Bookseller Picks: For Teens

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend

A Novel

The Mischief & Matchmaking Series: Book #1

By: Emma R. Alban
Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells & Morag Sims
Length: 10 hours 47 minutes

“What a vibrant beginning to a new historical romance series! Full of intrigue, stolen kisses, and London drama, this sweet queer love story follows two women who dare to hope in a world not built for them. Read more

Infinity Alchemist

Infinity Alchemist: Book #1

By: Kacen Callender
Narrated by: Wes Haas
Length: 13 hours 19 minutes

“A sensitively written romance novel in which a young trans* man, together with a genderfluid alchemist and unexpected allies search for a lost artifact. Kacen Callender creates an original Dark Academia setting and impressively addresses accepted trans* and non-binary identities in the novel's society, poly relationships and inequality of... Read more

The Weight of Blood

By: Tiffany D. Jackson
Narrated by: JD Jackson, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Joy Nash, Christopher Salazar & Karen Malina White
Length: 10 hours 55 minutes

“A massacre happens at a high school prom leaving few survivors. This book incorporates podcasts episodes and news reports of the events leading up to the massacre. The producers of this audio book took great care in crafting an immersive experience. By giving the different characters their own voice actors the story comes to life and the... Read more

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

By: Tony Keith Jr.
Narrated by: Tony Keith Jr.
Length: 5 hours 3 minutes

“What a powerful burst of identity and emotion. I loved this autobiographical novel in verse, especially via audio with the author narrating and the added sound effects. It's engaging and beautiful, I listened in one go. Definitely would recommend for fans of Jason Reynolds and George M. Johnson. Read more

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

By: Malinda Lo
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 12 hours 25 minutes

“This coming of age story about a young woman growing up queer in 1950s Chinatown, San Francisco, was brilliant. I loved the rich historical detail, believable characters, exploration of intersectional identities, romance, and sense of place, made even stronger by the excellent narration. Best book I've read in quite some time and highly... Read more

All My Rage

A Novel

By: Sabaa Tahir
Narrated by: Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan & Kausar Mohammed
Length: 10 hours 24 minutes

“Two thumbs up. I loved how the pacing accelerated as the story unfolded. Intense and heartbreaking, as well as refreshing and angering, in the best of ways. I was hooked, listening to the different voices and learning so much about Pakistani beliefs and traditions. Trigger alerts, though! Also important to hear about how folks live with... Read more

Snowglobe

The Snowglobe Duology: Book #1

By: Soyoung Park
Narrated by: Shannon Tyo, Greta Jung & Jeena Yi
Length: 10 hours 28 minutes

“Nothing could have prepared me for all of the intricate twists and turns Park weaves into her dystopian world. Every page brings new revelations, new secrets that can still be hidden in a surveillance state. Tune into the drama for a show of a lifetime. . . maybe even multiple lifetimes. Read more

Compound Fracture

By: Andrew Joseph White
Narrated by: Dani Martineck
Length: 9 hours 42 minutes

“Andrew Joseph White just doesn’t miss. Compound Fracture is yet another stunning, visceral novel from the absolute master of trans YA horror. Miles is proud of his Appalachian heritage, but it ain’t easy being an Abernathy. The brutal murder of his great-great-grandfather—an outspoken socialist, labor organizer, and coal miner—ignited a... Read more

Iron Widow (Book 1)

Iron Widow: Book #1

By: Xiran Jay Zhao
Narrated by: Rong Fu
Length: 12 hours 18 minutes

“Bloodthirsty and tender, full of power, powerlessness, and determination, I could hear Wu Zetian roaring her vengeance call long after I finished this thrilling sci-fi masterpiece. Read more

All of Us Villains

All of Us Villains: Book #1

By: Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman
Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown & Raphael Corkhill
Length: 12 hours 51 minutes

“A Hunger Games-like tournament with evil wizards?? Sign me up!! I love this book very much and will be sobbing violently in a corner until book two is released. I HAVE to know what happens next! This book is a wild ride of curses, killers, survival, and betrayal. I can't get enough of the characters, magic, tension, and story development! The... Read more

