Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Return to Marsyas Island in this powerful, 5-star sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a moving story of resistance and found family, following Arthur and Linus as they fight to protect magical children from a society that fears them. Rich with emotional honesty, it explores what it means to create true sanctuary and the courage required to stand against systemic oppression. A must-read for fans of character-driven fantasy.
Mean Girls meets The Craft in this surreal 5-star trip through the world of elite creative writing. Local author and Syracuse University professor Mona Awad crafts an unsettling, comical, and bizarre “fever dream” where a lonely grad student is pulled into a cult-like clique of “Bunnies.” It’s a masterful satire of academic obsession and the monstrous lengths we go to for belonging. Warning: Things are about to get weird.
R.F. Kuang delivers a haunting Dark Academia twist on Dante’s Inferno. In Katabasis, two rival students descend into Hell to rescue a mentor—not for love, but for their academic futures. Using only chalk, runes, and their wits, they navigate a monotonous yet terrifying underworld. It’s a 4-star exploration of academic trauma and the lengths we go for validation. Perfect for high schoolers who loved Babel or Piranesi.
What if you knew exactly how long every relationship would last? In Expiration Dates, Rebecca Serle explores the thin line between certainty and safety. Through a magical realism lens, this 5-star romance challenges readers to consider the true cost of avoiding heartbreak. It’s a powerful, emotionally honest read for mature teens and adults interested in how fear influences our choices and the courage required to love without a map.
In The Scammer, Tiffany D. Jackson delivers a chilling look at psychological manipulation on a college campus. When an ex-convict brother moves into a freshman dorm at a D.C. HBCU, the “American Dream” turns into a web of secrets and missing persons. Sharp, suspenseful, and deeply relevant, this “New Adult” thriller explores the dangerous price of being a “good friend” and the resilience required to break free from a predator’s control.