Getting Stronger

Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand and Tara Anand explores Nitasha’s growing pains. It’s a graphic novel and a Nutmeg nominee.

The story follows her struggles with her mom who expects her to behave as a traditional Indian girl. Meanwhile her older brother, a doctor, can do no wrong. Her best friend has been getting closer with a new girl in town. And her crush ends up with the new girl.

Nitasha deals with her stress by drinking and self harm. Things come to a terrible head after she is recorded drunk and in her underwear while trying to impress her crush. His girlfriend records her and posts it on social media. It eventually reaches her parents and devastates their relationship.

Nitasha tries to kill herself. While in psychiatric care, she meets another teen. They become friendly and their conversation makes Nitasha realize that her life is actually pretty good, full of family and friends.

She spends the remainder of the book bettering herself while also repairing her relationships with parents and friends.

Poppy’s Turn

This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg was listed in a high school social media group as highly engaging. It’s part of my school’s collection, so I had to borrow it.

The book begins with Poppy dropping a DNA test in the mail. This is a highly risky move because Poppy’s family (mom, dad and eight-year-old sister Emma) have been on the run her whole life.

Poppy’s memories are only of constant moving. She is aware her parents live in fear of being caught and she has become accustomed to abruptly leaving one town for another. This lifestyle has prevented her from becoming too close to anyone.

Their most recent move is to California, but this move feels different. Her militant dad seems extra jumpy and her mom is acting strangely. Poppy joins a high-level summer math course and begins bending some of the family rules. This is partly due to a love interest, wealthy Harrison Addison (classmate).

Her growing relationship with Harrison and her growing restlessness with their lifestyle prompts her to begin investigating her parents. What she discovers is completely unexpected and leads her to face her compliance over the years. As she turns eighteen, she has to decide whether to keep living according to their rules, or to begin her own life.

This was a great book. I thought it moved quickly, and it kept my interest!

Twin Tales

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson is a beautiful story of fate, family, relationships and overcoming loss.

It’s told from twin brother Noah and twin sister Jude’s points of view during different ages. Noah’s story is from their past between the ages of thirteen and fourteen outlining events leading up to their mother’s fatal car accident. His chapters refer to how he sees various scenes in his life as a painting. Jude’s chapters are present time three years later and depict the aftermath of their mother’s death including the destruction of their relationship with one another. Her chapters reference her grandmother’s “bible” of superstitions.

Both characters experience relationship turmoil during both time periods. Noah is in love with Brian, the athletic and intelligent neighbor living nearby while on a break from his prep school. At the younger age, Jude is wrapped up in the older, bully (of her brother) and fellow surfer, Zephyr. Once older, she is captivated by Oscar. He is the ward of the sculptor artist she is training under. Oscar has unknown ties to her brother as well. In fact, the sculptor does too. These connections become clear through Noah’s chapters along with the explanation of their mother’s destination on the day of her accident.

I found myself both loving and hating many of the characters for their horrible behavior to each other. But in a sense, it’s also a realistic depiction of how sometimes we struggle with those closest to us. This is a well-written and thoughtful book.

Overcoming

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole is a 2027 Nutmeg nominee, and is my first read from the list.

This book is a novel in verse telling Ariel’s turmoil with violent thoughts and her obsessive coping mechanisms.

The book takes place during summer break. Ariel works at Wildwood, and it’s the first summer her best friend Leah won’t be with her. Her sister moved away for college the year before. Without these pivotal people nearby, Ariel is forced to navigate through her spiraling psyche.

New friends, Ruth and Rex, help Ariel face her illness along with faraway support from her sister. She realizes that she is experiencing OCD and that it can be controlled.

This book may resonate with anyone experiencing OCD symptoms and feelings of not belonging. Ariel struggled with this (on top of her OCD) as a large-sized gay female.

For me, this book rates a 1.

Introvert

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung is a graphic novel about an introvert’s experiences through school and post-college employment.

She explains how typical social behaviors and gatherings often leave her feeling out of place and depleted. Luckily, her boyfriend is a very understanding extrovert. They balance each other well.

She gets through college and her first post-college job and begins to understand her true nature better. She realizes that there is nothing wrong and that there are others like her.

A Classic

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – My grandmother loved this book and recommended it to me ages ago. I finally read it.

Jane is a great character. She’s strong, intelligent, caring and thoughtful. Orphaned at a young age, she is taken in by her uncle and aunt. When he passes away, her aunt begrudgingly keeps her according to his wishes. However, Jane’s cousins and her aunt all treat her worse than an outsider.

She ends up being sent to a school, Lowood, meant to improve one’s disposition. It is strict and sparse in its offerings. Jane excels and eventually becomes a teacher here before deciding that she would like to do more with her life.

She gains a position as a governess. Over time, she develops feelings for the master of the home, Mr. Rochester. Their relationship slowly builds to a climactic secret which causes Jane to run away.

On the verge of death, Jane happens upon a family who are willing to help her: St John and his two kind sisters. Jane becomes very close with them and faces a life changing decision. However, her deep feelings and worry for Mr Rochester’s well being drive her back to check on him.

Jane learns important information about her lineage which changes her life. Again, the old-fashioned writing can take a little getting used to, but it’s well worth it. I really enjoyed this story (more than Wuthering Heights). Thank you Grandma ❤️

Failing Scheme

Bad Girls with Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten involves a catfish scheme that goes horribly wrong.

It’s told from multiple perspectives – Sasha, Xavier and a third perspective that appears to be Ivy.

Sasha and Xavier are best friends, but Sasha has been feeling more than friendship. The problem is that Xavier was in a relationship with Ivy. Sasha vows to tell him how she feels after their breakup. But it’s short-lived. Ivy works her way back into his heart before she can say anything. Sasha decides to prove that Ivy is a cheater and a terrible person by developing a fake guy, Jake. Jake and Ivy are getting closer and closer through messages.

Sasha finally decides to reveal herself to Ivy and to threaten her to back away from Xavier. This is when everything goes terribly wrong.

Spoiler- Ivy dies shortly after their encounter and there’s evidence that Xavier may be the murderer. Sasha sets off to conceal the body and ends up discovering that nothing was what she thought.

This book would be entertaining for upper grade level teens looking for a tragic love story with a twist. The lesson here- be honest about your feelings.

Unexpected Love

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham is a 2026 Nutmeg nominee.

This graphic novel is a very sweet love story. It is about Valentina. As a young girl she loves Valentine’s Day. But finding out the truth about her mom’s absence turns her away from love. She feels that her family is cursed in love.

Once she’s in high school, her interactions with her imaginary friend, St. Valentine, have her trying to find love within a year or giving up on it for good.

She gets involved with the very handsome ladies’ man, Les. He seems very interested in her, but she realizes he acts that way with other girls too. Is she different for him, or could there be something more real with his cousin Jae?

This book offers a love triangle, along with family and friendship drama and interesting cultural components – lion dancing!

March Sisters

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet is a young adult murder mystery that provides a modern twist on the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

The story is laid out from each girl’s perspective alternating between past and present. Beth, Meg, Jo and Amy, are celebrities following the publication of their dad’s book, “Little Women.” Readers hate him for killing Beth in his book. Each daughter handles fame differently.

Of course, the main plot revolves around Beth’s actual death following a New Year’s Eve party. Each sister explores her own relationship with Beth, with some feeling more guilty than others. There are other suspects among the girls’ male friends too.

Eventually, the truth reveals itself with a shocking additional murder taking place.

Never Forget

The 9:09 Project by Mark H. Parsons is another teen Nutmeg nominee.

Jamison has been struggling since his mom’s death from cancer. She was the only one who really understood his way of thinking as a synesthetic among being a confidante.

He uses photography as a way to commemorate her. Each night, he takes a photo at her time of death, 9:09.

Jamison decides to use his 9:09 photos and others he’s taken of classmates to build a website which begins getting attention.

Through this is a budding relationship with a seemingly surly classmate. He also navigates having his little sister at high school with him for the first time, overcoming his childhood crush with the hottest girl in school, a new friendship and supporting his dad.

Photography is a key element to the story. Each chapter begins with a quote from Dorothea Lange and there is a plentiful amount of photo editing details.

The author’s note explains how personal this story is as he was caring for his mother while writing this book, highlighting the need to celebrate our loved ones through our own talents and memories.