Asma's Picks
Wintergirls shares the story of Lia, who has long been struggling with an eating disorder. She loses a lot at the hands of the disorder, and must find the resolve to finally let it go. In this book, Laurie Halse Anderson captures the rawness and intricacy of being a struggling teenage girl without being campy or condescending.
If you enjoy dystopian teen stories, you will enjoy the Delirium trilogy. In the first book of the series, Lauren Oliver introduces us to Lena, an 18 year old girl getting ready for her government-mandated procedure to cure her from the disease of love. Knowing what love did to her mother, she has been looking forward to her procedure for years. But when she meets someone from the Wilds - a jurisdiction thought to have been destroyed years prior, that is now home to those who refuse the government’s “treatment” - she is forced to rethink her stance on love.
This book is a favorite from my childhood. Anderson made spooky content appropriate for a child without sacrificing the thrill of a good spine shivering story. May Bird is perfect for readers looking for inspiration to be brave in a non-traditional fantasy setting.
The Mysterious Benedict Society shares the thrilling story of a group of children - with VARYING skills and aptitudes who are working to take down a surprisingly familiar man as he tries to build a child army. Trenton Lee Stewart is an amazing writer who not only takes you into this world of radio static and minute details, but will have you second-guessing your own reality. Not to worry though, as this book and its characters will prepare you for anything you might need to overcome.