Pick a Taylor Swift Song, Get a Contemporary with the Same Energy By Savannah Kennelly </p> <section> <h2> <h2><strong>Pick a Taylor Swift Song, Get a Contemporary with the Same Energy</strong></h2> </h2> <p><p>With the fast-approaching release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version), you may find yourself in need some extra reading to make the wait more bearable. As someone who went to the original Fearless Tour, I am uniquely qualified to offer recommendations. No need to thank me. You’re most welcome for the expertise. So, pick a Taylor Swift song off of Fearless, and we’ll give you a YA contemporary with the same energy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go listen to Love Story (Taylor’s Version) at least a million more times.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h2> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/theinheritancegames">The Inheritance Games</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/jenniferlynnbarnes">Jennifer Lynn Barnes</a></strong></h2> </h2> <p><p>Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.</p> <p>To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/therevolutionofbirdierandolph">The Revolution of Birdie Randolph</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/brandycolbert">Brandy Colbert</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Dove “Birdie” Randolph works hard to be the perfect daughter and follow the path her parents have laid out for her: She quit playing her beloved soccer, she keeps her nose buried in textbooks, and she’s on track to finish high school at the top of her class. But then Birdie falls hard for Booker, a sweet boy with a troubled past . . . whom she knows her parents will never approve of.</p> <p>When her estranged aunt Carlene returns to Chicago and moves into the family’s apartment above their hair salon, Birdie notices the tension building at home. Carlene is sweet, friendly, and open-minded — she’s also spent decades in and out of treatment facilities for addiction. As Birdie becomes closer to both Booker and Carlene, she yearns to spread her wings. But when long-buried secrets rise to the surface, everything she’s known to be true is turned upside down.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/sisterofthebollywoodbride">Sister of the Bollywood Bride</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/nandinibajpai">Nandini Bajpai</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Mini’s big sister, Vinnie, is getting married. Their mom passed away seven years ago and between Dad’s new start-up and Vinnie’s medical residency, there’s no one but Mini to plan the wedding. Dad raised her to know more about computers, calculus, and cars than desi weddings but from the moment Mini held the jewelry Mom left them, she wanted her sister to have the wedding Mom would’ve planned.<br />Now Mini has only two months to get it done and she’s not going to let anything distract her, not even the persistent, mysterious, and smoking-hot Vir Mirchandani. Flower garlands, decorations, music, even a white wedding horse—everything is in place. That is, until a monster hurricane heads for Boston that could ruin everything. Will Mini come through as sister of the bride and save the day?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/camp">Camp</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/lcrosen">L. C. Rosen</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It’s where he met his best friends. It’s where he takes to the stage in the big musical. And it’s where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim—who’s only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists.</p> <p> This year, however, it’s going to be different. Randy has reinvented himself as ‘Del’—buff, masculine, and on the market. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish, and his unicorn bedsheets, he’s determined to get Hudson to fall for him.</p> <p>But as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself: How much is he willing to change for love? And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn’t know who he truly is?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/theothersideofperfect">The Other Side of Perfect</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/marikoturk">Mariko Turk</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but then a terrifying fall shatters her leg—and her dreams of a professional ballet career along with it.</p> <p>After a summer healing (translation: eating vast amounts of Cool Ranch Doritos and binging ballet videos on YouTube), she is forced to trade her pre-professional dance classes for normal high school, where she reluctantly joins the school musical. However, rehearsals offer more than she expected—namely Jude, her annoyingly attractive castmate she just might be falling for.</p> <p>But to move forward, Alina must make peace with her past and face the racism she experienced in the dance industry. She wonders what it means to yearn for ballet—something so beautiful, yet so broken. And as broken as she feels, can she ever open her heart to someone else?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/throwlikeagirl">Throw Like a Girl</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/sarahhenning">Sarah Henning</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop. With no other options, Liv is forced to transfer to the nearest public school, Northland, where she’ll have to convince its coach she deserves a spot on the softball team, all while facing both her ex <em>and</em> the teammates of the girl she punched… <em>Every</em>. <em>Single</em>. <em>Day.</em></p> <p><em></em>Enter Grey, the injured star quarterback with amazing hair and a foolproof plan: if Liv joins the football team as his temporary replacement, he’ll make sure she gets a spot on the softball team in the spring. But it will take more than just a flawless spiral for Liv to find acceptance in Northland’s halls, and behind that charismatic smile, Grey may not be so perfect after all.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/thisismybraininlove">This is My Brain in Love</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/iwgregorio">I. W. Gregorio</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade.<br />Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper.</p> <p>Then Jocelyn’s father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it’s up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook).</p> <p>What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/dontdaterosasantos">Don’t Date Rosa Santos</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/ninamoreno">Nina Moreno</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.</p> <p>But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.</p> <p>As her college decision looms, Rosa collides-literally-with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/sidelined">Sidelined</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/karabietz">Kara Bietz</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Julian Jackson has a short to-do list for his senior year at Crenshaw County High School in Meridian, Texas: football, football, and more football. He knows he’s only got one chance to earn a college scholarship and make it out of his small town, and keeping his head down, his grades up, and his cleats on the field is that one chance. And then Elijah Vance walks back into his life, throwing all of his carefully-laid plans into a tailspin.</p> <p>Elijah and Julian used to be best friends, maybe even on their way to something more than just friends. But three years ago, Elijah broke into the school to steal money from the coach’s office, and Julian was the one who turned him in. After that, Elijah and his family disappeared without a trace. And now he’s back, sitting at Julian’s grandmother’s kitchen table.</p> <p>But time and distance haven’t erased all of their feelings, and Elijah knows that he finally has a chance to prove to Julian that he’s not the same person he was three years ago. But with secrets still growing between them and an uncertain future barreling towards them, it may be harder to lean on each other than they thought.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/somewherebetweenbitterandsweet">Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/laekanzeakemp">Laekan Zea Kemp</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she’s been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho’s who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she’s been too afraid to ask herself. </p> <p>Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself.</p> <p>Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/whenthestarsleadtoyou">When the Stars Lead to You</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/ronnidavis">Ronni Davis</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Eighteen-year-old Devon longs for two things: The stars, and the boy she fell in love with last summer. </p> <p>When Ashton breaks Devon’s heart at the end of the most romantic summer ever, she thinks her heart will never heal again. But over the course of the following year, Devon finds herself slowly putting the broken pieces back together.</p> <p>Now it’s senior year and she’s determined to enjoy every moment of it, as she prepares for a future studying galaxies. That is, until Ashton shows up on the first day of school.</p> <p>Can she forgive and open her heart to him again? Or are they doomed to repeat history?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/mostlikely">Most Likely</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/sarahwatson">Sarah Watson</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha (listed in alphabetical order out of fairness)have been friends since kindergarten. Now they’re in their senior year, facing their biggest fears about growing up and growing apart. But there’s more than just college on the horizon. One of these girls is destined to become the president of the United States.The mystery, of course, is which girl gets the gig.</p> <p>Is it Ava, the picture-perfect artist who’s secretly struggling to figure out where she belongs? Or could it be CJ, the one who’s got everything figured out . . . except how to fix her terrible SAT scores? Maybe it’s Jordan, the group’s resident journalist, who knows she’s ready for more than their small Ohio suburb can offer. And don’t overlook Martha, who will have to overcome all the obstacles that stand in the way of her dreams.</p> <p>This is the story of four best friends who have one another’s backs through every new love, breakup, stumble, and success — proving that great friendships can help young women achieve anything . . . even a seat in the Oval Office.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/indivisible">Indivisible</a> by <a href="https://www.thenovl.com/danielaleman">Daniel Aleman</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Mateo Garcia and his younger sister, Sophie, have been taught to fear one word for as long as they can remember: deportation. Over the past few years, however, the fear that their undocumented immigrant parents could be sent back to Mexico has started to fade. Ma and Pa have been in the United States for so long, they have American-born children, and they’re hard workers and good neighbors. When Mateo returns from school one day to find that his parents have been taken by ICE, he realizes that his family’s worst nightmare has become a reality. With his parents’ fate and his own future hanging in the balance, Mateo must figure out who he is and what he is capable of, even as he’s forced to question what it means to be an American.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h2> <h2><strong>Pick a Taytay classic!</strong></h2> </h2> </section> <p>
