Our teen book spotlight this week is on books that feature a main character who is passionate about writing since it is the start of NaNoWriMo! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it takes place every November. The goal of this month is to encourage individuals to explore their creative writing side; you set a goal for how many words you want to write throughout the month and then you start your story and see where it takes you. These titles serve as encouragement for all who up for this challenge; if you are interested in participating this year more information can be found on the NaNoWriMo site. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #yananowrimo as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new teen book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell--Cath is a Simon Snow super fan, who dresses up as characters in his movies with her sister, Wren, for every opening premier. It began as their way of coping with their mother leaving. However, now that the two girls are going to college, Wren wants to move on and start a new life--but Cath doesn't want to give this life up. She fears college will force her to determine what she really wants in life, deal with boys and possible boyfriends, and balance her imaginary life in Simon Snow with a real life of her own.
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia--In the real world, 18-year-old Eliza Mirk is smart, shy, weird, and friendless. Online, however, she is LadyConstellation, creator of the webcomic "Monstrous Sea," which has millions of fans all over the world. Eliza never imagined the real world could ever be as exciting as being LadyConstellation, but then cute Wallace Warland transfers to her school, making Eliza wonder if life offline could be worthwhile. However, when her online identity is revealed, her world begins to fall apart.
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson--When the wealthy, flamboyant Mrs. Amy Amberson, a former actress, waltzes into the Martin family's nearly bankrupt New York City hotel, it is Scarlett's responsibility to oversee Amy's suite -- a rite she earned on her 15th birthday. Scarlett soon learns that taking care of Amy is a full-time job, but she manages to balance it with her complicated love interest in her brother's attractive new friend and her relationship with her spoiled younger sister.
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee--Seventeen-year-old Chinese American Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the bad-tempered daughter of a wealthy man in 1890s Atlanta. Secretly, however, Jo writes a column for a local newspaper under a pseudonym where she extrapolates on some of high society's lesser qualities. Her column becomes both a hit and a controversy, and people begin to clamor to know the column's true identity, even the city's most notorious criminal. While she questions revealing herself, Jo receives a mysterious letter that sets her on a path of discovery to learn more about the parents who abandoned her.
Between the Lines by Nikki Grimes--A group of high school students grow in understanding of each other's challenges and forge unexpected connections as they prepare for a boys vs. girls poetry slam. Includes author's note about foster home care.
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld--Teen Darcy Patel, instead of going to college, moves to New York City and the world of YA publishing when her first teen novel is accepted. She lives her life, full of scratching for a living and falling in love with another writer, while the other half of the book is dedicated to Darcy's story: Lizzie, confronted with death, wills herself into the afterlife, becoming a guide to restless spirits in the process.