Summer is almost here, giving you over three months of no school and plenty of time for reading. Here are some great books you may want to check out this summer, from classics to thrillers.
First are two young adult (YA) romance novels. Better Than the Movies is the debut novel of author Painter Lynn. It is a classic enemies-to-lovers storyline featuring the main character, Liz Buxbaum, who seeks out her neighbor (and nemesis) Wes Bennet to help her gain the attention of her long-time crush, Michael.
“It is a great and easy read! The characters are so well written and it’s the perfect book to pack for vacation,” said Skyline freshman Vedha N.
The second romance novel is I Could Give You the Moon by Ann Liang. This book is a standalone novel set in the same world as Ann Liang’s If You Could See the Sun. The book follows characters Chanel Cao, a popular influencer keeping the secret of her parent’s separation, and Ares Yin, a loner searching for his missing brother. After sharing a supernatural vision where Chanel’s house burns down and Ares’s brother appears within the flames, the two team up to change fate. The book’s plot combines opposites-attract and enemies-to-lovers tropes.
Next is a non-fiction book called Into Thin Air by Krakauer Jon. Written in 1997, this memoir describes the author’s near-death experience while climbing Mount Everest in 1996, when a brutal storm led to one of Everest’s most fatal climbing seasons in history. Into Thin Air was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award.
“I liked Into Thin Air because it was intense and very fast-paced. It was shocking that something like that could have happened in real life,” said Pia S., a Skyline freshman.
For YA mystery, our first recommendation is The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss. The Escape Game is a gameshow that abruptly ended when Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set. Six months later, new contestants, including Sierra Angelos, Alicia’s sister, must solve escape rooms and puzzles to attempt to win, and survive, the game, all while working to discover who really murdered Alicia Angelos.
Merissa Meyer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, known for her book series The Lunar Chronicles and the standalone Heartless, the Renegades series, and more. Tamara Moss is a rising author. Both writers primarily author fantasy fiction and YA novels.
Lightlark by Alex Aster is the first YA fantasy novel in The Lightlark Saga which follows Isla Crown, the ruler of Wildling. She is one of six leaders invited to the island of Lightlark, which only appears for 100 days every 100 years. There, a deadly game is held. Rulers of the six realms are invited to try to fulfill a prophecy and break the curses placed on their realms centuries ago.
Isla’s people are seen as monsters due to their particularly cruel curse, making her a natural target, but she has too many secrets to afford to lose. To her, this Centennial is not another chance to break the curses; it’s the last.
The next fantasy book is The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni. Protagonist Kiva Meridan has been the prison healer at the notorious death prison, Zalindov, for most of her life. When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is forced to take the Queen’s place in a series of brutal elemental trials called the Trial by Ordeal, after a cryptic message from Kiva’s family demands she keep the Queen alive until they arrive. The issue is, no one has ever survived these trials. Freshman PS said, “My favorite thing about The Prison Healer is its plot twists because they are always shocking.”
Survival Show by Juno Dawson is a dystopian sci-fi that any fan of The Hunger Games would love. It follows a girl named Taryn whose voice is a cure for her ill brother and her only hope for a life away from the aftermath of War. This entices her to become a contestant on Starmaker, where teens compete for the chance to join an elite pop group. Those with the highest rankings will win money and fame, but those who fail face public execution. Taryn must sing for her life, all the while discovering further dark secrets of the deadly television show. More famous YA books by this author include Clean and This Book Is Gay.
Next are thrillers, starting with The Project by Courtney Summers. It follows Lo Denham, a girl who infiltrates a cult called The Unity Project in order to find her sister. Bea, hersister, had promised to always protect Lo, but abandoned Lo six years ago after a car crash that killed both their parents. Now, Lo must discover the secrets of the cult and its leader if she wants to save her sister from the dangerous truths of The Unity Project.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson is a mystery/thriller novel by the well-known author of The Good Girls Guide to Murder series.
“The plot is super creative and well written. I think it’s a very exciting book and I would recommend reading it,” Skyline freshman MC said.
Rachel Price vanished 16 years ago. Her daughter, Bel, was the only witness, though she has no memory of it. The Price family has agreed to a crime documentary on Rachel’s case when suddenly, Rachel reappears, along with a story claiming she was kidnapped. The issue is, Bel doesn’t believe her. Now, Bel must uncover the truth about her family and find out why Rachel Price really reappeared, with the cameras rolling, and the possibility of Rachel’s secrets being more dangerous than Bel imagined.
Lastly, The Kite Runner by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini is a 2003 bestselling novel that is often read in high schools and colleges. This coming-of-age classic is about a young privileged boy from Kabul named Amir and his childhood friend and servant, Hassan. After witnessing the unjust assault of Hassan during a kite-fighting tournament, Amir is racked with guilt over his inability to act. He later frames Hassan for theft, forcing Hassan and his father to leave Amir’s household. Decades later, after Amir’s family fled the Soviet invasion, Amir, an adult living in America, is offered a chance for redemption.
Find a new book😊
Skyline Catalog (physical books)
Sora (eBooks and audio books from Skyline and KCLS)
King County Library System (KCLS) (all forms of books and media)
