Chime By Franny Billingsley

A book review by Maddie Soucie

Briony believes she is a witch, something she hasn't told anyone despite how much she wants to. She believes that she used her powers to ruin her sister's mind and to kill her mother. But if she tells anyone this she will be hanged, and she wants to live.

Then Eldric arrives.  Eldric who has golden hair and lion's eyes. Eldric doesn't believe anything dark or bad about Briony despite what she says. He is, though, curious about the deep secrets which she refuses to tell him. He also cares deeply for her and makes her want to cry and spill her guts -- if witches could cry that is. Briony wonders about the Old Ones and half-secrets and clues Rose leaves, hoping others will figure them out.

A story of love and secrets and witchcraft, Chime will have you turning page after page.

Find it in APL TEEN Fiction YA FIC Billingsley, F.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

A book review by Madeline Soucie

Laurel is just starting high school and her first English assignment is to write a letter to a dead person. She ends up writing to a lot of people- Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, and more. She tells them about high school and her life growing up. How her sister died, and the trouble she has been having with her divorced parents. New friends and crushes and such.

   

As Laurel writes her letters and the year progresses, she slowly starts to come to terms with what happened to her. As she comes to terms, she can finally accept her sister's death. Laurel also accepts that she's not mad at her sister, and can move on and find her own path to discover who she is.

   

In this nice and sweet story the reader is introduced to Laurel through her letters. This is a good book for anyone who liked The Fault in our Stars.

Find it in APL TEEN New Books YA FIC Dellaira, A.

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

A book review by Kat Seevers

 

This book is a very compelling and poignant novel. The heroine is a very strong but bruised -- physically and mentally -- character who is not a vampire or shape-shifter, or a fallen angel. Because she is none of those is another reason I found this novel refreshing. That is not to say that horrible things do not happen -- and they do -- retold in flashbacks and memories, but it also shows that things can work out. That a path can be changed, and for the good. That a family can be made up of many different parts and still work.

Find it in APL Teen Fiction YA FIC Murdoch, E.