High school students, Wilmette Reads is for you too! Sign up at the Adult Services desk to get your free enamel pin, complete your log, and get some awesome swag! (You can see examples at the desk!) This winter's theme is "retellings", stories that change up the familiar stories you already know -- classics, fairy tales, mythologies. No matter what, there's a retelling to suit every taste. Here are six titles that range from scary and tragic to light and fluffy. Pick up your Wilmette Reads Activity Log from the Adult Services desk today and find out more information about this year's theme on our website.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson -- a retelling of Carrie by Stephen King
"An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she's dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington. After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High's racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school's first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it's possible to have a normal life. But some of her classmates aren't done with her just yet. And what they don't know is that Maddy still has another secret... one that will cost them all their lives."
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong -- a retelling of Romeo and Juliet
"The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love… and first betrayal."
Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin -- a retelling of Macbeth
"Jade and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer rule their glittering L.A. circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power people envy. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Jade's sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew's Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Jade as their next target. They night they picked the wrong girl. Sworn to vengeance, Jade transfers to St. Andrew's and plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She'll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school's hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly."
Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore -- a retelling of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"New York City, 1922. Nicol̀s Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota, has no interest in the city's glamor. Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could set up his future--and his life as a man--and benefit his family. Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiance, Tom--and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay, has erased all signs of her Latina heritage, and now passes seamlessly as white. Nick's neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns that the spectacle is all for the benefit of impressing a girl from Jay's past--Daisy. And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender. As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love. But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in the American Dream."
When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord -- a retelling of the musical Mamma Mia!
"Millie Price deals with her lovable but introverted dad, her drama club rival, Oliver, and her "Millie Moods," the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm, but when an accidentally left-open browser brings Millie to her dad's embarrassingly moody LiveJournal, Millie knows she must find her mom."
Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz -- a remix of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
"1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration–museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself! But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo’s desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart’s desire or lose the love of her life forever?"
All summaries provided by the publisher.