Lit Hit List: Recent YA Reads

“Kate in Waiting” by Becky Albertalli (Courtesy of Balzer + Bray via SparkPoint Studio) - 4

Sometimes, I like to think I was a theater kid in high school but reading this book reminds me that I happened to be someone who participated in plays — I wasn’t a true theater kid. Kate, our plucky heroine here, is a true theater kid, and we are lucky enough to get to live out one Fall Play cycle with her, her best friend Anderson, and a few other richly drawn characters. The big drama (outside of the actual dramatics) is that Kate and her (male) bff have a crush on the same guy for the first time ever - and how they deal with it. At it’s heart, “Kate in Waiting” is a story about love and friendship and growing up, with a flair for the over-the-top.

I’m afraid that this will date me, but I have to say that I love how refreshing it is to see things that aren’t white, cisgender, heteronormative relationships being portrayed as normal and not noteworthy. I don’t remember reading anything like that until I was an adult, and I love that the next generation gets that exposure earlier (and without any sort of announcement). It just is a part of the love story, and that’s wonderful. (Bookshop | Kindle)

“The Cousins” by Karen McManus - 3.5

I have a well-documented love of “preppy kids behaving badly” books here on She’s Full of Lit, so naturally, I had to pick up this one when it came out earlier this year. The titular cousins are three teens who are cousins, but also have never met due to a family rift in the earlier generation — until they are summoned to their mysterious (and wealthy!) grandmother’s hometown for a summer adventure. Obviously, the teens are going to try to figure out exactly why their parents were disinherited, and it is quite a journey. All in all, this is a fun read, but it’s not super believable, even when you’re used to suspending reality for the sake of a good book. That said, I didn’t see the way that this book ended coming at all — this would be a great poolside read for this summer: captivating, frothy, with a touch of the absurd. (Bookshop | Kindle)

“Two Can Keep a Secret” by Karen McManus - 4

I’m not sure why I thought this book would be a continuation of the “One of Us is Lying” series, but I really did — and kept hoping that it would be until about page 50 or so. I really wanted someone from Berkley High to pop up, but even though they didn’t, I enjoyed this book immensely! Ellery and her twin brother have to move in with their grandmother, who just happens to live in a town where homecoming queens keep getting murdered. Of course, the two end up getting involved in the mystery, and of course, things aren’t exactly as they seem. Karen McManus reliably tells a twisty teen story, and I love her for it. This one, of the four that I have read, was actually my favorite — just the right amount of creepy for this admitted wuss. (Bookshop | Kindle)

“You Have a Match” by Emma Lord - 3

Last summer, I read “Tweet Cute” by Emma Lord, and I enjoyed it way more than I ever anticipated, so my hopes were high for her newest release, especially as it was set in a summer camp — my all-girls camp in North Carolina remains my favorite place on the planet. Sadly, this one fell flat for me. The premise is great — two previously unknown sisters, a family mystery, and a romance at camp. However, I didn’t think the book executed on it well, and it was just wildly unrealistic. Admittedly, I probably would have enjoyed this more had I not been a camp counselor for several summers — so I know what it’s like to work on a camp staff and how campers are kept safe. The sheer lack of understanding on that from the author really bugged me, and in all honesty, took me out of the story (and made me mad enough to text all of my camp friends about it). (Bookshop | Kindle)

“Good Girl, Bad Blood” by Holly Jackson - 3.75

So, this is inadvertently a roundup of some familiar authors and sequels to books I read last year, but I remember enjoying Pip’s first murder investigation, and so I was eager to return to her world. Last year, I said that “It read almost like a CW teen soap, but sometimes, we all need that,” and apparently, I still need it a year later. In this sequel, Pip’s brought into a new investigation because someone she knows disappears, on the very night that there’s a memorial for Andie and Sal. Pip uses her viral podcast and the skills picked up in the first book to find Jamie, and honestly, I found this storyline more compelling than the first. I’m not sure if it’s because I connected with the characters more, but “Good Girl, Bad Blood” somehow felt more realistic (yes, I realize that’s a little insane to say about a teenage true-crime mystery). Again, Jackson used the “mixed media” format to tell the story: podcast transcripts, journal entries, emails, texts, and I enjoy it, but I also love an epistolary novel. If this isn’t your thing, I just wanted you to be aware. (Bookshop | Kindle)

“The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - 4

This book feels like a modern day update of “The Westing Game,” and I mean that as a high compliment. Avery is a normal and ambitious teen girl, living a relatively normal life in New Jersey, when all of a sudden, she’s named the sole heir to one of America’s largest fortunes. The only catch? She has to live a year in Hawthorne House…with the family that was just disinherited. It’s twisty, it’s clever, and it’s got tons of puzzles — just the kind of mystery I enjoy! I’m even more excited that this one ends of a cliffhanger because it means that we’ll get to see what’s next for Avery and the Hawthorne boys; I have many more questions about just why she was the chosen heir. (Bookshop | Kindle)

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