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Books for Teens

 
 
 
 

Tell Me No Lies

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Everyone’s hiding something.

Lizzy Swift is a senior in high school, shyly emerging from her nerd chrysalis to take her first gamble on the Argyll social scene. She braves a relationship with her longtime crush, Matt Ashley, and befriends the reckless, enigmatic senior transfer, Claire Reynolds, who introduces Lizzy to downtown Philadelphia—its clubs, street life, and vibrant art scene. Soon art and passion take priority over homework, after-school jobs, and her longstanding Ivy League ambitions.

But almost as quickly, these delights and distractions are clouded by suspicions and doubts. Sometimes Lizzy feels that she and Matt are soul mates; other times it seems he’s holding back from her. Claire can be moody, and while she confesses bits and pieces of a breakup so heart-wrenching she changed schools, she won’t tell Lizzy the whole story. Lizzy wants Claire to confide in her, even as she keeps her own secrets from her new best friend.  When startling revelations inevitably come to light, they just might shatter these delicate bonds of love and passion, friendship and loyalty.

Set against the neon pop of the late eighties and told with authentic voice and inimitable prose, Adele Griffin’s heart-racing novel takes readers on a journey through the thrill of rebellion and the complications of first love.

 
 
“A contemplatively paced coming-of-age story . . . while fans of Stranger Things are likely to appreciate the 1980s cultural references, themes of being true to yourself and honest with your friends are timeless.”
— Booklist
 

Be True to Me 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

It's the summer of 1976 on Fire Island, where feathered hair and the Bicentennial celebration reign. Jean, a sometimes cruel, often insecure, and always envious rich girl, is accustomed to living in her glamorous older sister's shadow. So when Gil Burke, a handsome newcomer with uncertain ties to one of the most powerful families in the exclusive enclave of Sunken Haven, notices Jean not her sister Jean is smitten. Then Fritz, a girl from outside the gilded gates who humiliated Jean in the Island's tennis championship last year, falls for Gil herself. Soon the girls are competing for much more than a tennis trophy, with higher stakes than either of them can imagine.

Through the alternating perspectives of Jean and Fritz, Adele Griffin captures the angst of feeling like you don t belong and the urgency of first love with masterly prose and a sharp wit perfect for fans of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars.

 
 
“This is a glittery gem of a book. I was utterly transported to Fire Island—to endless summer days, girls in sundresses, that rush you get the first time you fall hard in love. I fell so hard in love with this book.”
— Jenny Han, New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I've Loved Before
“An atmospheric and engaging piece of historical fiction, this work will haunt and resonate with readers long after it ends. An excellent selection for YA collections.”
— School Library Journal, starred review
“Like storm clouds banking over a glittering sea, this heady novel by two-time National Book Award finalist Adele Griffin builds to a dark, surprising climax. The historical details — monogrammed Bermuda bags, Bicentennial fireworks — ground the book in time and place, even as crisply observed reflections on first love and ‘sloppy remorse’ explore the universal joys and regrets of the human experience.”
— The Washington Post
 

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison's life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28.

—Adele Griffin

 
 
“[An] intricate, intoxicating novel . . . This compelling story can be read on many levels, from a multi-voiced meditation on a brief, bright life in the Big Apple to an exploration of the biographer’s almost impossible task: the discovery and distillation of another’s complex self.”
— The Washington Post
“Captivating, original, brilliant, and so dangerously exhilarating that you’ll find yourself addicted to the entire immersive experience. You will fly through this thriller, incapable of putting it down.”
— Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author of The Infinite Moment of Us
 

Loud Awake and Lost

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LOUD. There was an accident. Ember knows at least that much. She was driving. The car was totaled. She suffered back injuries and brain trauma. But she is alive. That's the only thing left she can cling to.

AWAKE. Eight months later, Ember feels broken. The pieces of her former self no longer fit together. She can't even remember the six weeks of her life leading up to the accident. Where was she going? Who was she with? And what happened during those six weeks that her friends and family won't talk about?

LOST. One by one, Ember discovers the answers to these questions, like a twisted game of dominos. And little by little, the person she used to be slips further and further away.

