My Teeth in Your Heart by Joanna Nadin
From local legend Joanna Nadin comes a new gorgeously crafted dual perspective, dual timeline family story partially set during the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in the 1970s. Anna and her expat family have been in Varosha, Cyprus for long enough for the island to feel like home. In the heat of summer, she discovers a bookshop, and in that bookshop is a boy named George, a boy she can’t seem to forget about.
In the present day, Billy has just lost her grandmother, messed things up with her best friend, and her mother is an absolute wreck. But when she discovers her grandmother’s diary from 1974 Cyprus, her whole world is about to explode.
This is an incredibly heart wrenching family saga for older teens and young adults, set against the back drop of the Cypriot war for independence. We get a glimpse into the complex history and culture in this time, as well as becoming invested in the lives of these incredible characters. I couldn’t put it down! – Hannah
The End of Drum Time by Hanna Pylvainen
Set in the Arctic Circle in the 1800s, The End of Drum Time follows the Sámi people and the growing threat to their way of life by the white settlers. When one of the most respected Sámi reindeer herders renounces his way of life and turns to Christianity, and his son begins to fall for a woman he shouldn’t, it sets in motion catastrophic change for them all.
I was really drawn to this slow, meditative read – which was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award in the US – and could hardly put it down. – Emma
Kala by Colin Walsh
In the autumn of 2003, teenager Kala Lanann vanished from the seaside town of Kinlough, shattering a once inseparable group of six friends. Fifteen years later, three of them are back in town: Helen, who is now a freelance journalist in Canada; Joe, a world-famous musician; and Mush, who never left. They are little more than strangers until the remains of a body are found in the woods.
Could it be Kala, found at last? Will they finally know what happened to their friend all those years ago? And could Kala’s disappearance have anything to do with the two Kinlough girls who have just gone missing?
A stunning literary mystery brimming with teenage nostalgia and small-town politics. Perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker and Donna Tartt. – Nethmi