After reading quite a few heavy books in a row, this is definitely what I needed. Something lighter, with adventure and romance. Who doesn't like the best friends to lovers trope, especially when it includes a fun adventure in New York?

While yes, this is a romance, I really appreciated Riley's relationship with her mother and how they were learning how to navigate the fact that Riley has now graduated high school. Riley thinks that this means freedom, where her mom isn't necessarily ready to give that up yet. That's a struggle I think teens will definitely relate to as they've completed one stage of their life and they're ready for the next.

The romance was also well done; and the side characters! The little group of friends Riley and Tom find in New York are absolutely adorable. If you need a fun, summer romance to lift your spirits, definitely pick this one up!

This is a very emotional, heavy book as Ariel struggles with violent intrusive thoughts throughout the book, sure that no one can ever love her because of it. Sure that she'll act on one of those violent thoughts at one point. We are taken through her journey as she learns about OCD, and tries to learn how to ask for the help and support that she needs.

There aren't a lot of YA books I can think of that focus on intrusive thoughts quite like this book does. But in addition to mental health, Ariel is also struggling with questions about gender and possibly getting into her first relationship. Even if you aren't personally struggling with OCD, there are elements of Ariel's that readers will still be able to relate to. 

All in all, a heavy book in verse, but definitley one worth reading. 

A great, twisty YA mystery/thriller! Set over three summers, you get that sort of sleuthing mystery that feels like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Just when you think you have the mystery figured out, Ichaso throws another twist in there making you second guess whether or not you actually have it figured out.

If you like your thrillers set during the summer in somewhat secluded communities, then this will be the book for you!

After a school year where she didn’t make many friends, Maya isn’t expecting a very exciting summer. Especially when she learns that her dad’s girlfriend is moving in with them. But when they offer her a chance at a summer cooking camp, maybe the summer won’t be so bad after all.

When leaving for camp, Maya accidentally gets on the wrong bus. Instead of cooking camp she finds herself at a camp for vampires! She’s got a lot to learn if she’s going to survive the summer with vampires. But maybe, she’ll make some friends along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Graphic for an advanced copy of Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim to review! Always on the lookout for fun middle grade graphic novels, and this one definitely fits the bill. It’ll be a perfect book to kick off your summer with for sure!

Maya is such a fantastic, well-rounded character at the center of this story. And the friends she makes at (the wrong) summer camp are so sweet as well. They show her that it’s not as hard to make friends as she might have thought, even if they don’t have the same likes or interests. They all form a bond by the end that I hope carries into the future!

I also loved the art style for this. It worked so well for the overall tone of the story. The little hints about vampires throughout were fun to see, and you’re on edge wondering if anyone is going to find out Maya isn’t a vampire. It makes for fun tension throughout the story.

All in all, if you love friendship themed, summer camp stories, definitely check this one out in May!

Rotem feels like no one understands her obsession with the book series Sunrise. Especially her obsession with its lead character, Edmund. But when she gets her fellow classmate, Ayala, hooked on the first book, the two quickly form a fast friendship.

However, as Rotem gets closer to Alaya, she’s trying to figure out what drew her to Sunrise in the first place. And maybe, just maybe, she might have stronger feelings for Alaya than she first thought. Might they be more than just friends?

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advanced copy of Sunhead by Alex Assan to review! I was initially drawn to this book because of the color palette, and stuck around for the story. If you were around during the initial height of the Twilight craze, you’ll see a lot of that reflected in this book!

I loved the way that fandom was what initially drew Alaya and Rotem together because so many friendships are formed because of that. At least, in my experience they are. Learning the line between friendship attraction and romance attraction is also a hard one, and we get to see Rotem’s thought process as she figures that out.

For the most part, this book has cozy vibes, focusing definitely on the characters and their journey more than anything else. While some of the side characters could have been developed a bit more, the story worked for the amount of time it was told in.

If you’re looking for a cute, cozy, coming-of-age graphic novel this spring, this one is worth checking out!

This is a very Roald Dahl book in that it's written for kids, but a lot of the humor is also targeted towards adults. It is a quick read, and admittedly, the only thing I knew about this was from the Wes Anderson movie that came out years ago. But it's definitely a quick, fun read!

This is a quick read, mostly due to it being in verse, but man. It does not shy away from packing a punch. As I was listening to this, I was trying to think of middle grade books that I know of that tackle this particular issue of eating disorders, and I can't think of very many? I know there are quite a few YA books that tackle this issue with older teens, but not a lot with younger teens. I appreciate that they can have this kind of representation, and that it's done so well.

Jake struggles so much in this book with his mental health, mostly a result of severe middle school bullying. What I appreciated about his journey in this book was the way that Schu shows that recovering from a mental illness like an eating disorder isn't a linear line. You'll have good days and you'll have bad days. But if you have the right tools, it can help to deal with those bad days.

Such a well-written book that I hope makes it into the hands of teens that need it.

First of all, the audiobook for this is amazing. Nehanda narrates the audiobook, and there are sound effects and such that just make it a very immersive experience. If you're thinking about picking it up, check the trigger warnings and then definitely try the audiobook.

Also, I am confused about the need to publish this as young adult. This isn't to say that teens don't read books about 20-year-olds (because they do), it feels more like an adult memoir that maybe has crossover appeal. There are moments where Nehanda talks about their childhood/teen years, but it's definitely way more focused on their medical journey and how that lead them to discover more about their own identity. 

Aside from that, this is definitely a powerful story that hits hard about the US medical system, about racism, about family, and about identity. If you're a fan of memoirs in verse, I'd recommend picking this one up!

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for an advanced copy of Otherworldly by FT Lukens to review! Lukens has quickly made themselves a staple in YA cozy fantasy, and this book might be the coziest of them all. I loved the little found family that was at the core of this story, and Knox's goal to just have fun? It made for such a lovely, engaging story.

This book is told in a dual perspective between Knox and Ellery, and I thought they both had unique enough voices that it didn't get confusing. It allowed their voices to shine through, adding to the emotional side of the story. It helped build the core romance between them, and also helped with the world building at times. Plus, there is lots of great casual queer rep, which we always love to see in fantasy stories.

By the end, I also appreciated that there's just as much importance placed on the friendships as there is on the romance. There's no one version of love, and seeing that in a romance focused story is always excellent.

Though there's a bit of action and the stakes are high at points, for the most part, the story is more focused on the quiet, emotional moments. The friendships. The relationships. The emotional growth. You'll get drawn in with the characters, and you won't want to leave them by the end.

All in all, if you love cozy, queer YA fantasy, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in April! 

Been meaning to read this since it came out last year, and I'm so glad that I finally did! The audiobook is very well done, complete with sound effects and everything. If that's your thing, I definitely recommend checking it out!

At its core, this is a sort of superhero story, with Ellie gaining powers and eventually learning how to lose them. But it's also a story about finding yourself, navigating changing friendships, and gaining the confidence to be who you are. Middle school is a rough time, made even rougher for Ellie by gaining superpowers and then accidentally getting famous.

I love Leah Johnson's YA books, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one, too.