Treasonous Tycoon (The Adventures of the Flash Gang, 2) by M.M. Downing & S.J. Waugh Genre: Middle Grade Fiction / Historical ISBN: 9781646034031 Print Length: 218 pages Publisher: Fitzroy Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Warren Maxwell Rich in crooked schemes and youthful hijinks, this noir-tinged sequel returns to a band of memorable depression-era street orphans as they investigate a Nazi plot. Betrayal, malaise, and the simple exhaustion of being the underdog challenge Lewis and his band of friends as they try to reveal corruption hidden in plain sight. H ..read more

The Rookie Spellslinger by Patricia Harrington-Duff Genre: Fantasy / Supernatural ISBN: 9798988089926 Print Length: 350 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker An enchanting heroic adventure that tests loyalty, honor, and friendship Alex is an apprentice at Master Sly’s Ghoul, Rodent, and Venomous Eggplant research facility. She’s a half-human half-werecat with an inclination toward monsters. They even call her Monster Girl there. To make the task of getting a new nickname difficult, Alex has Greeneyes as a pet—a flying fuzzy poof ball that she can communicate with telepathica ..read more

Terra Solaris (Gods and Monsters) by Jaiden Baynes Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Myth ISBN: 9781998753277 Print Length: 374 pages Publisher: BayMar Publishing Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Audrey Davis A formidable tale of power and creation In a very distant past, but a universe quite similar to our own, Gods, Titans, and Monsters roam the planets amongst the humans.  When the human Typhon’s greed and desire for power overtakes him, he aims to conquer the Kosmos and all its inhabitants, leaving a scarred, torn world in his wake. The goddess Terra, in an effor ..read more

Deluge by Carolyn Watson Dubisch & Mike Dubisch Genre: Middle Grade / Graphic Novel ISBN: 9781312369603 Print Length: 50 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Kathy L. Brown Laura’s new town is cursed in ways both obvious and hidden. Can she solve the mystery behind the dangers, or must she remain trapped in Deluge forever? In Deluge: The People That Melt in the Rain, a stranger comes to town. Yet it’s the town itself that’s strange; the new girl, Laura, appears to be perfectly normal. Laura and her mom move to Deluge for a new, perhaps too-good-to-be true, job.  But they are imme ..read more

Heart of Grit by Shelli Sivert Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction ISBN: 9798350924480 Print Length: 316 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser A heartfelt & lovely historical drama for young adults Set in 1860, Shelli Sivert’s Heart of Grit explores the lives of two teenagers living on the American frontier during a time of unrest. Beatrice Brannon and Charlie Rye haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but both can agree they want better lives for themselves. When a contest is held to land a spot working for the Pony Express, they finally see a solut ..read more

Magic Beyond the Mark by Emily Swiers Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy ISBN: 9798989640409 Print Length: 232 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Samantha Hui A young girl gains the voice to speak up and the courage to save her town Broken promises sprinkled into tea. Creatures that feed on fleeting thoughts. Curse eating eels. Magic Beyond the Mark invites audiences into a world in which our feelings and fears are made tangible. “‘Magic can be very specific, mostly because people believe what they want. Magic just pushes us along.’” In the world of Emily Swiers’ Magic ..read more

Ever the Same by Michelle Wishner Genre: Young Adult / Romance ISBN: 9798888242162 Print Length: 170 pages Publisher: Koehler Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Kristine Eckart | Content Warnings: Near rape A teenage dream that turns into a nightmare, blending the truths of real life with the fantastical love stories that readers expect from romance novels When Sam’s family moves to a new town, her senior year in high school gets off to a rocky start. The move takes her away from her friends and the home she’s always known, and it creates a rift between her and her ..read more

Jigsaw of Light by JC Button Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Adventure ISBN: 9781399967150 Print Length: 324 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph This action-packed adventure sees a teenager supernaturally-surf across oceans to save the planet and find his father. When we first meet fifteen-year-old Zebedee, he’s lonely in London, exhausted from constant nightmares of dramatic waves that ruin his sleep and missing his father who mysteriously disappeared three years ago to the day.  On the anniversary of his father’s disappearance, Zeb receives an urgent and secreti ..read more

The Things He Could Have Been by W. Nikola-Lisa Genre: Nonfiction / Young Adult / Sports ISBN: 9798986017372 Print Length: 92 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt Homeruns, humor, and heart—a playful exploration of what-ifs surrounding a baseball legend’s alternate destinies W. Nikola-Lisa takes readers on a spirited journey beyond the diamond to uncover the untold tales of American baseball icon Babe Ruth in The Things He Could Have Been. This young adult sports biography is not your average baseball saga; it’s a delightful exploration of the off-the ..read more

Everything That Was by K.R. Hansen Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Coming of Age ISBN: 9798890790729 Print Length: 292 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by J.B. Leddington A powerful novel that explores the profound impact of loss and the enduring power of memories K.R. Hansen’s Everything That Was centers on Prudence “Pru” Spellmeyer, a high schooler whose life is forever altered by the death of her older brother, Davis, just before the start of her senior year. “One perk for members like me of the Dead Sibling Club? […] A void where everything’s numb, where everything’s safe.” Hansen beaut ..read more