Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

CHANGE OF PLANS by Sarah Dessen (Lock & Key; Just Listen; The Truth about Forever and more) is her first novel in seven years and offers the chance for new readers to sample Dessen’s expressive writing. Booklist says, “Dessen’s greatest strength is her creation of vivid atmosphere, which enhances both her characters' personalities and their conflicts.” Here, the award-winning young adult author introduces readers to Finley, a graduating high school senior who lives with her stepmom, dad, and their young family. Finley has a strong, two-year relationship with Colin, but must decline his family’s invite to a cruise because her career-oriented and distant mother, Catherine (Cat) has plans for the two of them to travel together. Quite a bit does change when Colin meets another girl on the cruise and Finley’s Mom chauffeurs Finley to The Woods, a family home on a rural lake, instead of heading to New York City. Finley meets new friends (Clark, Ben, and Lana) and aunts (Liz and Kasey) as she begins to learn more about her Mom – and herself. CHANGE OF PLANS received starred reviews from Kirkus (“she discovers strength, independence, and the transformative power of being fully present …. A sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story filled with moments of true beauty between family and friends”) and Publishers Weekly (“delightfully layered, bighearted novel”). As Clark says, “Everything changes. You have a choice: make it hard or make it work. And there's enough hard shit already.”

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

SISTERS IN THE WIND by Angeline Boulley (Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed) received an impressive six starred reviews. It is a rather tragic tale of Lucy, a young girl whose father dies when she is just 13 and who spends the next five years mostly in foster care. Some of her placements are heart-warming but most are heart-wrenching, and she develops resilience and self-reliance while also forming bonds with fellow foster care teens. Like many of Boulley’s characters, Lucy has Native American heritage. She encounters racism, human trafficking, drug use, even murder. The writing is excellent (even with the frequent flashbacks), but this is a difficult story to read at times: Publishers Weekly describes it as “a devastating yet gripping tale of finding family, recontextualizing faith, and reclaiming ancestry that serves as a searing critique of the ways that systems can fail vulnerable youth.” School Library Journal calls SISTERS IN THE WIND “a gritty story of trust and betrayal” and Booklist says, “this unforgettable novel is impossible to put down.” While this story works as a standalone, Boulley chronicles events between her two previous novels and has incorporated many of those characters. All three mysteries are excellent. 

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO by Adriana Trigiani is a coming-of-age story from a favorite author about Italian American families, culture, and expectations. Trigiani introduces readers to Giuseppina Capodimonte Baratta (called Jess), a recently divorced thirty-something who has moved back in with her parents in Lake Como, New Jersey and handles household chores (e.g., the big Sunday dinner) somewhat resentfully. Jess was not able to go away to college and has worked for her childless Uncle Louie as a designer at his marble and stone importing company. She is finally allowing herself to dream a bit, especially about the trip to Italy that Louie has promised. A premature death thwarts those plans, but Jess perseveres and challenges herself to find independence and forgiveness. Amongst the advice for her: “When adapting to a new environment, be kind to yourself. Making friends and acclimating is a process. Seek comfort and familiarity but set a goal to talk to someone you don't know every day. You will be empowered to form bonds and make friends.” Romance, family history, and a visit to the original Lake Como await. THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO received starred reviews from Booklist (“this may be her best yet”) and Library Journal (“a captivating and memorable read”). Be sure to also look for Trigiani’s debut novel Big Stone Gap (published 25 years ago), Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon or one of over a dozen other titles she has written.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove and many more) will have readers laughing out loud, but it will also make them incredibly sad. There is so much clever wordplay (read the first paragraph!) that I almost gave up highlighting. Yet, there is also a great deal of death and reflection upon carrying on without our friends: “when the love of our life falls asleep for the last time, because when the soul leaves the body, evidently the last thing it does is tie our shoelaces together. In the weeks following the death we trip over thin air. It's the soul's fault.” With grief as a companion, Backman builds a friendship between Louisa, a creative young woman aging out of the care system, and Ted, a former high school teacher trying to find renewed purpose. They are an unlikely pair who meet because of a painting (a source of solace for Louisa) and the artist (a dear friend of Ted’s) who painted it. Eventually riding together on a cross-country train journey, Ted reaches back twenty-five years to tell Louisa the story of his friendship with the artist, Joar, and Ali, all fourteen-year-old characters in the famous painting. There is quite a bit of physical pain and mental anguish in that story due primarily to the abusive violence exhibited by some of the teens’ relatives. Louisa shares some of her own painful stories of life in foster homes and a lost friend, called Fish. Throughout, Backman places a great deal of emphasis on youthful friendships and the healing power of creativity. He writes, “the ultimate expression of love is nagging, we don't nag anyone the way we nag the people we love. All parents know that, and so do all best friends.” Ted and Louisa banter, bond, get on each other’s nerves, and care for each other as their own friendship develops and the story continues, certain to surprise readers. MY FRIENDS is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for May 2025 and received a starred review from Booklist (“Irrepressible humor, boundless grief, and eternal loyalty coalesce.”) As Ted remarks, “what I hate most isn't that people die. What I hate most is that they're dead. That I'm alive, without them.”  

