Author: Kelly Jensen

A nerdy history of school summer reading lists. Did or do you have these? I remember as a high schooler looking for these lists online and reading the books on them, since I didn’t have assigned summer reading.
Loving Fear Street on Netflix? You’ll love this look back at 90s teen horror reads.
Dig into some diverse YA retellings of classics.

Thanks for hanging out, y’all, and I’ll see you again this weekend with some fabulous ebook deals.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

Big thanks to Wednesday Books and Any Way The Wind Blows for making this newsletter possible.

What's Up in YA

Masking Up YA Book Covers: Yay or Nay?

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date July 16, 2021

Going Viral by Kate Cicatelli-Kuc (November 2)

During lockdown with her family, Claire’s unable to be with her friends or girlfriend Vanessa. But soon, she begins to notice a new girl who sits on her fire escape across the street from her, and Claire uses that as inspiration for writing a story that immediately goes viral. But is the fame too much for Claire, and how does she reckon with where her heart truly lies?

Hello (From Here) by Chandler Baker and Wesley King

Maxine and Jonah meet in the canned foods aisle just as California begins lockdown because of the pandemic. Jonah lives with anxiety, now exacerbated by COVID-19, while Maxine’s job at the supermarket turns into a nightmare. It’s a terrible time to fall in love, but perhaps it was really meant to be.

Zero O’Clock by CJ Farley (September 7)

Geth’s living in New Rochelle, New York, a pandemic epicenter, and she’s isolated from her best friends. She finds herself confronted with the cops at this time, and steps into being part of the Black Lives Matter movement, for which she’s become deeply passionate. The pandemic and protests upend everything she knows, and now she has to decide how much she’s willing to risk to fight for what she believes.

Perhaps what I’m finding interesting is that there are books taking on pandemic-related topics and that don’t use the symbolic mask. For me, this feels less off-putting, even though the content is going to be similar to the above. An example:

Together, Apart by Erin A. Craig, Auriane Desombre, Erin Hahn, Bill Konigsberf, Rachael Lippincott, Brittney Morris, Sanji Patel, Natasha Preston, and Jennifer Yen

This anthology is a collection of love stories all set during the pandemic lockdown, with entries from some big YA names.

Maybe my adult sensibilities read too much into it, but it’s hard for me to see big appeal for teen readers whose lives have been upended in unbelievable ways gravitating toward mask-themed covers. The anthology makes clear what the book is about and where it’s set, but in a way that feels far less charged and anxiety-evoking.

What do you think? Are you picking up books like the ones with masks on covers or are you hesitating too? Is it just too soon?

There are no right or wrong answers, but it’s a question certainly worth pondering, especially as more bookstores, libraries, and schools eye reopening and books will be more visually browsable for readers.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again on Thursday!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram

Thanks to MIT Press and The Curie Society for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

What's Up in YA

BLACKOUT to Netflix via Obamas: Your YA Book News and New Books, July 15, 2021

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date July 14, 2021

YA Book News

The Obamas will bring Blackout, by six stellar Black YA writers, to Netflix as an “event.” This looks spectacular and knowing the book is outstanding, I know I can’t wait.
Speaking of one of those stellar authors, here’s a great interview with Angie Thomas.
At The New York Times, Marjorie Ingall asks why there are so many Holocaust books for kids. The bulk of the discussion is on younger children’s materials as opposed to YA, but this is great reading for anyone invested in kid lit.
Fear Street is leading to an interest in adapting more 90s YA horror. Nostalgia is both awesome and exhausting.
Dungeons + Dragons novels and graphic novels for YA readers will be coming soon.

New YA in Hardcover

All These Warriors by Amy Tintera (series)

Creatures of the Night by Grace Collins

Faking Reality by Sara Fujimura

Flash Fire by TJ Klune (series)

The Great Big One by J. C. Geiger

The Mythic Koda Rose by Jennifer Nissley

Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma

The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Up All Night edited by Laura Silverman

When All The Girls are Sleeping by Emily Arsenault

When We Were Strangers by Alex Richards

Wings of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto (series)

XOXO by Axie Oh

New in Paperback

Accidental by Alex Richards

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune (series)

Home Home by Lisa Allen-Agostini

Parachutes by Kelly Yang

The Unleashed by Danielle Vega (series)

When She Reigns by Jodi Meadows (series)

YA On Book Riot This Week

White gatekeeping in YA harms actual teens, not social media
Loved Legendborn? You’ll want to try these 15 books like Legendborn.
And then for the readers who can’t get enough Sarah J. Maas, other authors like Maas you may enjoy.
A couple of excellent YA picks on this roundup of books about healthy masculinity.
Three new YA books about love and dance.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again on Monday. May the rest of your week be packed with great reads.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

Big thank you to Tor Teen and Flash Fire for making today’s newsletter possible!

