For Theodore Finch, every day is a toss-up as to whether he’ll make it through or not. His fascination with death has him constantly planning his own suicide, only to back out at the last second. For Violet Markey, every day is a struggle. Since the death of her sister, the things that were once important to her seem totally arbitrary, and she just can’t see the point of it anymore.

When Violet and Theodore meet on top of the bell tower at their school, the students are convinced that Violet’s the one talking Theo off the edge. What they don’t know is that it’s the exact opposite. As Theodore and Violet get to know each other and begin to fall in love, they identify a mutual longing in each other that makes their bond closer than anything either of them has experienced. But there are some things even the greatest love can’t conquer.

This book is perfect for readers who appreciate contemporary fiction with a serious edge, and will fit well alongside books like Looking for Alaska, Love Letters to the Dead, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It follows the Eleanor and Park format with chapters told from alternating viewpoints, but it tells a story that is completely unique and entirely moving. Debut author Jennifer Niven’s honest perspective on love, life, death, and depression feels refreshing. Her storytelling isn’t sugarcoated, her characters are lovable but flawed, and the story is something you can get hopelessly swept-up in.

With summer coming to an end and the fall weather setting in early, Blake Nelson’s The Prince of Venice Beach is the perfect book to help you hold on to that last sunset. Cali, a teen runaway, lives on the streets of the famed Venice Beach. He calls a treehouse his home and spends most of his time skateboarding and playing basketball. Unlike most young adult characters written as runways, Cali is a kind-hearted boy filled with ambition who tries to avoid trouble and enjoy his life peacefully. That is, until a private investigator needs his help. After learning that he has the special skill set needed to find people, Cali is excited to be earning money. Then he is handed a case that makes him question everything. He must track down a beautiful, rich girl who doesn’t want to be found. What are the motives of those who want to locate her? Can Cali, with a clear conscious, set out to do what he is being paid to do? Is he doing more harm than good?

This book is filled with a rag-tag team of supporting characters, mystery, intrigue, and of course, a love story. The Prince of Venice Beach is a literary adventure that transports you to the boardwalks of Venice Beach, and is so clearly written you can almost feel the sand in your toes and hear the laughter of Cali and his team of fellow runaways, who make this book such a fun and intriguing read. A new age version of the knight in shining armor, I am still swooning for Cali. Careless and free, without glamorizing the life of homeless teens, this is a unique look at the struggles, realities, and possibilities for kids on the street.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton is incredibly strange and beautiful throughout, and in the best of ways. Though Ava serves as narrator, the story spans multiple generations. This tale examines the meaning of love and considers the conflicting aspects of loving and being loved: “desire, despair, depression, obsession, self-love, and courage,” according to School Library Journal. There is magical realism reminiscent of great narratives and I truly couldn’t put the book down after it was sent to me from a friend at Candlewick Press. I feel so thankful that this gem of a novel was placed in my hands, because I’m not sure I would have found it otherwise.

This remarkable new graphic memoir by Cece Bell stars an eponymous little rabbit that loses her hearing at age four after a severe bout of meningitis. Inspired by the author/illustrator’s own childhood story, the loveable young Cece must learn to deal with the challenges of hearing loss. She starts school with other children who are hearing impaired and learns how to lip-read, but then moves into a mainstream classroom where she is prescribed the Phonic Ear, a type of hearing aid involving a receiver on her chest and a remote microphone worn by the teacher. Feeling bulky and awkward, Cece creates a fantasy alter ego, El Deafo (Bell’s actual secret nickname for herself), and imagines life with hearing superpowers.

What makes the book shine is the loving way the author presents the specific frustrations of hearing loss (like well-meaning friends who speak very slowly in order to compensate) as well as the everyday experiences of growing up (like friendship drama and sleepovers and crushes). Bell successfully demystifies hearing disability, which is definitely an underrepresented theme in children’s literature, and introduces a universally relatable character whose greatest desire is a friend who will like her for exactly who she is. A joyous celebration of being an individual, El Deafo will appeal to all readers.