Lurve

 I love a good YA love story, so looking for books this week was a ton of fun.

Kuhn, Sarah. From Little Tokyo, with Love. New York: Viking, 2021.

Rika, a biracial orphan living in LA’s Little Tokyo, learns her mother may be alive, so she sets off with a cute actor named Hank to find out the truth.

Found at the Winchester Public Library

I will readily admit that I chose this book when I ran across it at the library because it’s on my to-be-read list. The story just sounds fun; you can’t beat a mystery and a love story in one book. I would justify buying this for the library not just because of the buzz it has generated but also because it features Asian main characters and is written by a Japanese-American author.

Niven, Jennifer. Breathless. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2020.

When Claude’s parents separate, her mother moves them to an island off the Georgia coast where she meets a mysterious boy named Miah, who she falls for, despite her plan to use him just for sex.

Found at the Winchester Public Library

While the premise of this book (teen girl is determined to have sex) may not seem particularly enticing, the greater story will appear to many teens. Claude’s struggling with her parents’ divorce and a new home the summer before college. That would be traumatic for most teens, and many readers will identify with that sense of upheaval. There is, of course, the teen obsession with sex/virginity, but again, that is a theme with which many students will identify. The main characters are somewhat artsy (her a writer, he a photographer), which may appeal to library-going students. Again, seems like a fun read that still deals with serious topics.

Rivera, Lilliam. Never Look Back. New York: Bloomsbury, 2020.

Inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, this story of love features a Puerto Rican girl displaced by Hurricane Maria and the boy she meets in the Bronx.

Found at the Winchester Public Library

Sure, retellings of Greek mythology can be fun for the sake of fun, but they can also be used by literature, classics, or history teachers as a way to enrich lessons. Never Look Back is an Afro-Latinx retelling set in the Bronx. While based on mythology, it deals with the very real fallout of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Students will enjoy reading about whether these characters are doomed like Orpheus and Eurydice or whether their story ends differently. Also of note - this book was written by a Latinx author.

Talley, Robin. The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre. New York: HarperTeen, 2020.

Melody is an extremely competent stage manager, but less successful at relationships; when she meets the star of Les Mis, which her high school is producing, she hopes to turn that failure rate around.

Found at the Winchester Public Library

Not only are the main characters of this book queer, so is the author. The main love story is between two girls, although the one has dated boys in the past; therefore, both lesbian and bisexual students will find representation here. Based on the cover, this book features racially diverse characters, as well. While I was never much involved with theatre, I have been friends with many people who were, and my quick skim of the book felt true to life, making it appealing to theatre kids.

Tamani, Liara. All The Things We Never Knew. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2020.

Carli, a burned out basketball player with problems at home, meets Rex, a standout basketball player, who is looking for love, which he hopes to have found in Carli.

Found at the Winchester Public Library

Rarely do we see a love story about athletes (see above books about artistic types), so I was really excited to find this one. The characters are dealing with a lot, from parents with issues to losing the love of the game. This book explores not just romantic love but also familial love and the passion of sport. The characters are Black, as is the author, making this a good choice for diversity in the stacks.