Spotlight on Contemporary YA Fiction: Five POWERFUL Novels

Luckily, books don’t have calories, since I’ve been voraciously consuming shiny new novels in my role as a first round judge for the YA Fiction Category of the 2023 Cybil’s Awards. There have been a whopping 95 novels nominated in this category, contemporary and historical fiction alike, all published between October 16, 2022 – October 15, 2023 in the U.S. or Canada. Want to view the list of nominees? Click here! A huge thank you to everyone who entered their favorites and also to my local library, the Memorial Hall Library in Andover, for cheerfully procuring all but a handful of the novels. FYI: Finalists for each Cybil’s category will be announced on January 1, 2024!

The spotlight for this post is 5 powerful contemporary novels: Invisible Son, Give Me a Sign, When it All Syncs Up, Ander & Santi Were Here, and True True. All are realistic, compelling, and mind-expanding, the kind of novels that draw you in and don’t let go.

*Disclaimer: The following reviews reflect my opinions and not those of my fellow judges or of the Cybil’s Committee.*

Andre Jackson, a high school student in Portland, OR, gets good grades, is respectful, enjoys swimming, and does a fun music podcast, but when backpack full of stolen goods is found in his swim locker, he’s arrested without anyone rising to his defense. Though he gets out early, his reputation is trashed, and he struggles with a restrictive GPS monitor on his ankle. Forced to move in with his grandparents, they happen to live across the street from his longtime crush Sierra and her brother Eric (who might have set him up but has apparently skipped town.) Both were adopted into the very wealthy and influential Whitaker family, a model of transracial unity and acceptance. Andre owes a great deal to this family, especially the dad, who gifted him with legal representation and generously provides money to the cash-strapped family. But when Andre discovers no one is looking for Eric, he digs deep, and in the process, develops troubling questions about the Whitaker family. This well written and gripping novel covers many intense themes – including the negative effects of gentrification, the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the disproportionate number of black and brown people affected by COVID.

Lilah is a sweet and hopeful narrator, yet she struggles to hear conversations, even among her closest friends. So often, she hears most but not all of what others say, and sadly, people aren’t patient and understanding about needing to repeat themselves. The product of two fully hearing parents and of being mainstreamed in the public school (just like her younger brother, also hard of hearing), Lilah has only a rudimentary knowledge of sign language and sounds like a fully hearing person – hence, people (including teachers) are always underestimating the extent of her deafness.  When she becomes a Junior Counselor at a camp for the deaf and blind, her feeling of “not being deaf enough” intensifies, especially when she misinterprets sign language in a truly cringeworthy scene. Everything about this book feels so honest and true, it’s no surprise author Anna Sortino writes from her own experience. The blossoming relationship between Lilah and Isaac is tender, realistic, and heartbreaking at times. I can’t stop thinking about this enlightening book and want to gift it to everyone I know.

16-year-old Aisha is an incredibly talented ballet dancer whose dark skin keeps her from getting the opportunities she deserves at her elite Canadian ballet academy. Switching to a public school for the arts in Toronto, the opportunities come at last, but so do the racist, snarky comments about her weight from her jealous fellow ballet students. Between their sabotaging comments and actions, pressure from her estranged mother, her supportive father’s absence, her BFF Neil’s overwhelming alcohol consumption, and emotions pouring forth from her modern dance class, Aisha has dissociative episodes that recall past trauma. Her growing connection with Ollie, who experienced trauma of his own, provides a balm to her soul. Opening yourself up, trusting others, and letting go of perfectionist expectations is scary for any performance artist, but what Aisha must do to heal. The characters in this book are so raw and real, they will pirouette off the pages and into your heart.

Ander Lopez has experienced a wonderfully supportive 18 years in the Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, with their supportive parents, kick-ass sister, and a host of other family members who accept Ander’s amazingly talented, mural-creating, nonbinary self. Ander’s parents are dismayed when they delay their acceptance to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to work on indoor and outdoor murals through an internship with Beautify, which is run by a savvy businessman named Juni. But Ander’s worldview is enriched by a relationship with a new waiter at the family’s taqueria named Santi (Santiago) Garcia. Their growing love is cocooned in fabulous Mexican food and spectacular artwork, but Santi’s undocumented status makes the threat of ICE and Homeland Security frighteningly real to Ander. The writing is authentic and full of heart, and highlights the importance of discovering and pursuing your passions, no matter the obstacles.

17-year-old Gil Powell starts his senior year at 99% White Augustin Prep in Manhattan, a far cry from the rundown public school in his mostly Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn. When Gil first enters the prep school, this is his astute observation (page 31): “The group of matching blond-haired students look like they are on the way to a Future Republicans of American photo shoot.” It doesn’t take long for Gil to be beaten up by the star quarterback and his posse of thugs – all for being Black and having the audacity to speak eloquently in AP English class. Then Gil is targeted by trio of Black thugs on his way home – simply because he’s wearing his fancy prep school uniform. The irony isn’t lost on Gil, especially when he’s suspended without anyone allowing him to tell his side. With Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as his guide, Gil bands with the other Black students to make their voices heard.

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I hope I’ve enticed you to check one or more of these powerful and engaging Contemporary YA novels. Eager for more? I’ll share six heartfelt and charming Contemporary YA novels in my next post!

P.S. How cool is it that our humble Writers’ Rumpus blog has TWO first round Cybil’s judges? If you missed gifted writer and fellow judge (Nonfiction Category) Hilary Margititch’s engaging Nov 10th post, click here: