2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults

* denotes the title was selected as a top ten.


Aceves, Fred. The Closest I’ve Come. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062488534). It's hard for Marcos to be in his neighborhood, but being at school isn’t much better. When a teacher recommends him for a program for struggling students, he begins to realize there may be options outside Maestra. Marcos’ coming-of-age transforms him into a different son, classmate, and friend.

Albertalli, Becky. The Upside of Unrequited. 2017. Balzer+Bray. $17.99 (9780062348708). Seventeen-year-old Molly has 26 crushes behind her, but she has never acted on them. Her outgoing twin, Cassie, thinks she's got the perfect guy for Molly, but Molly’s finding herself more drawn to a nerdy coworker. Can Molly overcome her insecurities and finally take a chance?

Ali, S. K. Saints and Misfits. 2017. Simon & Schuster/Salaam Reads, $18.99 (9781481499248). Janna, a Muslim American teen, is trying to figure out how to deal with the seemingly perfect boy from her mosque who sexually assaulted her and is now spreading cruel rumors. At the same time, she’d like to find space in her life for her non-Muslim crush—who likes her too.

Ancrum, K. The Wicker King. 2017. Macmillan/Imprint, $17.99 (9781250101549). In this beautiful, weird novel, the creative chaos of the gradually darkening pages reflects the abusive conditions best friends August and Jack live in. When Jack begins to hallucinate, August is determined to protect him. Intense pacing makes this a story readers will devour in one sitting.

Anderson, Jodi Lynn. Midnight at the Electric. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062393548). Just before Adri leaves Earth to become one of the first human inhabitants of Mars, she finds a journal and a series of letters that spark her curiosity about her past. Told across multiple generations, this artful novel explores the moments that define our lives and connect us.

Anderson, M. T. Landscape with Invisible Hand. 2017. Candlewick Press, $16.99 (9780763687892). In this timely social satire, an alien race called the vuvv has colonized Earth, and most humans are jobless and broke. Adam and girlfriend Chloe capitalize on the aliens’ obsession with 1950s nostalgia by creating a retro reality show, but why does the promised bright future feel like selling out? 

Anderson, Natalie C. City of Saints & Thieves. 2017. G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. $18.99 (9780399547584). Tina lives on the streets of Kenya and becomes part of a gang to survive. She desperately wants revenge on the man she believes killed her mother, but much of the family's past is shrouded in mystery. Will Tina find justice?

*Arnold, Elana. What Girls Are Made Of. 2017. Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab, $18.99 (9781512410242). Sixteen-year-old Nina experiences sex, betrayal, loss, and a dysfunctional home life, all while trying to understand what it means to be female in the world and whether love can ever be truly unconditional.

*Bardugo, Leigh. The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic. Illus. by Sara Kipin. 2017. Macmillan/Imprint, $18.99 (9781250122520). Traditional fairy tales are refreshingly twisted, re-created, and wrapped in gorgeous illustrations in this stand-alone collection of six short stories. The world-building will be familiar to Bardugo's fans, and readers new to her Grishaverse have the pleasure of knowing they can take further excursions into this world.

Bennett, Jenn. Alex, Approximately. 2017. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse. $17.99 (9781481478779). When Bailey moves to California to live with her dad, she looks forward tracking down the boy she’s developed an online friendship with in a classic movie forum. But her search for “Alex” gets sidetracked by annoying surfer-boy and coworker Porter. “You’ve Got Mail” gets a modern and refreshing makeover.

Benway, Robin. Far From the Tree. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062330628). After giving up her newborn for adoption, Grace is interested in finding her own biological mother. Along the way she learns she has two biological siblings, Maya and Joaquin. Together, they face their experiences as adopted or fostered teens and find there are different ways to make a family.

Blake, Ashley. How to Make a Wish. 2017. HMH, $17.99 (9780544815193). Grace is a 17-year-old pianist who has spent most of her life taking care of her mother, Maggie. Eva is an accomplished dancer who moves to Grace's seaside town after her mother passes away. As romance ensues, the two learn to confront grief, embrace happiness, and make decisions for themselves.

Bolden, Tonya. Crossing Ebenezer Creek. 2017. Bloomsbury USA, $17.99 (9781599903194). In 1864, Mariah and her young brother have been liberated from the plantation where they were enslaved. They join others who are following General Sherman's march through Georgia, including Caleb, who is working with the Union troops. New lives are within reach, but first this group will face devastating heartbreak.

