Our Strange Duet
A genuinely creepy gothic mystery with a deaf protagonist whose disability is her superpower, not her vulnerability — Craig nails the emotional twist, though the pacing sags mid-book.
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Fearless
by Lauren Roberts
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 820L · 2025
A taut dystopian debut that uses neurological difference as the engine for identity and courage questions rather than inspiration-porn decoration—strong pacing, though the romance subplot occasionally overshadows the philosophical meat.
The Ballad of Never After
by Stephanie Garber
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 800L · 2022
Garber's prose is lush and the magic system feels lived-in; the romantic tension with two suitors is genuinely complex, and Evangeline's agency matters—but it's a series payoff book that assumes familiarity with *Broken Heart*.
Dangerous Lies
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 750L · 2015
A solid mystery-romance that doesn't shy from foster-care trauma; the twist lands and the protagonist takes real agency, but the romance can overshadow the deeper identity questions.