Listen to Top 100 Audiobooks in Teens, Fiction & Literature

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Title: A Million Junes

Author: Emily Henry

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-16-17

Publisher: Listening Library (Audio)

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Romeo and Juliet meets One Hundred Years of Solitude in Emily Henry's brilliant follow-up to The Love That Split the World, about the daughter and son of two long-feuding families who fall in love while trying to uncover the truth about the strange magic and harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations.

June O'Donnell - aka Junior, aka Jack, aka Jonathan O'Donnell IV, aka the first female O'Donnell firstborn - has always been haunted by her family's mythic but complicated legacy. As she prepares to begin her final year of high school, June is itching to leave behind her ghosts in Five Fingers, Michigan, and travel the world.

And then, just like it always happens to the O'Donnells, a painful glimmer from her past returns to mess everything up.

Enter Saul Angert, the eldest son of Eli Angert, aka June's late father's mortal enemy, back in town from a prestigious writing program to care for his ailing father. June can't seem to avoid Saul, whose very presence makes her ache with grief over her father, and soon the unthinkable happens: She finds she doesn't exactly hate the gruff, sarcastic, and strangely tender boy whom she was born to loathe.

When June and Saul accidentally stumble into a bit of the forest magic, they are allowed a glimpse into the past at the fateful, horrible moment that started all the trouble between their families. Now June doesn't know if this new discovery means she should hate the Angerts even more or if it's finally time for her - and all of the O'Donnells before her - to let go.

Members Reviews:

Romeo & Juliet? Tuck Everlasting? Something entirely new?

When you first start to read this book, you quickly assume you are getting a cleverly disguised Romeo &Juliet via June & Saul. Then the magical twists start happening and you feel like you entered the land of Tuck Everlasting.

The lovers are still star-crossed, but soon the memories take over and guide the journey. It's a fresh YA offering, that somehow left me a little dissatisfied, feeling a little bit like I did with Twilight since the hook was so one dimensional disputed the twists. Still, it's a fantastic and well-written story, and so very perfect for your summer reading pleasure.

I both read and listened and it was good both ways, and definitely hard to put down. If this review helped, please make sure and like it, thank you!

A Nice Read

Well .. that was .. good

I don't read magical realism as much as I should but I really do love this genre, this is a nice story about two cursed family and the star crossed lovers who are trying to break this curse ( June and Saul ) I really love the chemistry between those two .. and how they were trying to make their relationship work even though history is against them in many ways, the last part of the story was so random and it kind of defied the point from the first part ( if that make sense ? ) but I like the message .. letting go is what will set you free

nice read .. maybe I will check this author other work

The Narration was very good as expected from Julia Whelan and it did give some liveliness to the book :)

O DANG I love this book

I fell in love with Emily Henry's first book The Love that Split the World and was super bummed there was no audio for it (hint hint, Audible!).

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Title: Someone Else's Summer

Author: Rachel Bateman

Narrator: Christine Lakin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-16-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Anna's always idolized her older sister, Storm. So when Storm dies in a tragic car accident on the night of her high school graduation, Anna is completely lost, and her family is torn apart. That is until she finds Storm's summer bucket list and decides to honor her sister by having the best summer ever - which includes taking an epic road trip to the coast from her sleepy Iowa town. Who knew that Storm's dream summer would eventually lead to Anna's own self-discovery?

Critic Reviews:

"Equally heartbreaking and inspiring, Rachel Bateman's

Someone Else's Summer is a journey of love and healing that examines the true meaning of bravery." (Kristina McBride, author of

A Million Times Goodnight and

One Moment)

"Plenty of romantic moments will make starry-eyed readers swoon." (

Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Beautiful

I really enjoyed this book! The story was beautiful and the performance was perfect. Highly recommend

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Title: The Lines We Cross

Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah

Narrator: Tim Pocock, Candice Moll

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-17

Publisher: Scholastic Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A remarkable story about the power of choosing tolerance from one of the most important voices in contemporary Muslim literature, critically acclaimed author Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Michael usually concerns himself with basketball and hanging out with his friends, but every once in a while, his parents drag him to meetings and rallies with their anti-immigrant group. And it all makes sense to Michael.

Until Mina, a beautiful girl from the other side of the protest lines, shows up at his school and turns out to be funny, smart - and a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan. Suddenly his parents' politics seem much more complicated.

