Recommended Young Adult books and news for November
In our final round-up of young adult titles for the year, we are championing a debut author with a brilliant new novel set in a Beijing International School, a novel set in an elite academy with a murder mystery at its core, a re-imagining of a Chinese classic with a feminist take, as well as new short story collections from bestselling authors, Rainbow Rowell and Neal Shusterman.
For our children's round-up this month, take a look here.
YA BOOK OF THE MONTH
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang
Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student in a sea of uber-wealthy classmates. But she has a plan: be top in the class, attend a prestigious university, secure a killer job, and finally lift her family out of poverty. Then her parents drop a bomb – they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship. But that’s the least of Alice’s problems, because she has started uncontrollably turning invisible.
Soon, Alice has a new plan: offer her invisibility services to find out what her classmates want to know – for a price. But between balancing schoolwork, a growing relationship with academic-rival-turned-business-partner Henry, and stealing secrets, things start to fall through the cracks.
Our reviewer, Angela, says, 'This is a charming romantic comedy that explores class, societal expectations and what it means to be truly seen.'
A boarding school story with a twist for ages 12 and up.
FOUR MUST-HAVE YA BOOKS THIS MONTH
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew
Due November 9
Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she’s Deaf. So when she’s accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she’s excited for the chance to prove herself.
Colton Price died when he was nine years old. Quite impossibly, he woke at the feet of a green-eyed little girl. When she told him to live, he obeyed. Twelve years later, Delaney wants to keep her distance from Colton – she seems to be the only person on campus who finds him more arrogant than charming – yet after a student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit-hole of deeply buried university secrets.
Our reviewer, Jennifer, says, 'The Whispering Dark is perfect for anyone who loves dark academia, enemies-to-lovers romances, supernatural thrillers and own voices representation.'
A gothic murder mystery for ages 15 and up.
Strike the Zither by Joan He
The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured and three warlordesses each hope to claim the continent. But Zephyr knows it’s no contest. Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist in the land. Now she serves under the most honourable lordesss, the last one still loyal to the empress. But honour is double-edged in a war where one must betray or be betrayed, and it’s up to Zephyr to infiltrate a rival camp when their survival hinges on it. There is more than one enemy, however – and not all are human.
Strike the Zither is a brilliant, action-packed YA/crossover fantasy about found family, rivals and identity, in which Joan He reimagines Three Kingdoms, a classic from Chinese literature, with new female agency.
Fantastic fantasy for ages 13 and up.
Gleanings by Neal Shusterman
Due November 16
There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the instruments of population control.
Neal Shusterman - along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofia Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman - returns to the world of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between.
Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor-winning Scythe truly is.
Thrilling stories for ages 13 and up.
Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell
Due November 9
Rainbow Rowell has won fans all over the world by writing about love and life in a way that feels true.
In her first short story collection, Scattered Showers, she gives us nine beautifully crafted love stories. Girl meets boy camping outside a movie theater. Best friends debate the merits of high school dances. A prince romances a troll. A girl romances an imaginary boy. And Simon Snow himself returns for a holiday adventure.
It’s a feast of irresistible characters, hilarious dialogue, and masterful storytelling, in short, everything you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell book.
Romantic stories for ages 12 and up.
NEW NON-FICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS
You Don't Know What War is by Yeva Skalietska
This is the gripping, urgent and moving diary of young Ukrainian refugee, Yeva Skalietska. It follows twelve days in Ukraine that changed 12-year-old Yeva’s life forever. She was woken in the early hours to the terrifying sounds of shelling. Russia had invaded Ukraine, and her beloved Kharkiv home was no longer safe. While she and her granny were forced to seek shelter in a damp, cramped basement, Yeva decided to write down her story.
Yeva records what is happening hour-by-hour as she seeks safety and travels from Kharkiv to Dublin. Each diary entry is supplemented by personal photographs, excerpts of messages between Yeva and her friends and headlines from around the world, while maps help the reader track Yeva and her granny’s journey through Europe. You Don’t Know What War Is is a powerful insight into what conflict is like and an essential read for adults and older children alike.
Suitable for readers aged 12 through to adult.
NEWS AND EVENTS IN NOVEMBER
- The Readings Prizes were recently announced in an exciting live ceremony. The Young Adult winner was Underground, a remarkable graphic novel about the peace movement by Mirranda Burton. You can listen to a podcast of Mirranda talking with Bernard Caleo about her book here.
- The Wheeler Centre is running Spring Fling, a series of author events, over the month of November. You can explore the program here. There is also an event for and by teens on November 17 (online and live) called Teens Talk...Schooling.