Cashore, Kristin. Jane, Unlimited. 2017. Penguin/Kathy Dawson, $18.99 (9780803741492). Jane accepts an invitation to a mysterious private mansion and finds a strange home full of art, secrets, spies, a quirky cast of characters, and more questions than answers. A seemingly innocuous choice divides Jane’s story into five distinct but parallel narratives, each more bizarre than the last.

Colbert, Brandy. Little & Lion. 2017. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780316349000). After being sent away to boarding school when her brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Suzette has returned home to LA for the summer. The siblings’ typically close relationship becomes strained when he secretly stops taking his medication and they both fall for the same girl.

Crowder, Melanie. An Uninterrupted View of the Sky. 2017. Philomel Books, $17.99 (9780399169007). In 1999 Bolivia, Francisco's father is arrested on false drug charges. When Francisco and his younger sister, Pilar, are forced to move into a men's prison with their father, Francisco must decide whether to break up his family and take his sister to live with their grandparents or stay together in the dangerous prison.

Crowley, Cath. Words in Deep Blue. 2017. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9781101937648). Rachel and Henry were best friends until Rachel moved away. After her brother’s death, Rachel’s world is in shambles. She returns to their hometown to work in Henry's family bookshop, where Henry faces his own struggles. An exceptional coming-of-age exploration and ode to the power of words.

Demetrios, Heather. Bad Romance. 2017. Holt, $17.99 (9781627797726). Grace, a musical theater-loving junior, is not like her friends. She lives under constant scrutiny from her mother and her stepfather, the Giant. When her crush Gavin starts to take an interest in her, Grace finally feels like she has a protector—until their relationship spirals out of control.

Dimaline, Cherie. The Marrow Thieves. 2017. Dancing Cat, paper, $14.95 (9781770864863). In a futuristic world destroyed by climate change, where most people have lost the ability to dream, Indigenous Peoples of North America are being hunted down and killed for the dream cure found in their bone marrow. 16-year-old Frenchie is part of a group that bands together for survival.

Elliott, David. Bull. 2017. HMH, $17.99 (9780544610606). The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is given a modern spin in this darkly humorous novel in verse. Minos' thirst for power gets him into trouble with Poseidon. It's Pasiphae, Minos' wife, who pays the price, birthing a son who is half man and half bull.

Foley, Jessie Ann. Neighborhood Girls. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062571854). Everyone in Chicago knows Wendy Boychuck. Her father is a former corrupt police officer, now in prison. Unable to escape her family name, Wendy befriends some of the toughest, nastiest girls in school. But as they begin to show their true colors, Wendy finds her own strength.

Giles, Lamar. Overturned. 2017. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (9780545812504). Nikki Tate's scheme to escape the Vegas life by winning illegal card tournaments comes to a sudden stop when her father, a small-time casino owner, is murdered shortly after being released from jail for a homicide he did not commit.

Gratz, Alan. Refugee. 2017. Scholastic Press, $16.99 (9780545880831). Josef (a Jewish boy in 1939), Isabel (a Cuban in 1994), and Mahmoud (a Syrian in 2015) flee their homes seeking safety. Readers will come to care deeply for each protagonist, recognizing the similarities in each of these different political periods and the universal face of courage.

Graudin, Ryan. Invictus. 2017. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99 (9780316503075). Farway has trained to be a time-traveling history recorder, but fails his final exam. Disappointed, he takes a position captaining the Invictus as part of a black market operation stealing artifacts from the past. Soon Far and his crew are in a race to stop time itself from unraveling.

Gray, Claudia. Defy the Stars. 2017. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780316394031). Noemi is a 17-year-old soldier defending her planet, Genesis, against Earth. Abel is a robot programmed to fight Genesis for Earth and protect his creator. They are sworn enemies who end up trying to survive together—and, perhaps, to find a way to end the war.

Green, John. Turtles All the Way Down. 2017. Dutton Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780525555360). High-school junior Aza, who struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, reconnects with childhood friend Davis after his billionaire father disappears, on the run from the police. But can Aza and her friends help Davis cope with being parentless when she’s having trouble managing her own downward-spiraling thoughts?