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Kelly

THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly (Lilac Girls) was a popular topic at our book club last week – everyone who had read a preview copy was independently recommending it. The story takes place primarily in 1942 (with some modern- day chapters, too). Two sisters, Briar and Cadence (lovely names) and their brother Tom’s girlfriend Bess are trying to run the farm after Tom enlists with the Army Rangers. Meanwhile, Martha’s Vineyard is being used as a training base for amphibious landings so some romance with a soldier is sparked. Suspense develops, too, due to rumors of a local spy and the presence nearby of an enemy submarine. The young women are distinctive and strong characters; the story reads quickly – highly recommended. Praised by writers like Charmaine Wilkerson, Adriana Trigiani, and Kate Quinn, THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for May 2025. In her Author’s Note, Kelly explains that Cadence is based on her own mother who grew up on Martha's Vineyard and other characters echo friends and family. In addition, Kelly references Books in Action by Cole which recounts the introduction of Armed Services Editions of books for troops during WWII; interested readers should also look for When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill, another non-fiction account filled with fascinating information about censorship and the publishing industry at that time.  

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily

THE TWELVE DAYS OF DASH & LILY by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares) is meant to be a romantic holiday interlude. Dash is his charming self, if a bit troubled by Lily’s withdrawal… and poor Lily: her grandfather has had numerous health problems and she has lost her ability to appreciate the wonder of Christmas. I missed Lily’s joie de vivre while admiring Dash’s willingness to be there for her. Still, the dialogue here is entertaining and the characters (especially after watching Netflix’s Dash & Lily) seem like family. The issues deepen, too, as these teens mature and learn more about themselves, each other, and their relationship. Readers will be rooting for them and, like me, looking forward to the next book in the series: Dash & Lily Mind the Gap.

Dust by Alison Stine

DUST by Alison Stine features Thea, a sixteen-year old who is deaf in one ear, but whose parents choose to ignore that reality. In fact, her father seems to increasingly separate from reality and has moved the family to a place called Bloodless Valley in Colorado where dust is everywhere and farming, especially without any modern aides, is almost impossible.  Thea and her younger sister are “unschooled,” kept at home and made to work on the farm, although Thea has a brief reprieve when she is able to work to support the family at a small café. Through the owner’s kindness she meets the agricultural agent and his great nephew, Ray, plus the local librarian and some other homesteaders.  Ray is also hard of hearing and begins to teach Thea to sign. Her father objects and her life narrows considerably. It is obvious that Stine, who is herself half deaf due to a congenital disability, has compassion for people with differences. She writes, “What I hope you take away from this book is: desire and energy to protect Earth and all its inhabitants, and also the knowledge that your story, whatever it is, matters. It's sometimes hard being both/neither, but there's a lot of joy too. And you're okay the way you are.” Stine effectively uses empty spaces and underlining to convey the frustration of Thea’s inability to hear clearly. Plus, the author does build suspense about an impending storm, but the pat way in which Thea’s father is suddenly transformed into accepting help and technology like new cell phones does not seem probable. DUST was very sad and the pace was slow. Reflecting on other books with hard of hearing characters, I would highly recommend True Biz which received multiple starred reviews and was an Alex Award nominee as well as a New York Times bestseller. 

