Since We Last Spoke

Since We Last Spoke
Author: Brenda Rufener
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2019-04-02
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0062571133

A YALSA 2020 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers! “A powerful story about grief, loss, and the restorative nature of love, Since We Last Spoke will stay with you long after you’ve finished.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Last to Let Go “Rufener handles topics such as love, loss, and grief with a deft and steady hand, intermingling moments of humor and warmth as two families learn to navigate the tragedy that’s intertwined them forever.” —Miranda Asebedo, author of The Deepest Roots "Rufener ambitiously tackles many topics in a single novel: manslaughter, suicide, bullying, sex, drugs, mental health, family violence, parental neglect, and abuse. Rufener successfully weaves all of these difficult subjects into a real and relatable narrative without platitudes or apologies. This is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story that stands on its own." School Library Journal (starred review) Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon, this heartbreaking and uplifting novel captures the ups and downs of teen love in the face of unimaginable grief and the rocky journey to healing, peace, and forgiveness. From breakout author Brenda Rufener (Where I Live). When Aggi Frank and Max Granger finally admitted their feelings for each other last December, it felt like love was beautiful and endless . . . until it wasn’t. A fatal car accident involving their older siblings throws their lives into sudden chaos. And with a restraining order now in place between the two bitter households, Aggi and Max’s love runs cold. Being together again seems like a distant fantasy, even though they share the same driveway. Still, Plum Lake is a small town, and staying apart can’t last forever. Aggi and Max eventually reunite at a lake-house party and break the ice after a year of silence. But just as they begin to rebuild their relationship, the unthinkable happens, leading them to confront each other and their families in the hope of mending the broken pieces. “Rufener's treatment of grief is nuanced and deeply felt, and Aggi's and Max's complex feelings about themselves, their families, and their aborted romance drive the skillfully crafted narrative. A compelling story about grief told through the voices of two expertly drawn protagonists.” —Kirkus

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes
Author: Eric LaRocca
Publisher: Titan Books (US, CA)
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2022-09-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1803361506

"Amongst the Top 50 Horror Books of All Time" - Cosmopolitan Three dark and disturbing horror stories from an astonishing new voice, including the viral-sensation tale of obsession, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. For fans of Kathe Koja, Clive Barker and Stephen Graham Jones. Winner of the Splatterpunk Award for Best Novella. A whirlpool of darkness churns at the heart of a macabre ballet between two lonely young women in an internet chat room in the early 2000s—a darkness that threatens to forever transform them once they finally succumb to their most horrific desires. A couple isolate themselves on a remote island in an attempt to recover from their teenage son’s death, when a mysterious young man knocks on their door during a storm… And a man confronts his neighbour when he discovers a strange object in his back yard, only to be drawn into an ever-more dangerous game. Three devastating, beautifully written horror stories from one of the genre’s most cutting-edge voices. What have you done today to deserve your eyes?

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales
Author: Eric Larocca
Publisher:
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2021-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781737463313

The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales collects eight stories of literary dark fiction. Tense and terrifying, these masterful stories by Eric LaRocca explore the shadow side of love. You Follow Wherever They GoBodies Are for BurningThe Strange Thing We BecomeThe Trees Grew Because I Bled ThereYou're Not Supposed to Be HereWhere Flames Burned Emerald as GrassI'll Be Gone by ThenPlease Leave or I'm Going to Hurt You

When We Last Spoke

When We Last Spoke
Author: Marci Henna
Publisher:
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2020-04
Genre:
ISBN: 9781733279130

Humor, heartbreak, and triumph are served with lots of local nuts in this heartwarming tale of family, friendship, and forgiveness in Fireside, Texas. Meet Juliet Cranbourne, local radio personality and owner of a whimsical kitchen gadget store, and her sister Evangeline, a fruit tree geneticist who works for Oregon State University. When a rift due to their orphaned past affects their sisterhood, Juliet convinces Evangeline to come home for Christmas and choose headstones to honor grandparents Walt (a tenderhearted, good looking rancher) and Ruby (a blue-ribbon fiddler, fabulous cook, and expert in the art of making family feel loved). As they cruise through Fireside in Ruby's Thunderbird, Juliet hopes that healing memories will somehow smooth rough roads ahead. Does the tremendous love that marked Walt and Ruby's lives still have the power to renew their sisterhood and help them find their place in the world?