Hardinge, Frances. A Face Like Glass. 2017. Abrams/Amulet, $19.95 (9781419724848). In Caverna, an underground world, skilled craftsmen create hallucinogenic cheese, memory-erasing wine, and facial expressions that conceal emotions and motivations. Apprentice cheesemaker Neverfell doesn’t know how she came to Caverna, who she can trust, or why she alone must hide her face, but her life depends on finding those answers.

Hautman, Pete. Slider. 2017. Candlewick Press, $16.99 (9780763690700). David Miller enjoys the world of competitive eating as an amateur only, until a blunder with his mother's credit card forces him to enter his first competition. As he trains, he must also manage his complicated relationships with family and friends. Deft humor underscores David's efforts to fix his mistakes.

Henson, S. F. Devils Within. 2017. Skyhorse/Sky Pony, $17.99 (9781510714564). Nate was 14 when he killed his father, the leader of a white supremacist compound called The Fort. Now with a new name, in a new state, and at a new school, Nate’s hopes for a new life are coming true, but then his past comes knocking at the door.

Hutton, Keely. Soldier Boy. 2017. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, $17.99 (9780374305635). Based on a true story, this novel takes place during the Ugandan civil War, when Ricky Anywar is abducted and forced to fight in the Lord's Resistance Army. Ricky and the other children endure unimaginable atrocities as they are trained to kill. It takes all of Ricky's willpower to survive and escape.

Iturbe, Antonio. The Librarian of Auschwitz. Tr. by Lilit Thwaites. 2017. Holt, $19.99 (9781627796187). Dita attends the makeshift school at Block 31 in Auschwitz. Though the Nazis know about the school, they don’t know about the eight books Dita has been tasked with hiding from them at any cost. The novel is based on the true story of Holocaust survivor Dita Kraus.

Jackson, Tiffany D. Allegedly. 2017. Katherine Tegen Books. $17.99 (9780062422644). Sixteen-year-old Mary Addison has spent seven years in the juvenile justice system for allegedly killing a white baby, but now that she’s pregnant with a baby of her own, she’s ready to tell the truth about what really happened that night.

Juby, Susan. The Fashion Committee: A Novel of Art, Crime, and Applied Design. 2017. Viking Books for Young Readers, $18.99 (9780451468789). When an elite art school hosts a fashion competition, two teens are desperate to win: Charlie Dean has dreamed of designing clothing since she was young. John sees the promised scholarship as an indirect route to fulfilling his passion for metalwork. Welcome to the cutthroat, hilarious, and heartbreaking world of fashion. 

Katsoulis, Gregory Scott. All Rights Reserved. 2017. Harlequin Teen, $18.99 (9780373212446). In a future America where most words and gestures are copyrighted and cost money to use, Speth is confronted with a choice: accept the rules of her society or live in defiance through complete silence. Her decision sets off great upheaval in her world.

Kemmerer, Brigid. Letters to the Lost. 2017. Bloomsbury USA. $17.99 (9781681190082). Juliet and Declan begin writing letters, and later emails, anonymously after one exchange at the gravesite of Juliet's mom. Soon they share personal struggles, but still as strangers. When they realize their worst moments may be connected, the friendship could be over.

Kincaid, S. J. The Diabolic. 2016. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (9781481472678). Nemesis is a Diabolic, an engineered human, created to be the deadly guardian for Sidonia, the daughter of an important galactic family. When Nemesis impersonates Sidonia at the court of the emperor, she becomes involved in a deadly game of intrigue and learns about her developing sense of humanity.

LaCour, Nina. We Are Okay. 2017. Dutton Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780525425892). Marin has isolated herself in icy New York over winter break rather than confronting the devastating memories she ran from in San Francisco. But when her best friend flies cross-country to be with her, Marin discovers that the only way to move beyond grief is to face it head-on.

Lee, Fonda. Exo. 2017. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (9780545933438). On an Earth conquered by aliens, Donovan is a 17-year-old exo, a genetically enhanced human whose exocel armor allows him to serve in the Secpac security force. When he's captured by rebels, Donovan wrestles with the ethical dilemma of what it means to be human and what it means to be free.

*Lee, Mackenzi. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. 2017. Katherine Tegen Books, $18.99 (9780062382801). Henry Montague, the son of a British nobleman, embarks on a European tour with his best friend (and secret crush) Percy and his sister Felicity. Along the way, they encounter adventure and conflict that leads them to a very different destiny than the one awaiting their return to England.

