rachel @ typed truths

American Girls by Alison Umminger

American Girls by Alison Umminger

Also known as My Favourite Manson Girl.

She was looking for a place to land.

Anna is a fifteen-year-old girl slouching toward adulthood, and she’s had it with her life at home. So Anna “borrows” her stepmom’s credit card and runs away to Los Angeles, where her half-sister takes her in. But LA isn’t quite the glamorous escape Anna had imagined.

As Anna spends her days on TV and movie sets, she engrosses herself in a project researching the murderous Manson girls—and although the violence in her own life isn’t the kind that leaves physical scars, she begins to notice the parallels between herself and the lost girls of LA, and of America, past and present.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism
Ableism & ableist language
Fatphobia & body-shaming
Slut-shaming
Homomisia
Bimisia
Sexual assault

The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman

The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman

The last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.

When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family. Over the course of the summer, their relationship begins to blossom, and what starts out as a friendship becomes so much more.

But as Elise and Mati grow closer, her family becomes more and more uncomfortable with their relationship, and their concerns all center on one fact—Mati is Afghan.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism
Grief & loss
Death of a brother

Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman

Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman

After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn’t himself. As his long-time friend, Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn’t know how. When Max climbs through her window one night, Jill knows that she shouldn’t let him kiss her. But she can’t resist, and when they’re caught in the act by her dad, Jill swears it’ll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea.

With a new baby sibling on the way, her parents fighting all the time, and her dream of culinary school up in the air, Jill starts spending more and more time with Max. And even though her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend, not kissing Max is easier said than done. Will Jill follow her heart and allow their friendship to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden once and for all?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Cheating
Stroke

How the Light Gets In by Katy Upperman

How the Light Gets In by Katy Upperman

Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.

When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.

But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Grief & loss depiction (theme)
Death of a sister

Cut and Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.

Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He’s cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he’s paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it’s hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliche. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Substance addiction
Murder

Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin

Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1: Riot on the Radio by Carly Usdin

Starry-eyed Chris has just started the dream job every outcast kid in town wants: working at Vinyl Mayhem. It’s as rad as she imagined; her boss is BOSS, her co-workers spend their time arguing over music, pushing against the patriarchy, and endlessly trying to form a band. When Rosie Riot, the staff’s favorite singer, mysteriously vanishes the night before her band’s show, Chris discovers her co-workers are doing more than just sorting vinyl . . . Her local indie record store is also a front for a teen girl vigilante fight club!

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Sexism
Hostage situation

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 2 by Carly Usdin

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 2 by Carly Usdin

The Avant-Guards have been on a roll, but when they hit the end of their winning-streak, will these new friendships survive? As The Avant-Guards struggle to move forward, they’ll soon learn just what it means to truly be a team – on the court and, most importantly, off the court.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Anxiety

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 3: Down to the Wire by Carly Usdin

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 3: Down to the Wire by Carly Usdin

Everything’s happening – Liv & Charlie figuring out what it means to be Liv & Charlie, the final game of the season is here, creating the perfect fundraiser and everyone’s parents showed up to cheer them on during the most stressful time the team could imagine. It’s Just A Lot For Everyone To Deal With.

Luckily the entire existence of the league doesn’t depend on this one game or the Avant-Guards winning, right? Oh wait…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Anxiety
Panic attack (on-page)

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin

As a transfer student to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they’re going. When the school’s barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie’s adamant that she’s left that life behind…until she’s won over by the charming team captain, Liv, and the ragtag crew she’s managed to assemble. And while Charlie may have left cut-throat competition in in the dust, sinking these hoops may be exactly what she needs to see the person she truly wants to be.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Anxiety
Panic attack (on-page)