Mina has already had a long and arduous journey leaving behind her besieged home in Afghanistan, and the frigid welcome at her new school is daunting. She just wants to settle in and help her parents get their restaurant up and running. But nothing about her new community will be that easy. As tensions increase, lines are drawn. Michael has to decide where he stands. Mina has to protect herself and her family. Both have to choose what they want their world to look like.

Members Reviews:

A wonderfully written story with incisive commentary on race and immigration

This book juxtaposes two teens from vastly different backgrounds and through their interactions and relationship, offers insightful commentary on racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia. While Mina, who is Afghan and Muslim, struggles to find her place in a new environment where she is in the minority, Michael starts to unpack his privilege and internalized biases that he's acquired growing up in a very white environment with a parent who preaches anti-immigration rhetoric. It can be tough to write about race and privilege from the perspective of a white person in a way that doesn't objectify people of color, but Randa Abdel-Fattah pulls it off well and manages to develop Michael's character without reducing Mina to a lesson for him to learn from.

This is a wonderful book about how hate is passed down from one ...

This is a wonderful book about how hate is passed down from one generation to the next. How instead of spewing the hate they "know" and opening up to really see the people they are supposed to hate. The book is set up going back and forth between characters so you get to feel how a singular event affects both character.

I could not put this book down. I even took this book with me while walking my dog, I have a true hard cover book. I would would read while walkjng or taking breaks and sitting on the grass to read.

The book is very compling and tells the story of hatred , and a little Romeo and Juliette, in a fresh manner and not so obvious manner.

Tackling Tough Topics Beautifully!

My tongue is tripping over the terrifically timely topics touched in The Lines We Cross. Universally relevant, remarkably well written; my personal recommendation for required reading resonates with me in an invigorating, inspirational way.

Generally, offspring look up to their parents, seeing them as large-and-in-charge with all the answers. Beyond that, there is an inherent knowledge: parents are good people. (My reminder to myself when first meeting Michael) an amiable, ill-informed adolescent supporting his parentsâ new political party, Aussie Values. And, itâs not as if his parents oppose Australia accepting refugees, after all.

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Title: Windfall

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Narrator: Tonya Cornelisse

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-17

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This romantic story of hope, chance, and change from the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is one Jenny Han says is filled with all of her "favorite things", Morgan Matson calls "something wonderful", and Stephanie Perkins says "is rich with the intensity of real love".

Alice doesn't believe in luck - at least not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now she's been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his 18th birthday - just when it seems they might be on the brink of something - she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant everything changes.

At first it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy's father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy's newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined...and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

Critic Reviews:

"Smith weaves a poignant tale of teens coping with loss and change as they balance on the verge of adulthood.... Fans of Morgan Matson's and Deb Caletti's books will want to curl up with a box of tissues as they fall under Smith's storytelling spell." (School Library Journal)

"[T]his compelling read, gracefully told, raises issues seldom explored in popular fiction. How can we rationalize life's inequalities? What do we owe, and to whom, when blessed with good fortune? Smart and entertaining, as to be expected from Smith." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Windfall is about all of my favorite things - a girl's first big love, her first big loss, and - her first big luck." (Jenny Han, New York Times best-selling author of To All the Boys I've Loved Before)

Members Reviews:

OK story - terrible narration

Struggled with this one. The narrator made it very difficult. I realize that the main characters are only 18, but the voices used for the dialogue made them all sound like idiots (both boys sounded like slow moving, dumb jocks - the girl a bit like a twelve year old heavy smoker).

The story was OK. I like the premise, but could not get over the narration.

Still reading

I'm only on chapter 3 loving the story but I really dislike how the main actress voice for the guys. It makes it almost not worth it to listen to this fantastic book.

New favorite book!

This book made me cry like a baby. I find it so relatable at times and it gave me a new outlook on "luck"

Makes you think.

I really enjoyed listening to this one.

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Title: Four Weeks, Five People

Author: Jennifer Yu

Narrator: Carly Robins, Stephanie Einstein, James Fouhey, Jesse Einstein, Nick Banner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

They're more than their problems.

Obsessive-compulsive teen Clarissa wants to get better, if only so her mother will stop asking her if she's okay. Andrew wants to overcome his eating disorder so he can get back to his band and their dreams of becoming famous. Film aficionado Ben would rather live in the movies than in reality. Gorgeous and overly confident Mason thinks everyone is an idiot. And Stella just doesn't want to be back for her second summer of wilderness therapy. As the five teens get to know one another and work to overcome the various disorders that have affected their lives, they find themselves forming bonds they never thought they would, discovering new truths about themselves, and actually looking forward to the future.

