Articles

Janna Yusuf, the main character in Saints and Misfits, is a photographer who loves photographs and is super big on visuals. She also has an amazing sense of humor (and sarcasm). Here’s a sneak peek into her thoughts on life! Wearing a burkini is great…until it’s time to get OUT of the water… What people see when they […]

When I was a senior in high school, I had some decisions to make: Where should I go to college? Do I stay close to home, or say bye to Mommy forever? And forget Mommy, what about my girlfriend? We’ve been together for years—should we pick the same school? Can we try long distance? Should […]

Everyone loves a romance. The old, familiar journey from meet-cute to first kiss to a stuttering ‘I love you’. The giddy joy of a crush reciprocated… We do them really, really well in YA. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy meets boy, girl meets girl, girl meets boy and also a girl… we’re even […]

Welcome to the Slipstream by Natalka Burian has a little bit of everything! It’s got a family with a nomadic lifestyle, a garage band, a budding romance, AND a dangerous cult. Oh, and don’t forget the amazing protagonist, Van. Welcome to the Slipstream is a deeply moving and exquisite novel about a girl traumatized by her mother’s […]

We’ve all had a broken heart at one time or another. Sometimes it’s because you got out of a long-term relationship while other times it might be because you have a bad case of unrequited love. Whatever the scenario, it’s always handy to have things on hand to cheer you up. I’ve made a list […]

In Saints and Misfits, the protagonist, Janna, has a thing for one of the cutest boys in school, Jeremy. Since he’s not Muslim, she hides her feelings from most of the people in her life, but that doesn’t stop her from fantasizing! As a photographer, Janna takes sneaky pictures so she can ogle his greatest attributes […]

I’m of the belief that all YA novels are secretly coming of age novels, but there are definitely some that are extra helpful when you’re trying to figure out who you are. Feeling confused, angry, scared, sad, lost? There’s a book for that (and it’s way more helpful than an app, let me tell you). One book that […]

Summer is by far my favorite season. For me, it means enjoying the sun, spending time by the pool, playing volleyball on the beach, hanging out with friends, and eating lots of dairy-free ice cream (shout out to my fellow lactose-intolerant people)! But summer isn’t without its faults. When I was younger, I occasionally found myself alone because a majority […]

No summer truly is complete without a relaxing day (or multiple days) lounging by the pool or at the beach! As a proud Jersey girl, I’ve spent countless summer days relaxing on the beach for hours on end. If my friends and I ever had a day off from our summer jobs, the only place you’d be […]

For most of my life, I’ve been terrible at decision making. As a child, I was perfectly content to lay back and let other people make my choices for me. I never participated in the “what should we have for dinner” arguments with my family, I let my friends choose our after school hang out destinations, […]