The Drowning Game by Dusti Bowling

 I received an advance copy of The Drowning Game which is due out on Oct. 26, 2026. It's a compelling thriller complete with action, suspense, and a tragic drowning (or was it murder?). The main character is 17-year-old Christian who is invited to go on a rafting trip in Arizona with his persuasive best friend, James. Christian travels from Minnesota to Arizona for the trip even though he is not a strong swimmer. James brings along two friends and his girlfriend Freya, and the teenagers have no lifejackets or helmets, and no adult supervision. The boys bring beer and are drinking and partying while Freya and Christian bond over their realization that James is really a terrible person and neither of them wants to go over the dangerous rapids. Tragedy strikes, leaving Christian angry, alone, and emotionally devastated. 

Flash forward one year and Christian is a college freshman in Arizona when he sees someone from that summer whom he believes should be dead. He becomes a stalker, obsessed with figuring out what really happened on that river and turning into a not-so-great person himself. But is James losing his mind? Or is there more to the story?   

This is Dusti Bowling's first book that is classified as Young Adult, and the reviews are saying it is best for grades 9-up. As a middle school librarian I am always looking for books that include adventure, suspense, and even murder, and I was eager to see if it might be appropriate for my 7th and 8th grade readers. As much as I plowed through this book quickly and enjoyed it immensely, I'm going to stick with the grades 9-up recommendation. I know there are 7th and 8th graders who will eat it up, but it does center around college students who are drinking, making out (nothing more than that), and dealing with the trauma of a drowning. Due to the age of the characters and these factors, I can't call it youngteenlit, but I absolutely recommend it for high school collections, and I probably will hand it to some 8th grade readers as well. I didn't mention that it's based on Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, which is bit of a spoiler, but that tells you the kind of twisty story it is. Recommended for adults as well as high schoolers. 

A Scar Like a River by Lisa Graff

 

Fallon has a long scar on her face and a deep secret that she has kept since she was very young. She's now 13 years old and enjoying her first lead role in a school musical, but nothing is going smoothly for Fallon in 7th grade. The death of her uncle sets her off on a journey of facing the trauma that she has lived with since she was five years old. As she gathers the courage to speaks up about the negative messages in the school musical, she also gathers the courage to go to therapy and to speak up about a much bigger issue involving family secrets, her uncle, and sexual abuse. This carefully crafted book has a gentle tone, but deals with sensitive topics. Students should know going in that they will encounter difficult issues and a story about resilience and healing in a solidly middle grade package. Recommended for middle school students, especially those who like reading realistic books about tough topics. 

Thanks A Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

 

Brian has a lot of family problems, including his father abandoning him and his younger brother at the same time his mother attempts suicide. Brian also is an awkward 7th grade boy without a lot of friendships to help sustain him. Life is clearly going to be rough for Brian and there are going to be no easy answers. Enter Ezra, a classmate with friends and sporting ability and a slowly emerging crush on Brian. This is the story of what these boys do in the face of many hurdles and awkward moves toward friendship. It's a slow and gentle book with a very middle grade vibe, and I'm sure there are readers who will love to find this book as it might help them through tough times of their own. Recommend this book to young readers who like to read about family dynamics, mental health, and kids exploring their identities. I think this book's sweet spot is 5th-7th grade readers. 

Rhino's Run by Robert Lipsyte

 

Rhino is the nickname for the main character of this book who is a high school football player with dreams of playing in college and beyond. Rhino is under a lot of pressure when he punches another kid in the face and gets sent to "Group" with the school counselor. There are bullies on the football team and pressure from his dad and a toxic school environment that is mostly covered up. Rhino lays it all out in the journal that he must keep for his counselor, including how things take a big turn for the worse in a near-fatal school shooting. Ultimately, Rhino is figuring out whether to keep his head down and keep playing football or to take a stand along with his new friends in Group. There are way too many issues covered in this one short book, but I think readers (football fans especially) will not mind. Rhino is a relatable character and it's a relatively short, intense book that holds your attention. Trigger warnings galore (gun violence, physical violence, fat shaming, head injuries, and more) but nothing that makes this book inappropriate for thoughtful readers. Recommended for grades 8-up. 

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

 

Jake is an 8th grader with a Voice (with a capital V) in his head that tells him he is repulsive, he is worthless, he doesn't deserve to take up space. The Voice has taken over his life--and the Voice tells Jake not to eat. Jake weighs himself over and over and over and the lower the number on the scale the better he feels about himself. Jake exercises constantly, lies about his eating, and deals with almost constant bullying at school. Early on in this novel in verse, Jake is taken to Whispering Pines, a residential treatment center, to help him deal with his eating disorder. This is the story of his recovery, his love for his grandma, and his dream of seeing a Broadway show someday. It gives readers an inside look at group therapy and counseling and the long process of healing. This is a rare book that is written right at the middle school level and I think it will be devoured by 6th-8th graders whether they are curious about eating disorders or dealing with mental health issues of their own or their friends. It deals with hard topics and there is deep sadness, but it is ultimately a story of survival and hope. Readers will empathize with Jake and some lives may even be saved by this honest and direct story. It is a novel, but closely based on author John Schu's life experience, and it rings true. Highly recommended for middle schoolers. 

