“See You Yesterday” by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a refreshing new take on the classic time loop plot. Our protagonist, Barret Bloom, is a college freshman who just wants to turn over a fresh page at her new school after a troubled high school experience. Instead, she has a completely disastrous first day and ruins any chance at a positive reception from those around her. In dismay, she falls asleep… only to wake up again to the exact same day.
Malinda Lo’s “A Scatter of Light” is a coming of age novel that sadly falls flat in comparison to its semi-companion piece: “Last Night at the Telegraph Club”. This novel centers Aria Tang West, a teenager sent to live with her grandmother in California as punishment for a scandal that she caused during her last week of senior year.
Julie Berry’s “Lovely War” is a poignant, moving take on passion, young love, and the loss of innocence. The novel begins with a conversation between the Greek gods in an effort to answer why Love is always drawn to war, but quickly spirals into the tale of Hazel and James, two teenagers in a time of chaos.
Dahlia Adler’s Cool for the Summer is a passionate, nostalgic take on young love and identity. Lara returns to high school after a magical summer and immediately hits it off with her longtime crush, Chase. She’s thrilled, but is suddenly caught off guard by the reappearance of Jasmine, the girl she spent the summer with. Told in both the present and in flashbacks to the summer, the novel follows Lara as she grapples with her feelings for both Jasmine and Chase.
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of two young lovers who are caught in the middle of a feud between their families, the Montagues, and the Capulets. Romeo, a Montague, is in love with Juliet, a Capulet, and their families are sworn enemies. Despite the obstacles they face, Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other and secretly marry each other. The play is set in the Italian city of Verona.
The One is the final installment in the story of Maxon and America. Finally, after weeks and weeks the competition is down to just four girls, each with their own benefits and drawbacks for the throne of the country. It is finally time for Maxon to choose a bride, but the rebel attacks, the political confusion and America's own confusion may complicate this. America finds herself losing feelings for one of the boys but is the other one slipping out of her fingers at the same time?
The Elite is a continuation of the Selected series. It follows America as she becomes one of the top eight contestants in the Selection. She still struggles between the decision of Maxon or Aspen (who has become a guard at the palace where she is staying). At the same time, she's learning more about the political state of her country and the secrets of the king and his predecessors. She even begins to learn more about the rebels - and what they might want from her.
The Selection is a book about a teen named America. She lives in a dystopian society where everyone is separated into numbered castes: she is a Five, and the only chance she has to change that is to enter the Selection. A competition where the prince of their society will choose a bride, it is every girl’s dream chance for love, riches, and power. But even though America eventually becomes one of the Selected, her heart lies somewhere else: with Aspen, a Six who she secretly meets with in her tree house at home.
