69. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- Stand Alone
- Young Adult
- Contemporary
- Female main character–Jude
- Male main character–Noah
- Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah’s story to tell. The later years are Jude’s. What the twins don’t realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.
This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.
This was beautiful, and it made me feel very many emotions. I think I liked it more than The Sky is Everywhere but I also like them for very different reasons.
Verdict: Deserves every bit of the hype and the Printz
70. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- Standalone
- Young Adult
- Contemporary? Science-Fiction? ????
- Male main character–Aaron
- .The Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto — miracle cure-alls don’t tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can’t forget how he’s grown up poor or how his friends aren’t always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it’s not enough.
Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn’t mind Aaron’s obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn’t mind talking about Aaron’s past. But Aaron’s newfound happiness isn’t welcome on his block. Since he’s can’t stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.
Adam Silvera’s extraordinary debut novel offers a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.
Honestly, I was getting a tiny bit bored until I got to the twist. Then I got to the twist. And OH BOY MY FEELINGS AND I JUST AKFJKLFNALCMWJRNQLKN
Verdict: Go read it.
71. Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking
- Kanin Chronicles; Book Two
- Young Adult
- Urban Fantasy
- Female main character–Bryn
- In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…
Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…and the glittering palace of the Skojare.
The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss, Ridley Dresden, is overseeing her mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.
As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it will change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.
So [SPOLIER] there was a sex scene in this. And I was not expecting it to happen. At all. I still liked it a lot (and Hocking seems to be getting a bit better at writing) but wowza. Had to move those up to the older YA section.
Verdict: Good story, meh writing
Book of the Week: TIE I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson & More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
❤ Rae
basically bookworms 
