Solitaire, by Alice Oseman, is a realistic fiction novel set in the same universe as most of Oseman's other books. Victoria Spring, more commonly known as Tori, likes blogging and sleeping. She doesn't have a real friend group at school, so she drifts through her life as a character in her brother's and his boyfriend's life. That is, until she discovers a trail of Post-It notes from her locker to an unused computer lab, where she finds a note from Solitaire.
She Drives Me Crazy is teen novel following the relationship between basketball player Scottie Zajac and cheerleader Irene Abraham. It’s the start of the basketball season, and Scottie’s team is playing against their rival high school. When Scottie is assigned to guard her toxic ex-girlfriend Tally her focus starts to slip and they end up losing.
The Deepest Breath is about a girl named Stevie. She wants to know about a lot of things in the world, and her list of questions is never ending. The reason she wants to be so knowledgeable is to know how to keep her and everyone she loves safe. Throughout this book, she is constantly learning how to cope with her worries. But, there is one very important thing she must know- what is this fizzy feeling in her chest when she is with her friend Chloe?
This book is definitely in my top 10 books of this year. I loved the portrayal of lgbtq+ themes with fantasy. It also has a mythological aspect to it. It’s honestly refreshing to see a book that has lgbtq+ as a subplot and focuses more on fantasy. Most lgbtq+ book are more slice of life or coming of age, although those are fun to read from time to time. Overall I loved this book.
After Virgil’s parent’s divorce he finds himself in a small town in Florida where he sticks out like a sore thumb. One night he stumbles into the streets, bruised and bloody. Virgil was attacked by a monster in the forest. But nobody believes that he was attacked like he says. Suddenly, the most painful night of his life turns into something he gets constant ridicule for. Grappling with this and trying to sort out what attacked him is hard. He must be careful though; he doesn’t want to become a monster himself. But after that night things just aren’t right...
What If It’s Us is about two guys named Ben and Arthur who met at a New York City post office. Arthur was on his way to work, while Ben was sending off a heartbreaking box with his ex-boyfriend's belongings in it. When the two crossed paths, they were unable to forget each other even though they thought they would never see each other again. They defied all odds and find each other once more and decide to start a relationship, but will their flourishing relationship last?
This novel is presented as a letter from a 29-year-old author, Little Dog, to his illiterate mother. His writings flow from his youth in an abusive home, his relationship with his Vietnamese mother and grandmother, to his first job in the sweltering tobacco fields. The narrator, freed from the pressure of anyone ever reading it, pours his heart and story onto the pages. The result is a beautiful story of love, danger, family, abuse, race, class, and coming-of-age as Little Dog recalls his youth.
The Song of Achilles, written by Madeline Miller, is a fictional romance novel, set in ancient Greece. Set from the point of view of Patroclus, a young boy exiled from his home to the kingdom of the young prince Achilles, whose mother is a small god. Patroclus is one of the many boys Achilles’ father has taken in, but as Patroclus and Achilles become closer, Patroclus becomes his right-hand man. Achilles is everything Patroclus is not, strong, smart, and charismatic.