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Vohra

THE STICKY NOTE MANIFESTO OF AISHA AGARWAL by Ambika Vohra sets the perfect tone of what it feels like to be unsure of yourself in high school as you strive to complete AP classes, meet parental expectations, and somehow get the attention of a boy you like. Those goals are important to Aisha Agarwal, main character of this excellent, layered debut novel. Vohra says this was inspired by her own story and she evokes plenty of emotion while exploring fate (commenting on the butterfly effect and noting “God wills everything to happen for a reason”); class distinctions and privilege; race, immigration, assimilation, and compartmentalizing. There are insights on loneliness, romance, and family (“It's not easy untying the mental knots created by parents”), too. Aisha has a crush on her former neighbor and co-valedictorian, Brian. Helping her arrange a date with him and accomplish other items that appear as part of the sticky note manifesto are her best friend Marcy, and new friend, Quentin, a senior at another high school who is struggling with Math and the unexpected loss of his father. Aisha is – like many teens – pretty self-centered, but she grows throughout the story as she expands her experiences and shifts her attitude, finally asking, “What if all the stuff I wanted for so long isn't all that great?” At one point, Quentin remarks, “ultimately, people remember you for how you made them feel” and THE STICKY NOTE MANIFESTO OF AISHA AGARWAL is a feel good, coming of age story. Compared to Never Have I Ever, it would be fun to see on screen, too. Highly recommended.

Reunion by Elise Juska

REUNION by Elise Juska (The Blessings) focuses on three friends who are returning to Maine for their 25th college reunion which has been postponed for a year due to the COVID pandemic. Hope is the most level-headed, but she has struggled (“you can only do what you can do”) to meet the needs of her college age daughter, special needs son, and increasingly distant husband who faced the COVID challenges posed to a higher education administrator. Adam, a carefree spirit while in college, has become interested in environmental sciences and has two young boys, but his wife is sadly obsessed and afraid for the state of the physical world. Finally, there’s Polly who, as a single Mom, raised Jonah, a now 18-year-old troubled youth interested in nature and photography. Out of practice in social skills due to the recent lockdowns and having lost the closeness of their college years, Hope, Adam, and Polly find their relationship strained – especially when some long-ago secrets come to light. REUNION is an introspective reflection on what friendship means and the role of family. As Polly muses, “the past year had narrowed that knowledge to a fine point. Your child's happiness: the only thing that mattered and yet how little control over it any parent had.” Booklist says, “a delightful case for reconnecting with the people who knew you when you barely knew yourself.” 

The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez

THE GREAT DIVIDE by Cristina Henriquez is a LibraryReads selection for March and was chosen as a Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. This title is historical fiction – centered around the building of the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914 – but like her earlier work (The Book of Unknown Americans) tells the story through the actions and thoughts of multiple characters. My personal favorite was Ana, a young girl from Barbados who stowed away to travel to Panama to find work and support her ailing sister. There, she meets a young man, Omar, who works on the canal. Other characters include the Oswalds from Tennessee – he is fighting for the eradication of malaria and she is a botanist who is not allowed to establish a career. In fact, women are often thwarted and by necessity dependent on men in this text which, while historically realistic, added some frustration for this reader. In general, I thought Henriquez’ novel had a strong start and I was curious about the characters, but the limited choices and spiteful actions (Omar and his father do not speak to each other; there is a cruel overseer at the canal works) made reading the story increasingly more of a slog – perhaps that was meant to echo the drudgery of creating the canal? Although I found it difficult to stay engaged and finish the story, THE GREAT DIVIDE received starred reviews from Booklist (“dramatizing with tenderness, insight, and striking detail how ‘the great divide’ not only split the land but also communities, families, culture, and a sense of wholeness.”) and Publishers Weekly (“delves deeply into themes of colonialism and labor exploitation”). The beautiful cover is eye-catching – have a read and decide for yourself. 