I Kissed Shara Wheeler

A Novel

By: Casey McQuiston
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
Length: 9 hours 24 minutes

“I had never read romance, queer or otherwise, before Casey McQuiston. MANY of us fell in love with her Red, White, and Royal Blue. Her 3rd book, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, is a young adult novel with more focus on solving a mystery and navigating friendships and school pressures than romance. Oh, there's still romance--it's in the title! I am... Read more

Warrior Girl Unearthed

By: Angeline Boulley
Narrated by: Isabella Star LaBlanc
Length: 11 hours 32 minutes

“I am blown away by the author and narrator. Both this book and Firekeeper's Daughter are important and enthralling stories. Read more

Divine Rivals

A Novel

Letters of Enchantment: Book #1

By: Rebecca Ross
Narrated by: Alex Wingfield & Rebecca Norfolk
Length: 10 hours 49 minutes

“The center of this quietly fraught and achingly earnest story is a love affair in letters, sent between magical typewriters by two ambitious rivals for the same newspaper position. I’ve heard it described as You’ve Got Mail meets Dramione, and while I definitely enjoyed both aspects, Iris and Roman truly have a love of their own, and I was... Read more

The Scarlet Alchemist

By: Kylie Lee Baker
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
Length: 11 hours 51 minutes

“In an alternate China where alchemy can keep you alive longer and raise you from the dead, Zilan must compete in the imperial exams to become a royal alchemist. But there are monsters lurking within the palace walls... This book was engaging, unpredictable, and fast-paced. Immerse yourself in the magic, violence, and political intrigue. You... Read more

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

By: Axie Oh
Narrated by: Rosa Escoda
Length: 8 hours 50 minutes

“If you're familiar with the tale of the sea god's bride or not, this is a great book to listen to!! Mina, our protagonist, dives into the world of myth trying to save herself and her village from floods and anger of the sea god. The story is beautifully written with great character dynamics. My favorite character is Shin for reasons you will... Read more

The Dos and Donuts of Love

By: Adiba Jaigirdar
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
Length: 8 hours 27 minutes

“I was looking for a lighter summer read and found exactly that in this book! A great story about an Irish teenager who enters a baking reality show to find that her ex-girlfriend is also on the show. This book was a pleasure to listen to, a fun story, addressed some good topics like racism, self-esteem, and anxiety, and really made me want... Read more

The Drowned Woods

By: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Narrated by: Moira Quirk
Length: 10 hours 15 minutes

“Set in a medieval Wales dripping with magic and fae, Mer, the last living water diviner, embarks on an impossible heist. Joined by a wide cast of characters, Mer endeavors to bring down a corrupt prince—but nothing is quite as it seems. Nested in a deeply melancholic and beautiful setting, The Drowned Woods is a novel about the choices that are... Read more

Immortal Dark

By: Tigest Girma
Narrated by: Jordan Cobb
Length: 17 hours 1 minute

“Immortal Dark was a beautifully dark exploration of the human experience on the false dichotomous spectrum of good and evil. I loved how the main character was allowed to be a girl who experiences moral ambiguity and is given the freedom to act upon it. Her love interest does not wish to change her to fit the typical mold of a girl protagonist,... Read more

She Gets the Girl

By: Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus & Valentina Ortiz
Length: 8 hours 28 minutes

“The is one of those uplifting, so-cute-you-have-to-squeal books! The authors nailed the vibes of an excellent 90s rom-com (except it’s right now and sapphic.) The narrators capture Molly and Alex brilliantly! She Gets the Girl is as cute, bright, and as full of joy as a night at the roller rink. Read more

Hurt You

By: Marie Myung-Ok Lee
Narrated by: Jolene Kim
Length: 9 hours 40 minutes

“Hurt You, Marie Lee's YA retelling of Of Mice and Men, is such an important book. There is much to say about this novel, which takes on not only ableism and coming of ages issues, but also race, class, gun violence and heartbreaking loss. What stands out most, however, is the incredible insight Lee brings into the life of Leo, a neuro-atypical... Read more