fatherless girls under similar circumstances in an environment of shocking racial disparities, casual white-collar crime, and destructive and unattainable standards of beauty and femininity. With unflinching honesty and lyrical prose, Madden mourns the loss of a father and his complex, intermittent love. Long Live the Tribe is a story of trauma and forgiveness, pain and transformation, and ultimately, redemption through perseverance. It's a riveting and deeply personal work that captures the loneliness and desperation of a girl coming to terms with her individuality and the shortcomings of her own family. (Bloomsbury)
Leah On the Offbeat
Leah On the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli is the sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (the award-winning novel that the hit film Love, Simon is based on), only this time it's out Simon's BFF, Leah, who gets to tell her story. When it comes to drumming, Leah is almost always on beat, but life isn't so simple. This is especially true when you're bisexual and in the closet. She hasn't mustered the courage to tell her single mom even though she's an only child. Still, she has a good group of friends to rely upon when things get too bad. But then things start to change. Her rock-solid group of friends starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. Leah is finding it hard to stay on beat and strike the right chord when the people she loves start fighting. This is especially true when she realizes she just might be falling in love with one of them more than she intended. Leah learns it's not easy trying to become the person she's supposed to be with letting go of the person she once was. Albertalli has penned a funny, heartfelt coming-of-age romance that picks up right where Simon left off, and is relatable to anyone who has had to navigate the messy and complex world of growing up. (Harper Collins)
The Cardboard Kingdom
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Shell is a graphic novel anthology that follows a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary cardboard into fantastical homemade costumes as they explore conflicts with friends, family, and their own identity. Whether you're a kid or a cat, there's nothing quite like a cardboard box to inspire hours of inexplicable fun. With just a little imagination, you can do or become anything! The Cardboard Kingdom follows a group of sixteen children who do just that when they transform boxes into colorful costumes and their block into a cardboard kingdom. They encounter knights, rogues, robots, and monsters, as well as their own inner demons over the course of one summer. Sell, and a collection of coauthors, have created a graphic novel for children which will inspire imagination while dealing with important issues like gender identity, sexuality, race, bullying, and other sensitive topics in an age-appropriate manner. The Cardboard Kingdom affirms the power of imagination and play during the important years of adolescence where emotional and physical growth go hand-in-hand with the search for one's own identity. (Random House Children's Books)
Seafire
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker is a young adult, feminist pirate story set in an impeccably detailed fantasy setting. Caledonia Styx lives in a world ruled by the corrupt warlord Aric Athair, who kidnaps children for drugged enslavement in his army of "Bullets," and who eliminates those who try to stop him. He does just that to Caledonia's family, leaving her an orphan. Later, she forms an all-female band of pirates left in similar situations. Together, they chart a course through dangerous seas with the goal of staying alive long enough to seek revenge on the evil warlord. When her good friend is saved by one of the Bullets, Styx is left with a difficult decision: does she deal with the boy as a spy, or let him join her crew and the fight against Athair as he requests? Seafire is an action-packed novel set in a richly-imagined seafaring world. Having spent her childhood on ships and having always lived by the sea, Parker draws on her personal experience to pen a novel that is equal parts pirate adventure and a girl's coming-of-age. It is an immediately immersive novel with which young readers of all genders will be obsessed and enthralled. (Penguin Random House)
Beast
Beast by Brie Spangler is a beautifully written story of first love, acceptance, and the power of tolerance and kindness. Dylan doesn't look like your average fifteen-year-old. He's tall, muscular, and hairier than most shag carpeting. High school has not been easy for him and things only get worse when the school bans hats, his best means of hiding. When he falls from the roof and breaks his leg, he wakes up in a hospital with an order to attend group therapy for self-harmers. Refusing to participate as much as possible, he zones out as much as possible -- until he meets Jamie. She's stunning, smart, funny, and an amazing photographer. After she calls him out on his self-pitying and superficiality, they become devoted friends and then, something more. The only problem is, Dylan was too zoned out in the group session when she shared with the others that she is transgender. Will Dylan be as accepting of Jamie as she was of him? Beast follows Dylan as he learns to grow into an accepting, mature person. It's a natural coming-of-age for an outsider learning to be tolerant of others, meanwhile discovering love and friendship. Spangler has written a witty, wise, and heart-wrenching reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, with a modern, inclusive twist. (Random House Children's Books)
The Big Lie
The Big Lie by Julie Mayhew is the story of a sheltered girl questioning the definition of right and wrong against the alternative-history background of a modern-day Nazi England. Jessica Keller wants to be a good girl. She's a champion ice skater, a model student, and the dutiful daughter of the Greater German Reich. Her best friend Clementine is another story, though. She is passionately different, radical, and dangerously outspoken about her beliefs -- and the regime has noticed. Keller soon realizes she won't be able to keep her perfect life and her dearest friend, also her first love. The Big Lie is a haunting, intricate, and unforgettable tale of a girl coming to terms with what it means to be good in a time of evil. Dealing with the perceptions of revolution, feminism, sexuality, and protest, Mayhew has used the alternative history format to mirror pressing questions of today. (Candlewick Press)