Redwood Court by DéLana R. A. Dameron

REDWOOD COURT by DéLana R. A. Dameron has a creative cover and was chosen as a Reese’s Book Club Pick, plus it has received accolades from talented writers like Ann Napolitano (Hello Beautiful), Renee Watson (Piecing Me Together) and Jacqueline Woodson (Red at the Bone). And, Dameron’s series of stories about multiple generations of a Black family living at Redwood Court in Columbia, South Carolina is in some ways reminiscent of their family novels. But Dameron’s work seemed more complicated. For example, she finds it necessary to introduce her many characters in a list which became a handy reference for me because I found it difficult to clearly picture the characters and to remember how they were originally connected to each other. It was also a challenge to relate to a suburban enclave where (perhaps reflecting the 1960s time period, or the culture, or even the sheer determination of one woman named Weesie) neighbors seemed to be overly involved in each other’s business. The publisher says that this text from an established poet “is a celebration of extraordinary, ordinary people striving to achieve their own American dreams.” Perhaps something will strike a chord with you?

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira

A WILD AND HEAVENLY PLACE by Robin Oliveira (My Name is Mary Sutter) is an historical fiction novel which spans the late 1870s to the early 1880s and begins in Scotland, but ends up on the West coast of America near Seattle. The main characters are a young, very privileged woman, Hailey MacIntyre, and a destitute teenage orphan, Samuel Fiddes. They meet and are attracted to each other, but circumstances separate them for years, as told in chapters that alternate between the two. This is a tale of broken hearts (due to poor business practices and to the thwarted romance which is a main focus) and the hardships associated with poverty. Oliveira readily conveys class differences in Scotland as well as the dirt and clamor of Seattle, essentially a frontier town in that era. Although the characters and their choices seem unrealistic at times, this story is uplifting in that it shows how hard work (Samuel wants to build ships despite no formal training; Hailey struggles to support her younger brother) plus the courage to pursue a dream and the kindness of others often combine to a positive end. Overall, this novel offers an escape to a different time and place, with a fairly predictable plot. Oliveira purposefully acknowledges the many people – librarians included – who assisted in her extensive research. And she writes, “A WILD AND HEAVENLY PLACE is less a summary of historical events than it is a chronicling of human desire - the impossible, the terrible, and the beautiful - in a time before Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks, when coal, timber, and shipbuilding ruled a rollicking raucous town of immigrants on the make, hungry for profit, but mostly hungry for home.”

River East, River West by Lescure

RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST by Aube Rey Lescure is a debut novel which received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. The basic storyline involves Alva, a 14-year-old mixed-race teen in 2007 Shanghai; her new step-father and disgruntled, almost retired businessman, Lu Fang; and the mother/wife, Sloan, who is a former minor American movie star. Each character has an interesting back story (Lu Fang and Sloane have been lovers since the mid-1980s), but their goals don’t mesh well and it may be difficult for readers to look beyond the self-centeredness that each exhibits: Alva acts out and LuFang, with some justification, still mourns the lost opportunities due to the Cultural Revolution. Everyone is unhappy; Booklist calls them “prisoners of their circumstances” while a minor character comments, “Learning to be content – that is wealth in itself.” Rey Lescure, a French-Chinese-American writer who grew up in China and France, makes several barbed references and thus introduces some political commentary, but the text moves slowly overall.