NoNieqa Ramos They Thought They Buried Us Horror fan and aspiring film director Yuiza gets a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. As one of the few students of color at Our Lady of Perpetual Mercy, Yuiza immediately feels out of place. A brutal work-study schedule makes…
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Marcia Argueta Mickelson The Writing Room A slice-of-life coming-of-age story that gracefully addresses larger themes of immigration, economic disparity, and emotional abuse. Immediately after high school graduation, eighteen-year-old Maya is kicked out of her wealthy dad’s NYC home; he prides himself on forcing his kids to “make their own way in the world.” Maya’s mom…
Jennie Liu The Red Car to Hollywood Los Angeles, 1924 Sixteen-year-old Ruby Chan considers herself a modern, independent American girl. But when her secret relationship with a white boy implodes—and then is revealed to her very traditional Chinese parents—she’s in a tough spot. Horrified that Ruby’s reputation is at risk, her parents hire a matchmaker…
Jennifer Mason-Black Sometimes the Girl Eighteen-year-old Holiday needs to sort her life out. She’s still shaken from her brother’s recent suicide attempt; still pining over her ex, Maya; and still struggling to write again after a long dry spell. To earn enough money for a rebalancing trip with Maya, Holi gets a short-term job: organizing…
Emma K. Ohland Here Goes Nothing A fun yet thought-provoking modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Eighteen-year-old Beatrice has never been a fan of her neighbor Bennie, but when Beatrice’s beloved younger sister starts dating one of Bennie’s closest friends, Beatrice is drawn into their social circle. As Beatrice wrestles with increasingly confusing…
Lyn Miller-Lachmann Torch Three teens struggle to carve out futures for themselves under a totalitarian regime. Czechoslovakia, 1969 Seventeen-year-old Pavol has watched his country’s freedoms disappear in the wake of the Soviet Union’s invasion. He’s seen his own dreams disappear too. In a desperate, fatal act of protest against the oppressive new government, he sets…
Lyn Miller-Lachmann Eyes Open Portugal, 1967. Sónia thinks she knows what her future holds. She’ll become a poet, and together she and her artist boyfriend, Zé Miguel, will rise above the government restrictions that shape their lives. The restrictions on what Sónia can do and where she can go without a man’s permission. The restrictions…