Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is a realistic fiction novel about Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza. Aristotle is a lonely, angry teenager. He wants to learn more about his brother, who is in prison. And his father, who has become quiet and closed off after returning from war. Once he meets his best friend, Dante, he starts questioning more things than he ever had before.
After her father receives a cryptic letter from her cousin Catalina, young socialite Noemí Taboada is sent to visit High Place, the crumbling mansion where Catalina lives with her new husband. Upon arriving at the remote estate, Noemí receives a frosty welcome from Catalina’s English husband and his family, as well as a list of strict house rules. As Noemí begins to uncover the decrepit house’s violent past, she starts to realize there might be something more behind the troubling dreams and visions she has begun to experience.
Meet Oscar, a strong-willed senior in high school. He has high hopes to take over his families’ Swedish food truck business. While at school, he meets Mary Louise, a girl who is the total opposite of Oscar. They both plan a minimal food waste project that includes his food truck. Despite all the chaos around them, a romance blooms between the two as they face each of their own struggles.
Aideen is an imperfect teen that is facing many problems. She suddenly finds herself in a situation that she can solve. She decides to help Meabh, an overachieving, stressed out classmate, by pushing her down the stairs. After finding out that Meabh was able to get away from her problems, students with their own issues come to Aideen. This in turn leads Aideen to run her own secret business all while juggling her own problems at home. Will Aideen be able to solve her own problems and help others? Read more to find out!
The Ghosts We Keep is a heartbreaking story that contains realistic scenes of death, love, and healing. Liam’s brother, Ethan, was killed in a hit and run. While the family grieves over the death of Ethan, Liam struggles with maintaining relationships with friends and dealing with grief. He seeks comfort in Ethan’s best friend, Marcus, and learns secrets about Ethan that weren’t known when he was alive. Though this book is contains tons of tragedy, it will leave you feeling empowered at the end.
Join friends Alex and Anthony in a long journey that forces them to face their feelings. In a small town where basic necessities were taken away, lives Alex and her best friend Anthony. Alex, having her own regrets about family, decides to help Anthony find his mom. As they both walk ten miles to the next town over, they come across some unusual sights. This book is full of raw emotion and friendship, perfect for those who want a glimpse of reality.
Real, Not Perfect is a book that will definitely stir up feelings of hope and optimism in your soul. Tessa, an only child, seems to have a perfect life. She has good grades, she is adored by her parents, and she is active in her swim team and in church group. But, it all falls apart when she finds out her parents are divorcing, her best friend moves away, and she gets stuck in an unbearable drama class. She soon makes friends in her drama class that help her see the brighter side of life.
Emily, a strong and determined girl, used to be gifted with luck, until her mother died from cancer. Now, three years later, her bad luck doesn’t seem to stop. Until she and her new friend Blake, find a bucket list that had belonged to Emily’s mom. They both decide to go on an emotional adventure filled with love, fear and acceptance hoping to complete the bucket list. Do Emily and Blake complete their mission? Read more to find out!
Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab is a Teen Fiction novel. It is a diverse and heart wrenching book with many ups and downs. Breath Like Water is about a Latino girl named Susanna who lives in Chicago with her friends and family. Susanna loves to swim, that’s her life, swimming and competing, that is until she meets a boy at a swim meet. They become friends and soon something more, until a series of events forces them apart.
Yunjae lived his whole life wondering what it was like to be “ordinary”. Diagnosed with alexithymia at a young age, Yunjae never felt or understood human emotions. Despite his mom’s efforts to teach him, no Post-it note could ever truly turn him into the “normal” kid she wanted.
However, after witnessing a terrible incident on Christmas Eve — which is also his birthday — he had only himself to rely on. Or so he thought.
