Cambridge High School Library 2024

 By: Joseph Coelho Location: FIC COE Genre: Verse Novel, Greek Mythology, Coming of Age In his new verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means, REVIEW ON GOODREADS The path to self-discovery takes Theo through ‘those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine’. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.. "The Boy Lost in the Maze" by Joseph Coelho is a thrilling journey that seamlessly intertwines ancient mythology with contemporary struggles. Through mesmerizing verse, Coelho crafts a tale of self-discovery and courage that spans centuries. The parallel narratives of The...

 By: Amy Tintera Location: FIC TIN Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Podcast Fiction, Murder What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter? After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vow...

 By: Jodi Picoult Location: FIC PIC Genre: Historical Fiction "There once was a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be". "There once was a girl: both a beginning, and an end. There was poetry that, once spoken, could not be unheard. There was a story, whether or not others ever chose to listen." "By Any Other Name" weaves together the lives of Emilia Bassano, a historical figure some believe to be the true author of many of Shakespeare's plays, and the fictional Melina Green, a contemporary playwright facing marginalization due to her gender. Jodi Picoult bravely explores the controversial idea that the real Shakespeare might have been a woman, fully aware of the backlash she may receive.- Keerin! In 1581, Emilia Bassano is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain's mistress she has access to the theatre and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. But creating some of the world's greatest dramatic ...

 By: Terry J. Benton-Walker   Location: FIC BEN Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Queer "For every child of color who was denied the justice they deserved. You always matter." Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen. On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau―the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family―are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick―she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next. Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction fr...

 By: R. L. Graham Location: FIC GRA Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction New York, 1915. RMS Lusitania, one of the world’s most luxurious trans-Atlantic liners, departs for Liverpool and war-torn Europe. Among those on board is Patrick Gallagher, a civil servant in Her Majesty’s government tasked with discreetly escorting a British diplomat back to England in relation to charges of suspected treason. When a fellow passenger, Jimmy Dowrich, is found shot to death in his cabin, the captain asks Gallagher to investigate. Knowing something of the man’s past, Gallagher realizes that the problem will not be simple; and also, the body was discovered in a locked cabin with the key inside and no gun to be found. Gallagher believes that one of his fellow passengers is a deadly killer. But many of those on board are harbouring secrets of their own, and his questioning reveals that several had a motive for ending Dowrich’s life. He fears that the killer could strike again to protect their true r...

 By: Imogen Edwards-Jones Location: FIC EDW Genre: Historical Fiction- Russia An epic story of love, tragedy and the loss of innocence, set against the background of the Russian Revolution after the murder of Rasputin. It is 1916 and Rasputin has finally been killed by those who have long feared his influence over Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra. But for Princess Militza, famed as one of the 'Witches of St Petersburg', and her daughter Nadezhda, life is about to become extremely dangerous. Revolution is bubbling and with it will come the murder of the Romanov imperial family. Now the rest of the court is also on the run, fleeing from the mob. Against this violent and turbulent backdrop, Nadezhda, the witch's daughter, finds in exile and captivity, an extraordinary and unlikely love. They say nothing heals like the heart, but as the Red Army marches south and the remnants of the Russian court finds itself trapped in the Crimea, with their backs to the sea, Nadezhda and h...

 By: Amy Goldsmith Location: FIC GOL Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Young Adult An ocean-drenched, atmospheric horror debut! An ocean-drenched, atmospheric horror debut! Liv's best friend disappears on their first night aboard their dream semester-at-sea program—but is he really sick, like everyone says, or is something darker lurking beneath the water? Liv's best friend disappears on their first night aboard their dream semester-at-sea program—but is he really sick, like everyone says, or is something darker lurking beneath the water? It should have been the trip of a lifetime. When Liv lands an all-expenses-paid opportunity to study aboard luxury cruise ship The Eos for a semester, she can’t believe her luck. Especially since it will offer her the chance to spend time with Will, her ex–best friend, who’s barely spoken to her since the night their friendship changed forever. But as soon as she steps on board, Liv realizes just how far in over her head she is. With Will, with the rest...