What's Up in YA

YA for Disability Pride Month

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date July 12, 2021

Sponsored by the audiobook edition of Flash Fire by TJ Klune, read by Michael Lesley.

Flash Fire is the explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author TJ Klune, read by Michael Lesley!

Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, but with new heroes arriving in Nova City, it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic.

Hey YA Readers!

Where June is known as Pride month, honoring, celebrating, and understanding the history and lives of those in the queer community, Pride continues in a different way in July. The origins of the celebration have been linked to more than one place and time — Boston held the first Disability Pride Parade in 1990, while New York City declared July Disability Pride Month in 2015, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act — but over the last few years, awareness and celebration of Disability Pride Month has grown.

The Disability Pride movement even has its own flag, designed by Ann Magill. You can see the influence other Pride movements have had in amplifying this celebration in it:

In honor of Disability Pride Month, in addition to educating yourself about disability — both that which is visible and that which is not — it’s the perfect time to dig into YA books featuring disability. I’ve included a couple of forthcoming titles for your preordering as well.

YA Books Featuring Disability

Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong (Young Reader Edition) — October 26

Wong’s incredible anthology featuring an array of disabled writers exploring life with disability hit shelves last summer for adults. This fall, young readers will get the chance to pick up this powerful and crucial anthology.

The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary by NoNieqa Ramos

This voice-driven novel follows Macy as she navigates her own tumultuous home life—one with an inconsistent mother, a father in prison, and a younger brother in the foster care system because of repeat CPS visits—with understanding why it is her best friend has been pulling away from her. These are teens living hard, hard lives and still managing to get up every day and go through the motions, much as it leaves an impact on them physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Macy has a psychological, potentially neurological, disorder that impacts her daily life and the relationships with her best friend and family.

A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley (November 2)

This memoir is the story of twins Ariel and Zan, who were diagnosed with Crouzon Syndrome — a condition where bones in the head fuse prematurely. Ariel talks about the numerous reconstructive surgeries they had growing up and more, the mental and emotional realities of living with facial disfigurement.

Finding Balance by Katy Gardner

Mari and Jase both attend Camp Chemo annually, where they get to be fully themselves as cancer survivors. Jase keeps this part of his life buried except for camp and his annual oncologist visit; Mari, who is an amputee, chooses to live openly about her survivorship. They’re close at camp, but when Mari transfers to Jase’s school, his cover might be blown.

Two Girls Staring At The Ceiling by Lucy Frank

There are very few characters in YA—and in fiction more broadly—who have Crohn’s Disease. Told through the voices of Chess and Shannon, this novel in verse is about two girls dealing with Crohn’s Disease, one who has been working with the illness for a long time and one who, after an unfortunate incident with a boy she was beginning to like, is newly diagnosed.

Unbroken: 13 Stories Featuring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp

This much needed, vital anthology featuring disabled characters by disabled authors includes stories from authors like Keplinger, Stork, and Duyvis named above, but also Heidi Heilig, Dhonielle Clayton, Kayla Whaley, and more.

I’d be remiss not to also mention Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy, the anthology I edited, which features an incredible array of disabled voices, including Deafness, chronic illness, amputation, and so much more.

Likewise, some of these titles were pulled from a larger post on excellent YA disability books. Dig into this selection, as well as even more YA books about disability.

As always, thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Thursday!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

Thank you to the audiobook edition of Flash Fire by TJ Klune, read by Michael Lesley, for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

What's Up in YA

Foodie Books, Summer Days, & Queer Love: Your YA Ebook Deals This Weekend

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date July 8, 2021

Poison Hearts & Horror Reboots: Your YA News & New Books, July 8, 2021

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date July 6, 2021

Sponsored by Darling by K. Ancrum, with Fierce Reads

Reimagining Peter Pan for today’s world, this YA thriller follows Wendy as she gets lost on a dangerous adventure after following Peter into the city’s underground.

“Darling is the Peter Pan retelling with the diverse cast and queer representation of your dreams.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times–bestselling author of Cemetery Boys

Hey YA Readers!

First, a giant thank you to the marvelous Tirzah for covering this newsletter while I was out. I’ve really enjoyed reading what she’s shared and hope you have as well.

This week’s roundup of news isn’t as robust as usual, thanks to the long weekend and holiday in the US. The same goes for this week’s new releases; it’s a little slower, but that just means more time to catch up on your reading.

YA Book News

A peek at the upcoming Pretty Little Liars reboot on HBO Max.
Did you happen to watch the first installment of RL Stine’s “Fear Street” Netflix trilogy yet? I think the comparison here to Scream is an interesting one in that they emerged in the teen world at the same time.
Netflix ordered another YA book series, this one by Ali Novak.
This roundup of Canadian books to read this summer includes some fantastic YA picks.
The next round of Star Wars: The High Republic books are coming and it includes a YA title.

New YA Releases This Week

Hardcover

Any Way The Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell (series)

The Betrayed by Kiera Cass (series)

If You, Then Me by Yvonne Woon

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts

The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning (series)

Rise To The Sun by Leah Johnson

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (first in a series)

Summer in the City of Roses by Michelle Ruiz Keil

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler

Paperback

#NoEscape by Gretchen McNeil (series)

Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee, Michael Dante DiMartino

Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin (series)

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

An Education in Ruin by Alexis Bass

Evolution by Teri Terry (series)

The Girl in the Headlines by Hannah Jayne

One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson, Tonya Bolden (nonfiction)

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning (start of a series)

Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch, Kristen Simmons (start of a series)

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

What We Devour by Linsey Miller

At Book Riot This Week

Which literary princess are you? I’m Sara Crewe from A Little Princess.
2021 YA romances to pop onto your TBR.
10 YA books you’ll want to read this July.
Toss these 3 romantic YA reads into your beach bag for your next adventure.

Thanks for hanging out. I’ve missed y’all, and I can’t wait to get back in the groove of talking books. I had the chance to read so many outstanding YAs lately. Currently digging into Anton Treuer’s Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Reader Edition).

See you Saturday with YA ebook deals!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram

Big thank you to our sponsor Darling, by K. Ancrum, with Fierce Reads. Peter Pan remixes are hot this year!

What's Up in YA

Your YA Book News and New YA Books: March 25, 2021

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date March 23, 2021

YA Book News

Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover is slated for adaptation.
This year’s Audies winner in the YA category is Clap When You Land.
Peep the next novel from Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal.

New YA Books

You may need to toggle to paperback editions once you click the link.

Anna K by Jenny Lee (paperback, series)

Bruised by Tanya Boteju

Fadeaway by E. B. Vickers

Flamefall by Rosaria Munda (series)

The Follower by Kate Doughty

Girls With Rebel Souls by Suzanne Young (series)

Lost In The Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

Master of His Fate by James Tobin

My Name Is Not Peaseblossom by Jackie French (paperback)

Renegade Flight by Andrea Tang

The Secret Recipe for Moving On by Karen Bischer

Spellhacker by M. K. England (paperback)

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani (series)

We Unleash The Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia (series, paperback)

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker (paperback)

With a Star in My Hand by Margarita Engle (paperback)

Your Heart, My Sky by Margarita Engle

This Week at Book Riot

Dig into these YA historical fiction starring teen girls of color.
YA thrillers starring marginalized teens.
And don’t miss these YA books about survival.

Thanks for hanging out! I’m off for my parental leave and Tirzah will be taking over the YA newsletter until I’m back in July. Rock on, y’all!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

What's Up in YA

(3/22) Rad Girls and Women in YA Collective Biographies

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date March 22, 2021

Girlhood: Teens Around The World In Their Own Voices by Masuma Ahuja

Of the books on this list, Ahuja’s might be the most contemporary in terms of who is highlighted — these are teen girls of today living “ordinary” lives around the world. It’s such a neat collection of experiences, wherein the teen girls were asked to journal about their day-to-day lives, and despite how many corners of the world they came from, there were so many connecting themes throughout. It’s a gorgeous book to boot!

Girls Who Run The World: 31 CEOS Who Mean Business by Diana Kapp and illustrated by Bijou Karman

This book is a couple of years old, so some of the leaders highlighted may no longer be in the positions they were when it initially published, but what a treasure trove! Looking for inspiration when it comes to being a CEO of a big or small business? Kapp’s collection offers female-identifying leaders from makeup brands to startups to technology and more. Each entry offers what the individual does, but also grounds their lives in the sorts of things teens want to know — what are their bucket list dreams? What was their high school GPA? Paired with lovely illustrations by Karman, this is a fun one to peruse.

Native Women Changing Their Worlds by Patricia Cutright (April 27)

From historical to contemporary change makers, Cutright’s book is the ninth in a series of books that highlight Native and First Nations people. This collection showcases 12 women from a wide range of tribes and affiliations who’ve gone from any number of challenging backgrounds to become politicians, activists, educators, scientists, and more.

She Represents: 44 Women Who Are Changing Politics . . . and The World by Caitlin Donohue

A highly designed and readable collection of women in the United States and across the world who are political leaders, as well as community activists, grassroots change makers, and more. In addition to the women profiled, there are several more lists throughout the collection offering pathways into learning about other women rocking it in political change.

Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports by Ann McCallum Staats

The first book in a forthcoming series of collective biographies, this collection features 15 women involved in extreme sports. Among the athletes included are those involved in cliff diving, Formula 1 racing, wingsuit flying, and more. The women are international, diverse, and, of course, show the highs, lows, challenges, and wins that come along with extreme sports.

Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science by Marie Moinard, illustrated by Christelle Pecout

An outstanding STEM read, this comic collective biography is all about rad women in science, past and present. Space, chemistry, computing, telecommunications, and more are among the fields these women have excelled. Global in scope, some of the women will be familiar to readers, while others will be new discoveries.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you later this week. If you haven’t heard yet, this week is my last week for Book Riot before taking maternity leave. You’ll be left in the capable hands of Tirzah for the newsletter until I’m back in July — and trust me when I say I plan on using this time to read awesome YA *and* board books with my new baby girl (I can’t wait until I get to introduce her to the women in the books above!).

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Giant thanks to Quarto Press and the (badass!) This Book Is Anti-Racist Journal for making today’s newsletter possible.

What's Up in YA

Sweet YA Ebook Deals This Weekend

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date March 19, 2021

Sponsored by Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley with Fierce Reads

The groundbreaking thriller that Courtney Summers calls “gripping and unforgettable” centers on Daunis, a biracial unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal who’s never quite fit in. After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover with the FBI. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up, and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?

Hey YA Fans!

Crack open your ereader and prepare your wallet. It’s time to grab some outstanding YA ebooks on the cheap.

Deals are current as of Friday, March 19, so snag anything you see now, as these could disappear at any time.

Have you read the highly decorated Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas yet? Grab it for $3.

Fable by Adrienne Young, first in a fantasy duology, is $3.

Speaking of fantasy duologies, King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo is currently $3.

I really enjoyed Kim Liggett’s The Grace Year, which is on sale for $3.

Need some horror? Zoraida Cordova’s fabulous Labyrinth Lost, first in a trilogy, is on sale for $2.

Anna-Marie McLemore’s Blanca and Roja, a fabulously lush magical realism story, is $3.

Ballet + Paris = Bright Burning Stars by AK Small. $2 and a great way to prepare for the adaptation!

Tara Sim’s Scavenge The Stars, first in a series, is $2.

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen was unlike anything I’ve read before last year and it’s currently on sale for $3.

Lyla Lee’s I’ll Be The One is such a feel-good read featuring a fat, bisexual Korean American lead character and plenty of K-pop. $3.

Last, but not least, friendship and romance are at the center of The Summer of Impossibilities by Rachel Allen, a story to get you in that summer mood. $3.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Monday!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Big thanks to Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley for making today’s newsletter possible (pick this one up if you haven’t!).

What's Up in YA

Your YA Book News and New Books This Week: March 18, 2021

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date March 16, 2021

YA Book News

Here are this year’s Lambda award finalists and there are so many great YA picks throughout!
Speaking of finalists, here are this year’s Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Book Award picks.
Your YA science fiction and fantasy menu for March is packed with tasty options.
Some news about Netflix’s First Kill, based off the short story by VE Schwab in the Vampires Never Get Old anthology.
I for one cannot wait for Concrete Cowboy to hit Netflix next month. I loved G. Neri’s graphic novel and am excited to see Idris Elba take on the project.
It’s fascinating when a yet-to-be-released YA novel’s buzz begins with adaptation news. Here’s some news about the forthcoming book Mice.