These gorgeously written new YA novels feature duos who are bonded by external pressures and fates. Forced to work together to survive a hostile world or situation, they discover each other’s true selves. In Tessa Barbosa‘s dark fantasy, Isle of Teeth, two individuals—each cast as a monster for a different reason—band together to resist the powers of empire and the calls of the goddess of death. A reader and a writer secretly fight against government book banning in Behind Five Willows, June Hur’s reimagining of Pride and Prejudice set in historical Korea. Emily Varga shares The River She Became, an action-packed romantasy about a relic hunter, a mysterious fae captain, and the ancient crown they both seek. This is love worth fighting for. Moderated by Sarah Suk. Grades 8–12.
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TESSA BARBOSA is a Filipina Canadian author who writes fantasy novels by night and software help by day. The Moonlight Blade was her debut novel, and Isle of Teeth is her second work for young adults. Tessa lives in Vancouver, Canada, with her children, an anxious cat, and a growing plant collection.
JUNE HUR was born in South Korea and spent her formative years in the USA, Canada, and South Korea before studying History and Literature at the University of Toronto, working at the city's public library. Her work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, CBC, and KBS. June resides in Toronto with her family and can be spotted writing in coffee shops.
SARAH SUK (pronounced like soup with a K) lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she writes stories and admires mountains. She is the award-winning author of young adult novels Meet Me at Blue Hour, The Space between Here & Now, and Made in Korea, as well as the co-writer of John Cho’s middle grade novel Troublemaker. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or thinking about bread, often all at once.
EMILY VARGA is an internationally bestselling YA author. She has lived in England, Scotland and Australia but now calls Western Canada her home, where she lives with her family and their menagerie of pets. When not writing, Emily works as a family lawyer, where she learned more about storytelling than she ever expected.