By: Anne Michaels Location: FIC MIC Genre: Fiction, Literary Fiction,  Historical Fiction Shortlisted for the Booker prize 2024. Review If I don’t make this brief, I’ll go on till next week. When a book leaves me breathless and smashed, shattered and hopeful, enters my dreams, epic it seems, I just can’t stop praising and raising it up for all eyes, to see, to touch, to hear, to succumb to its delicate beauty, woven with universal themes, of what it means, to be human, in life or demise. What you believe, it’s here in these pages, it took me ages to turn its leaves, I read every passage and then read it again. And again. However much agony, you survive, you die, but “We know life is finite. Why should we believe death lasts forever?” And that’s just the start. Even the white spaces damaged me, in all the best ways. It’s a lot. Like all Anne Michaels, you are changed by her story. I think I’ll go back, and begin the book again . 1917. On a battlefield near the River Escaut, John lie...

 By: Peter S. Beagle Location: FIC BEA Genre; Dragons! THE ART!!!!!!!!  OH MY-  ONE OF THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN! If you judge a book by the cover, this would have to be in everyone's top 10! From the  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Last Unicorn  comes a new novel with equal amounts of power and whimsy in which a loveable cast of characters trapped within their roles of dragon hunter, princess, and more must come together to take their fates into their own hands. Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouselike vermin all the way up to the fabled Kings, which haven't been seen in an age. Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (who would much rather people call him Robert) has recently inherited his deceased father's job as a dragon exterminator, a career he detests with all his heart. Things turn from bad to worse when Robert is hired by the royal family to disinfest the entire castle, as Pri...

 By: Scott Reintgen  Location: FIC REI Genre: Fantasy, Mag ic COVER ART!!!!!!! A page-turning inferno of a book. -- Stephanie Garber Red Rising  meets  The Scorpio Races  in this epic fantasy following three phoenix horse riders--skilled at alchemy--who must compete at The Races--the modern spectacle that has replaced warfare within their empire. Every year since the Ashlords were gifted phoenix horses by their gods, they've raced them. First into battle, then on great hunts, and finally for the pure sport of seeing who rode the fastest. Centuries of blood and fire carved their competition into a more modern spectacle: The Races. Over the course of a multi-day event, elite riders from clashing cultures vie to be crowned champion. But the modern version of the sport requires more than good riding. Competitors must be skilled at creating and controlling phoenix horses made of ash and alchemy, which are summoned back to life each sunrise with uniquely crafted power...

 By: Emiko Jean Location: FIC JEA Genre: Romance, Young Adult A combination of Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity…and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess. In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight. Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and...

 By: Aden Polydoros Location: FIC POL Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Jewish Mythology and that is a LOT of Genres Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds in this stunning Jewish historical horror novel from the award-winning author of The City BeautifulVera was made for vengeance.Lithuania, 1943. A father drowns in the all-consuming grief of a daughter killed by the Nazis. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can use kishuf — an ancient and profane magic — to create a golem in her image. A Nazi killer, to avenge her death.When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose thrumming within her. But she can also feel glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren’t hers, and Vera doesn’t know if she gets—or deserves —to have a life beyond what she was made for.Vera’s strength feels limitless—until she lear...

 By: Candy Gourlay Genre : Historical Fiction, Philippians,  Colonization Location: FIC GOU A wonderful novel... will stay with me for a long time.’ Elizabeth Laird More than a hundred years ago, a boy named Samkad thinks he knows everything about the world. He knows the mountains he lives in. He knows his people. He knows his blood enemy, the Mangili. And he wants to become a man, to be given his own shield, spear and axe to fight with. His best friend, Luki, wants all the same things – but she is a girl, and no girl has ever become a warrior. But everything changes when a new boy arrives in the village. He calls himself Samkad’s brother, yet he knows nothing of the ways of the mountain. And he brings news of a people called ‘Americans’, who are bringing war and destruction right to his home . . . Young Samkad is desperate to become a man. His father is a valued and respected warrior within the Bontoc community, and, to Samkad, the epitome of what it means to be a man. If onl...