Tag: Courtney Waters

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: Cope Field by T.L. Simpson

In a version of the near future, high school senior ‘Wayne (the “D” is invisible) Le receives an invitation to join a prestigious study, administered by a well-established university and complete with financial perks upon successful completion of the study. He accepts the invitation, believing that it will appease his perpetually disappointed father and knowing it will delight his information-brokering, hacker friend, Kermit. He is joined by fellow classmate, Jane, with whom he has agreed to meet for regular debriefs about their experiences with the study. As the circumstances and mechanisms of the study become increasingly bizarre, the trio of teens take a plunge down a conspiracy-theory-rabbit-hole, questioning what, exactly, the study is designed to reveal and how far the study’s authors will go in order to achieve the desired results. 

With snarky, self-deprecating humor, ‘Wayne’s first person narrative (complete with footnotes) rotates amongst various ephemera like letters, text conversations, screenshots from the study’s phone app that detail daily assignments, documents, and even interjections from both Jane and the author herself. As the mystery of the study unfolds, so too do ruminations on mental health, identity, origami, technology, and personal growth. This book is unusual in just about every sense, but readers will be sucked in by the quick pacing and puzzle-box plot. By the end readers will be desperate to discuss their own theories with others who experienced this weird, thought-provoking book.  

Teens who seek something smart and offbeat will find this debut particularly satisfying. This doesn’t read like a traditional YA book, so teens who gravitate towards adult books will appreciate that it doesn’t spell everything out for them. Fans of weird sci-fi novels like M.T. Anderson’s Landscape with Invisible Hand or Ian X. Cho’s Aisle 9 will be drawn to This Moth Saw Brightness. This will likely also have appeal to fans of other offbeat YA authors like A.S. King and Sean McGinty. 

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

In the country of Walstad, the Holtzfall family reigns supreme, both in material wealth and in magic. To be a member of that family implies a glittering life of leisure and media attention, but when the current heiress, Verity Holtzfall is murdered, ostensibly during a random mugging, matriarch Mercy Holtzfall calls for the Veritaz Trials. These trials are a potentially deadly set of challenges designed to assess various virtues and will determine who among the next generation of potential heiresses is worthy of inheriting all of the Holtzfall wealth and magic. Will it be Nora, Verity’s daughter and former heiress-apparent? Or will she be too distracted by investigating her mother’s murder? Will it be her cousins Modesty, Clemency or Constance? Or will it be Lotte, the secret cousin who has been raised in a convent, completely unaware of her connection to the legendary Holtzfalls?

The Notorious Virtues blends an original fantasy world with elements of high-stakes competition and mystery. The characters are well-realized and the dialogue crackles with wit. The pacing is steady and propels readers through the 500+ pages with ease. Twists and turns abound, keeping readers on their toes, right up to the satisfying, yet unexpected ending.

The genre-blended title will appeal to any teen who loves fantastical settings, competitions, mysteries, or any combination of the three. Fans of series like The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Barnes will be drawn to this book. For a more fantastical take on succession-based competition, readers should also consider Four Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: The House No One Sees by Adina King

In a mix of prose (present day) and verse (past), Penny is forced to reckon with her past when a night out at the fair with her friends is interrupted by a text from her mother asking for help. Penny is compelled to go to the house no one sees – the house she grew up in with her opioid-addicted mother. When she enters the now-abandoned house, she is taken aback by the flood of memories, good and bad.

This gut-punch of a novel will keep readers hooked from beginning to end. Teens who have grown up with an adult that struggles with addiction will find many points of resonance in Penny’s story. The myriad ways in which addiction has shaped Penny’s life are presented in razor-sharp verse, a format that suits the tumbling thoughts running through Penny’s head as she enters the house of her youth. The narrative is unconventional and while not focused on plot per se, Penny’s reckoning with her past and her feelings about her mother ring true. A stable life in Penny’s present reassures readers that there’s hope on the other side.