 
 
“Two-time National Book Award finalist Griffin continues her exploration of the inner workings of the mind in this moving and surprising story...Griffin’s writing is exquisite, teasing meaning and memory from her sentences.”
— Booklist, starred review
“Readers will feel right at home with the dialogue; sarcasm, glee and angst are spoken in pitch-perfect teenagese...Ember’s unraveling of the mystery is compelling enough to keep the pages turning quickly and steadily. The startling conclusion itself is worth the ride.”
— Kirkus Reviews
 

All You Never Wanted

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

With my eyes closed and Alex's core friends all around me, it was like I'd become my big sister, or something just as good. And so who cared if they were calling it Alex's party? One thing I knew: it would be remembered as mine.

Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she's stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf.

“A sumptuously written examination of sibling rivalry.”
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“The book is so raw that at times it’s difficult to read—yet it’s impossible to put down.”
— Booklist, starred review
“Loss of bodily control, anorexia, social phobia, sibling rivalry, and compulsive lying are all explored as each girl’s story unfolds. An excellent choice for teen girls’ discussion groups.”
— School Library Journal, starred review
 

Tighter

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When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead. A modern retelling of Henry James' classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw.

 
“Griffin interweaves subtle commentary about social class, drug abuse and mental illness into this marvelous homage while winding the suspense knob all the way to 11...A contemporary reboot that does the original proud.”
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Full of mystery, spectral encounters, and disorienting lapses in time, this is a ghost story that melds seamlessly with one of a mental breakdown...An engaging thriller with wide appeal.”
— School Library Journal

The Julian Game

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Never part of the in crowd, Raye is thrilled when popular girl Ella Parker starts to show interest in her. So when Ella proposes an online prank on her ex, Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than happy to play along. Together they develop an online persona and use it to friend" him. But then things go a bit too far. And when Ella learns that Raye has been flirting with Julian face-to-face, things really escalate. Soon, what Raye thought was just some innocent online fun turns into a vicious smear campaign—against Raye herself!

“Griffin elevates the mean girl plot with spot-on insights into teen social politics and quirky, multidimensional characters.”
— Booklist
 

Picture the Dead

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Never part of the in crowd, Raye is thrilled when popular girl Ella Parker starts to show interest in her. So when Ella proposes an online prank on her ex, Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than happy to play along. Together they develop an online persona and use it to friend" him. But then things go a bit too far. And when Ella learns that Raye has been flirting with Julian face-to-face, things really escalate. Soon, what Raye thought was just some innocent online fun turns into a vicious smear campaign—against Raye herself!

“A perfectly haunting combination.”
— Jon Scieszka, bestselling author and Caldecott Honor winner
“Eerie, romantic, moody, and immersive. A beautifully illustrated gothic delight!”
— Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cat
“A tour de force, a remarkable feat of visual and verbal storytelling, as playful as it is serious, as haunting as it is delightful.”
— Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
 

My Almost Epic Summer

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Irene’s got big dreams—someday she’ll own a sun-kissed salon in L.A. where her specialty will be recreating the hairstyles of famous literary heroines. And it’s a good thing she has dreams, since reality is harsh. She’s just been fired from her mom’s beauty salon for her tear-jerking shampooing technique, and is forced to take the only other job she can find—babysitting. Now she’s stuck at the beach entertaining kids while everyone else is having a glamorous summer. Will she ever get a life?

Then she meets Starla, a mind-bogglingly beautiful lifeguard whose diva attitude, dangerous obsessions, male admirers and cringe-worthy blog supply Irene with enough real-life drama and romance to fill a book. Amidst the complicated friendships, inconvenient crushes and occupational mishaps that seem to define this summer, Irene suddenly and unexpectedly finds that the countdown to real life is over and her fate is in her hands.

 

Where I Want to Be

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

As children, sisters Jane and Lily were inseparable. But as Lily grew up, older sister Jane wanted to forever stay in the make-believe worlds they had created when they were young. For Jane, the line between fantasy and reality had always been blurred. Then tragedy strikes, and Lily is forced to take on the role of the big sister. But will she be able to carry on and live her life in real time when Jane is forever stuck in a world that is different from reality? With two voices and a haunting narrative, Adele Griffin tells a tale of two sisters whose bond is so strong that it ties them together even after death.

