Madeline Whittier, afflicted with a disease that has caused her to spend her entire life shut off from the outside, is about to have her world turned upside down. When a moving truck and a new family appear in front of the house next door, Maddie gets her first glimpse of Olly, and from there the two come to form a friendship. But between e-mails, IM messages, and brief (yet ill-advised) meetings, that friendship turns into something more, making Maddie ready to tear the walls down in order to truly live.

This was the first book in a long time that I read in one day. It’s a fast, light and fluffy read, interspersed with diagrams and doodles drawn by the author’s husband, that just zooms by. The romance is adorable, and Maddie’s voice is strong and powerful.  

I went into Everything, Everything already knowing the Big Twist, which either shocks or frustrates readers, and oddly enough, this is the one time a spoiler positively affected my impression of a book. All I will say is that there are a few layers to this twist that enhance the read and pave the way for further discussion and moreover, future rereads

Before her parents sailed out to sea five years ago, Kobi’s mother left her with 27 magical words left on Post-it notes. Now at age 10, Kobi has learned to harness their magic, and develop special powers around them. For example, “Avanti” gives her the ability to see the island where her parents are shipwrecked — or so she thinks. However, Kobi has no words to combat the new changes in her life, like moving from Paris to Des Moines, Iowa to live with her half-uncle Wimbledon, and starting fifth grade at a public school. The changes lead Kobi to rely on her magic words for help, until she discovers a different sort of magic: lying.

Luckily, 27 Magic Words is more than 27 words long, and manages to be magical from start to finish. Moranville’s sense of language is poetic yet simple; like the magic words in question, she is able to make the commonplace come alive. Kobi’s world is carefully-constructed and richly characterized. In particular, Moranville does a great job of making Paris and Iowa feel like totally different planets, emphasizing a sense of disconnection. Kobi’s coming to terms with her parents’ disappearance provides the book with a great dramatic arc that is both subtle and emotionally complex. Even when Kobi’s world feels a little less enchanted, my enchantment with 27 Magic Words only grew with every page. At the end, I was left with a magic word of my own: “reread!”

Acclaimed mystery writer and former “Downton Abbey” recapper Louis Bayard ventures into young adult territory with the confidence of a veteran. Lucky Strikes is the story of 14-year-old Amelia Hoyle, narrated in her singularly brash and resonant voice. At the height of the Great Depression, Melia and her younger siblings are coping with the loss of their single mother while trying to hang onto the family gas station. When a hobo named Hiram tumbles into the orphans’ lives, Melia sees an opportunity to evade foster care.  

With a cast of kooky characters, elaborate charades, and rapid-fire dialogue, Lucky Strikes channels classic screwball films of the period. I could visualize every detail of the small town Virginia setting and connected immediately with the resilient heroine. Here’s hoping that YA hasn’t seen the last of Bayard.