Fans of grittier realistic fiction and novels in verse will find much to appreciate here. The unusual structure and writing style will appeal to fans of A.S. King’s work. Fans of challenging, yet honest verse novels like those of Olivia Cole will also be drawn in. For those seeking another title about a parent struggling with addiction, Hey Kiddo by Jarret Krosckza, would be a solid recommendation in spite of the difference in format.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: Pick the Lock by A.S. King

  • Pick the Lock
  • by A.S. King
  • Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books
  • Release date: September 24th, 2024
  • ISBN: 9780593353974

Jane has finally figured out that her father lies – to her, to her brother, to God. After years of standing by while her father dictates her punk-rock legend mother’s movements throughout their house via a system of pneumatic tubes, Jane discovers the tapes from their house security system. As she secretly watches the footage that reveals the extraordinary degree of manipulation of which her father is capable, her frustration and fury drive her to begin picking apart the lies that have locked her family up and write a punk opera to channel her rage.

In signature A.S. King style, this ambitious novel explores a number of challenging themes in unique ways. The narrative is primarily Jane’s but other voices, like that of her equally manipulative aunt and her pet rat Brutus, also share their perspectives. Readers will be spellbound as they piece together the machinations along with Jane and the libretto for Jane’s punk opera will feel cathartic. For as unusual as the narrative, characters and setting may be, universal themes of agency, truth, feminism and identity will resonate with readers. This thought-provoking novel will stick with readers long after they finish turning the pages. 

Teens who appreciate challenging and sophisticated novels will embrace this book.Fans of A.S. King’s earlier works, particularly works like Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future and Dig, will not be disappointed in her latest YA outing.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: Dust by Alison Stine

  • Dust
  • by Alison Stine
  • Publisher: Wednesday/St. Martin’s Press
  • Release date: December 3rd, 2024
  • ISBN: 9781250878731

Partially deaf, white teen Thea lives with her family on a remote Colorado farm during a particularly bad dry season. Her father won’t allow phones, internet, outsiders, books or even pants for the women in the family. Her only outlet is her job at the local diner where she meets other residents of the area, including another teen her age with a hearing disability. She starts to learn about all the things she’s been missing; things like where the dust storms that ravage their farm come from and how to communicate in ASL.

This near-future climate fiction novel places the characters at the center of the story. Thea’s partial deafness is cleverly represented by blank spots in the dialog, signaling every time someone turns away, obscures their mouth, or mumbles. The dust storms are vividly described in all their destructive glory, which propels the plot and creates an immersive setting. Thea’s growth throughout is particularly engaging and the lovely locals, including a friendly librarian, reflect the character of her new community.
Teens who are fans of coming-of-age stories, disability lit, or more subtle speculative settings will find Dust edifying. Readers who want to see how another partially deaf teen is handling coming-of-age, but in a more pre-apocalyptic setting would enjoy The Words in My Hands by Asphixia. Readers who want to read another tale of a teen finding the courage to rebel against her heavily restrictive parents may enjoy Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin

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  • The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine
  • by Lindsay A. Franklin
  • Publisher: Enclave Escape
  • Release date: February 4, 2025
  • ISBN: 9798886051780

Emlyn “Emmy” DuLaine stopped writing and telling stories after her sister unraveled and vanished before her eyes seven years ago. Now she is at a loss when a small dragon that she wrote about as a child has appeared in her bedroom. She follows it to a portal located in the exact place her sister disappeared and decides that going through it may provide the answers she’s been seeking. The world she lands in, Rivenlea, is remarkably similar to the world she set her childhood stories in and she soon learns that she is part of a team tasked with fixing broken stories. Dubious of her own abilities but desperate for answers, Emmy reluctantly accepts her role and continues investigating her sister’s whereabouts. The longer she stays in Rivenlea, however, the more she notices troubling signs that both Rivenlea and Earth are breaking – and she is somehow at the center of all it.