All the Ways Home

All the Ways Home
Author: Elsie Chapman
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2019-05-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1250166780

"In All the Ways Home, Elsie Chapman gracefully explores the complexities of family and loss. The specificity in which Chapman narrates Kaede's journey in Japan is particularly satisfying. An insightful, compassionate, and honest look at a young boy's search for identity and home after the death of his mother."—Veera Hiranandani, author of Newbery Honor novel The Night Diary Sometimes, home isn’t where you expect to find it. After losing his mom in a fatal car crash, Kaede Hirano--now living with a grandfather who is more stranger than family--developed anger issues and spent his last year of middle school acting out. Best-friendless and critically in danger repeating the seventh grade, Kaede is given a summer assignment: write an essay about what home means to him, which will be even tougher now that he's on his way to Japan to reconnect with his estranged father and older half-brother. Still, if there's a chance Kaede can finally build a new family from an old one, he's willing to try. But building new relationships isn’t as easy as destroying his old ones, and one last desperate act will change the way Kaede sees everyone--including himself. This is a book about what home means to us—and that there are many different correct answers.

Where I Live

Where I Live
Author: Brenda Rufener
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2018-02-27
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0062571117

Included on Bustle's list of the "27 Most Anticipated YA Contemporary Books Hitting Shelves in 2018"! “Fans of Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon will enjoy this realistic debut novel, which brings to light heavy topics of homelessness and abuse.” —School Library Journal “Where I Live is hard-hitting and real and filled with hope. It makes you want to find your voice, find your people, and tell your story.” —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe From debut author Brenda Rufener comes a heart-wrenching and evocative story perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, Girl in Pieces, and All the Bright Places. Linden Rose has a big secret—she is homeless and living in the halls of her small-town high school. Her position as school blog editor, her best friends, Ham and Seung, and the promise of a future far away are what keep Linden under the radar and moving forward. But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea’s life, and soon her investigation prompts people to pay more attention. And attention is the last thing she needs. Linden knows the only way to put a stop to the violence is to tell Bea’s story and come to terms with her own painful past. Even if that means breaking her rules for survival and jeopardizing the secrets she’s worked so hard to keep.

Pretty Bad Things

Pretty Bad Things
Author: C. J. Skuse
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2011-07-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 054538902X

"Wonder Twins" on the run--and running amok--in Vegas. Road Trip!Paisley and Beau are boldface names again. Last time, paparazzi called them the "Wonder Twins," two kids found alone but alive in the woods of exotic New Jersey. Three days after their mom's death -- and before their dad's criminal misdeeds. Flash-forward to now: Their so-called lives? Suck out loud: Hating on their cougarized, Botoxic grandma, they're totally clueless about the location of ex-con Daddy. Till they discover a stash of old letters. That's when they decide to jack the Pontiac and hit the road. Holding up donut shops in Sin City might seem extreme, but if they can just get their pretty bad faces back on TV -- or TMZ -- they might wrap up their whole gaga saga with an Oprah-worthy reunion already!

Listen to Your Heart

Listen to Your Heart
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2018-05-29
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1338210076

Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Jenny Han, this latest from YA contemporary queen Kasie West is an adorable rom-com loosely inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend . . . until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.Kasie West's adorable story of secrets, love, and friendship is sure to win over hearts everywhere.

We Can Never Leave This Place

We Can Never Leave This Place
Author: Eric LaRocca
Publisher: Trepidatio Publishing
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2022-06-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1685100244

“We Can Never Leave This Place is the apocalyptic 21st century Grimm's fairy tale you need in your life. Eric LaRocca plucks images directly from the muck and mire of our id and fashions them into something grotesquely beautiful.” ~ Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and The Pallbearers Club “We Can Never Leave This Place is a bleak and tender, monstrous and visceral fable of family and loss, and the courage it takes to confront them both.” ~ Kathe Koja, author of The Cipher “When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.” A precocious young girl with an unusual imagination is sent on an odyssey into the depths of depravity. After her father dies violently, young Mara is surprised to find her mother welcoming a new guest into their home, claiming that he will protect them from the world of devastation and destruction outside their door. A grotesque and thrilling dark fantasy, We Can Never Leave This Place is a harrowing portrait of inherited grief and familial trauma.

BabyCues

BabyCues
Author: Philippa Murphy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2015
Genre: Colic
ISBN: 9780473296179