Tag: realistic

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2026) Featured Review: Dear Manny by Nic Stone

  • Dear Manny
  • by Nic Stone
  • Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
  • Release date: March 4th, 2025
  • ISBN: 978593308035

Third in the Dear Martin series, this installment focuses on Jared, the rich white boy, and his struggle to find his way in life while dealing with family traditions and expectations. He hopes to find a person he likes being at the end of the struggle. Jared’s dad is pressuring him to make decisions that will align with the family legacy but Jared is not sure if that is something he wants to uphold. Along the way, he begins to have strong feelings for Dylan, his political opponent. Needless to say, this is not what his father is looking for from him. If that is not enough to keep them apart, the host of obstacles that they need to overcome might be.

Complex characters like Jared (not just a rich white kid) and Dylan (feisty and confident) will keep readers engaged. Jared’s evolution from spoiled to aware of his white privilege will keep readers interested. Familiar characters like Justyce and SJ will make readers of the first two books smile to see them again. John Preston IV is a character that readers will root against. Dear Manny continues Nic Stone’s pattern of rallying against a system that allows injustices to happen on a daily basis. The plot moves at a rapid pace, which will increase reader appeal. The theme of equality for diverse members of our people is supported well by characters that readers will connect to, feel empathy for or be concerned about.

Teens interested in books about social justice, making the world a better place and having a strong sense of right vs wrong will enjoy this book. This will appeal to fans of the previous two books in the series, as well as those who are fans of authors such as Angie Thomas and Jason Reynolds. It also will hold up well as a stand alone book.

– Melissa Palmer

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: Truth, Lies, and the Questions In Between by L.M. Elliott

Patty didn’t become a Congressional page to make any kind of political statement about women’s rights – she just wanted to prove she’s a good daughter, and a future wife to her boyfriend Scott. But Washington is a whole different world from her home in Illinois, full of passionate people fighting for different causes. As she grows closer with her new friends, and witnesses important political events and the hypocrisy of politicians, Patty begins to question everything she’s ever been taught by her conservative parents.

Full of historical facts and inspiration, but also written in a way that highlights how many of the issues in 1973 are still relevant today, this book is a powerful look at what it means to come into your own. Patty’s struggles between her own growing beliefs and those she knows her family, particularly her father, hold are both engaging and relatable for teen readers. The inclusion of real historical photos and articles at the beginning of each chapter grounds this book for readers and offers insight into the time period. Elliot’s writing style is engaging, and readers will feel issues and experiences are being considered with respect.

This story will appeal to teen readers who are interested in both current events and the history of modern social justice movements, as well as those who enjoy political dramas. Teen readers who enjoyed feeling transported in time, and learning about the sociopolitical environment in history, during Last Night at the Telegraph Club will appreciate Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between. This book would also be good for readers who enjoyed Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams and how the main character began questioning and building her own beliefs.

– Erica Schimmel

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