I love a good spunky YA heroine! Fantasy is full of them, but YA contemporary has some great ones as well.
These are my fave contemporary heroines who are brave, ambitious and take on the world.
This Is Not the Real World
About the Book
This is Not the Real World by Anna Carey
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
In the sequel to This is Not the Jess Show, Jess has escaped the reality show that kept her unknowingly trapped on a 1990’s era set her entire childhood. She and her boyfriend, Kipps, are living with her fake sister Sara (who fake-died of cancer on the show) and working to expose the evils of the show.
But the show isn’t ready to let either of them go. When the show tracks them down, they capture Kipps, who isn’t eighteen yet. His parents are willing to send him back for a paycheck, and Jess is told that her only way to see them is to rejoin the show. After the secret group trying to expose the show tells Jess they need an agent on the inside, Jess agrees to go back. She wants to spend time with her boyfriend, steal evidence and take down the show. But the producers aren’t going to let their best show go without a fight. Jess and Kipps are in more danger than they know.
This book was interesting because Jess is in on the concept now. She can go to employee break runs, recognize who’s a series regular and a guest star, and finds out about the hidden nooks and crannies that hid cameras and future era tech.
Jess struggles to come to terms with her parents and their decisions, as well as knowing who else on set she can trust. Her relationship with Kipps is the only bright spot in her life. He balances her out and keeps her sane, while his love of his family is admirable.
As life within the set gets worse and worse, Jess must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to stay.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Firekeeper's Daughter
About the Book
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
This book will haunt you long after you finish it.
Daunis was raised between two worlds – that of her wealthy white grandparents who have buildings named after them and her Native relatives on her father’s side. She’s learned to navigate both worlds, honoring her Native traditions and helping her mother care for her sick grandmother. She even starts to fall for her brother’s mysterious hockey teammate, Jamie, who came out of nowhere. But when someone she cares about deeply is murdered, she questions everything and everyone she thought she knew. Someone is trafficking meth, and it threatens to tear apart the community she loves.
This book deals with prejudice in a powerful way. As someone who’s got a foot in both worlds, Daunis is sheltered from some of it, until violent acts of betrayal drive home what it truly means to be a tribal member.
I also loved Daunis! She’s a confident, fearless girl who played hockey on a boy’s team. She’s a vulnerable grieving friend. And she’s super smart and not afraid to carve out her own path.
This thriller will keep you turning pages to find out who’s behind the influx of meth and what will happen to the main characters as the threat closes in.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
About the Book
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
Genre: YA Contemporary
Book Review
This book is all about Charlie Vega truly believing she’s worthy of love, just the way she is.
Charlie’s Hispanic, smart, funny and fat. She envies her best friend, Amelia, who is slender and Black. She struggles with her relationship with her mom, who lost a ton of weight after Charlie’s dad died. Her mom’s constantly trying to get Charlie to lose weight. Charlie scrolls the #fatfashion posts and finds inspiration in the fat acceptance community. But in the end, it’ll be up to Charlie to overcome her own insecurities enough to find love.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
What's Not to Love
About the Book
What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: YA Contemporary
Book Review
Allison and Ethan have one main purpose in life – to beat each other at everything, including valedictorian. But their rivalry and obsession starts to lead to sparks in this enemies to lovers romance. These two are a delight. The snarky dialogue provides some laugh-out-loud moments.
This book also perfectly captures that stressful feeling that the rest of your life is being determined by every little decision your senior year, as Allison and Ethan both aim to get into Harvard. The past and future high school high achievers of the world may recognize themselves in the pages. It may even encourage them to let loose a little.
Allison and Ethan also end up planning a high school reunion together, which leads to Allison worrying about what her high school memories are and whether she’ll hold onto any of the people who are important to her now, including her best friend Dylan.
This is an angsty story about what it means to leave high school behind.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Like Home
About the Book
Like Home by Louisa Onome
Genre: YA Contemporary
Book Review
This reminded me of the musical In the Heights and Angie Thomas’s books.
When a brick is thrown through the window of the Ginger Store, which is like a second home to Chinelo (or Nelo), it threatens to change her world forever. Now, her best friend Kate’s family, who run the store, may sell it and move from their lower-income neighborhood, Ginger East. Nelo and Kate are the only two left in their group of friends, and Nelo worries that she’ll be left all alone. She launches a quest to prove that the brick was thrown by an outsider, not someone from the neighborhood. The incident also brings some of their childhood friends back, as everyone has a different reaction. This was a book about the ties we have to our communities.
Onomé isn’t afraid to have her characters show complicated emotion and challenge each other on their perceptions of the world. We have Nelo, who fiercely loves her neighborhood just as it is, and ends up on TV for it. Then the boys, Bo and Rafa, who left but still have ties to the area. This book tackles tough topics like gentrification and exploitation and the judgement low-income communities face from the outside world.
I also loved that Kate and Nelo’s friendship faced challenges, and none of the characters were perfect. But in the end, their love for each other wins. It was also great to see Nigerian rep in a young adult book.
It was powerful to see how each of the residents and former residents of Ginger East reacted to the changes in their neighborhood.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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