Review by Georgia S. After finals week I was in need of a quick, easy romance, and Sharpe’s newest novel did not disappoint. I read her previous book, The Girls I’ve Been, last year in a day because I couldn’t put it down. 6 Times is a love letter to fanfiction and teenage queer romance, but also deals with heavy topics. Tate and Penny’s lives have been intertwined since birth, as their mothers have been best friends for decades. When Tate’s mother (once again) gets very sick and is in need of a liver transplant, Penny’s mother jumps in and offers to donate part of hers. With both parents bein ..read more

By Ava K. Synopsis from the publisher: Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine. Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.) These days, there’s nothing between th ..read more

By Amia D. Editor’s note: Readers are advised that this book includes mentions of suicide, self-harm, depression, rape, and alcohol abuse. When I first heard of BookTok sensation If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin I was a little apprehensive about starting it. I knew the book did not end on the happiest note, but then again some of the best books never do, so I plucked up my courage and dived in. And OH MY GOSH I can’t believe I ever thought about not reading this book. The story follows Autumn Davis as she navigates what it is to be a teenager in all of its glory and pain. Much of the fo ..read more

By Gray & Zoe D. Editor’s note: I was lucky enough to hear Sylvester speak at a recent Texas Book Festival panel. All quotes are from that event.  Have you ever read Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and thought: gosh, I really wish someone would turn this into a contemporary YA about a disabled Peruvian-Floridian girl who likes mermaids and a boy in her apartment complex with running themes of accepting your identity and a happy ending? Then look no further than Natalia Sylvester’s Breathe and Count Back From Ten! Sylvester’s book is perfectly serviced by her bold writing ..read more

Questions by Zoë G. Texas Book Festival returned to Congress Ave. in downtown Austin this November and with it came hundreds of authors! While we rebuild to the former glory of pre-pandemic Book Festival, Teen Press Corps members got creative with author interviews. Zoë G. sent her burning questions to Katharine McGee, author of the popular The Thousandth Floor and American Royals series. Zoë G.: Who is your favorite character in American Royals? Katharine McGee: I could never pick a favorite character! That said, I am probably most like Beatrice: I am also an oldest child and tend to follow t ..read more

By Georgia S. Get your copy of The Honeys by Ryan La Sala here! Mars Matthias is awoken by his twin sister, Caroline, trying to kill him. Caroline dies while attempting this- “It was a brain tumor”, the mortician says- but Mars knows there is something more sinister going on. Caroline was involved in a secretive girl group of the Aspen Conservancy, so Mars decides to join the camp. His gender fluidity causes the boys in his cabin to treat him as an outcast, but this setback allows him to become close to the elusive Honeys of Cabin H, of which Caroline was the leader of. However, Mars quickly d ..read more

Reporting by Georgia S. BookPeople recently hosted Aaron H. Aceves to celebrate his debut YA novel This Is Why They Hate Us! Teen Press Corps member Georgia sat down with Aaron to chat writing, music, and inspiration for his novel. How and when did you realize you want to be an author? Aceves wanted to get ARCs, but also write his own endings. He wrote his first book at nine years old. He wrote 100 pages and ran out of ideas, so he made the font bigger. His writing journey took off again in college when he realized he wanted one of his stories published. I noticed many pop culture references i ..read more

By Georgia S. Get your copy of The Drowning Summer by Christine Lynn Herman here Have you ever summoned a ghost with your childhood best friend- who you may or may not have a crush on- to clear your father’s name after he is accused of killing three local teenagers? Me neither. But, if you somehow find yourself in that situation, I recommend picking up The Drowning Summer by Christine Lynn Herman for some advice. Evelyn Mckenzie’s life falls apart after rumors spread that her father killed The Cliffside Trio. Although she and her friend Mina have magically cleared his name, Evelyn’s family is ..read more

Review by Isabel C. Get your copy of The Color of the Sky is the Shape of the Heart here Disclaimer: The Color of the Sky is the Shape of the Heart contains mature content dealing with sexual assault, self harm, and depictions of depression and therefore may not be suitable for all readers.  “The color of the sky is the shape of the heart” is a Japanese expression meaning the heart changes as the sky does, it’s a natural cycle from sun up to sun down. The book follows Jinhee (or Ginny, she is referred to as both) Park, an 18-year-old Japan-born Korean as she recounts her adolescent years ..read more