Lord, Emery. The Names They Gave Us. 2017. Bloomsbury USA. $17.99 (9781619639584). Bible camp was always Lucy’s plan for the summer. But when her mom asks her to serve instead as a counselor at a camp for youth who have experienced trauma, Lucy’s plan is thrown off course as she learns to adjust to new possibilities—both exciting and terrifying.

Lu, Marie. Warcross. 2017. G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $18.99 (9780399547966). When bounty hunter and hacker Emika Chen finds herself unexpectedly entered into the exclusive Warcross championship, she is determined to get to the bottom of a dastardly plot while trying to pull off a win in the worldwide virtual reality game.

Lyga, Barry. Bang. 2017. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780316315500). At four years old, Sebastian accidentally shot and killed his infant sister. Now, 10 years later, he is still dealing with the guilt and learning to cope.

Mathieu, Jennifer. Moxie. 2017. Roaring Brook Press, $17.99 (9781626726352). Inspired by her mom’s Riot Grrrl past and infuriated by sexism at her school, Vivian creates Moxie, a feminist zine, and distributes it anonymously in the girls’ bathroom. While Moxie grows in popularity, school administration lashes out against Moxie girls. Will they continue to fight back against sexism and discrimination?

Menon, Sandhya. When Dimple Met Rishi. 2017. Simon Pulse, $17.99 (9781481478687). Hopeless romantic Rishi Patel attends a summer coding program to meet his future wife, Dimple, per his parents’ wishes. The only problem is that independent Dimple isn't aware of this arrangement. Sparks fly—not always the romantic kind—as ultimately the two teens realize that they have a lot in common.

*Moon, Sarah. Sparrow. 2017. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $18.99 (9781338032581). Sparrow has a secret: her closest friends are birds. When she feels anxious, she goes to the roof and flies. One day, this practice lands her in the hospital, facing questions from the adults in her life. Slowly, she recovers, finds her voice, and makes new friends along the way.

Murphy, Julie. Ramona Blue. 2017. Balzer + Bray, $17.99 (9780062418357). Ramona thinks she knows exactly who she is, who she loves, and what her future holds, until her senior year of high school challenges her expectations and she learns that life, love, and identity are more fluid than she thought.

Ness, Patrick. Release. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062403193). A day in the life of Adam Thorn is chronicled as he deals with colliding issues in his life: sexuality, conservative family, lecherous boss, and friends. At the same time, the ghost of a murdered teen merges with a spirit creature, both set upon a quest for justice. 

Nix, Garth. Frogkisser! 2017. Scholastic Press. $17.99 (9781338052084). Princess Anya's quest to return one of her sister's suitors to his human form and defeat her evil step-step father grows to monumental proportions, eventually involving all sorts of magical creatures and humans across a multitude of kingdoms.

Oakes, Stephanie. The Arsonist. 2017. Dial Books, $17.99 (9780803740716). Molly Mavity and Pepper Al-Yusef, each with troubles of their own, learn their lives are inextricably linked with that of Ava Dreyman, a young East German freedom fighter, when a series of mysterious messages challenges them to solve her decades-old murder.

Oh, Ellen, ed. Flying Lessons & Other Stories. 2017. Crown Books for Young Readers. $16.99 (9781101934593). Ten popular YA authors offer their own spin on growing up in this engaging and diverse collection. Middle-school and high-school students will appreciate the humor and authenticity of each story and will relish the introductions to the featured authors.

Oseman, Alice. Radio Silence. 2017. HarperTeen, $17.99 (9780062335715). To the outside world, Frances is a shy, boring nerd who hopes to attend Cambridge University. In reality, she is a quirky bisexual artist who loves listening to and drawing fan art for Universe City, a mysterious podcast whose agender narrator goes by the name of Radio Silence.

Perkins, Mitali. You Bring the Distant Near. 2017. Farrar Straus Giroux, $17.99 (9780374304904). In 1973, sisters Tara and Sonia arrive in New York with their parents. Spanning the Brady Bunch era to the present, three generations of Das women navigate life as Americans while making choices about how their Bengali heritage defines them as individuals. A captivating story of family and identity.