“[A] powerful story.”
— Kirkus Reviews
 

Overnight

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

For Gray, being a member of the Lucky Seven might not be so lucky.

They’re called the Lucky Seven. The most popular girls in sixth grade, they are the envy of everyone else in the school, and Caitlin Donnelley is their queen. Gray is the shyest member of the group, the most fragile, and the easiest for the others to pick on. Last year, she was nearly ejected from the Seven, and since then nothing has been as important as clinging to her status in the group—not even her mother’s ongoing battle with cancer.

Caitlin throws a sleepover for her birthday, and when Gray goes to the kitchen for a glass of juice, she disappears without a trace. To find Gray and keep her alive, the girls will have to put their differences aside and work together. But some of them have secrets they’re not telling—and for this particular gang of girls, being nice does not come naturally.

“Tension-filled. . . . Deeply disturbing.”
— School Library Journal
 

Hannah, Divided

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

Uncommonly smart, uncommonly strange, Hannah is determined to become a success.

In the one-room schoolhouse at Chadds Ford, Hannah Bennett is a sensation. She is a whiz at math—so adept that she teaches the other students—but in reading, she is a flop. Give her a piece of poetry and she can tell you how many As, how many Es, how many Rs there are in it—but she cannot read a word. Her talent is amazing, but in this small town during the Great Depression, people think that girls will only use math for household budgeting.

All at once, everything changes for Hannah when she is invited to study math in the big city of Philadelphia. This illiterate farm girl will undertake the adventure of a lifetime, in hopes of winning a university scholarship. As long as she stays true to herself, there is nothing—not reading, writing, or the city of Philadelphia—that is beyond Hannah’s reach.

“Griffin does a marvelous job. . . . It is a celebration.”
— Booklist, starred review
“A novel worth savoring.”
— School Library Journal
 

Amandine

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

Delia’s new friend is not what she seems.

Each day of Delia’s first week of high school, her parents ask her the same question: Did you make any friends today? Finally, the answer is yes. Her name is Amandine, and she is the most exciting person in town. An artist, a dancer, and a teller of tall tales, she has enough charm to make Delia forget her loneliness. Like Delia, Amandine is an outsider—a city girl with too much personality for a small town..

Delia notices something strange about her friend from the start. Everything she says is a little bit too wild to be true. When the exaggerations get more serious, Delia finds it’s too late to escape. Amandine has chosen Delia—and if Delia isn’t careful, the vengeful, dangerous Amandine will set her life on fire.

“Suspenseful. . . . a riveting cautionary tale.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A powerful story.”
— School Library Journal
 

Dive

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

When a family shatters, can it be rebuilt?

Ever since they’ve been on their own, life has been tough for Ben and his mother. Though they love each other, their life together has been a series of bitter fights and standoffs. But when his mother marries Lyle, at last Ben finds a missing puzzle piece. Ben’s new stepfather is an easygoing charmer, and he and Ben grow close. Things aren’t as smooth with Ben’s new stepbrother, Dustin. Surly, distant, self-destructive, and forever grieving for his lost mother, Dustin holds everyone at arm’s length.

As their newly formed family struggles to fit together, Dustin suffers a serious diving accident. From tragedy emerges the chance for Ben to finally confront his distant mother, and maybe even make peace with his elusive stepbrother.

“Griffin’s cast is as compelling as ever. . . . Poetic.”
— Publishers Weekly
“An unusually moving and gracefully written novel that offers a memorable portrait of a blended family in crisis.”
— School Library Journal
 

The Other Shepards

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

In a house full of dark memories, two sisters try to escape the past.

Holland Shepard is a responsible teenager who spends her life trying to keep her feelings inside. Her sister Geneva is the opposite—a bundle of nerves who dreads sentimentality, but suffers so acutely from nervous disorders that a ride in an elevator is enough to send her into a fit. The girls are like summer and fall—close, yet utterly distinct—but in their parents’ house, they are growing up almost as ghosts. Because this home belongs to John, Kevin, and Elizabeth—Holland and Geneva’s siblings, who died before the girls were born.