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McNaulty

 

Lucy Callahan is a math genius and she is only 12 years old. She was struck by lightning as a child, and it left her with incredible math ability. She lives with her grandmother and she's so far advanced academically that she has never been to middle school. Lucy wants to go straight to college, but her grandma says she has to spend one year in 7th grade and learn some social skills. Lucy reluctantly goes off the middle school. Her number one goal is to not let other students or her math teacher know she is a math genius. Lucy also has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which causes her to count every word in books she reads, tap her feet 3 times when entering a room, and sanitize her hands religiously. Lucy is fortunate to meet a friend named Windy, and they team up for a community service project at an animal shelter. They are joined by a boy named Levi, and with Lucy's influence, they use data and math to get more dogs adopted. It's a year in the life of a quirky, unique girl who has normal obstacles to overcome in spite of her unusual abilities. Lucy is joined by memorable adults characters in her grandma, her uncle Paul, and the math teacher. This book includes math of all kinds--it would make a great read-aloud for a math teacher. A thoroughly enjoyable book recommended for younger middle schoolers. 

The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Bea's parents are divorced, and they have given her a list of things that will not change. Number one on that list is that they will always love Bea and each other. Bea's dad is gay and she is thrilled when he and his boyfriend Jesse get engaged, mainly because she will finally have a sister. Sonia lives far away, but Bea is sure they will feel like sisters. Of course, relationships don't always come all at once, and Bea struggles with her disappointment. This is an intimate view of Bea's life and how her loving parents help her deal with a secret that she has been hiding from everyone. Rebecca Stead writes beautifully about the details of every day life and you will leave this book feeling like you know Bea and the people in her life well. 

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Darius never feels good enough--he has trouble making friends, he struggles to connect with his father, and he takes medication for depression. He is half Persian but has never set foot in Iran. His family's journey there to meet his maternal grandparents is the catalyst for this story and the opening he needs to meet a new friend and gain an understanding of his father, his heritage, and his own abilities. This charm of this book is Darius--his thoughts, his constant Star Trek references, and his awkward and funny self-assessments. Khorram beautifully captures Darius's family and the new friend he meets in Iran. This is a gem that may not have a wide audience, but thoughtful readers will treasure this story and come away feeling like they made a friend. Highly recommended for grades 8-up.

How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat

Vicky Decker, a high school sophomore, has a lot of social anxiety and one good friend, Jenna. Unfortunatley, Jenna has moved away and Vicky is spending all of her time alone, afraid to even say hello to classmates or speak in class. In the safety of her own bedroom, she creates an Instagram personality named Vicurious, and Photoshops herself into all kinds of settings. Without really trying, Vicky becomes an internet heroine to people who feel alone and ignored. At the same time, she opens up to a few people at school, including a boy who sites next to her in a class and the yearbook staff members who see her talent with photo editing. Vicky's story is compelling and real, and compulsively readable. It deals with some of the usual YA lit issues, but Vicky is a character to root for and relate to and the Instagram fame makes the story really stand out. Definitely recommended for readers looking for a book with romance, friendship, and mental health issues.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

There are many YA novels about unlikely couples that make you fall in love with them and then break your heart (and by you, I mean you the reader). This is one of them, but you will love Violet and Finch so much that you will happily go along for the ride. They meet on top of the school bell tower, both contemplating suicide. Finch, the misfit kid, actually talks Violet off the ledge (literally), but later lets Violet take the credit for saving his life. Violet, a previously popular girl, has been traumatized by a car accident that took her sister's life and spared her own. Finch is sarcastic, intelligent, and perceptive, but suffers from bipolar disorder. His family either doesn't see the problem or refuses to acknowledge it, and in spite of many cries for help, he never gets the support he needs. Finch immediately is drawn to Violet, but has to convince her that he is worth her time (as he is the target of harassment at school he isn't immediately seen as boyfriend material). As they wander around Indiana for a school project, it's clear that they are going to fall in love and that it's not going to be easy. It seemed formulaic at first, but with characters so well fleshed out, who cares? If you like The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park (both compelling teen relationship books), you will definitely want to read All the Bright Places. Recommended for high school students-up.

Half a World Away by Cynthia Kadohata

Jaden was adopted from Romania at the age of 8. He is now 12 years old and he still remember how it felt to be abandoned by his birth mother. His parents in the United States have loved him and cared for him, but he has trouble connecting with them or anyone else. In this book, Jaden and his parents travel to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby. Jaden doesn't expect to care about a new sibling, and he certainly doesn't expect to feel attached to a special-needs toddler at the orphanage. Jaden has deep-seated problems for which there are no easy solutions, but this is a story about the power of love and the ability of people to change and grow. I enjoyed this book as an adult reader and I think students will also empathize with Jaden's complicated emotions.

Survive by Alex Morel

I love survival stories but haven't read many of them written for teens. I've been reading a lot of young adult novels lately, many of them dystopian and many of them pretty mediocre, and I was so happy to finally read a completely different book that I can say that I really liked a lot. Jane is a smart, manipulative, troubled girl who is planning to kill herself in an airplane lavatory. She has been released from a mental health facility, purchased the pills she needs, and is ready to do it once and for all. But just as she is swallowing the pills the lights go out, the plane jerks, and Jane passes out. She wakes unharmed in the airplane lavatory only to find that the plane crashed in the snowy mountains and split into three pieces. She finds only one other survivor, and he is still buckled into his seat and perilously perched on a precipice. She must save Paul and together they must try to get to safety. At first their personalities clash but as they get to know each other they find that both of them are haunted by ghosts of the past. Their emotional journey is just as compelling as their physical journey. As I said, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to high school students.