#scout's honor lily anderson

[beholdthemem]

Reasons why Sasha "The Beast" Nezhad is The Character Of All Time:

-Nicknamed herself The Beast and had it immediately catch on because she's terrifying.

-Capable of constructing a bong out of an apple and a ballpoint pen.

-Goth as hell.

-Tall as fuck.

-Joined the Magical Girl Scouts Ladybirds at age 16 after learning scouts got to stab things.

-Despite recreationally scaring the shit out of anyone and everyone, learned how to help with panic attacks to better support her bestie.

-Once burned down an Old Navy because they only offered plus size clothing in the online store.

[stxrs-hollow]

"The whispers of girls have a way of becoming a roar."

Scout's Honor, Lily Anderson

[the-dust-jacket]

Congratulations to the 2023 Printz Award winner and honorees! 

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Quick Review: Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson Rating: 5/5

This was a wonderfully imaginative, brilliantly diverse and lots of fun. I loved finally getting a story about the secret defenders of the earth where they actually experienced effects of their work -- mental health struggles, acquired disabilities, etc. -- and had to learn how to cope with them. *cough* Take note, Rick Riordan. *cough*

Another wonderful book from Lily Anderson. I can't wait to see what she brings us next!

[wormwoodandhoney]

Do you have any book suggestions for contemporary fantasy adventure stories with a focus on friendship?

you know i do! by contemporary i assume you mean set in modern times? here's what i've got. these all focus primarily on friendship and may include a small romance subplot, but mostly friends. if you want more with stronger romance subplots, or set in non-modern or fantasy worlds, hit me up, i got lots of those too:

Witchlings by Claribel A Ortega is a middle grade fantasy set in a fantasy world, but it's very modern- cell phones, etc. Also middle grade but more horror is Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, which is an incredible book I want to scream about all the time. I love middle grade but I know it's a tough sell, so I'll move on to-

Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson is about a Girl Scout-like troupe of young women fighting monsters, and how that messes them up. I also liked the author's Undead Girl Gang. These are both YA.

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl is about friends at a boarding school where they find out they're cursed, tying their fates to fairy tales. Also YA.

If you're willing to go a little (or a lot) weird and slightly more literary, We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry is about a girls lacrosse team in the 80s who turn to witchcraft to win their games. Not as explicitly magical as the above, but really very good. Told in first person plural ("we"), which is pretty cool. I see this shelved as YA, but it's kinda dense for YA so idk.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger is a YA book I'm always trying to sell- ace Indigenous teen who can see the ghosts of animals solves a murder with her ghost dog. :)

A Song Below Water by Bethany C Morrow is another magical modern world about Black sirens. Also YA.

Finally, I'm legally required to direct everyone to Seanan McGuire's beautiful novella series Wayward Children, about a school for children who have been to portal fantasy worlds and returned.

Contemporary fantasy in adult books tend to have a lot more romance, but I think VenCo by Cherie Dimaline is a pretty fun adventure about witches and the importance of sisterhood. I haven't read The Change yet, but it's on my TBR!

[treesap-blogs]

“Scout’s Honor” by Lily Anderson review!

Hello, Tumblrians! As you know, my reading queue had to be cleared for a period of time (which is difficult when measuring only with my Tumblr account, as I stopped uploading reviews as soon as I finished a book), but–sometimes, goals don’t quite work out, and what happened was that I was annoyed enough by the existence of a reading void that I suddenly had to fill it. Which brings us to today’s case, Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson! (P.S., for a clearer idea of my reading schedule and what books I go through at what exact time, go to my Goodreads! I’m seasalted.citrus on there :D! Sometimes I publish short little blurb-y reviews on there, but they’re just summarizations of what I write on here.)

We follow our protagonist, 16 year-old Prudence, who’s a Legacy Ladybird: she was born with the ability to See monsters who feed off of human emotions called Milligrubs (Critters= black eyes, nuisances that can be eradicated with just mint, Carnivores = white eyes, bloodthirsty and..require a bit more than just mint leaves or spray to defeat). Ladybirds themselves are Girl Scouts if they fought with pink-colored knives and axes, but they masquerade as a fancy-schmancy group that specializes in stereotypically feminine stuff(tea parties, baking, etc). But Prudence hasn’t been a Scout in three years; not after the death of her best friend in a fight with a Carnivorous Milligrub, and she’s been left with PTSD and anxiety since. Her mom ropes her into training a group of new Scouts, however, and after some unusual attacks in her town realizes she’ll have to fight not just the usual six-legged(or more) foes, but her past as well.

Like The Belles, I have a nostalgic connection with a somewhat similar piece of media, that being the Lumberjanes comics! It also had that “Girl Scouts if they fought” premise to it, which is what made me add Scout’s Honor to my TBR! And to be honest, Scout’s Honor felt just as fun to read as Lumberjanes (although the latter is more of an ensemble thingie and we have more of a genuine friend group than one with an added mentor-mentees dynamic). Hacking at monsters and stuff, whilst trying to balance it out with teen life? Absolutely!

As you can tell from the summary though, this book does deal a lot with trauma and the effects of it. I thought that it was respectfully and realistically written; Prudence experiences a few panic attacks in the book, we deal with her trying to tell her mother about her mental health and the struggle of having that be recognized by her(relatable, as someone with a dad who’d get mad at me for being upset or “ungrateful” when I didn’t have a life “as bad as his”), and although with the premise including monsters feeding off of negative emotions you’d worry about stigmatization, it doesn’t do that with Prudence, thankfully. (It does add an interesting layer to that, though, because how do you properly deal with your emotions then?? Gotta get all the therapy and mindfulness exercises you can get, I guess.) 

Adding some more feedback in the Spoiler Section! Not that much though.

SPOILER SECTION!!! It’ll be brief but still.

Dudes. During the cemetery fight in the end of the book, I thought that based on the dialogue from Prudence’s boyfriend, after all this time of the grubs being these hostile, bloodthirsty things, they’d be pitied or given a kind of “but they’re living beings too and we’ve been lied to and they’re not that bad so we don’t have to kill them!!” kind of approach. AND THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN, HE WAS JUST NAIVE AFTER BEING A SEER FOR LESS THAN AN HOUR🥳🥳🥳!! Seriously though I was gonna be so annoyed, I’ve read 2 other books that did that, which..both happen to be favorites of mine (one I might have to reread though, I’ve seen a lot of reviews complaining about the dialogue?), but if there was a third one it’d just be a cliché within my reading history and I’d get tired of that very quickly. (So many things are redeemed in a rushed way in recent media, anyhow. I don’t need to see another thing do that.)

Another topic! While I was sort of mixed about Prudence’s friends attempting to be Scouts, I thought Sasha made a very entertaining one. She was a great contrast to the younger members, who are more lax/nice in their demeanor. She definitely became my favorite! I just wish that we could’ve had a bit more time with the Scouts as a friend group and not just a teacher-mentees thing, because whilst the latter was Prudence’s actual role, it was clear that the four of them ended up fitting into the first category the more attached she became to them(and, well, one of her actual friends from the beginning was part of her trainee group).

I remember being a little annoyed at the third act conflict, but it was resolved relatively quickly. To think that Sasha would hear the true story about Prudence’s old friend being killed, and be angry at her for not telling her the true reason when it very well could’ve been dangerous for her to say?! Come on, I get that she can be harsh and sometimes impulsive but they’d known each other for years, I’d think she’d be more sad than angry. (Disappointed, definitely, but why flip out on her? It was written pretty poorly, in my opinion.)

That’s all! Back to our scheduled programming.

END OF SPOILER SECTION!! Yippee!

To summarize my thoughts, and conclude this review: Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely! It was fun, action-packed with a good mix of teen angst and monster-slashing, although there were a few issues with pacing and I thought the third act conflict between Prudence and Sasha was a little convoluted. But I’d definitely recommend this, perhaps I’ll compile my own list of stories within the “Girl Scout-adjacent groups kicking ass” subgenre ^^. (P.S., anyone who’s got some recs hit me up!)

Paz, signing off! ^^

(Book content/trigger warnings: Violence, PTSD, on-page panic attacks and discussions around declining mental health.)

[themoonlightarchive]

In January, I read 7 books - a total of 2,202 pages! ✨

The Empty Grave (Jonathan Stroud)

The Deal (Elle Kennedy)

Sorcery of Thorns (Margaret Rogerson)

Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Margaret Rogerson)

I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy)

letters from medea (Salma Deera)

Scout's Honor (Lily Anderson)

You can find my ratings and thoughts on these books below the cut!

The Empty Grave

Storygraph

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: great ending that left the world open for future additions. really wish there had been less comments about george’s weight.

The Deal

Storygraph

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: third re-read. loved it just as much as the last two times. even with all of it’s cheesy bits.

Sorcery of Thorns

Storygraph

My Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: really enjoyed the prose (especially in regards to the library), character growth, magic system, and world-building. had very mixed feelings about elisabeth’s age though.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor

Storygraph

My Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: the fact that in this world, books and libraries and houses are sentient beings because of all of the magic laid into them for centuries is one of the reasons i enjoyed it. seeing more of that in this novella was wonderful. also i have to make this known: silas is my favourite character.

I'm Glad My Mom Died

Storygraph

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: seeing the truth behind something that brought me joy and that i genuinely think shaped me, my personality, and my sense of humor was rough. i hate that something that was like this for me was like that for the actors that i looked up to when i was younger. jennette’s journey to healing was poignant and beautiful.

letters from medea

Storygraph

My Rating: 3/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: i was really looking forward to this collection but i was honestly a little disappointed by it. there were some parts that were really good, like hit you in the face, make your chest ache good. the rest were just okay. maybe i built it up too much in my head.

Scout's Honor

Storygraph

My Rating: 3/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: the whole girl-scout-meets-monster-slayer aspect was amazing, really drew me in and kept me hooked. the monsters were gross and creepy, the characters (mostly) loveable and relatable. i felt like there were some similarities to buffy the vampire slayer, mostly in the whole “why are young girls responsible for this?” aspect of it all. really great read!

You can read the full thread of my 2024 reads on Twitter!

[pumpkinbutt700]

List Of Books I've Read in 2023!

Howdy.

January:

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

- The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

February:

-The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D Jackson

-Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

March:

-Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

- The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran

- Extasia by Claire Legrand

- The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

April:

- Tomie by Junji Ito

- Ohio by Stephen Markley

- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

-The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne

May:

- Devilman Vol 1 by Go Nagai

- Devilman Vol 2 by Go Nagai

- The Sight by David Clement-Davies

- Fell by David Clement-Davies

- The Lake by Natasha Preston

- Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

- The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

JUNE :

- A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bathena

- Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

- Harlem Sunset by Nekesa Afia

- The Comeback by Lily Chu

- Better Together by Christine Riccio (DNFed at page 60)

- No One Gets out Alive by Adam Nevill

- The Twin by Natasha Preston

- Pinky and Pepper Forever by Eddy Atoms

- My Sweet Audrina by VC Andrews

- The Lost Star of Mariage-du-Diable by Sabina Bailey

- Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost

July:

- The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

- Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

- All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki

- Severance by Ling Ma

- Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders

- Aquicorn Cove by K O'neill

- This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

- Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

- Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

August:

- Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders

- Promises Stronger Than Darkness by Charlie Jane Anders

- The Devourers by Indra Das

- Sanctuary With Kings by Kathryn Moon

- The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams

- Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang- Epigg

September:

- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

- New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

- Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

- Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer

- Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

October:

- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

- Crumbs by Danie Stirling

- She is a Haunting by Trang Than Tran (DNFed at 40 pages)

- Unbury Carol by Joshn Malerman

- I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shae

- Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson

- Devilman G Vol 1 by Go Nagai

- Sugar Sugar Rune Vols 1 - 8 by Moyocco Anno

- The Long Shadows of October by Kristopher Triana

- Mary by Nat Cassidy

- The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

November:

- The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams

- The Legend of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert

- The Return of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichart

- The Project by Courtney Summers

- The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

- One by One by Ruth Ware

- Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

- The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

December:

- The Poison Song by Jen Williams

- The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig

- Bunny by Mona Awad

- Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente

- Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

- Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (DNFed at 45 pages)

- House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

- House of Cotton by Monica Brashears

- Princess Ai by Misaho Kujiradou, Courtney Love, DJ Milky

- Electric Idol by Katee Robert

- A Tip For the Hangman by Allison Epstein

- A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

- Look-Alikes Christmas by Joan Steiner (i know it's a children's book but IDC!)

- A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

- The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

- The Random House Book of Fairy Tales adapted by Amy Ehrlich, illustrated by Diane Goode

[mssarahmorgan]

Book 108 of 2022: Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders

I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy, and it was a total delight to return to this expansive, candy-colored, heart-on-its-sleeve universe. This time around, our friends are changed by their first big fight--they're bigger and stronger but also hurting and struggling. This series has so much adventure and also so much heart--don't miss this one!

What to read next: Scout's Honor, by Lily Anderson, for another story about strong girls who are hurting but still fighting.

[fandom-queen-13]

Thanks for the tags!

Last song: 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

Currently watching: Sanders Sides

Currently reading: The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas, Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Currently obsessed with:

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Jacksepticeye Egos

Heroes of Olympus

Steven Universe

Clover by Or3o

The Sunbearer Trials

Tags: @watery-melon-baller, @nevergonnasaygoodbi, @galactic-chaos9, @never-wake-up, and anyone else who wants to join!

Tagged by @im-a-five-star-michelin

Last song: rises the moon by Liana Flores, bite me by enhypen

Currently watching: the good bad mother

currently reading: to all the boys I loved before: always and forever

Currently obsessed with:

Harry styles

Demon slayer

The black phone

omori

No pressure tags :): @thatspookyghost @rinney4ever @duchessofvolterra @nekodalvrs @zelinksupporter @midnighthourss

[aroaessidhe]

2022 reads // twitter thread

Scout's Honor

YA suburban fantasy about girl scouts who fight grub demons

a girl who left the scouts after her best friend died, agrees to train some new recruits for the chance to erase them from her mind altogether

female friendships

PTSD and grief

[horse-shit]

so sorry, apparently thursday is like The busy day, but ill do today's prompt as soon as possible ^v^

{id like to get a good amount of sleep as well because i know id stay up as late as possible to work on art, ive done it before lol ;;}

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (April 5th, 2022)

___

Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

___

New Standalones/First in a Series:

Heartbreak Symphony by Laekan Zea Kemp

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke

Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson

Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt

Very Bad People by Kit Frick

The Matchbreaker Summer by Annie Rains

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick

Why Would I Lie? by Adi Rule

Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso

Pest by Elizabeth Foscue

Queen’s Hope by E.K. Johnston

Girls Who Green the World by Diana Kapp & Ana Jarén

High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

You Are More Than Magic by Minda Harts

All the Best Liars by Amelia Kahaney

Gold Mountain by Betty G. Yee

The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina

Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk

Belle Morte by Bella Higgin

Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill 

New Sequels: 

K-Pop Revolution (K-Pop Confidential #2) by Stephan Lee

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak (Unstoppable #2) by Charlie Jane Anders

Sense & Second-Degree Murder (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2) by Tirzah Price

Omen’s Bite (Sister’s of Salem #2) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Youngbloods (Impostors #4) by Scott Westerfeld

___

Happy reading!

[richincolor]

New Releases

A whole bunch of books to add to our ever growing TBR pile. It just keeps on growing, doesn't it?  

K-Pop Revolution (K-Pop Confidential #2) by Stephan Lee Point

She thought that debuting in a K-Pop band was the finish line, but it was only the beginning. Because now it’s not only Candace’s company judging her—it’s the entire world. How will she find the courage to stand by her beliefs, even when powerful forces are trying to shame and silence her…

In the sequel to K-Pop Confidential, Candace is a Rookie idol. Her life is suddenly filled with the fans, cameras, and glamor of stardom: She and her boyfriend, YoungBae, are a K-Pop power couple; she’s a walking icon at Brandt Foreign School; and her new girl group, known simply as THE GIRLS, is poised to break records across the industry. With her status as the industry’s K-Pop Warrior, she has all the clout at her disposal to make waves. Right?

Her label, S.A.Y., promises to help make the sweeping changes for the industry to become a more humane and compassionate place for artists. But what will happen when the road to a record-breaking debut isn’t as smooth as they’d planned? When a rival girl group emerges to steal the spotlight, carrying the message of change better than Candace ever could, she’ll have to decide what it’ll cost her and her bandmates to stand up for their beliefs. And as the world turns against her, with online bullies scrutinizing her every word, there’s only so much that one person can take.

From the top of the world to the brink of disaster, Candace is going to have to figure out why the world is out to get her. And she’s not going to be able to do it alone.

How far does one girl need to be pushed to start a K-Pop Revolution?

Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk HMH/Versify

Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of a tumultuous history unspooling like thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire.

They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous. Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren’t so easily tamed.

It starts with a fire. How will it end?

You Are More Than Magic by Minda Harts Dial Books

For girls of color, figuring out how to find your voice and make sure everyone around you can hear it is essential. In this book, Minda Harts acts like the reader’s big sister–she knows what it’s like to be a Black girl in high school, and she’s giving the reader advice based on her own experience and her own success, in high school, college, and beyond. Full of anecdotes, thought exercises, how-tos, and encouragement, this book tackles topics from how to build your squad to how to stand up for yourself when the system doesn’t have your best interests at heart. Minda’s voice is warm and validating, and the advice focuses on introspection, helping each reader find her own way. Each chapter ends with a series of questions that helps the reader decide on the best next moves for her.

Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Sixteen-year-old Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs―interdimensional parasites who feast on human emotions like sadness and anger. Masquerading as a prim and proper ladies’ social organization, the Ladybirds brew poisons masked as teas and use knitting needles as daggers, at least until they graduate to axes and swords.

Three years ago, Prue’s best friend was killed during a hunt, so she kissed the Scouts goodbye, preferring the company of her punkish friends lovingly dubbed the Criminal Element much to her mother and Tía Lo’s disappointment. However, unable to move on from her guilt and trauma, Prue devises a risky plan to infiltrate the Ladybirds in order to swipe the Tea of Forgetting, a restricted tincture laced with a powerful amnesia spell.

But old monster-slaying habits die hard and Prue finds herself falling back into the fold, growing close with the junior scouts that she trains to fight the creatures she can’t face. When her town is hit with a mysterious wave of demons, Prue knows it’s time to confront the most powerful monster of all: her past.

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate Disney-Hyperion

The year is 2072. Soon a volcanic eruption will trigger catastrophic devastation, and the only way out is up.

While the world’s leaders, scientists, and engineers oversee the frantic production of a space fleet meant to save humankind, their children are brought in for a weekend of touring the Lazarus, a high-tech prototype spaceship. But when the apocalypse arrives months ahead of schedule, First Daughter Leigh Chen and a handful of teens from the tour are the only ones to escape the planet.

This is the new world: a starship loaded with a catalog of human artifacts, a frozen menagerie of animal DNA, and fifty-three terrified survivors. From the panic arises a coalition of leaders, spearheaded by the pilot’s enigmatic daughter, Eli, who takes the wheel in their hunt for a habitable planet. But as isolation presses in, their uneasy peace begins to fracture. The struggle for control will mean the difference between survival and oblivion, and Leigh must decide whether to stand on the side of the mission or of her own humanity.

Heartbreak Symphony by Laekan Zea Kamp Little Brown and Company

Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite musician ever since his mother passed away. He seems to know all of Aarón’s deepest fears, like that his brain doesn’t work the way it should and that’s why his brother and father seems to be pushing him away. He thinks his ticket out is a scholarship to the prestigious Acadia School of Music. That is, if he can avoid blowing his audition.

Mia Villanueva has a haunting of her own and it’s the only family heirloom her parents left her: doubt. It’s the reason she can’t overcome her stage fright or believe that her music is worth making. Even though her trumpet teacher tells her she has a gift, she’s not sure if she’ll ever figure out how to use it or if she’s even deserving of it in the first place.

When Aarón and Mia cross paths, Aarón sees a chance to get close to the girl he’s had a crush on for years and to finally feel connected to someone since losing his mother. Mia sees a chance to hold herself accountable by making them both face their fears, and hopefully make their dreams come true. But soon they’ll realize there’s something much scarier than getting up on stage—falling in love with a broken heart.

Gold Mountain by Betty G. Lee Carolrhoda

Working on the Transcontinental Railroad promises a fortune—for those who survive.

Growing up in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father is wealthy enough to provide for his family but unconventional enough to spare Ling Fan from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But Ling Fan’s life is upended when her brother dies of influenza and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. Hoping to earn the money that will secure her father’s release, Ling Fan disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s contract to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company in America.

Life on “the Gold Mountain” is grueling and dangerous. To build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east, Ling Fan and other Chinese laborers lay track and blast tunnels through the treacherous peaks of the Sierra Nevada, facing cave-ins, avalanches, and blizzards—along with hostility from white Americans.

When someone threatens to expose Ling Fan’s secret, she must take an even greater risk to save what’s left of her family . . . and to escape the Gold Mountain alive.

Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes. First, Hurricane Maria destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Second, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And third, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply.

Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school’s outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister’s shadow. Now her sister is teaching in underprivileged communities, and she’s in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she’s even capable making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover up her chest, she is not willing to keep quiet about it.

Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school’s dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and–ultimately–for themselves.

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

🔎 YA Under the Radar 7 🔍

I have been working on this list in the series all year 😂 it just took me that long to read a decent amount of underrated YA - but I got there in the end and I'm pretty happy with the recs on this list 🥰

there are rainbow flags next to LGBT+ rep, wheelchair symbols next to disability rep and koalas next to Australia YA simply because there's a lot of that on this particular list

so take a gander and maybe consider picking up a title or two (or ten) in 2024 to support lesser-known authors and books 😊

Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven 🏳️‍🌈

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R Shrum & Sara Waxelbaum 🏳️‍🌈♿️

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli 🏳️‍🌈

To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames 🏳️‍🌈

It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames 🏳️‍🌈

Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson 🏳️‍🌈

Grace Notes by Karen Comer 🐨

The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch 🏳️‍🌈

Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew

After Dark With Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis

Blind Spot by Robyn Dennison 🐨

Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan 🏳️‍🌈

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest ♿️

What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat

All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick 🏳️‍🌈

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey 🏳️‍🌈

The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin ♿️

Then Everything Happens at Once by M-E Girard 🏳️‍🌈♿️

The Buried by Melissa Grey 🏳️‍🌈

Because of You by Pip Harry 🐨

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl 🏳️‍🌈

Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D Jackson

Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈

Out of the Blue by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈

Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko 🏳️‍🌈

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala 🏳️‍🌈

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh

Extasia by Claire Legrand

Ryan and Avery by David Levithan 🏳️‍🌈

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier 🏳️‍🌈

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo 🏳️‍🌈

We Didn’t Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough 🐨

Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over by Miranda Luby 🐨

None Shall Sleep series by Ellie Marney 🐨

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh ♿️

Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall 🏳️‍🌈

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall 🏳️‍🌈

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Mask of Shadows duology by Linsey Miller 🏳️‍🌈

Sugar by Carly Nugent ♿️🐨

All Our Hidden Gifts trilogy by Caroline O’Donoghue 🏳️‍🌈

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton

Accidental by Alex Richards

Some Kind of Animal by Mar Romasco-Moore

Luminous by Mara Rutherford

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

The Midnight Lie duology by Marie Rutkoski 🏳️‍🌈

Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore 🏳️‍🌈

When You Call My Name by Tucker Shaw 🏳️‍🌈

If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So 🏳️‍🌈

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon ♿️

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester ♿️

Cold by Mariko Tamaki 🏳️‍🌈

Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi 🏳️‍🌈

The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas ♿️

Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas 🏳️‍🌈

The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride by Hayli Thomson 🏳️‍🌈🐨

The Siren, the Song and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Sweet and Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley 🏳️‍🌈

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley 🏳️‍🌈

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken by Nita Tyndall 🏳️‍🌈♿️

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 🏳️‍🌈

This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde 🏳️‍🌈♿️🐨

Where You Left Us by Rhiannon Wilde 🏳️‍🌈🐨

Two Can Play That Game by Leanne Yong🐨

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia

[wormwoodandhoney]

books read in 2022: scout’s honor by lily anderson

i cannot teach my boyfriend’s little sister to kill monsters!