Members Reviews:

Teen Brain vs. Adult Brain

I finished this book last week. I kept starting and stopping my review on this one, wanting to be fair to the book.

I finally decided that I had to approach this review from two perspectives: teenage me and adult me.

As a teen I would have loved this book. Even though I didn't live with all the emotional issues that plagued these kids, I would have identified with them. I would have seen myself a bit in Stella and I would have sighed over a couple of the boys. I would have wanted to go to a camp like this and I would have read the book at breakneck speed and passed it on to my friends.

And I might have toyed with the idea of starvation dieting. I wouldn't have taken it as far, but I would have thought of it.

Yep...that's a dangerous one, isn't it?

And here comes adult reader: I loved the fact that the author gave us a boy dealing with an eating disorder. I honestly don't remember reading another YA book where a boy deals with this. But, man, that starvation mixed with rock star quality and genuine niceness make him a little too attractive. I could totally see a teen girl (or boy) reading the way he deals with calories and thinking...mmm...maybe I just won't go so far.

Now, to be fair as I read this book, there's a ton of talk about 13 Reasons Why and whether or not media can make risky behavior attractive to teens. Depends on the teen, I guess. But parents should just keep it in mind. There are consequences to his actions, but you're kind of far away from them and they don't seem as strong as they should be. The book never made me cry - and it should have.

As for the teens in this book in general, they're remarkably accepting about the fact that mommy and daddy sent them away to a camp to deal with mental and emotional issues. Even those who don't really want to be there seem to treat this $20,000 a month camp as more a social place than a place dealing with mental health.

All that being said, I liked our kids (they are all truly good kids). I did wish that more happened besides talking about their feelings and a lot of self realization.

When I read a book like this, I ask myself if I would be comfortable with my own daughter reading this in a couple of years.

After some hesitation, yes. But we'd have to talk about the realities of eating disorders and mental health issues and the fact that issues like these don't get solved in a fairy tale sleep away camp.

Possibly More Dangerous Than Beneficial

Five teens with various emotional disorders are grouped together in a four week summer camp.

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Title: The Whole Thing Together

Author: Ann Brashares

Narrator: Brittany Pressley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-25-17

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Number one New York Times best-selling author Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series was a worldwide phenomenon, and she's back with a beautifully written novel about love, class differences, and betrayal playing out over the course of a fractured American family's Long Island summer.

Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they've shared almost everything - reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they've never met.

Sasha's dad was once married to Ray's mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled, and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families - and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control...or does it? This summer the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and, most of all, love.

Members Reviews:

I would've given it 5 stars but..........

.....I was really disappointed in how it ended so apruptly. Would've loved to have more of the story.

Beatifully written,

Would you listen to The Whole Thing Together again? Why?

Yes. The author has a way of enveloping you into the story, making you part of the family, laughing at their jokes, feeling the distress when sadness hit.

Any additional comments?

I felt that it was a beautiful story. Yet, the ending left me wanting just a little bit more. Throughout the whole book, the main characters share this out-of-this world connection that has no resolution at the end. If feels as though the author has just let me see a snippet of their lives, leaving me hungry for more

WTF

What kind of ending is this!!!! There is no conclusion!!!! The book did not end it just simply stopped!!!!!

Gisel

I loved the book it was beautiful yet sad. I defenetly recommend reading this book

Unforgettable Story, Not to be Missed

What made the experience of listening to The Whole Thing Together the most enjoyable?

This is such an intelligent, heart-filled story, carrying a strong message about the dangers of unforgiveness and resentment without being one bit preachy. I was enthralled by it and will probably listen again.

What did you like best about this story?

Where to start? The characters are well-drawn, the settings are vivid. I fell in love with Ray and Sasha, especially. The reminder of what truly counts in life is one of the most profound I've come across in years and years of voracious reading.

What about Brittany Pressleys performance did you like?

I greatly enjoyed Ms. Pressley's voice.

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Title: North of Happy

Author: Adi Alsaid

Narrator: Luis Moreno

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-25-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

His whole life has been mapped out for him. Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the United States, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family, where he attends an elite international school. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

When his older brother, Felix - who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel - is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother's voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father's plan for him. Worrying about his mental health but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the United States and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss's daughter - a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what's most important to him and where his true path really lies.

