Lincoln-Sudbury RHS: Summer Reading Info for Class of 2027, 2028, 2029

Icarus by K. Ancrum    

Young Adult Mythology Retelling & Romance    l    382 pages    l    8.5 hours (audiobook)

Every single night, Icarus scales the sides of buildings, pulling off impossible art thefts to maintain the perfect, reclusive life his father built for them. The rules are simple: don't get caught, and don’t get too close to anyone. However, when a boy named Helios catches Icarus in the act, Icarus ends up breaking rule number two, and the boys turn out to have more in common than they ever could have imagined. This story of love and friendship comments on the cost of keeping secrets as well as on the thrill of finally being seen.

“No one is born knowing how friends work. You figure it out as you go along.”

“Love is never a sin, and the rules of men who don’t understand that don’t matter.”

― K. Ancrum, Icarus

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum   

Young Adult Realistic Fiction & Romance   l   218 pages  l   6 hours (audiobook)

Hoodie Rosen is doing fine just coasting through life in his ultra-Orthodox Jewish community—until his family moves to a new town that isn't exactly welcoming to Jews. Enter Anna-Marie, the non-Jewish daughter of the town's mayor. Falling for her is strictly forbidden, but Hoodie finds himself more than interested. When the town's underlying tensions erupt into real, terrifying anti-Semitic violence, both Hoodie and Anna-Marie must assess their priorities and decide who they want to be. The book offers insights into a community some might not be familiar with, through the eyes of a funny and relatable narrator. 

“In which I celebrate Tu B’Av by taking the first step toward my own ruination: Later, I tried to explain to Rabbi Moritz why it was ironic that my horrible crime was the thing that saved the whole community. He didn’t get it, either because he was too angry, or because his head was filled with other thoughts, or because the man has no sense of humor.”--   Isaac Blum, The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi        

Young Adult Historical Fiction & Fantasy    l    388 pages    l    12 hours (audiobook)

Set in 1889 Paris during the World’s Fair, this fantasy heist novel features a young but extremely wealthy hotel owner named Séverin who was denied his full inheritance and membership in the elite class. In the story’s world, this class is made up of patriarchs and matriarchs who control the forging of magical artifacts, and to reclaim what is rightfully his, Séverin assembles a team of young and highly gifted forgers, each with heartbreaking backstories of their own. Think Six of Crows meets The Da Vinci Code. [Note: Though it’s the first in a series, the book is self-contained.]

“I don't want to be their equal. I don't want them to look us in the eye. I want them to look away, to blink harshly, as if they'd stared at the sun itself. I don't want them standing across from us. I want them kneeling.”― Roshani Chokshi, The Gilded Wolves

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh   

Young Adult Mythology Retelling & Romance    l    325 pages    l    8.75 hours (audiobook)

For generations, deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland, and every year, a beautiful girl is sacrificed to the Sea God in hopes of calming his wrath. When Mina’s brother's true love is assigned as tribute, Mina takes her place and plunges into the Spirit Realm. She finds a world of gods and demons—and a Sea God who is trapped in an enchanted sleep. With only thirty days before she becomes a ghost forever, Mina must determine how to wake a god and stop the storms. If you love Studio Ghibli vibes, this one is a must-read.

“My grandmother often said that the most dangerous of gods are the ones who are forgotten.”

“That's just like a human to think the world revolves around you, to think the rivers are for you, the sky, the sea is for you. You are just one of many parts of the world, and in my opinion, the one that blights them all.”  ― Axie Oh, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds 

Young Adult Realistic Fiction & Romance   l   256 pages  l   4.5 hours (audiobook)

This isn't your standard high school romance. Jason Reynolds of Long Way Down fame once again gets inside the head of a young African-American man as he approaches a major milestone: Neon and Aria are about to take their relationship to “the next level.” The book starts with a moment of panic in the present and works backwards, developing the characters by tracing their relationship to the moment they met. Once again Reynolds moves from raw to tender to honest, making Twenty-Four Seconds feel like a late-night conversation with a friend.

“Like, to hold a hand the way we held yours as a child, with a full grip, that feels like a gesture of safety. To hold hands with each other's fingers woven together can sometimes feel like a gesture of desperation. But the way y'all were yesterday-your pinky just barely curled around hers-well, to me, that feels...intimate.”   ― Jason Reynolds, Twenty-Four Seconds from Now

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers     

Young Adult Horror & Historical Fiction Short Stories    l    336 pages    l    7.5 hours (audiobook)

While sold as horror stories, this collection of interconnected tales doubles as commentary on themes from colonialism to cliques. Following one Cherokee family across generations—from the mid-1800s into a dystopian future, Rogers offers violence in the form of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and alien invasions, all grounded in the terrifying horrors of real history. As a bonus, artwork by Jeff Edwards adds to the experience through Cherokee syllabary. A good read for both those who enjoy horror and those who don’t—but are willing to open their eyes to everyday atrocities. 

“My Tsalagi family had tried to escape to Indian Territory in order to survive, in order to live with our people and be left alone. Still, treaties were broken, and we were chased down by human monsters, monsters who lived on blood and sorrow....Water, blood, power, life. I was once unconscious of these things, but now they are everything. There are plenty of bad men to feed on, and that is what I decided to do."  ― Andrea L. Rogers, Man Made Monsters

The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck    

Adult - Historical Fiction Short Stories    l    320 pages    l    9.5 hours (audiobook)

Set in familiar places in New England across time periods, this collection of paired short stories overlaps symbols, settings, and characters, so that the experience of reading is like putting together a puzzle. Themes include the ways music, nature, and human connection echo through time. From two young men recording folk songs in the early 20th century to modern-day radio broadcasts, it explores how the sounds we leave behind can haunt—or heal—the people who come after us.

“But you should have a little pain in your life—humans are meant to have a little pain. Endings, I suppose, like seasons, like winters. That’s where all the good stuff is. Ripped apart, so you can feel the mending. There’s nothing like it. I wouldn’t wish an uneventful life on my worst enemy.”   ― Ben Shattuck, The History of Sound: Stories