The pressure cooker of external expectation meets a roaring furnace of personal ambition in this Shakespearean tale by Barrow (And Don’t Look Back). Located on the coast of Washington, Gardner-Bahnsen School for Girls has a unique educational philosophy that melds high academic standards and athletic pursuits with survivalist skills including hunting and wound care. Seventeen-year-old scholarship student Max—who grapples with internalized shame about her family’s less affluent lifestyle, relative to her peers—endeavors to win the Tierney Cup, an annual survivalist competition. Her plans are derailed when she learns that her former best friend Nora and transfer student Teddy will be participating as well. Nora, whose romantic advances Max spurned, finds in Teddy a partner who encourages her to step out of Max’s shadow; Max wrestles with jealousy over Nora and Teddy’s relationship; and Teddy struggles to manage her own violent urges. As the trio juggle the competition alongside mundane stress about academics and family, they must reckon with the sacrifices they’ll make to achieve their goals. Via three close third-person perspectives that center nuanced discussions about class differences and belonging, Barrow weaves a stunning tapestry of complex character flaws and motivations while creeping toward a haunting climax. This is dark academia at its finest. The protagonists are Black. Ages 14–up. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

Gaddy (Well of Spoons, for adults) views the fight against slavery in the U.S. during the Civil War era from the perspectives of four mid- to late-19th-century teens determined to build upon their abolitionist parents’ work. Lewis Douglass, son of activist Frederick Douglass, worked for his father’s newspaper in Rochester before enlisting in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first Black military regiment formed by the U.S. government. In Boston, George Garrison, son of the Liberator newspaper editor William Lloyd Garrison, resisted following his father’s career, traveling West to help bolster anti-slavery efforts: “George wanted to learn by doing, not by reading books.” Charlotte Forten, whose family founded the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society, left Pennsylvania to teach Black children in the South. And advocate Miller McKim’s daughter Lucy eagerly dedicated herself to anti-slavery activism while opposing her family’s expectation that she also become a wife and mother. Initial chapters detail the figures’ childhoods, imagined in somewhat plodding prose. Still, immersive newspaper clippings, excerpts from historical documents, and subjects’ diary pages—particularly Forten’s, which extensively detail her teaching experiences—recount the figures’ lives from 1854 to 1872, making for an absorbing portrait of young adults trying to do good in a divided nation. Ages 14–up. (June)

Correction: The text of this review has been updated for clarity.

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

British poet Bilston (Refugees) delivers heart-wrenching insight and frequent laughs in this pet-themed poetry collection. Cats type missives in a selection whose title mimics text produced via a paw-smashed keyboard (“Twelve whole pages/ containing just the number 7 seemed a little excessive”), and dogs opine about watering flowers in “a short poem written by my dog” (“Roses are grey/ Violets are grey/ I cock my leg/ And give them a spray”), while stanzas about other offbeat creatures resonate with dry humor and surprises. One amusingly notes that blue whales make poor pets because they “take up all the sofa” and “can be hard to get into their carriers when/ it’s time for the annual check-up.” Creative typesetting amplifies the whimsy present in some poems: black type becomes fainter as it describes a vanishing chameleon, and a wandering snail’s trail loop-de-loops across pages. Featured alongside these silly and irreverent moments are poems that evoke tears, as in a verse about a pet yearning for a chance to be “the one” adopted from a shelter, and another about a beleaguered child persevering through an awful day because their dog awaits them at home. Ages 8–11. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

Following WWII, a brutal winter was descending on war-torn Europe, and “children’s bellies growled,” writes Levy (The Key from Spain)—“There was peace, but not enough to eat.” In Washington, D.C., journalist Drew Pearson (1897–1969) had an idea: a cross-country “Friendship Train” that Americans could fill with food staples for eventual delivery to Europe. Children rallied to the cause, contributing their “ice-cream nickels” and trick-or-treating for donations instead of candy. Pencil, black tea, and gouache artwork by Kulikov (Stay Curious!) employs the sepia tones and grainy textures of vintage photographs, but not the snapshots’ static feel. Sweeping historically informed spreads convey a nation galvanized as the ever-growing train winds across the United States. The images, some seemingly drawn from a child’s-eye view, celebrate U.S. children’s generosity to their overseas counterparts as emphatic text reveals how European children responded to the offerings with gifts of their own. It’s a potently meaningful look at how, in that moment at least, the question “Would Americans care for strangers as they would care for friends?” was answered with a resounding yes. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A concluding author’s note offers context. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

Even though nonbinary teenager Misha was braced for disaster during their road trip with their mother, they didn’t expect that they’d already be lost on day two of the excursion. Worse, they’ve stumbled into the Spirit Realm, which is populated by entities who feast on unsuspecting humans. A wolfish and mischievous spirit named Odun offers to guide them through the Ancient Forest to seek help from powerful beings who can traverse between the Spirit and Material Realms. But when they learn that their return hinges on mother and child reconciling, Misha loses hope: they’ve been at odds with their frequently absent parent for years. The strained relationship is worsened by their mother’s apparent struggle to accept Misha’s identity as well as Misha’s fears about expressing how their mother’s inconsistent behavior and misgendering has hurt them. As the duo contend with personal mistakes and traumas, they must also evade combative spirits and uncover Odun’s mysterious motivations. In this emotionally gratifying debut graphic novel, Aden utilizes warm, muted tones to render a comforting and eerie mythic setting against which parent and child learn how to navigate their shifting relationship. An author’s note and details about the novel’s design process conclude. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