Pullman, Philip. La Belle Sauvage. 2017. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $22.99 (9780375815300). Malcolm, a boy from an alternative Oxford, gets involved with a group of spies and learns that the nuns at the priory across the street are hiding baby Lyra from a sinister group. When a flood rages, Malcolm must rescue Lyra and keep her safe from her enemies.

*Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. 2017. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $17.99 (9781481438254). Will's brother has been shot. In this free-verse novel, Will steps into an elevator ready to head downstairs and to follow the rules he’s been taught and avenge his brother's death, when he encounters the ghosts of victims of a chain reaction caused by a shooting.

Roat, Sharon Huss. How to Disappear. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062291752). Vicky, suffering from social anxiety but wanting connection, creates an online persona. As Vicurious, her photoshopped adventures gain a following, and she finally feels “seen.” Recognizing that many of her followers share her feelings of invisibility, Vicky takes steps to help eradicate that sense of #alone in others.

Ruby, Laura. The Shadow Cipher. 2017. HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press. $17.99 (9780062306937). In an alternate present-day New York City, twins Tess and Theo Beidermann and their friend Jamie Cruz race to save their home from destruction. Can they solve the Old York Cipher, a mystery left behind by the Morningstar twins, geniuses whose city design was unrivaled in its technology and advancements?

Sàenz, Benjamin Alire. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life. 2017. Clarion Books. $17.99 (9780544586505). High-school senior Sal has a lot on his plate as he deals with his dying grandmother, tries to control his growing anger with the prejudice of others, and ponders his relationship with his adopted father in this rich novel about friendship and what it takes to become a man.

Sánchez, Erika L. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. 2017. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9781524700485). Julia is an outcast in her close-knit Mexican American family, where she dreams of going away to college. When her older sister suddenly dies, Julia begins to piece together her sister’s secret life. As she grieves, Julia embarks on a mission to discover herself, unearthing her family’s past in the process.

Sedgwick, Marcus. Saint Death. 2017. Roaring Brook Press, $17.99 (9781626725492). In Juarez, the childhood friend Arturo hasn't seen for a year comes begging for help to transport his girlfriend and infant across the Mexican border into North America. The game of calavera Arturo plays to win freedom for his friends draws him into the merciless vortex of cartels and drug-trafficking.

Silvera, Adam. They Both Die at the End. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062457790). Mateo and Rufus are strangers when they receive the same phone call around midnight on September 5: they’re both going to die within 24 hours. They connect through the Last Friend app and set off on an epic adventure, hoping to make the most of every minute they have left. 

Spangler, Brie. Beast. 2016. Knopf Books for Young Readers. $17.99 (9781101937167). Insecure about his unusually large and hairy appearance, 15-year-old Dylan feels like a freak until he meets brave and beautiful Jamie, who accepts and loves him as he is. But when he realizes she is transgender, can he return the favor?

Stevens, Courtney. Dress Codes for Small Towns. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062398512). Seventeen-year-old Billie, daughter of the local preacher, grapples with her sexuality, her feelings for her tight-knit group of friends, and why her faith so often seems to be at odds with the organized religion of the church. Is there room for her gender nonconformity in the small town she loves?

Stone, Nic. Dear Martin. 2017. Crown Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9781101939499). After personally experiencing racism and police brutality, Justyce McAllister turns to the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through letters to Dr. King, the teen works through his frustration in an attempt to come to terms with the harsh realities faced by young black men in America today.

Stork, Francisco. Disappeared. 2017. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $17.99 (9780545944472). In Juarez, Mexico, young girls are disappearing. Sara is a journalist for a newspaper writing the stories of these young women, while constantly searching for her friend who disappeared four months ago. But as Sara closes in on the crime ring, others are closing in on Sara and her family.

Sugiura, Misa. It’s Not Like It’s a Secret. 2017. Harper Teen, $17.99 (9780062473417). Moving from Wisconsin to California, Japanese American Sana finds support with a diverse group of friends. Secrets her parents keep make her less likely to open up about her own, but she learns to come to terms with her identity. Racism and lesbian romance are explored with nuance.

Tamani, Liara. Calling My Name. 2017. Greenwillow, $17.99 (9780062656865). In 1990s Houston, an African American teen navigates her middle-school and high-school years. Balancing societal pressures and familial expectations, Taja slowly finds her voice as she begins to explore her spirituality on her own terms rather than through the lens of her religious parents.

