(2) YA Vera, the first-person narrator of this historical horror novel, awakens in 1943 Lithuania and understands that she is a golem. Her creator, Ezra, has made her from the body of his teenage daughter, Chaya (a partisan fighter who was shot and killed a few months earlier), for the purpose of avenging Chaya's death. Vera can access Chaya's memories and emotions, and she is bound to follow her creator's commands. As Vera meets Akiva, who loved Chaya, and as she completes her mission, she and others wrestle with thoughtfully presented questions about where Chaya ends and Vera begins, and about Vera's desire for more autonomy. This dark tale grows even darker by book's end, but with its portrayal of proactive Jewish characters during the Holocaust and its emphasis on vengeance -- and on emet, the Hebrew word meaning truth carved into a golem's forehead -- it acknowledges that anger can be valid, especially in extreme situations. A glossary defines relevant terms, including those from the Jewish folkloric concepts the novel incorporates.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) YA At a worldly and diverse K–12 private school in an unnamed country outside the U.S., the high schoolers look forward to the school's legendary lock-in, planning all year for sanctioned events such as movie screenings and athletic and cooking competitions, as well as unsanctioned ones such as a party with alcohol. It's usually a night of new friendships, romance, casual hookups, and memorable adventures. This year, student Marisa Cuevas and her friends decide to stage an eco-protest at the lock-in. They chain themselves to the exits and present a list of environmental justice demands to the school board, refusing to let anyone leave until these demands are met, which results in days of confinement. As the characters react to the protest and the sudden change of plans, the chapter titles note specific times, aiding readers in tracking the progress of the protest and creating a sense of immediacy. It takes some effort to understand the logistics of the protest as days pass, but the characters' interactions, and the question of how the stalemate will end, should draw readers in.

Reviewer: Christina L. Dobbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(4) YA Online relationship columnist (and soon-to-be NYU journalism student) Lu suffers severe writer's block when her boyfriend breaks up with her at the end of senior year. Lu hopes that by profiling another couple who jointly plan to part ways before college, she can be inspired--both personally and professionally. Lu's perfectionism and self-absorption grow tiresome, even if her life lessons will resonate with some readers.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) YA To improve her chances of Ivy League admittance, Ji-Su's parents send her from South Korea to San Francisco for senior year, where she must also continue attending seons, or arranged dates. Though initially resentful, Ji-Su enjoys American life--including the attention from two different guys. The international-student perspective and glimpse into Korean culture distinguishes this breezy story from other genre titles.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith