December 31, 2022, last day to enter to receive one of three special-edition copies!
The Last Mapmaker, by Christina Soontornvat
Sai lives in the Kingdom of Mangkon, where your place in life is determined by your ancestry. In this Thai-inspired fantastical world, the status of one’s ancestors dictates social position, with the first gold ring of lineage awarded on one’s 13th birthday. But not for Sai. She has worked hard to keep her identity hidden. What has saved her from being discovered so far is her unexpected apprenticeship with the greatest mapmaker of their time, Master Paiyoon. But knowing she would eventually be discovered, Sai saves money in secret to leave Mangkon forever. When the Queen orders naval expeditions to travel and map the boundaries of the kingdom, an opportunity to escape unexpectedly arises when Sai is asked to go as assistant to Master Paiyoon—who has secrets of his own. Once aboard, she finds espionage, danger, and she learns they are traveling to the mythical world of the Sunderlands, legendary home to the great dragons of old. During a journey of unexpected discoveries and exploration of unknown lands, what happens forever changes Sai’s life, her views, and her expectations. See Spotlight Review for more details and free teaching resources from Ink-a-Dink and Candlewick Press. -K.C.
Genre/BISAC: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, Thai Mythology, ages 8-12, $18 HC, April 2022, Candlewick Press, 9781536204957
Girl, Serpent, Thorn, by Melissa Bashardoust
The Persian myth and culture woven throughout enhances this story so much, readers are taken on a journey—without too much journey-ing. In this sleeping-beauty retelling, our heroine is poisonous to the touch, thus rendering her lonely in her room unable to go anywhere. But when her brother’s wedding is announced, she wants to attend, and her planning begins a whole string of adventures, with political intrigue, lots of twists and turns, and doubts of who to trust. Beautiful themes of storytelling and touch, I listened to this audiobook in one sitting.
Genre/BISAC: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Korean Mythology, ages 13–18, $19, February 2022, Feiwel and Friends, 9781250780867
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, by Axie Oh, Illustrated by Kuri Huang
This beautiful book based on Korean mythology follows a girl living in a village that has been suffering storms and natural disasters from the sea. Each year, this village sacrifices a girl in hopes of finding the one true wife of the sea god. In order to save the love of her brother’s life,
our heroine volunteers. Only to find out that the sea god is not angry but asleep. She must travel through the spirit world to wake him and save her people.
Genre/BISAC: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Korean Mythology, ages 13–18, $19, February 2022, Feiwel and Friends, 9781250780867
Tokyo Ever After, by Emiko Jean
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! I was crying and laughing the whole time! While reading I felt so many emotions for so many reasons (character growth, romance, family, identity). Princess Diaries meets Japan when Izumi Tanaka learns she is the daughter of the crown prince of Japan, and she journeys to Japan to meet her family. Beautiful in every way--the story, the growth, the humor in the writing sytle and how relateable for YA/teens. The narration and writing style were some of my favorite elements. Now a bestselling, award-winning novel, highly recommended! Please pick this book up!
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Humor, Japanese Culture, ages 12-18, $19, March 2021, Flatiron Books, 9781250766625
The Nature of Witches, by Rachel Griffin
A deeply atmospheric novel that uses strong themes of nature and seasons as a base for its magical system. In this fantastical world of witches, each witch belongs to a different season, which defines magical abilities, except for Clara, who is a once-in-a-generation Everwitch, holding magic of all the seasons, who is tasked with a great responsibility. Also a coming-of-age tale, Clara changes dramatically throughout the seasons. From autumn through spring and summer, readers connect with and come to relate to Clara in different ways as she learns to control and ultimately accept her magical abilities. I loved seeing where she started and ended in more than just her relationship with her magic, but also her relationship with herself and with others. Utterly unique approach and I loved it!
House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland
“A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem, and evil things really do go bump in the night.”
If you’re looking for a great spring-nature-related thriller/horror, look no further! Everything about this book kept me on edge the whole time. Mysterious and suspenseful, as readers follow three strange sisters, Iris, Ivie and Grey, who disappeared down a suburban street in Scotland, only to reappear a month later with no memories. But lots of weird occurances seem to happen wherever they go.
Flash forward ten years, and 17-year-old Iris just wants to graduate highschool, but then her older sister Grey disappears again, leaving Iris and Ivie to trace Grey’s last few days. Subtle details and clues lead to the big reveal--and then you’ll want to go back and re-read immediately with it all put together. I literally couldn't put it downbecause I got scared!
Genre: YA Fiction, Paranormal, Mystery, Thriller, Siblings; ages 12-17, $16 (HC)/$11 (SC), March 2022, Penguin Young Readers Group, 9780593110362
Love and Luck, by Jenna Evens Welch
An emotional journey across the Emerald Isle. Addie heads to Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top Irish wedding, but instead of going with the wedding party, she takes a huge, unexpected detour with her estranged brother Ian, and gets the opportunity to work through the struggles of their relationship, as well as face her own demons. This book starts with a bang and hooks you the whole way through. The excellent characters are the highlight of the book. Their humor and growth lighten the heavy themes and tough topics, and every character grows in some way. All about new beginnings, this book is an excellent spring read.
Genre: YA Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Family, Siblings; ages 12–17, J$19 HC/$12 PA, June 2019, Simon & Schuster BFYR, 9781534401013
About Laura Standel: A bookwyrm who will cuddle up with any good fiction novel, from fantasy to thriller to historical fiction to contemporary; currently studying literary translation between English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian. An avid booklover, follow Laura's 'lil Library and her bookish reviews on YouTube, Insta, TikTok, GoodReads, Twitter, Storygraph, NetGalley, and Discovery.