YA Verse

Twin sisters Elena and Marianella couldn't be more different. Marianella goes out of her way to actively participate in their Puerto Rican culture, whereas Elena is embarrassed by their traditions. Marianella is also fighting a very private battle with mental illness, and takes her own life not long after their fifteenth birthday. As Elena mourns her sister, she tries to live her life without the limitations and rules Marianella set for her. When her life spirals out of control, Elena realizes the depth of her roots and the guilt of not helping her sister before it was too late.

Anaya knows great things are expected of her: go to college, find a good man, and make her mother proud. But going to college means leaving behind her best friend, Eri. Eri is an Afro Latina transgender woman living in a closed-minded world and only Anaya knows her secret. The two decide to take a cross-country road trip, where Eri is finally able to open up to who she is, and Anaya finds out that she might be in love with her best friend.

Sometimes in high school, all you want is to be invisible. Being invisible might be the biggest problem of all for Natalie. She has a disability that causes chaos to her body on the inside, but leaves her unmarked on the outside. She's learned to hide her pain so well that you would never guess she's not the same Natalie as she was before she got sick. But, after having surgery, Natalie must return to school in a wheelchair. Now, Natalie has to decide if the painful consequences of pretending to be healthy are worth keeping the last of her sick girl secrets.

Gabi is furious about her parents divorcing and moving her away from her hometown, her friends, and her school. But on the day she moves away, a shooter opens fire on Gabi's old school, killing her American History classmates. She knows she should have been in that classroom. Now Gabi has to navigate a new school and new social circles, while dealing with a looming dark cloud of grief, survivor's guilt, and fear. She meets impulsive troublemaker Lennon, who might just understand her dark side, or may pull her deeper into it.

Lily Landon knows college is the ticket out of her boring small town and her first step to becoming a lawyer like the ones she watches on television. To help her applications stand out, Lily joins Green for Good, her school's environmental club, and meets Fiona, a passionate activist who will do everything it takes to protect the planet. As Lily grows closer to Fiona, she realizes -everything it takes- may mean getting arrested, and a criminal record does not look good on college applications. How can Lily save the Earth without destroying her future?

Josh Baker isn't sure why his brain tells him to do things that other people don't need to do: checking his locker again and again, counting cracks in ceilings, and always needing to finish a song, for starters. He is a talented drummer, a math genius, and he knows everything about rock and roll. Yet, he knows his problems have the power to hurt his family and make him fail at school. When Josh is diagnosed with OCD, it's a blessing and a curse. Can he overcome his thoughts, or will they break him?

Lucas wants to speak out against the injustices he sees at his school, but he's paralyzed by social anxiety. He decides to start an anonymous online video channel, disguise his face and voice, and expose the things no one dares to talk about. But when Lucas blames the student council president for harming another student, her powerful parents become involved to unmask the social crusader. Afraid to lose the ground he gained with the videos, but even more afraid to speak out in public, Lucas must find a way to keep his voice from going silent.

In the near future, the tides are rising, the weather is out of control, and the rain is poison. Mal lost his family in a storm and now lives with other young people, trying to survive the changing world. Faced with the threat of the rising water and his friend's illness, Mal and his makeshift family must travel across the country to reach a safe place. But, the road is dangerous and not all will find their way safely to their new home.

Lacey "Lace" Stewart knows who she is. She's the star of her high school's lacrosse team, she's confident and brash, and she doesn't seem to worry about what other people think. Lace tries hard in school, works weekends at a coffee shop, and is counting on a lacrosse scholarship for college. She's got it all figured out. At least that's what she shows everyone at school. But underneath her brave face, she's battling deep-seated anxiety, and she's one panic attack away from losing it all.

Seventeen-year-old Osmel dreams of being a meteorologist. His world is shattered when he finds out he is undocumented. Osmel fears his dreams for college and career are now impossible. Then, ICE begins raiding the orchards his family works in. Will Osmel and his family ever find safety and peace in the place they call home?

Jamie knows that she isn't like other girls. She has a secret. She binds her chest every day to feel more like herself. Jamie questions why she is drawn to this practice and why she is afraid of telling her friends, who have their own secrets. Could she really be genderqueer?

Sixteen-year-old Maggie is pulled from her high school after her mother begins dating a member of a small "forward-thinking" group led by a man who proclaims secret knowledge of life and death. Maggie begins homeschooling at the group's compound, where she is educated in their cult beliefs. As the group's leader becomes progressively unhinged, and her mother becomes more connected to the cult, Maggie must rescue her mother and other cult members from a horrific fate before it is too late.

The women in Skyler Wise's family have a weakness for bad boys, but not Skyler. She has one thing on her mind, leaving her run-down neighborhood and going to college. When Skyler's normally strict mom starts dating again, she feels abandoned. Skyler meets Cole, a boy who makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her future. Even though he has a dangerous reputation, Skyler believes she knows the real Cole, the sweet, caring boyfriend who makes her feel seen for once in her life. When Cole starts to change, Skyler realizes that she'll do anything to keep him around, even if it means giving up her dream and losing the people closest to her.

Life was supposed to be better after the war. Seventeen-year-old Henry Knights knows different. Henry's older brother returns from overseas a changed man just as his father decides to run for public office. Within days, his brother's PTSD and his father's campaign turn life upside down, as does the arrival of a famous war reporter. Caught in chaos, Henry and his twin sister, both adopted, consider finding their birth family. Family secrets. Pranks. A whole lot of trouble. This is the story of the Knights of Suburbia.

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Navarro never asked to be anyone's hero. If you're a hero, your sister isn't supposed to hate you. And you're definitely not supposed to get hooked on Gramma's painkillers. Even so, Charlotte's sister's friend Mia looks at her like she's some sort of hero. As Charlotte starts taking pills more and more, she has to question how it could hurt herself and others, even Mia. Is it a harmless habit or a dangerous addiction?

Sixteen-year-old Leo dreams of becoming an Eagle Scout and, someday, a police officer. He makes sure to always do the right thing and be responsible. With his mom deployed and his dad constantly working, Leo is often left in charge of his two younger siblings. Then Leo's brother, Jack, gets caught up in a dangerous plot that rocks the community. Can Leo keep his promise to stand by his brother no matter what, or will he stand on the side of justice?