The book was a captivating and one-of-a-kind experience. The portrayal of grief was beautifully handled, offering a fresh perspective. While the pacing was slower at times, I was completely engrossed. Nesbit, Dove, Drea, Bastion, and Brandy were simply unforgettable. I found myself deeply connected to them all. The ending was incredibly moving, not only because of the emotional content but also due to the bittersweet farewell to such a remarkable group of characters.
I’m a trope-obsessed author who counts found family among her favorite Ao3 tags. I cannot get enough of books which read like fanfiction, and I’ll recommend my favorites every chance I get. I also do my part to put more queer found family books into the world—my debut adult fantasy The Sins On Their Bones is being published by Random House Canada in May 2024. When I’m not writing, I’m a full-time servant to my two enormous cats.
If you’re looking for the best-found family in the most stunning dragon book ever, look no further than the Den in this book, a queer Jamaican-inspired book about magic-wielders and dragon-riders defending their island from colonizers.
I cheered Elara, Faron, and the rest of the cast on as the book soared to thrilling heights and completely swept me away. I came for the world, magic, and dragons and stayed for the banter, found family, touching story of love and loss—and dragons. I firmly believe that this one will become a classic of YA fantasy.
At the stroke of midnight on winter solstice, Libby disappears - vanishing from the face of the Earth. Only her older sister, Kit, and a mysterious boy named Story remember that she ever existed.
To find Libby and bring her safely home, the pair must embark on a perilous journey into the distant past, across a land steeped in ancient folklore. Together, Kit and Story will face dangers beyond their wildest imagination as they race to uncover the secret of the Twelve before Time itself runs out...
This book. This book has it all. Fluff. Banter. Realistic scenes of life not being fair because it isn't. And characters who choose the right thing to do because it's the right thing to do. Bonus points for retelling The Goose Girl without killing an innocent horse. In this book, 'tis but an illusion. And we have a cute baby gryphon too! I loved this book, so much. It's the final book to a series but can be read as a standalone (although it has spoilers for the other books, so if you're planning on reading them, read those first).
She was given a second chance to live a peaceful life. She should have guessed the world wouldn't be so kind.
With her vengeance complete, enchantress Callista has settled into a quiet life. Her routine is shattered when a visitor arrives—the brother she left to die is alive.
Callista's joy is short-lived. A new king has been crowned, but not everyone is pleased, including a lord who needs a witch for his plans. To save her brother's life, Callista switches places with the king's prospective bride using the dark magic she swore to abandon.
I read this first to myself and the second time to my thirteen year old son. It was a page turning thriller steeped in culture and history, family, tradition, and community. It's a bildungsroman within a murder mystery within a wilderness survival story. It was a joy to read with my son and a beautiful reminder of what's truly important in life.
Ezra Cloud hates living in Northeast Minneapolis. His father is a professor of their language, Ojibwe, at a local college, so they have to be there. But Ezra hates the dirty, polluted snow around them. He hates being away from the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation. And he hates the local bully in his neighborhood, Matt Schroeder, who terrorizes Ezra and his friend Nora George.
Ezra gets into a terrible fight with Matt at school defending Nora, and that same night, Matt’s house burns down. Instantly, Ezra becomes a prime suspect. Knowing he won’t get a fair deal, and knowing…
Growing up as a fat kid, I hardly ever saw myself reflected in the media I consumed. If I did, it was by someone relegated to the side character status as the funny fat friend or the cautionary tale. Now, it’s my great joy to spread the word about books that put fat people in the spotlight—living our best lives, falling in love, and just having our much-deserved Main Character Moments.
Jenna Miller’s books read like the best sort of secret between friends, except the friends are anyone who is at least a little bit nerdy—and as a fat nerdy person, I was instantly in.
The main character Jordan felt so relatable to me; everything from the Doctor Who references to being kind of in love with your ex-best friend to the realistic fears of a queer, fat teenager just trying to get by hit just right. As someone who also grew up queer and fat, I had to finish this one in a day!
"Charmingly wry and sharply perceptive. An ode to first love, complicated friendships, and the messy joy of rewriting your own story." -Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Jordan Elliott is a fat, nerdy lesbian and the first junior to be named editor in chief of the school newspaper. Okay, that last part hasn't happened yet, but it will. It's positive thinking that has gotten Jordan this far. Ever since Mackenzie West, her friend-turned-enemy, humiliated her at the start of freshman year, Jordan has thrown herself into journalism and kept her eyes trained…
I absolutely loved Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun, so I jumped at the chance to read an advanced reader copy of her latest work. At its heart, it’s a story about the complicated relationships between siblings but one that weaves magic realism, family mythology, prodigious music and culinary skills and circular storytelling that all kept this reader frantically turning pages, desperate to solve the mystery at the book’s heart—who is the girl with the rainbow-colored hair and how is she connecting to all of the Fall siblings? Ultimately, the story’s resolution made perfect sense and was incredibly satisfying.
"Jandy Nelson is a true virtuoso . . . I am fervently in love with this brave, funny, tender, exuberant beating heart of a book." -Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Imogen, Obviously
The explosive new novel that brims with love, secrets, and enchantment by Jandy Nelson, Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of I'll Give You the Sun
The Fall siblings live in hot Northern California wine country, where the sun pours out of the sky, and the devil winds blow so hard they…
I loved the fantasy, adventure, and romance of this book. It's sort of like a fantastical, more twisty Hunger Games, but with a rich, dangerous world. It's got high stakes, political intrigue, girls with kick-ass powers, and lots of twists and turns.
Ten goddess-touched girls were born. Each was blessed-or cursed-with a unique power that set them apart. As part of an ancient ritual called the Culling, they were supposed to fight to the death in the arena until only one survived. That girl would marry the prince and ascend to the throne. Now only four girls remain.
Power in her blood.
Monroe Benson is one of the lucky ones. With fire at her fingertips, she survived the arena and the intrigues of the palace. Now she's turned her back on her destiny, choosing to throw in her…
This book was an easy choice for me. I always want more books in my genre and I knew the author was a HorseGirl too, so I had high hopes... and all expectations were met! I would describe this the way I do my own work: 50% romance, 50% horse book and that is a magic combination for me! It kept me turning pages to see not only how the characters came together and got over their initial impressions, but how the show season would turn out!
This is a series book, but can be read as a stand-alone (another favorite feature for me that I emulate) though I definitely did not wait long to dive into the rest of the series. They could all make it to this list, but Soar was my first, so it got the spot!
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What is this book about?
Can they soar in the arena…and beyond?
Grand Prix show jumper Trina Powers has one goal: make it to the Olympics. After nearly a decade of failed attempts, injured horses and broken relationships, she's finally a (very partial) owner of the horse that can take her to the top. And she's learned her lesson: no man will stand in her way this time.
That is until Grayson J. Sterling shows up as the new majority owner of her horse. He's brusque and disgustingly rich—the two worst features a man could have, according to Trina—and devastatingly handsome. Can Trina and Grayson…
She thought she had her life back. She was wrong. A gripping debut thriller perfect for fans of Natalie D. Richards and Vincent Ralph.
It was a mistake to trust him.
Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of how she got there-or who she is. A passing officer takes her to the police station, and not long after, a frantic man arrives. He's been searching for her for hours. He has her school ID, her birth certificate, and even family photos.…
