tion comes the pressure to live up to the
image. Additionally, Tash is struggling
with her older sister’s growing distance, a
surprise announcement from her parents,
her understanding of her own identity as
a romantic asexual, and her long-distance
flirtation with fellow vlogger Thom. As
a result, Ormsbee’s story comes close to
feeling overstuffed with issues, but her
attention to the depth of Tash’s thoughts
and feelings, as well as a spot-on narrative
voice, make this a compassionate and
frank look into challenges that can seem
to fly at teenagers from all directions.
Ages 14–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Bent
Agency. (June)
Trusting You & Other Lies
Nicole Williams. Crown, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-
0-553-49877-6
In this summer romance, Williams
(the Crash series) banishes 17-year-old
Phoenix Ainsworth to an Arizona wilderness camp for families and a summer of
roughing it. On top of being stuck in a
dusty cabin with her parents and 10-year-
old brother, Harry, Phoenix knows that
they are about to be evicted—hence her
father installing them at his friend’s camp
for free, with Phoenix working as a counselor. Phoenix’s initial anger at her parents abates as she warms to the camp:
partly because of how much Harry is
enjoying it and partly because of Callum,
the handsome head counselor in charge
of training her. Williams’s novel makes a
stronger family story than a romance—as
Callum zigzags between being aloof,
appealing, and arrogant, it isn’t always
easy to see why Phoenix likes him so
much. This story is at its best when it’s
focusing on Phoenix’s protective relationship with Harry, her anger at and struggles with her parents, and the family’s
attempts to regain control of their home,
finances, and future. Ages 14–up. Agent:
Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary
Management. (June)
We Come Apart
Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan.
Bloomsbury, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-
68119-275-8
In a verse novel told through alternating
points of view, Crossan (One) and Conaghan
(The Bombs That Brought Us Together) intro-
duce teenagers Jess and Nicu, who meet
and prejudice regarding illness. Percy, a
biracial epileptic, and Felicity, a young
woman dreaming of medical school, are
well-rounded and fascinating supporting
characters, and the romantic relationship
that develops between Monty and Percy
is sure to leave readers happily starry-
eyed. Ages 13–up. Agent: Rebecca Podos,
Rees Literary. (June)
Perfect Ten
L. Philips. Viking, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-
425-28811-5
Sam Raines, 17, is tired of being lonely
and single—he hasn’t even kissed anyone
since breaking up with his ex, Landon. So
he agrees to participate in a Wiccan love
spell conducted by his best friend Meg, and
he puts together a (mostly shallow) list of
qualities for a “perfect ten” of a boyfriend:
sexy, “thick hair,” ambitious, etc. Almost
immediately, prospective partners start
popping up all over Athens, Ohio: Gus, a
jazz-playing French transfer student;
sweet and artistic Jamie, a sophomore;
and bisexual rock star Travis, who can’t
keep his hands off Sam. Philips (the author
of My Faire Lady as Laura Wettersten)
keeps this wish-fulfillment fantasy moving
briskly, thanks to the quippy dialogue and
Sam’s dalliances with all three boys, as well
as Landon. It’s a too-good-to-be-true setup
by design, but although pure realism isn’t
really the goal of this magick-driven plot,
the characters are more types than real
people. Philips successfully keeps the
conclusion from feeling foregone, however,
and Sam and his friends grow plenty along
the way. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brent Taylor,
Triada U.S. Literary. (June)
Tash Hearts Tolstoy
Kathryn Ormsbee. Simon & Schuster, $18.99
(384p) ISBN 978-1-4814-8933-1
Ormsbee’s (Lucky Few) powerful
coming-of-age exploration introduces
Natasha “Tash” Zelenka, a talented
young woman who is passionate about
Leo Tolstoy and who seems to have it all.
Tash is a gifted filmmaker and dramatic
arts student with her own vlog, and she
and her best friend Jacklyn have a You Tube
series titled Unhappy Families, based on
Anna Karenina. Tash and Jack are con-
signed to relative obscurity until a
prominent online celebrity praises Unhappy
Families, but with the accolades and atten-
embroiled in a mystery involving the
deaths of Coney Island’s freak show per-
formers; the story also draws in vampires,
a hidden dimension (which Piper enters
through a magic mirror), and a dash of
voodoo. Herdling provides plenty of
forward momentum, yet the novel can
become overwhelmed by the many
supernatural elements and plot diver-
sions, including Piper’s own gathering
powers, which only become clear toward
the end; readers may need to scramble
back through the pages to understand
how the elements are interconnected.
Regardless, strong central characters,
evocative writing, and an atmospheric
setting result in a fresh and fun novel.
Though labeled as young adult, Piper’s
story, set to continue in a sequel, is probably
best suited to a middle grade audience.
Ages 12–up. (BookLife)
★ The Gentleman’s Guide to
Vice and Virtue
Mackenzi Lee. HarperCollins/Tegen, $18.99
(528p) ISBN 978-0-06-238280-1
Eighteen-year-old Henry “Monty”
Montague—scandal prone, acid tongued,
and a bit too fond of boys, girls, and
gin—is embarking on a grand tour of
Europe, a last
hurrah before
taking up the
mantle of lord-
ship. The tour
quickly veers
off course for
Monty, his
longtime friend
(and not-so-
secret crush)
Percy, and his
headstrong sister Felicity when Monty
and a young lady are caught in a compro-
mising situation at Versailles, after which
Monty absconds with a small trinket.
Pursued by the Duke of Bourbon, Monty
learns that the object may hold the key to
unlocking powerful alchemical secrets.
Without funds or connections, the three
haphazardly make their way across the
continent, crossing paths with secretive
Spanish siblings, an inexperienced pirate
crew, and others. It’s a gloriously swash-
buckling affair, but Lee (This Monstrous
Thing) doesn’t shy from addressing the
era’s overt racism, sexism, homophobia,
