“When everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.”
Juliet writes letters to her mom. Well, to her mom's grave. It's the only thing that helps her cope with her grief, with pretending to be fine. Declan finds a letter left on a grave. On a whim, he writes back. Suddenly, the two teens find themselves in a relationship that will challenge and comfort them.  She's a top student, he's the resident bad boy. Yet the more they talk, the more they realize they have in common. But will their relationship survive Declan's dark secret?
   Not your typical teen romance, Letters to the Lost is a fantastic story about grief, guilt, and learning to move forward. The relationship between Juliet and Declan is a classic 'Romeo & Juliet' one (without the double suicide, thankfully). At school, they come from very different groups. The anonymity of their letters allows them to be honest with each other in a way they can't with anyone else, and they begin to learn from each other.
 The romance is fantastic, but what is even more special about this novel is the friendship between Declan and his best friend Rev. The two young men come from difficult homes and are written off by the school as wasters and criminals. In a world where men are often told not to cry, it is gloriously refreshing to see a male friendship where they cry together, talk to each other, and offer genuine support. Rev isn't afraid to confront Declan when he's behaving badly, and Declan trust Rev enough to be openly emotional with him. Their friendship is explored even more in the follow-up novel, More Than We Can Tell. 
This is a great read, one that is honest and not afraid to challenge its readers. If you like romance, and beautiful friendship, then this is definitely for you.

This title is available from the Library.

By Rebekah W
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This book is a murder-mystery in which four high school students are the suspects. The books switches perspective between these four people.

The book opens with four students going into detention. After a short period of time, a fifth student, Simon, who runs a popular gossip site called 'About That', is dead in the classroom and the four other students are all murder suspects. Not only were Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper the only people in the room but they also all have devastating secrets that Simon was close to publishing. As the story goes on we learn that it is possible the students have been framed, but they continue to find out each other's secrets leaving them confused as to who they can trust. Romance, bullying, cheating, and family issues entangle the four main characters as they try to find out which one of them did it, or who would want to set them up for murder.

I really like how this story switches perspectives of the characters so we get to see different points of view. There is loads of unexpected surprises throughout the book. I would definitely recommend reading this book!

​By Doireann O'Donnell

It is set in Orlando, Florida in the 21st Century. It's a modern mystery book about an 18 year old boy named Quentin, or Q for short. The book won the Edger Award for Best Young Adult Book. 

The book is about Q, who lives in a suburb of Orlando. He is neighbours with a girl named Margo Roth Speigelman. Margo is a popular, pretty girl that everyone wants to be; except Margo is unsatisfied with her life. Her parents don't really care for her and she longs to get away from everyone. Q has spent years loving her from afar, but he doesn't really know her. Until one night, when Margo climbs through his window and enlists him to a night of adventures involving getting revenge on her friends and ex-boyfriend. The next day Margo disappears. She leaves a breadcrumb trail of clues for Q. When Q finally finds her she tells him that she thought no-one in Orlando really cared about anything that really matters, until that night with him. She tells him that she is leaving Orlando for good, and realizes that she wants him to come with her. 

​This book is very good in the sense that it is really funny, entertaining and very well written. It's very descriptive, and lets you picture the world in your head. It has a lot of metaphors that make you think about certain things. There isn't a lot to criticize in this book, apart from the fact that the plot line is quite straightforward. There's not many twists or turns or complications. I think the author wanted his readers to focus on the little details of the story, like why Margo left, or why she wanted Q to go with her. 

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. It makes you laugh and think and cry, and it's overall a great book! 

​By Amelie Palud Lenahan 

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1. Eleanor and Park ​by Rainbow Rowell
“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”
A beautiful story of first love, set in 1986, what begins as a shared bus seat and love of music becomes an iconic romance for the ages. 

2. What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
“I believe in love at first sight. Fate, the universe, all of it. But not how you’re thinking. I don’t mean it in the our souls were split and you’re my other half forever and ever sort of way. I just think you’re meant to meet some people. I think the universe nudges them into your path.”
A classic meet-cute set in New York, this is the story of love at first sight. 

3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
“You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world...but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”
A modern classic about heartbreak, centered on two terminally ill teens who risk the hurt of falling in love.

4. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
“I want to say It's okay to be a person. We're all afraid. We all get hurt. It's okay to hurt. You'd be so much more likable if you just acted human.”
An enemy-to-lovers story, two very different teens collide and learn to celebrate what makes them unique.

​5. The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
“See, the thing about the falling in love montage," she said, her voice hoarse, "is that when it's over, the characters have fallen in love.”
What begins as a fun romance quickly becomes a tangled mess of emotions.

By Rebekah Wade

A prequel to the bestselling The Hate U Give, Thomas’ latest novel travels back in time to the youth of Maverick Carter – father of Starr.
As a young, black man in the 1990s, Maverick knows the rules of the streets. He needs to, as a King Lord and son of living legend Big Don. But when he suddenly finds himself as a teenage father, he discovers that there is no rule book... Especially when the mother of your baby is not your girlfriend.
On the outside, Maverick is your typical teen whose life seems destined to end in jail or death. He deals drugs, he skips school, his only ambition is to survive. And yet, Maverick is loyal to his friends and family. He is kind, and generous. He tries to be a good son, and despite many struggles as a new parent he is a caring father. Throughout the novel, Maverick is confronted with that ever-elusive question: What does it mean to be a man?
Thomas gives us plenty of examples of men, and just as we feel we know what stereotype we are dealing with she flips it. Violent gang members are loving family men. Strict businessmen are emotionally supportive. Seemingly strait-laced men are still able to throw a punch. We see ‘manhood’ in all its complexity. In the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter protests, this insight could not be more timely. As Maverick says when a white lady pulls her purse closer as he gets into the elevator – “People way more scared of me than they oughta be.”
An absolutely fantastic novel for readers of all ages. It will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you think.

​By Rebekah Wade

You could be forgiven for thinking, on hearing the term 'Young Adult Fiction', that this genre is exclusively the domain of people between the ages of 13-18yrs. It is a common mistake. Another one, is to assume that it's only focus is teenage angst.  In fact, YA fiction is as varied as its readers. Demons, vampires, and witches exist alongside broken homes, awkward romances, and young activists. This is a genre whose target audience are beginning to see the darker side of the world, and to encounter real challenges. It is not surprising, therefore, that real world issues are a key element (directly, or indirectly). Take, for example, Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give, a novel that directly deals with the shooting of an unarmed black man in the U.S. Or The Burning by Laura Bates which deals with imaged based violence against women. These are not the idyllic books you might expect, and they are all the better for it.
  Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series sparked a new interest in YA literature, and helped to bridge the gap between young readers and adults. Since then, the genre has gone from strength to strength. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort for more diverse stories and voices. LGBTQ representation has begun to shine with authors like Robin Talley, Becky Albertalli, and Alex Gino unabashedly telling old stories with new identities. Likewise authors of colour, like Angie Thomas and Dean Atta, are reclaiming their narratives with aplomb. Mental health, too, has seen a rise with novels like All The Bright Places and Eleanor & Park gaining a large following. Of course, the genre has its fair share of fun, uplifting reads. Notably David Yoon's Super Fake Love Song and Kate Weston's Diary of a Confused Feminist. 
  It is an exciting time for Young Adult fiction. And there is every reason to believe that the best is yet to come.
 
​by Rebekah Wade