I’m drawn to gritty YA novels, and Mindy McGinnis’ HEROINE held me in its grip from the first line: “When I wake up, all my friends are dead.” Mickey Catalan is the catcher for an all-girls, undefeated high school softball team on the cusp of making history. To the outside world, she’s a local celebrity…

My first read of 2022, THE GIRL WHO COULD BREATHE UNDER WATER, reminded me why Erin Bartels is one of my favorite authors. If I could, I would give it more than five stars. Kendra Brennan is crippled by self-doubt and writer’s block. Her debut novel, which fictionalized  teen trauma that continues to haunt her, has…