*Taylor, Laini. Strange the Dreamer. 2017. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. $18.99 (9780316341684). Lazlo Strange is an orphan raised by monks, and he’s dedicated his life to learning. His favorite story is of Weep, the lost fairytale city that was literally removed from memory. This is the story of his search for the magical city.

*Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. 2017. Balzer+Bray, $17.99 (9780062498533). Starr Carter is a black girl caught between two worlds: her poor, black neighborhood, and her suburban, mostly white high school. Occupying this liminal space becomes nearly impossible when Starr witnesses, and is forced to speak out about, the fatal shooting of her unarmed friend by a white cop.

Walton, Julia. Words on Bathroom Walls. 2017. Random House Children’s Books, $17.99 (9780399550881). Having struggled from the age of 12 with increasing anxiety as his schizophrenia became full-blown, high-school junior Adam Petrazelli gets a chance to start over at a new school where he hopes the experimental drug trial he has begun will allow him to function as a more “typical” teen.

Wang, Corrie. The Takedown. 2017. Disney/Freeform, $17.99 (9781484757420). In a near-future Brooklyn, high-school senior Kyla Cheng has it all: she’s popular, captain of the debate team, and on track to be valedictorian. When a sex video of Kyla and her English teacher goes viral, Kyla is determined to prove that the girl in the video isn't her.

*Watson, Renée. Piecing Me Together. 2017. Bloomsbury USA. $17.99 (9781681191058). Artist Jade has big dreams, but she recognizes that coming from a rough neighborhood creates barriers. She reluctantly joins Woman to Woman, a mentoring program that promises a scholarship. Her well-intentioned mentor, also black, doesn't understand Jade has no desire to be “saved.” Each has things to learn from the other.

Wegelius, Jakob. The Murderer’s Ape. Illus. by Jakob Wegelius. Tr. by Peter Graves. 2017.  Delacorte Books for Young Readers. $17.99 (9781101931752). Despite being a gorilla, Sally Jones is an excellent typist, and she uses her typewriter to tell the adventure of her attempts to exonerate best friend and sailor Henry Koskela, who was wrongfully imprisoned for murder after the two of them were caught in the middle of a smuggling operation.

Weston, Carol. Speed of Life. 2017. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, $16.99 (9781492654490). Sofia and her dad try to move forward in the wake of her mother’s death last year. After the “Dear Kate” columnist visits her school, Sofia turns to her for advice. But then her dad drops a bombshell—he and Kate are dating. Sofia’s world just got way more complicated.

Winters, Cat. Odd & True. 2017. Abrams/Amulet, $17.99 (9781419723100). In 1909 Oregon, complex characters and beautiful world-building combine as sisters Odette and Trudchen tell their stories. Od's version has magic and monsters, but Tru begins to believe the supernatural does not exist. When Od reappears after a two-year absence, her sister must decide for herself what is true.

Younge-Ullman, Danielle. Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined. 2017. Viking Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780425287590). Ingrid's life is turned upside-down when her internationally lauded, brilliant opera-star mother's career suddenly and disastrously ends. Leaving Europe to return to the inherited family home in Canada, both she and her mother struggle to adapt to their changed lifestyle and its accompanying emotional distress.

*Zappia, Francesca. Eliza and Her Monsters. 2017. Greenwillow, $17.99 (9780062290137). Fellow students don’t know that, when she’s not at school, reclusive senior Eliza is LadyConstellation, creator of the wildly popular Monstrous Sea. New student Wallace is a huge fan of the webcomic, and hr slowly breaks through her shell. However, trying to keep her two lives separate may cost Eliza everything.

*Zentner, Jeff. Goodbye Days. 2017. Crown Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780553524062). Carver's three best friends are killed in a car accident soon after he sends the driver a text message, and grief and guilt take their toll. When the grandmother of one of his deceased friends asks for a “goodbye day,” Carver agrees, hoping for closure.

Zoboi, Ibi. American Street. 2017. Balzer+Bray. $17.99 (9780062473042). Fabiola Toussaint, an American-born citizen raised in Haiti, tries to immigrate back to the United States from Haiti with her mother to live with her Aunt Jo and three cousins in Detroit. When her mother is detained at the airport, Fabiola must learn how to adapt to American living.