A Long Stretch of Bad Days

Sex Education meets Euphoria in this dark contemporary novel that tackles perfectionism, emotional abuse, and the dark side of social media.Fallon is a fixer. From planning prom to organizing her college applications, she’s got it all figured out…except for when her younger sister comes to her with very basic questions about sex. Shocked that she knows so little—and her fellow classmates even less—Fallon decides some practical education is in order. And Fallon isn’t above practicing a little civil disobedience by creating a secret underground off-campus group.Shelby is a fighter. Having her nose broken is nothing new in her semiprofessional career…but this time it’s her boyfriend who threw the punch. Now her phone is blowing up with texts from a new guy who tells her she’s perfect, she’s special, she’s everything he’s ever wanted…except for a few small details. Shelby’s happy to adjust for him, because isn’t that what a healthy relationship is about?Jobie is a failure. She doesn’t have enough followers and her posts never go viral, no matter how hard she crushes challenges and applies exactly the right filter. But a friendly DM from a good girl just like her points her in the direction of a whole new audience of admirers. Guys who just want to talk. Guys who give her the attention she’s always wanted. The lives of all three girls intersect in Fallon’s secret class, rumors of which have parents up in arms. Fallon needs to keep herself anonymous, Shelby needs to keep her new boyfriend happy, and Jobie needs to keep her followers…who keep asking for more. Each girl finds herself trapped in an inescapable situation—that will leave one of them dead. 

In the dark and stunning sequel to The Initial Insult, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis concludes this suspenseful YA duology as long-held family secrets finally come to light . . . changing Amontillado forevermore. Perfect for fans of Truly Devious and Sadie!Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck.Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days.With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?* Junior Library Guild selection * A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Title * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year *- Modern Poe Retelling: Welcome to Amontillado, Ohio. In a town haunted by the names of Usher and Montor, a new cask of secrets is about to be opened.- Multiple POV: Follow Tress, the murderer haunted by guilt and a festering wound, and her cousin Ribbit, a boy desperate for revenge after a humiliating viral video goes global.- Unreliable Narrator: As Tress’s infection deepens, her grip on reality slips. Is the heartbeat from Felicity’s charm real, or is she losing her mind while a panther stalks the woods?- Dark Family Secrets: Tress is desperate to learn the truth about her parents’ disappearance. But in Amontillado, some secrets are best left buried.

A captivating and powerful exploration of the opioid crisis—the deadliest drug epidemic in American history—through the eyes of a college-bound softball star. Edgar Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a visceral and necessary novel about addiction, family, friendship, and hope.When a car crash sidelines Mickey just before softball season, she has to find a way to hold on to her spot as the catcher for a team expected to make a historic tournament run. Behind the plate is the only place she’s ever felt comfortable, and the painkillers she’s been prescribed can help her get there.The pills do more than take away pain; they make her feel good.With a new circle of friends—fellow injured athletes, others with just time to kill—Mickey finds peaceful acceptance, and people with whom words come easily, even if it is just the pills loosening her tongue.But as the pressure to be Mickey Catalan heightens, her need increases, and it becomes less about pain and more about want, something that could send her spiraling out of control.- Prescription Drug Abuse: After a car crash, the painkillers prescribed to star catcher Mickey Catalan do more than take away the pain. They make her feel good—too good.- A Gripping Softball Story: Behind the plate is the only place Mickey feels in control. She’ll do anything to keep her spot on a team destined for a historic run, even if it means hiding a secret that could destroy her.- The Opioid Crisis Up Close: This Edgar Award-winning novel provides a raw, unflinching look at the deadliest drug epidemic in American history through the eyes of a teen athlete.- Realistic Fiction for Teens: Mickey's journey from a beloved hometown heroine to an addict spiraling out of control is a visceral and unforgettable cautionary tale about the line between want and need.

Es sollte ein Zelt-Trip mit Freunden werden - Jungs und Mädchen, Bier und Lagerfeuer, mitten in der Natur. Was konnte schon passieren?Als Ashley in den Smoky Mountains verloren geht, weiß sie, dass sie ganz auf sich allein gestellt ist. Dass sie immer weitergehen muss, wenn sie jemals hier rauskommen will. Doch dann verletzt sie sich. Und ihre Kräfte schwinden.Eine Survivalstory, so wunderschön, atemberaubend und erschreckend wie die Wildnis selbst.'McGinnis' emotionale, beinahe körperlich nachempfindbare Erzählung zeigt uns eine starke, sturköpfige und überaus fähige Protagonistin mit einem unerschütterlichen Respekt für die Natur. Unmöglich aus der Hand zu legen.' (Kirkus Reviews)

Hatchet meets Wild in this harrowing YA survival story about a teenage girl's attempt to endure the impossible, from the Edgar Award-winning author of The Female of the Species, Mindy McGinnis.The world is not tame. Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof.So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine.Morning brings the realization that she's alone-and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive with the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.- Lost in the Woods: After a night of partying ends in betrayal, a nasty fall leaves Ashley completely alone and miles off-trail in the unforgiving Smoky Mountains.- A Harrowing Test of Grit: With a gruesome leg injury and a creeping infection, her extensive survival skills are pushed to the absolute limit in a desperate race against time.- Strong Female Protagonist: Ashley Hawkins is an expert at surviving nature. But as she’s forced to make an impossible choice, she learns that the most dangerous enemy can be your own body.- Unflinching YA Realism: This raw and visceral story, perfect for fans of Hatchet and Wild, explores the brutal truths of self-reliance when there is no one left to count on but yourself.