8 young adult book releases to look for in February

Cover to The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith. Image: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

The Last to Let Go — Amber Smith

Amber Smith’s debut, The Way I Used to Be, covered the difficult topics of sexual assault and rape culture. It only makes sense that her second book, The Last to Let Go, would also address heavy issues. This time, Smith chooses to zone in on domestic abuse and  its effects on the children that witness it.

Children’s perspectives of household violence aren’t ones we see very often, and that alone should make for a fascinating reading experience. But if that’s doesn’t have you hooked, the promise of sibling dynamics and first relationships should.

Smith is a pro at crafting touching and believable bonds between characters, so this book is bound to tug at your heartstrings. It comes out Feb. 6.

"How do you let go of something you’ve never had? Junior year for Brooke Winters is supposed to be about change. She’s transferring schools, starting fresh, and making plans for college so she can finally leave her hometown, her family, and her past behind. But all of her dreams are shattered one hot summer afternoon when her mother is arrested for killing Brooke’s abusive father. No one really knows what happened that day, if it was premeditated or self-defense, whether it was right or wrong. And now Brooke and her siblings are on their own. In a year of firsts—the first year without parents, first love, first heartbreak, and her first taste of freedom—Brooke must confront the shadow of her family’s violence and dysfunction, as she struggles to embrace her identity, finds her true place in the world, and learns how to let go. (via Goodreads)"