U.K. creator Prentice-Jones centers the spiritual power and mystical origins of tarot in this exhilarating fantasy graphic novel debut, a series launch. When James Birdwhistle enters the coffee shop where Eli Jones works, neither young adult knows that the other hides an affinity for magic. Nevertheless, sparks fly. For both James and Eli, this seemingly random encounter turns out to be not only the start of a romance but the establishment of a supernatural link to the Arcana, “a centuries-old organisation created as a sanctuary for witches and later as a protector of the magical world that lives alongside the world of man.” As James helps former foster child Eli control his powers, Eli connects with and cultivates a found family of other young Arcana witches. Each protagonist stars in their own chapter, which is denoted by a tarot card related to the character and their personal arc. Stylized artwork is rendered in softly shaded, monochromatic hues punctuated by glowing yellows symbolizing magic and ombré fade-outs signifying flashbacks and preternatural visions. Using a sweet queer romance as an anchor, Prentice-Jones encourages exploration of self, the witches’ place within a community, and their personal gifts, magical or otherwise. Characters are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 14–up. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

After being abandoned by his mother, a queer teen endeavors to cultivate a sense of home and belonging in this tender and heartfelt graphic novel reimagining of Anne of Green Gables. Living on the road with his flighty mother, who has an alcohol dependency, forced pale-skinned 15-year-old Dan to assume adult responsibilities early in his childhood. His nomadic lifestyle abruptly ends when his mother takes him to rural Tennessee to meet his late father’s parents; the next morning, Dan is heartbroken to realize his mother is gone, leaving him with the grandparents he’s never known. Growing pains abound as his headstrong and free- spirited nature clashes with Pawpaw’s strictness, religious teachings, and homophobic ideologies. Despite his strained relationship with Pawpaw, though, he bonds with Mawmaw. Now attending a local school, Dan makes friends, encounters bullies, and tries to carve a place for himself in his new community. Animated, intricately detailed artwork by Aguirre (Lifetime Passes) has a watercolor feel that evokes a nostalgic 1990s ambiance. Utilizing a bustling, distinctly limned cast anchored by a protagonist whose personality leaps off the page, Terciero (Northranger) explores religion, generational trauma, acceptance, and self-worth with grace. Ages 12–up. Author’s agent: Brent Taylor, TriadaUS. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

In the magical nation of Cifra, three honors students enroll in a class with a dark objective: kill or be killed. As Cifra’s only school, “built upon the traditions of a bloodier time,” that’s willing to train gifted young magicians in the dangerous art of severance, or cognitively leaving one’s body, the Stellarium’s elite honors program tasks 13 students with killing their teacher, a devil, before the last day of class. Failed attempts are punished by death, and all remaining students are killed if the devil-professor survives to the final bell. For ambitious Fabian, his flighty stepsister Euphemia, and their numbers-loving friend Credence, the honors program—which secures voting rights, high-paying jobs, and student loan waivers for graduates—is the only hope of a successful future. But how does a mortal teenager kill an immortal being? Esoteric prose occasionally stifles a compelling premise. Miller (Prince of Glass & Midnight) nevertheless devises a fresh, physics- and chemistry-driven magical system and utilizes cerebral close-third-person storytelling and biting narration to confront the twisted politics of dark academia. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rachel Brooks, BookEnds Literary. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

A trio of teens set out to rescue a peer and uncover a secret society in Thompson’s creatively imagined queer historical fantasy debut. At age 10, Cas and Remy become estranged after clairvoyant Cas portends Remy’s father’s violent future death. In the following eight years, Cas continues to have visions of various deaths. Remy, meanwhile, with help from orphaned Irish immigrant Finn, assiduously researches the Order of Lazarus, a group her father was investigating when he went missing around Cas and Remy’s falling out. After Cas somehow shares in experiencing one of her visions with suitor Henry, his emotional response (he “just snapped”) prompts his parents to send him to a boys’ seminary in Maine, “hoping to drive the demons out of him.” Upon learning that the institution is connected with the Order, Cas persuades Remy and Finn to rescue him, and they stow away, disguised as boys, on a ship from Massachusetts to Maine, all the while uncovering revelations both personal and supernatural. In this taut, complex fantasy, Thompson skillfully plumbs the white-cued protagonists’ doubts, motivations, and desires, as experienced against a vivid society and setting, to examine themes of found family and identity. Ages 14–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt Zacker Literary. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

After his friends bail on him for the summer, 18-year-old Dakarai Barbier attends a CYPHR concert alone. There, Kai runs into his new coworker Elias Davis, also 18, who’s just moved from New York City to Raleigh to stay with his uncle following a physical altercation. When the concert is canceled due to a power outage, the two find themselves with time to kill. Then CYPHR announces a secret show for which admittance requires participating in a scavenger hunt that incorporates a series of riddles. As Kai and Elias work together to solve the clues, each one sends the teens across town, prompting them to perform random acts of kindness. Along the way, their fledgling friendship grows, as does a quiet mutual attraction. But as they learn more about each other, they must contend with their own insecurities. Focusing on a lived-in character dynamic set against an idealized metropolitan backdrop, Tucker (Rules for Rule Breaking) crafts a joyful queer rom-com that’s reminiscent of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Kai and Elias’s adventures have a hazy, fairy tale–like vibe that complements the novel’s low-stakes conflict and liminal-feeling happenings. Kai and Elias are described as having brown skin. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink