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Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
View All posts by Erica Ezeifedi
If you’re looking for more ways to spend bookish time this summer, Kelly Jensen has a great article on book bedazzling. Book bedazzling seems like the perfect next step after having a year full of beaucoup custom book edges and special editions with fancy new covers. The best thing about it is that you can use books you already have, so you’re only coming out of pocket for glitter and rhinestones.
Now when it comes to new YA releases, I have to admit that this week hasn’t been the busiest, but there still is a campy graphic novel and a power-girl romantasy. The new paperbacks are also bringing some heat.
New Hardcover YA Releases This Week
Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell
Hawthorne Vandercast’s plans involve something that sounds like it belongs on RuPaul’s Drag Race. They want to move into a glamorous castle, known as the Brigade of Shade, thus leaving behind their boring life as a potion barista. But this girl Maple kind of steals their evil spotlight, even though she’s all bubbles and sunshine. Then an accident happens—someone dies—and Hawthorne is thinking maybe villainy isn’t quite where it’s at. I love a good YA graphic novel, and this one has a fun subversion of good/evil tropes and even some tender moments.
All access members continue on for more new YA releases out this week
Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
View All posts by Erica Ezeifedi
Steel and Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth
While romantasy seems to be all the rage these days, and therefore kind of everywhere, there’s something about Steel and Spellfire that feels fresh. Maybe it’s the cover that looks a bit different, or maybe it’s the main character, who has to hide her immense power as a gifted mage in a world that fears people like her. When Pandora poses as a young lady entering the social season in order to find a husband and someone to control her magic (tuh), she accidentally shows Kit, a Royal Guard, the true extent of her power. Intead of ratting her out, he decides to help her, but things get a little tricky when someone with magic like Pandora’s starts killing the other young ladies of the season…
New Paperback YA Releases This Week
Fatima Takes the Cake by Khadijah VanBrakle
The title and cover of this one had me thinking it’d be a little foodie meet-cute. And it is—at first—but oh, how it changes. Fatima Tate’s interests go beyond what her conservative Muslim parents see for her. She wants to be a baker (which they don’t want), and she starts a secret relationship with this charming college student, Raheem (which they super don’t want). In a seemingly nice turn of events, both of their parents come to together to arrange their marriage, but that’s when it all goes downhill. Raheem’s demeanor changes, and what’s worse, he’s threatening to expose their premarital sexual relationship to their whole community if she calls the wedding off. Fatima will have to figure out how she wants her life to go for herself if she’s to have any kind of happiness.
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza
Brett has a lot going on. His adoptive mother has been diagnosed with cancer, he doesn’t like his body, feels like a burden to his best friend, and thinks no one will love him. To deal with all of this, he writes epic fantasies that include an intergalactic comic book series. But even those are starting to not be enough, and then one day his journal gets posted online for all his classmates to see (and yes, it has all the mess he’s going through). His eating disorder ramps up, but there is a new, fiery person in his life who just may help him see through it all.
For more new YA releases, make sure to check out past weekly roundups.
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