Karen B. McCoy: The Writer Librarian: A MAP FOR WRECKED GIRLS by Jessica Taylor

I've been excited about A MAP FOR WRECKED GIRLS ever since I posted about it here. It debuts in August, but I've already read the Advanced Reader Copy. This story is rich with compelling characters, plot twists, and an ending that is so satisfying I had to read it twice. Have a look:

We sat at the edge of the ocean—my sister Henri and I—inches apart but not touching at all. We'd been so sure someone would find us by now.

Emma had always orbited Henri, her fierce, magnetic queen bee of an older sister, and the two had always been best friends. Until something happened that wrecked them.

I'd trusted Henri more than I'd trusted myself. Wherever she told me to go, I'd follow.

Then the unthinkable occurs—a watery nightmare off the dazzling coast. The girls wash up on shore, stranded. Their only companion is Alex, a troubled boy agonizing over his own secrets. Trapped in this gorgeous hell, Emma and Alex fall together as Emma and Henri fall catastrophically apart.

For the first time, I was afraid we'd die on this shore.

To find their way home, the sisters must find their way back to each other. But there’s no map for this—or anything. Can they survive the unearthing of the past and the upheaval of the present?

Jessica also has some recommendations for similar books to keep an eye out for this year. Take it away, Jessica!

Hi everyone! I was honored when Karen asked me to share five books for readers of A Map for Wrecked Girls. I’ve read so many fantastic YA thrillers and stories about female relationships lately—it’s a wonderful time to be YA reader. Here are five books that I recommend not only for fans of A Map for Wrecked Girls but for all YA readers.

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy

Alexandra Sirowy’s First We Were IV is one of the most compelling YA thrillers I’ve read this year. I’ve always been interested in friendships that have obsessive and even unhealthy dynamics. That’s exactly what we encounter in this thrilling read - Izzie and her friends, Harry, Vivian, and Graham form a codependency that first becomes a coping mechanism for existing outside their high school’s social scene and later twists into something much darker. First We Were IV is finally out this week, and I can’t wait to celebrate at her launch this Saturday at A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland.

When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn

Stephanie Kuehn has been one of my automatic-buy authors since I read her debut Morris-award-winning novel Charm & Strange. Kuehn has once again written a brilliant and wildly entertaining story with When I Am Through With You. Ben is a high school senior on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Rose. Kuehn takes you back through Ben’s relationship with his girlfriend and a fateful school hiking trip in the mountains that ends with Rose dead. “Unputdownable” is a word we throw around casually in YA, but I can’t say I’ve ever read a book more deserving of that description.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Unflinching, gritty, and heart wrenching, Tiffany Jackson’s Allegedly is a debut novel I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. Mary, an African American teen, was convicted of murdering a white baby when she was only a child herself. Now, years later and living in a group home, Mary finds herself pregnant and desperate to clear her name and hold on to her own unborn child. This timely read examines our flawed and racist criminal justice system and should be required reading for all.

The Wonder of Us by Kim Culbertson

My favorite stories involve two characters fighting to put a broken relationship back together and that’s exactly what’s happening between estranged best friends Riya and Abby. Culbertson takes them – and you! – on a vivid tour of Europe as they work to mend what the last year has broken. Not only is this book a gorgeous tribute to six different countries, at the heart of the story is an emotional journey that examines what it’s like to grow up female and establish an identity of one’s own. The Wonder of Us is unexpected and witty – everything I love about Kim Culbertson’s books!

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

One of Us is Lying is one of the most-talked up books in YA lately and rightfully so. Five teens walk into detention at Bayview High and only one walks out. Like in A Map for Wrecked Girls, everyone has a secret. The core mystery in One of Us is Lying is trying to figure out who killed Simon. What captivated me the most was uncovering each of those secrets—an experience that makes for a page-turning read you’ll devour.

Jessica Taylor adores atmospheric settings, dangerous girls, and characters who sneak out late at night. She lives in Northern California, not far from San Francisco, with a law degree she isn’t using, one dog, and many teetering towers of books. A Map for Wrecked Girls, her first young adult contemporary thriller, will be published August 15, 2017 by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin.

Here are links to get your hands on A MAP FOR WRECKED GIRLS:

Pre-order/Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

And here are the other books Jessica recommended (I'll be featuring FIRST WE WERE IV in more detail next week):

FIRST WE WERE IV