Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
A chilling and compact contemporary retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale, T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead balances eerie body horror with fast-paced Gothic suspense. Following retired soldier Alex Easton into a nightmare of bizarre fungal overgrowths and family secrets, this masterful novella delivers rich atmosphere without graphic violence. An excellent addition for high school collections exploring literary retellings and environmental dread.
Exploring the beautiful complexities of Deaf culture, Anna Sortino’s debut novel Give Me a Sign follows seventeen-year-old Lilah as she navigates community, identity, and romance at a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind. While the story features vital representation and an innovative audiobook production that captures hearing loss, a lagging mid-plot and some unrealistic pacing choices keep it from being a total page-turner.
Fueled by sharp wit and undeniable chemistry, Lynn Painter’s Betting on You features a delightful enemies-to-lovers story set against a kooky hotel waterpark backdrop. When old acquaintances Bailey and Charlie reunite as coworkers, a series of romantic bets and a fake-dating scheme blur the lines between friendship and a crush. A charming, banter-heavy contemporary young adult romance that high school readers will readily devour.
A dark chapter in upstate New York history is meticulously reconstructed. By blending court records with historical storytelling, Hickey examines the 1905 tragedy that rocked Scriba, NY. This is a sober, deeply researched investigation into a cycle of abuse and violence. It’s a compelling and essential read for local history enthusiasts, though best suited for mature readers.
Jennifer A. Nielsen’s Resistance breathes fresh, thrilling life into a crowded historical fiction market. Focusing on the harrowing journeys of a teenage courier in Nazi-occupied Poland, this masterfully researched novel perfectly balances heart-pounding suspense with the devastating realities of the Holocaust. An absolute must-have for middle and high school library collections, especially for fans of fast-paced survival stories and historical narratives like those of Alan Gratz.