"If He Had Been With Me" by Laura Nowlin

💬:   Autumn and Finn were best friends. For the longest time, they had been inseparable. Everything they did, they did together. Their relationship seemed like it would never break. Until it did. They grew up and apart for seemingly no reason at all. But that's just one of the harsh truths of life, right?

At the start of their freshman year, nobody remembers, or can tell, that the two of them had been good friends. Autumn has a boyfriend and a close group of unique friends. And Finn is that boy. The one that has people around him constantly. The one that lots of people want to be friends with. Naturally, all of Autumn's friends strongly dislike him because of this popularity and because of the people he chooses to hang out with. Despite their differences in friend groups, Autumn can't help but feel the growing and nauseating feelings of regret over their lost friendship. Why did they have to stop being friends?

As time passes, Autumn realizes that she must restore her friendship with Finny before it's too late. Because, after all, fate doesn't wait or anyone. 

A beautifully written coming-of-age/ love story,  If He Had Been with Me is a story that will stick with you for awhile. 

❤: Where do I even start about how much I loved this book? The harsh portrayal of growing up in this novel is fantastic. I usually look for relatable and realistic characters in the books I read and this one has so many. None of these characters are perfect, which makes them 100% more enjoyable. They each make tragic decisions, as do most teenagers do in their high school years. This is a heartbreaking tale of young love that I think all young adults should read. It teaches valuable lessons about time, love, friendships, and the miserable feelings that all teenagers feel while going through high school.  I will warn all who reads this book: make sure you don't read this in public because you will most likely cry. 

💘: My favorite character by far is Finny, who doesn't let his popularity change his kind heart or his caring nature. He is kind and respectful to everyone, especially Autumn. He is the ideal best friend- someone who is there when you need them the most (even if you haven't spoken in a long time). 

"One of Us is Lying" by Karen M. McManus

💬: On one Monday afternoon, five students from Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, AKA the brain, is a smart, rule-following, geek. Addy, AKA the beauty, is the picture-perfect (but perhaps a little too perfect) popular girl. Nate, AKA the criminal, is already on probation for dealing and has spent his fair share of time in detention. Cooper, AKA the athlete, is an all-star baseball pitcher that has plenty of colleges in mind. And finally, there’s Simon. Simon is the school’s Outcast as well as the creator of Bayview High’s gossip app. Simon has information on everybody. And he plans to create the most drama he possibly can. 

But Simon never makes it out of detention. 

Before their detention is over, Simon dies. And according to the investigators, it was not an accident. Simon dies on Monday. But on Tuesday, he had planned to release information on all four of the students mentioned above. Immediately, these four students become suspects in Simon’s murder. Did one of them do it? Or did the real murderer use them as pawns? Every person has secrets. But what matters most is how far you’d go to protect them. 

👍: What I loved most about this book was how it told the story. I loved how each chapter told the story from a different perspective. It gives a cool insight of what each character is thinking but it never gives away too much. This book will have you questioning up until the very end. If you like modern mysteries with teenagers, I highly recommend this book! It exceeded all expectations and the ending made me gasp aloud. 

"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

 

💫New Teen Influencer Post💫

💬: Sixteen year old Starr Carter lives two lives. One life is in the poor black neighborhood that she resides in and the other is in the suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy tension of having to live in both worlds is shattered when she witnesses her childhood best friend, Khalil, get murdered by a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. News spreads about Khalil's death and it soon becomes a headline across the nation. Rumors spread that Khalil was a drug dealer and a thug, but Starr believes that nobody knows who Khalil really was. Even her own best friend from school says that Khalil had it coming. When the police neglect the incident, it becomes clear that civilians must take matters into their own hands. Protests break out and Starr's neighborhood becomes a battle zone. And no matter what their opinion is, everyone asks the same questions: What exactly happened that night? and Why did Khalil get shot? Starr, as the lone witness, is the only one who can answer those questions. But as violence and brutality continues, she soon realizes that her identity must be kept as a secret. 

👍: What I liked most about this book was well... everything. I loved how the author compared and contrasted the two very different worlds that Starr lives in. Throughout the book, she tries to balance both worlds while dealing with the traumatic loss of her best friend.  This book is written from Starr's perspective which gives the reader an insight into how chaotic it is to try and live in two worlds at the same time. Because this book is written from Starr's perspective, we get an emotional and heartbreaking view on the events that occur.  Through it's beautiful writing, the book  and incredibly heart-wrenching. 

The Black Flamingo...Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo & Jason Reynolds!

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta is a powerful debut novel that explores the layers of identity that make us who we are—and allow us to shine.

Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he’s navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican—but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough.

As he gets older, Michael’s coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs—and the Black Flamingo is born.

Accompany Michael on a powerful journey of personal discovery and self love. Told with raw honesty and lyricism, this debut novel by Dean Atta will make you happy, infuriated, sad, and every emotion in between.

           Reserve a copy for curbside pickup or in-person checkout!

There Will Come a Darkness... an epic new series opener with a large cast of characters

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We love this debut series starter, There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool. Oh and it was a 2020 Morris Award finalist.
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The age of darkness approaches in this lush fantasy debut (and part one of a trilogy). Beautiful world-building and amazing characters: a dying girl, a killer, a prince, a soldier... and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.⁠
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Check it out on your Overdrive account today! Don't have a card? Register for an e-card while the physical library remains closed.