This love-letter to the power of stories is a compelling take on the portal fantasy genre. Emmy is a loveable, snarky protagonist who has read tons of YA and is very aware of tropes, giving the sense of humor in this series opener an amusingly self-aware vibe. The world-building is meticulous and immersive, both in Rivenlea and in a broken version of Oz that Emmy and her new friends are sent to fix. The plot is unpredictable, but readers will enjoy the satisfying way details fit together by the end of the book.

Fans of portal fantasies will find lots to love in Emmy’s story, as well as readers who enjoy seeing characters or settings from familiar and beloved works of literature in fresh contexts. Hand this series starter to readers who aren’t quite ready for adult portal fantasies like Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series or older YA titles like In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. This would also be a great fit for readers who loved series like Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige or Splintered by A. G. Howard.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

In rural Twist Creek County, West Virginia, trans teen Miles Abernathy has been seeing the ghost of his great-great grandfather, Saint Abernathy, ever since being viciously assaulted by a trio of boys led by local bully Noah Davies and threatened into silence by Noah’s father, the county sheriff. Saint Abernathy was killed for his role in a riot following a mining disaster generations ago. His assailants were the ancestors of the Davies family and while the mining incident is all but forgotten, the bad blood between the two families persists. When Miles accidentally causes the death of one of Noah’s accomplices, he and his friend Cooper, another victim of Sheriff Davies’s brand of injustice, begin to wonder if they’ve done the town a favor. As more and more townspeople come together to push back against the sheriff, Miles will learn just how far he’s willing to go to end the blood feud between his family and the Davies.

This visceral Southern gothic thriller will have readers flying through the pages to see what happens next. Miles is a complex character that leaps off the page and grows in strength and purpose throughout the novel. In spite of the more grisly elements and the ghostly presence of Saint Abernathy, much of the plot is firmly grounded and populated with characters that feel real. The history of the area, including the mining disaster and origins of the blood feud, deepens the plot and provides context to a geographical area often misunderstood by those who don’t live there.

Fans of thrillers with strong LGBTQ+ representation, anyone who likes an atmospheric and immersive revenge tale. Readers who gravitate towards the grisly details and sardonic characters of Mindy McGinnis’s thrillers will find much to love here. Fans of Andrew Joseph White’s previous novels will also enjoy his newest novel.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: Everything is Poison by Joy McCullough

In early 17th century Rome, 16-year-old Carmela has finally become old enough to work in her mother’s apothecary. There, they provide remedies for a wide array of ailments involving an even wider array of ingredients, ranging from the benign to the repugnant, all the way to the downright deadly. Working at the apothecary requires deep knowledge of the ingredients, as well as the kindness and patience it takes to provide medicine to their varied clientele, from the worryingly vulnerable to those who would call the apothecary women “witches” behind their backs. Carmela thinks she has what it takes, but an error in judgement leads to catastrophic consequences for the shop and for Carmela’s family.

Everything is Poison gives readers an engaging protagonist whose eagerness to start her adult life will resonate with teens. Her growth, both as an apothecary and as a person feels earned. The setting is vividly incorporated; one can almost smell the herbs hanging from the rafters. The poetry interspersed throughout puts forth brief sketches of the other denizens of their Roman neighborhood, many of whose stories dovetail nicely with the plot, often underscoring key points of understanding in Carmela’s journey. The pacing is swift and plot compelling; even those who are not generally fans of historical fiction will find themselves engaged.


Hand this book to readers that appreciate historical fiction with social commentary, as well as fans of mother-daughter stories. Those fascinated with poisonous plants and historical pharmaceuticals and medical practices will be delighted with the attention to detail in the inventory of the Tufana Apothecary. Readers whose interest is piqued by the lives of women living in 17th century Italy will also enjoy McCullough’s debut novel in verse, Blood, Water, Paint. For those wanting to know more about some of the ingredients used in Everything is Poison might enjoy flipping through A Deadly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: wicked weeds and sinister seeds by Rebecca E. Hirsch. For a more magical and modern take on a teen learning to be an apothecary, readers should check out This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron.

– Courtney Waters

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026