Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson

In her evocative and poetic memoir, Woodson shares what it was like to grow up as an African-American in the 1960s and ’70s, exploring family, friendship, religion, and her early dreams of becoming an author.

Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy #1)
by Pierce Brown

Darrow is a Red—the lowest, most oppressed class, which slaves in the mines of Mars to create a new habitable planet for humankind. Recruited by revolutionaries to overthrow the restrictive social system from the inside, Darrow must navigate the treacherous world of the ruling Golds in this dystopian tale that combines the best of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones.

5280 April 2015
More From The Issue

This One Summer
by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki

Rose has gone to Awago Beach every summer for as long as she can remember, but this year is different. A poignant coming-of-age story, the Tamaki cousins’ graphic novel captures the moments when children must navigate the path from innocence to the realities of young adulthood.

Bonus: Two more reading suggestions from McKeown

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue Sargent usually steers clear of the privileged Raven Boys of Aglionby Academy, but she can’t resist being pulled—by the charismatic and doomed Gansey—into their quest to find a magical ancient king. The enchanting four-book series wraps up this fall with the eagerly anticipated final installment, The Raven King.

Afterworlds
by Scott Westerfeld

This novel within a novel begins with 18-year-old Darcy Patel getting a book deal for her debut paranormal romance, Afterworlds, and its unwritten sequel. In spite of her traditional Indian parents’ reservations, Darcy moves to New York City to begin life as an author and, like her “protag” Lizzie, faces challenges in life and in love.

—Inset images courtesy of Penguin; Wikipedia; First Second Book