Members Reviews:

Love, loss, and food

I love Adi Alsaid's writing style. His characters feel like people I could meet, the settings realistic, and the plot so likely to actually be happening somewhere in the world right now.

Here is what I loved about NoH: the deep, clear and consistent portrayal of what it means to cope with grief, the reflective nature of the protagonist, the lovely characterization of the love interest, the hero journey-like character types (the mentor, the nemesis, the best friend), the realistic depiction of a restaurant kitchen, the very thoughtful and character driven plot, and the satisfying resolution that didn't simplify a life lived carrying loss.

Here's what I struggled with in the book: the slow pacing at times, some details that seemed a bit incorrect considering the setting (and that I live where the book is set), and connecting to the protagonist.

Even though this wasn't my favorite of his books, I'm still glad I read it. Adi is one of my favorite authors, and among a small group of whose work I will read no matter what. I can't wait to read his next novel.

Cooking and grief

This book is about a young man named Carlos who is grieving for his brother Felix and trying to find his way in life. His way is through food and learning how to make delicious foods. Carlos can't believe that people actually get paid to make meals for others while they play with the art of food. During his creating and learning Carlos is still dealing with his brothers death and trying to remain sane even though he still sees Felix everywhere. He is also trying to hold onto the first girl he ever cared about while still balancing the best opportunity of a lifetime.

I really liked Carlos and felt his loss and his loves. I had a hard time liking Chef and Emma. However, I am happy with the ending.

Don't Read While Hungry. Or Still Do. It's Great!

This is my favorite Adi Alsaid book so far (which is saying a lot because his other two are wonderful.) This book left me feeling hungry, inspired to cook more, and eager for his next book. A must read for anyone who likes food or books.

I loved North of Happy

I loved North of Happy, as well as all of Adi Alsaid's books! It is a great story with characters that you quickly connect with in one way or another.

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Title: Bang

Author: Barry Lyga

Narrator: Charlie Thurston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A heartbreaking novel about living with your worst mistake, from New York Times best-selling author Barry Lyga.

A chunk of old memory, adrift in a pool of blood.

Sebastian Cody did something horrible, something no one - not even Sebastian himself - can forgive. At the age of four, he accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father's gun.

Now, 10 years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. With his best friend away for the summer, Sebastian has only a new friend - Aneesa - to distract him from his darkest thoughts. But even this relationship cannot blunt the pain of his past. Because Sebastian knows exactly how to rectify his childhood crime and sanctify his past. It took a gun to get him into this.

Now he needs a gun to get out.

Unflinching and honest, Bang is as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines, the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed.

Critic Reviews:

"Heartbreaking and brutally compelling." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Narrator Charlie Thurston turns in an energetic performance of Lyga's young adult novel.... Thurston's skillful pacing as Sebastian reaches the edge of suicide again will keep listeners glued to their earbuds." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Resilience With pizza.

I bought this book because I have a very very strong review in the New York Times book review. I read it and stayed with it because it is filled with really good characters, and a storyline that beautiful he expresses why life is still worth living Even after tragedy

great book

Loved it I just wished it was longer. I really enjoyed the story characters and the surprise ending.

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Title: Ball Don't Lie

Author: Matt de la Peña

Narrator: Dion Graham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-04-17

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Newbery Award-winning author Matt de la Pena's Ball Don't Lie, about basketball, "is a must-read" (The Bulletin).

Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. He's a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn't seem to belong.

But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out, if he can only realize that he doesn't have to be the person everyone else expects him to be.

Matt de la Peña's breakout urban masterpiece, Ball Don't Lie takes place where the street and the court meet and where a boy can be anything if he puts his mind to it.

Critic Reviews:

"[An] inspiring story. Sticky is a true original, and de la Peña has skillfully brought him to life." (School Library Journal)

"Riveting.... Teens will be strongly affected by the unforgettable, distinctly male voice; the thrilling, unusually detailed basketball action; and the questions about race, love, self-worth, and what it means to build a life without advantages." (Booklist)

"Stunningly realistic, this book will hook older readers, especially urban teen males." (VOYA)

Members Reviews:

Truly an urban masterpiece

Matt De La Peña is a genius. This is not the first book I read from this author, and I have to say I'm impressed by his writing. "Ball Don't Lie" presents a story so unique both in the main character and in the form of narrative, that I found myself wishing for the book not to end.

