EB Recommends Teen/Young Adult May

A bone-shaking new trilogy begins – the latest adventure in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series A murder. A mystery.​ Two murders, actually. Well, three, if you’re counting. Oh, look, here comes a fourth . . .​ So much murder that skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant must annoy Valkyrie Cain, the infamous Destroyer of Worlds, with his incredible deduction abilities at every available opportunity. As Valkyrie’s irritation grows, the detectives sink deeper into a hidden world of dark motivations, festering hatred and unimaginable pain. ​ And a teensy bit more murder.

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A groundbreaking and critically acclaimed debut novel of friendship and freedom that crosses continents and centuries, in a timeslip story exploring the legacy of slavery, selected as The Times Children's Book of the Week. Sometime, me love to dream that me is a human, a proper one, like them white folks is. Enslaved on a plantation in Barbados, Obah dreams of freedom. As talk of rebellion bubbles up around her in the Big House, she imagines escape. Meeting a strange boy who’s not quite of this world, she decides to put her trust in him. But Jacob is from the twenty-first century. Desperate to give Obah a better life, he takes her back with him. At first it seems like dreams really do come true – until the cracks begin to show and Obah sees that freedom comes at an unimaginable cost . . . Hopeful and devastating, this powerful novel about equality, how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go, introduces an extraordinary new literary voice.Praise for How Far We've Come: ‘A powerful exploration of racism, solidarity, friendship, freedom and hope’ Laura Bates ‘One of the most impressive young adult debuts of the year. This gripping novel takes a nuanced look at the legacy of slavery, injustice and inequality in today's world’ Observer    ‘Both hopeful and heartbreaking, this gripping book turns a searchlight on the changing faces of injustice through time’ Guardian   ‘A brilliant idea and a powerful debut’ The Times, Children’s Book of the Week   ‘A seriously impressive debut. Read it now’ Irish Times ‘A powerful, ambitious, unforgettable read about freedom, rebellion, love and hope’ Liz Hyder   ‘A gut punch of a debut, this book is both vital reading and a call to arms’ Laura Wood ‘Compassionate, brave, authentic, educational. Everyone should read it’ Abiola Bello

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This is a night for endings. A night for stuffing your copy of The Catcher in the Rye into your backpack and saying goodbye to your house where your dad spends every night drinking too much whiskey, reminiscing about his army days and beating the crap out of you and your brother. A night for checking the list of names of all the kids at school who have always irritated you and called you a freak and a weirdo. A night for paying tribute to all the cult movies and cult figures who gave you a voice when you were struggling to find your own. A night for prowling the dark street with their grave-cold pavements; meeting the clowns, phantoms, gargoyles and helpless ones who come crawling out of their hiding places at night. A night for discovering the dark thing inside you, getting to know him intimately, feeling him stretch his wings and ball his angry fists. This is the final night. Tomorrow I’m taking a gun to school.

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“Opulence, beauty, and danger... A magnificent and triumphant debut.” Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author for fans of Twin Crowns and TikTok sensations To Kill a Kingdom and This Woven Kingdom. The royal court of Galla is as dangerous as it is glamorous... Kalothia will need every ounce of courage and wit, if she is to avenge those, she loves ... and stay alive. Kalothia has grown up in the shadows of her kingdom, hidden away in the East after her parents were outed as enemies of the king. When assassins attack her home on her sixteenth birthday, she must flee to the king’s court – a beautiful but lethal nest of poison, plots and danger, overseen by an entrenched patriarchy. Can Kalothia navigate this most worldly of places to find her own role? What if she must choose between her country and her heart? A fast-paced, romantic and feminist YA fantasy full of danger and courtly intrigue.

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From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times-bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes A Tempest of Tea – an intoxicating brew of vampires, secrets and romance, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows. On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it-and she can't do the job alone. Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoon worthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

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A stunning new YA thriller from the bestselling, award-winning author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder! 18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished, and young Bel was the only witness. Rachel is gone, presumed dead. The case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. But then Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again . . .

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The highly anticipated sequel to the must-read psychological thriller The Girls I've Been (soon to be a Netflix film).Nora O'Malley has survived . . . senior year, that is. School's over, but her life isn't, which is weird since last she checked, her murderous stepdad Raymond is finally free. Determined to enjoy summer before her (possibly) imminent demise, Nora plans a backpacking trip with Iris and Wes. And Wes's girlfriend tags along. Amanda's nice, so it's not a huge issue. Until she gets taken. Or rather, mis-taken . . . for Nora, that is. Now they're deep in the woods. Raymond has a hostage. Nora has no leverage. Iris is carving spears out of sticks. And Wes is building booby traps. It'll take all of them to make it out alive. But someone is lying. Someone is keeping secrets. And someone has to die.Praise for THE GIRLS I'VE BEEN'Unlike anything I've read before... immediate, gripping, incredibly tense, heart-breaking, heart-warming and FUN! ' - Holly Jackson, author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder'Slick, stylish and full of suspense' Sophie McKenzie, author of Girl, Missing'A powerful gut-punch of a book that will leave you reeling long after its final pages. I couldn't put it down!' Chelsea Pitcher, author of This Lie Will Kill You'I could hardly breathe until I finished. The tension! Absolutely loved it.' Emily Barr, author of The One Memory of Flora Banks

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