Crown of Thunder
by Tochi Onyebuchi
Young adult · ages 14–18 · grades 9–12 · 820L · 320 pages · 2018
Why we'd hand it over
Lyrical, morally complex fantasy grounded in West African cosmology; Onyebuchi's prose is demanding but the character work justifies it—Tau's doubts and growth feel earned, not telegraphed.