This Month in Teen Books: March 2023

Reading recommendations for teens
March 14, 2023
YA author Marie Lu returns to library shelves, this time with a buzzworthy new contemporary romance.
 
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Meet Winter Young – International pop sensation, with a voice like velvet and looks that could kill. His star power has smashed records, selling out stadiums from LA to London. His rabid fans would move heaven and earth for even a glimpse of him – just imagine what they’d do to become his latest fling.
 
Meet Sydney Cossette – Part of an elite covert ops group, Sydney joined their ranks as their youngest spy with plans to become the best agent they’ve ever had. An ice queen with moves as dangerous as her comebacks, Sydney picks up languages just as quickly as she breaks hearts. She's fiery, no-nonsense, and has zero time for romance – especially with a shameless flirt more used to serving sass than taking orders.
 
When a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday, Sydney and Winter's lives suddenly collide. Tasked with infiltrating the crime organization’s inner circle, Sydney is assigned as Winter's bodyguard with Winter tapped to join her on the mission of a lifetime as a new spy recruit. Sydney may be the only person alive impervious to Winter's charms, but as their mission brings them closer, she’s forced to admit that there's more to Winter Young than just a handsome face…

What’s New This Month
Also on the way are a new graphic novel by the author-illustrator team behind Marvel’s The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, new debut fiction about the Syrian American and refugee experiences, and new YA from authors like Tehlor Kay Mejia, Mark Oshiro, Laekan Zea Kemp, Alexandra Bracken, Garth Nix, F. T. Lukens, Elizabeth Wein, and more.  
Trending for Teens
This Women’s History Month, make sure to check out these titles on history-makers that don’t get talked about in history class often enough.  
What We’re Reading
Here are some quotes from library staff about the books in the newest list of recommended picks:
 
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf: “Mel is separated from her family during the Chinese-Malay conflict. Additionally, she has to deal with the horrifying situation while having OCD. Mel is taken in by a Chinese family, and they help others in need. It’s a fast-paced retelling of the riots, and you are right there with Mel.”
 
Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku: “Follow Ryo as he comes into his own, making friends and starting his own fashion line.”  
For more lists of recommended reads from the book world and beyond: