Best Teen Books of 2021: According to Michelle C.
The box in the woods
Johnson, Maureen, 1973- author
2021
After solving the greatest unsolved mystery of the century, Stevie Bell goes undercover as a camp counselor to investigate the strange things going on at Camp Wonder Falls--the site of the infamous "Box in the Woods" murders.
The Enigma game
Wein, Elizabeth, author
2020
Told in multiple voices, fifteen-year-old Jamaican Louisa Adair uncovers an Enigma machine in the small Scottish village where she cares for an elderly German woman, and helps solve a puzzle that could turn the tide of World War II.
Firekeeper's daughter
Boulley, Angeline, author
2021
Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.
The girls I've been
Sharpe, Tess, author
2021
When seventeen-year-old Nora O'Malley, the daughter of a con artist, is taken hostage in a bank heist, every secret she is keeping close begins to unravel.
Hunting by stars
Dimaline, Cherie, 1975- author.
2021
French has been captured by the Recruiters, confined to one of the infamous residential schools, where the government extracts the marrow of Indigenous people in order to steal the ability to dream, and where the captured are programmed to betray others of their kind, something which he discovers has been done to his brother; meanwhile the other survivors, his found family, are hunting for him, determined to rescue him--and French has to decide just how much, and whom, he is willing to sacrifice to survive and be reunited with Rose and the others.
Luck of the Titanic
Lee, Stacey (Stacey Heather), author
2021
"After smuggling herself onto the RMS Titanic, British-Chinese teenager Valora Luck reunites with her twin brother and tries to convince him that their acrobatic training could be their ticket to a better life."
Nubia. Real one
McKinney, L. L. (Leatrice L.), author.
2021
Nubia has always stood out because of her Amazonian strength, but even though she uses her ability for good she is seen as a threat, so when her best friend Quisha is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia risks everything to become the hero society tells her she is not.
The ones we're meant to find
He, Joan, author
2021
In a near future when life is harsh outside of Earth's last unpolluted place, Cee tries to leave an abandoned island while her sister, STEM prodigy Kasey, seeks escape from the science and home she once trusted.
A phở love story
Le, Loan, author
2021
High school seniors Bão and Linh, whose feuding families own competing Vietnamese restaurants, conceal their budding romance, as well as Linh's desire to become an artist.
Swamp Thing. New roots
Russell, Mark, 1971-
2021
"Swamp Thing surfaces from the murky depths of the DC archives with both new and classic tales from some of the best storytellers and artists in comics! The perfect blend of valor and terror, Swamp Thing is easily one of the most iconic monsters in the dark fringes of the DC Universe. Explore the old and new layers of Alec Holland in this mixed collection of reprinted classic tales from creators like Len Wein and new imaginings from writers like Mark Russell. Monsters aren't always what they seem...but what lengths will the Sunderland Corporation go to in its attempts to annihilate the monstrous threat known as the Swamp Thing? What mysterious and powerful events will unfold in the bayou? Only one way to find out..."-- Provided by publisher.
This poison heart
Bayron, Kalynn, author
2021
Teenaged Briseis, who possesses a supernatural power over plants, even poisonous ones, inherits a dilapidated estate in rural New York and must protect herself and her family from centuries-old secrets that threaten their lives.
Wynd. Volume 1, The flight of the prince
Tynion, James, IV, author, creator
2021
"Wynd lives a quiet life in Pipetown -- working at the local tavern, out of sight in the secret rooms beneath the floorboards, often stealing away to catch glimpses of the son of the castle's groundskeeper as he works. But Wynd also has a secret... magical blood betrayed by his pointed ears, forbidden within the city limits. His shaggy hair has obscured them for most of his life, but now that Wynd is a teenager they are growing too unwieldy to hide. Joined by his best friend Oakley and Thorn, the groundskeeper's son, Wynd's strange dreams and an encounter with the city guard send him on the most dangerous adventure he could imagine, where Wynd will discover the magic in the world around him and, most importantly, the magic within himself."--Provided by publisher.
You have a match
Lord, Emma, author
2021
When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it's mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie...although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it's hard to believe they're from the same planet, never mind the same parents - especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby's parents gave Savvy up for adoption.