Burdened by grief, their parents cannot bond with the daughters who replaced their original family, and so it is left to Holland to look out for herself and her sister. When a mysterious artist comes to paint a mural in their house, the girls get a glimpse into their family’s past and a chance to find themselves a place in its future.

“A resounding affirmation that fears are to be faced, not denied, and life is to be lived, not mourned.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Mesmerizing. . . . The story is told with skill and packs emotion, imagination, and sensitivity into its pages.”
— School Library Journal
 

Sons of Liberty

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

When life in his house becomes intolerable, Rock considers revolution.

It’s two a.m., it’s snowing, and the Kindle boys are working on the roof. This is just another in a long string of interrupted nights—early morning wake-up calls that their father uses to teach endurance, discipline, and a respect for authority. He is a tough man, unforgiving and quick to anger, and the boys express their fear of him in different ways. Cliff is rebellious, while Rock escapes into Revolutionary War history, and struggles to understand where his loyalties lie.

When the boys’ friend Liza decides to run away from her abusive stepfather, Rock and Cliff help her escape. As life in the Kindle house becomes unbearable, Rock wonders if he should run away as well. But would leaving be an act of treason?

“Griffin’s pointedly jarring dialogue and keen ear for adolescent jargon have a magnetic quality few readers will be able to resist.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A knot-in-the-stomach of a good book, as true and real as any this year.”
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
 

Split Just Right

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Danny lives in her mother’s world of make-believe, but all she wants is the truth.

Dandelion Finzimer’s mother has always wanted to get her daughter on the stage. Mrs. Finzimer is an actress—aspiring, anyway—who makes a living teaching and doing commercials, but lives for the applause she earns as a member of the Bellmont Players. Danny has no talent for acting—she couldn’t even play Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker—but whether she realizes it or not, she’s part of a play. Because no matter how tough things get, Danny’s mom is always acting happy, telling subtly shifting stories, and doing her best to put a smile on her daughter’s face.

This used to be OK, but Danny is in ninth grade now, and high school is a time to face the truth. She has questions about her father, who left when she was a baby, and her paternal grandparents, who live less than an hour away. Getting answers will mean acting serious, and for this quirky young woman, that will be the performance of a lifetime.

“There is real trauma here, but Dandelion Finzimer’s angst is balanced with laughter.”
— School Library Journal
 

Rainy Season

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

As a nation teeters on the brink, Lane struggles to hold herself—and her family—together.

In 1977 Panama, there is no greater issue than the ownership of the famous canal. Completed by the Americans in 1914, it has been under the control of the US Army ever since, and Panama wants it back. For the thousands of Americans who live in the slender strip of land known as the Canal Zone, the Canal is more than a political issue—it is their entire life.

Lane Beck has been a lifelong “military brat,” but she is not cut out for her father’s latest tour of duty on a Panamanian army base. Bookish and timid, she lives in fear that the fragile political treaty might break, and chaos will ensue. She is afraid her family might erupt, as well—she is constantly anxious about her reckless, unpredictable brother, and haunted by a tragedy in her family’s past. Change is coming to the Canal Zone, and Lane will do whatever it takes to make sure the people she loves survive.

“Ambitiously conceived and sharply observed.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The writing is evocative. . . . [Griffin] captures the setting and the nuances of adolescent relationships.”
— School Library Journal
 

Vampire Island

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

When old-world dangers threaten a race of fruit bat hybrids, where can they run to? New York City, of course! And that's where we meet the Livingstone kids—Lexie, Hudson, and Maddy—trying to blend their "vampireness? with the regular people of the city. Unfortunately, their vampire traits keep complicating things. Lexie's super speed, amazing strength, and poetry-quoting habit embarrass her in front of classmates and her secret crush. Hudson can fly and is determined to save the planet, but with a vocabulary from the wrong century, he doesn't quite fit in. And then there's Maddy, who has a hard time sticking to her vegetarian diet, and an even harder time convincing her siblings that their new neighbors are vampires. With all these challenges, will Lexie, Hudson, and Maddy ever be able to navigate the normal world?

 

The Knaveheart’s Curse

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Being a vegan vampire with no social graces hasn't exactly made Maddy popular with other eleven year olds. But the day she befriends Dakota Underhill changes everything, even if Dakota only promises to be her friend for . . . well, for that day. Because when the leader of the Knavehearts—the most vicious of the Old World vampires - comes to town, Maddy realizes she's going to need help. She's not strong enough to face the villain alone, and there's something special about Dakota that might make her the perfect person to team up with. . . .

 

V . . . is for Vampire

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Lexie might be the first vampire ever to run for ninth-grade class president, but she's determined to make dreamy Dylan notice her, even if it means running against perfect, popular Mina. And things would be going pretty well, if it weren't for those annoying pixie houseguests! Blix and Mitzi are wreaking backwards-speaking, house-pinkifying havoc, and now they want Lexie to run a smear campaign against Mina. But how will all this dirty campaigning affect Lexie, when she's trying to shed her evil vampire nature and become human?

 

Witch Twins

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Claire and Luna may be witches, but there’s no easy spell to stop a wedding!

Though identical on the outside, ten-year-old twins Claire and Luna Bundkin are as different on the inside as peaches and peanut butter. Claire is mischievous and Luna is a dreamer, but they do share a favorite hobby: witchcraft. Whether it’s making breakfast or washing dishes, there’s nothing a five-star witch can’t accomplish with a wave of her pinkie finger. But there are two strict rules: Don’t tell Mom, and don’t try any spells without Grandy—their magical grandmother—watching. When Claire and Luna’s father announces that he’s getting remarried to a loudmouthed Texas woman named Fluffy, the twins know they need to do something to stop the wedding. Fluffy wouldn’t be a bad stepmother, but Claire and Luna know that she would lure their father to far-away Houston. A spell might be the only way to save their dad, and they’ll try anything. Even if magic usually lands them in a pot of trouble. 

 
 

Witch Twins at Camp Bliss

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

At camp, the twins must catch a rebel witch!

They may be twins, and they may both be witches, but Luna and Claire Bundkin could not have more different personalities. Claire is sporty, brash, and cannot wait for five weeks in the sun at Camp Bliss, where she just knows she’s going to be crowned Camp Bliss Girl. But Luna is shy, awkward, and would rather spend the summer at home with her cats. To improve Luna’s attitude, the twins’ grandmother slips her a vial of thrice-distilled Marigold Zest, a pinch of which can make even the most reluctant spellcaster hungry for adventure. But when the vial disappears their first week at camp, and strange things start happening, Claire and Luna will have to stop the mischief maker—without breaking their promise to leave the spells at home! 

 
 

Witch Twins and Melody Malady

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

Will jealousy tear the witch twins apart?

Aspiring witch Claire Bundkin has been Melody Malady’s most devoted fan ever since the singing sensation was selling Sudsy Perfect Shampoo on TV. Since then, Melody’s gotten her own show, her own recordings, and now her own movie—which is being shot on location in Claire’s hometown, Philadelphia! When Claire gets a chance to meet Melody, she just about does a flip. And when Melody offers her a part in the movie, Claire knows her life is about to change forever. Claire’s twin sister, Luna, isn’t quite as excited about Claire’s shot at the big time. It can get pretty ugly when sisters disagree, but these twins can be downright dangerous since they’re witches-in-training. If they can’t get their feelings—and their magic—under control, the Bundkin girls could conjure up some serious trouble. 

 
 

Witch Twins and the Ghost of Glenn Bly

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

Can the witch twins rid Glenn Bly castle of its terrifying ghost?

Claire and Luna Bundkin are thrilled when they find out their grandparents have been invited to an all-seniors golf tournament in Scotland, and they want the twins to come along. Claire and Luna can’t wait to set eyes on a real Scottish castle, with horses, armor, and tea at four o’clock. But this castle offers one amenity they weren’t expecting—a ghost! Claire, Luna, and their grandmother are all witches, and Grandy is better at popping ghosts than any other five-star witch. Claire and Luna may only be one-and-a-half-star witches, but they’re about to get a tutorial in ghost-busting that they’ll never forget.