Sticky is a character that is incredibly likeable and so imperfectly awesome that I wish I knew him in real life. De la Peña has a way of developing his characters and making them so belieavable that is unprecedented, as you find yourself quickly absorbed to the character's thoughts and feelings. In this particular book, you find a deeply troubled young man who tries to overcome his problems any way that he can, and finds in the game of basketball an escape from the bleak reality that is his life. While we navigate (beautifuly, I might add) the events that shaped Sticky's life, it is impossible not to be moved by the power in De la Pen's writing, as well as the crude situations Sticky has been through in this young life.

There are parts in the book - specially the scenes in Lincoln Rec and the discussions of its frequent players - that are simply hilarious, and made me laugh out loud for days. The description of the basketball scenes is also brilliant and rich, and I found myself wanting to play basketball on a frequent basis after reading this.

All in all, a fantastic read (I read this book 7 times, and it gets better every time), one of the best in my life, in fact.

Not your normal basketball story

This book was good beginning to end did a great job of flashing back to the past to give content to the present without making the reader feel lost the plot is solid with good twist basketball being woven in to a book about so much more this book has something for everybody

Richie's Picks: BALL DON'T LIE

"I could tell you a lot about this game....

"How a dark gym like Lincoln Rec is a different world. Full of theft and dunk, smooth jumpers and fragile egos. Full of its own funky politics and stratification.

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Title: Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined

Author: Danielle Younge-Ullman

Narrator: Phoebe Strole

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-21-17

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Teens, Fiction & Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Then

Ingrid traveled all over Europe with her opera star mother, Margot-Sophia. Life was beautiful and bright, and every day soared with music.

Now

Ingrid is on a summertime wilderness survival trek for at-risk teens: addicts, runaways, and her. She's fighting to survive crushing humiliations, physical challenges that push her to her limits, and mind games that threaten to break her.

Then

When the curtain fell on Margot-Sophia's singing career, they buried the past and settled into a small, painfully normal life. But Ingrid longed to let the music soar again. She wanted it so much that for a while, nothing else mattered.

Now

Ingrid is never going to make it through this summer if she can't figure out why she's here, what happened to Margot-Sophia, and why the music really stopped.

Members Reviews:

I absolutely loved the deeply-moving story telling and authentic voice that Danielle ...

I absolutely loved the deeply-moving story telling and authentic voice that Danielle Young-Ullman has created in this book. It is all-at-once adventurous, confessional, deeply complex, shattering, self-deprecating and funny.For parents and teen children who enjoy reading books in parallel, this one will give you a great deal to discuss (without being too shocking) and leave you both feeling like you need to take a deep breath and have a good hug once you're done. The author has found a way to explain and engage kids struggling to understand love, loss and anything that can happen in-between, as well as parents trying to do the same. The ending is cautiously optimistic while avoiding anything remotely described as predictable, and will give super sensitive (often young adult) readers a reason to pull themselves together and forge ahead. But be warned:I dare anyone who has ever worn their broken, damaged heart on their sleeve or stuffed at the bottom of their cluttered purse to read this and finish it with a dry eye.

YA mature theme - A wonderful story that unfolds cleverly

YA mature theme - A wonderful story that unfolds cleverly. A must read for all YA readers. Heartbreaking and funny coming of age. A colorful cast of characters.

From its eye-catching cover to its hopeful final page, this novel is a true beauty inside and out

Ingrid's big passion is music and she's been offered a place at a prestigious college in England. There is only one problem: she promised her mum to go to a wilderness summer camp before she's allowed to go to her dream school as she needs to show that she has the perseverance and strength to take such a big step. Ingrid agrees, she's willing to do anything to make her dream a reality, but when she arrives at the camp â or lack thereof â it isn't what she expected at all. Rather than cute cabins and organised games, the trip her mum signed her up for is a brutal hike without any amenities where the campers have to set up their own tents at night and battle the elements.

Not only that, but all the other teenagers in the group seem far more troubled than Ingrid. From a teen mum wanting to get strong to take care of her baby to an ex-con, Ingrid feels out of place and cheated. What is she really doing there? Why did her mum set her up to fail? As the weeks go by, the trip turns into a brutal yet enlightening self-discovery journey not only for the other campers but for Ingrid too.