 1. OTHER WORDS FOR SMOKE by Sarah Maria Griffin Intergenerational trauma, Irish witches, queer coming-of-age, and a whole lot of grotesque imagery abound in this stunning novel. Griffin has a keen understanding of how a large-scale tragedy changes individual people, and why it matters to consider both the big and small-picture ramifications of such events. The characters are deeply flawed and endlessly complicated; the world clicks slowly into place like a challenging puzzle of something you can’t quite bear to look at head-on. I can’t recommend this novel highly enough. 2. WILDER GIRLS by Rory PowerSome books divide you into a before and an after--you know the person who started at page one isn’t the same person who finished it. WILDER GIRLS is one of those books for me. Girls quarantined at a boarding school are infected with a disease that mutates their bodies and changes their minds about what it means to be human, to be alive, to be anything at all. Power has an inherent understanding of how frightening it is to be an adolescent, of how the biggest horrors of growing up are so often found within our own bodies and brains. The way her core cast of teenage best friends copes with their crumbling world is haunting and deeply resonating. If you enjoy any combination of queer horror spec fic….you’ll love this read. 3. WICKED FOX by Kat ChoMiyoung is a gumiho--a mythical Korean creature who feeds on the energy of men in order to survive. Jihoon is a high school boy who happens to stumble into Miyoung’s web of secrets. Drama, romance, and a greatly entertaining read ensues. Cho’s ability to blend ordinary teenage life in modern-day Seoul with ancient folklore and life and death stakes is impressive, and her cast of characters are endearing and well-rounded. If you love contemporary fantasy books and/or K-dramas, you should absolutely pick up WICKED FOX! 4. THE FEVER KING by Victoria Lee Near-ish future America is plagued by an illness that has divided the country and leaves its few survivors with magical powers. Noam--an activist fighting against the regime in power--finds himself serving that very same regime after surviving the illness and developing magic of his own. Now he must learn to use the powers he never wanted while serving the twisted political machinations of the man he grew up hating...and his dangerous, too-handsome son. Lee’s biting prose will suck you in, and their morally twisted characters will have you rooting for them even when you know they’re in the wrong. Queer, complex, intelligent, and unputdownable, THE FEVER KING is YA sci-fi at its finest. 5. SAWKILL GIRLS by Claire Legrand Girls have gone missing for generations on the island of Sawkill Rock, but nobody’s ever done very much about it. Until now, that is. Unlikely allies Marion, Zoey, and Val must find a way to defeat the evil that took root in their home generations ago...even if it costs them all their lives. Legrand has a keen understanding of feminine rage, and deploys it here with gutting precision. There’s so much packed into these pages, from explorations of various queer identities to commentary on body ownership to the roles and expectations of young women in modern society. You won’t be able to put this book down.  CHRISTINE LYNN HERMAN Born in New York City but raised around the world, Christine Lynn Herman subscribes to the firm philosophy that home is where her books are. Currently, Christine and her books reside in Cambridge, MA, along with her partner and their extremely spoiled cat. Her debut YA novel, THE DEVOURING GRAY, was an Indies Introduce and Indie Next Top Ten Pick. The sequel, THE DECK OF OMENS, will be available from Little Brown (US) on 4/21/2020. You can find her in the nearest forest trying to figure out how to become a tree, or on Twitter and Instagram @christineexists. She is represented by Kelly Sonnack of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. The Deck of Omens (Devouring Gray 2) by Christine Lynn Herman The teenagers of Four Paths must save their home, in the sequel to hit fantasy The Devouring Gray. For fans of Stranger Things, Riverdale and The Raven Cycle With the Beast subdued, the town of Four Paths discovers a new threat: a corruption seeping is from the Gray, poisoning the roots of the town and its people. Only May Hawthorne realizes the danger, forced to watch as her visions become reality. Meanwhile, the town is riven by change: Harper Carlisle is learning to control her newfound powers, and how to forgive after devastating betrayals; Isaac Sullivan's older brother, Gabriel, has returned after years away; Violet Saunders is finding her place and Justin and May's father has finally come home. With the veil between the Gray and the town growing ever thinner, and the Founder Families all returning to their roots, the time has finally come to settle ancient grudges, to cure the corruption and stop the Beast once and for all. But more than one kind of beast preys on Four Paths...   Comments are closed.
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