This Month in Teen Books: June 2022

Reading recommendations for teens
June 15, 2022
Award-winning author Meg Grahan has a new YA sapphic-romance-in-verse on the way, which also happens to be about vampires.
 
Baby Teeth by Meg Grahan
It starts when Claudia offers her a yellow rose. Immy has been in love before–many times, across many lifetimes. But never as deeply, as intensely as this. Claudia smells like paint and peppermint tea. She wears her hair in a plait, and has a green thumb, and Immy is utterly besotted. Claudia has never been in love like this either. But then, this is her first time with a vampire. However, a love like this can't last. The forbidden thirst for blood runs deep in Immy. And within her mind clamor the voices of all the others she has been, their desires, and their wrongs.
 



Trending Now
The Netflix adaptation of Heartstopper has everyone lining up for all of Alice Oseman’s books. If you’re in the mood for more heartwarming queer romance while waiting for those, make sure to take a look at some of these excellent readalikes.  
What’s New This Month
Wonderful new teen books are on the way from authors like Kalynn Bayron, TJ Klune, Robin Benway, Victoria Aveyard, Juliana Goodman, Naz Kutub, and more.  
What We’re Reading
Here are some quotes from library staff about the books in the newest list of recommended picks:
 
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer: ”OMG. If you liked Project Hail Mary, you will like this book too. A gay romantic sci-fi, with twists and turns, and intriguing scientific possibilities.”
 
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon: “Aimed at teens, but a great read for everyone, I think this is a great way to learn about intersectionality for all audiences.”
 
Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram: “Really sweet. You don’t often see portrayals of such positive relationships between gay boys and their dads.“
 
Cinder by Marissa Meyer: “The characters are very relatable, with typical teen angst, despite the fact that they are also saving the world.”
 
Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed ed. by Marissa Meyer: “The tropes listed on the back– friends to lovers, one bed, etc. –and they are modern teen takes. The stories are inclusive of cultures and sexual identities, not strictly white m/f relationships, so ten different variations of an awesome HOA (happily ever after!)”
 
Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders: “It's a found family space opera with strong characters trying to find their place in the universe when your identity, destiny, and life plan completely changes.”  
For more lists of recommended reads from the book world and beyond, check these out: