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Top Ten Teen Books of 2015

Now that I'm working full-time as a young adult librarian I haven't been posting nearly as much, but I wanted to at least do my end of the year lists! 1) Ms. Marvel: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson I love this comic series overall, but this one so clearly nails a lot of the things I've heard from teens recently. Their annoyance at older generations misjudging and underestimating them, their ability to come together despite differences, and their genuine desire to make their worlds a better place. Kamala Khan is just a fabulous protagonist overall, relatably trying to juggle her friends, family, faith, education, and, oh yeah, newfound superpowers. Plus, the cameos. The cameos. So many familiar faces from the Marvel universe have appeared, which is especially fun because Kamala is such an unabashed fangirl. I really can't praise this series highly enough- just go check it out for yourself. 2) Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson Sensing a theme? 2015 was a huge year for ...

The Secret

Friends with Boys

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

A coming-of-age tale with a spooky twist!

Maggie McKay hardly knows what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life. Maybe it even means making a new friend—one who isn’t one of her brothers.

Funny, surprising, and tender, Friends with Boys is a pitch perfect YA graphic novel full of spooky supernatural fun.
-Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads




There are so many perfect touches in this book- the snappy dialogue, the artwork, the family and friend dynamics, Maggie squeeing over Ripley (Alien, spluh), and the genuine emotion that never slips into melodrama. Hicks perfectly captures the terror of the first day of high school, life as a tomboy, and, from what I can infer from other reviews, the experience of having several older brothers. I loved every character in this graphic novel and can't wait to read more things from this author. Actually, I'd love to see her write for TV- now that we're starting to live in a more Whedon-inspired media 'verse (yay!), I would think that her ability to write an intelligent teen ensemble (with supernatural happenings!) would be a bonus.


Also, this was published by :01 First Second, my new favorite publisher. Some of their other graphic novels include American Born Chinese, Anya's Ghost, Zita the Spacegirl, Robot Dreams, The Color of Earth, and Sailor Twain: Mermaid in the Hudson. WOW.

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