Love Y.A.: Girls with Sharp Sticks, Sherwood and Never-Contented Things

There’s nothing better than the promise of spring creeping closer. Ok, maybe there is…new books!

In honor of book worms everywhere, nothing brings me more joy than picking some new YA releases for all of you to read weekly.

Below are my picks for this upcoming week. Happy reading!

Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

In this edgy and satisfying read, The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved, as it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardians, the all-girl boarding school offers an array of studies and activities, from “Growing a Beautiful and Prosperous Garden” to “Art Appreciation” and “Interior Design.” The girls learn to be the best society has to offer. Absent is the difficult math coursework, or the unnecessary sciences or current events. They are obedient young ladies, free from arrogance or defiance. Until Mena starts to realize that their carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears.

As Mena and her friends begin to uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are, the girls of Innovations will find out what they are truly capable of. Because some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns.

Read on for drama, deception and lots of amazing twists and turns. A great novel filled with intense drama.

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner

In this fantasy, Robin of Locksley is dead. Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them? Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps, never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood.

This retelling will have you quickly flipping pages. Enjoy!

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter

In this fairy tale, Prince and his fairy courtiers are staggeringly beautiful, unrelentingly cruel, and exhausted by the tedium of the centuries, until they meet foster-siblings Josh and Ksenia. Drawn in by their vivid emotions, undying love for each other, and passion for life, Prince will stop at nothing to possess them.

First seduced and then entrapped by the fairies, Josh and Ksenia learn that the fairies’ otherworldly gifts come at terrible price, and they must risk everything in order to reclaim their freedom.

This novel was one of the most intriguing ones I read in advance this year, so make sure to pick it up!

What romantic and fantasy-filled YA reads are you looking forward to and what are some of your favorite holiday books? Let us know on Twitter or IG (@onfrolic) for a chance to have them featured in #LoveYA!

Aurora Dominguez

Aurora Dominguez is a high school English teacher, college professor and journalist in South Florida. Her work has appeared in The Miami Herald, Where Magazine and J-14 Magazine, all places where she worked as a writer and editor before going from the newsroom to the classroom. Her favorite days are "Caturdays," which she spends with a good book, her husband, Sebastian, and her cat, Luna. Her motto when it comes to reading: "No book left behind!"