You! Yes you, random internet stranger! Specifically you, not the prior person to read this, but you. Do you like making decisions? No? Of course you don’t, it requires brain power and that’s hard. Especially not with books, there’s just so many of them, at least more than 9. That’s more than you can count with your fingers! But of course you actually want to read books, why else would you be on a library’s blog? So what’s the solution?

Tada! Young Adult Kete, available at a library near you* (if you happen to live in Johnsonville)!

So what is a YA Kete (as the kool kids say it)? Well, it is a collection of three books, a mix of novels, graphic novels and very occasionally non-fiction, with a theme that ties it all together. This means that you can be lured in by the pretty pictures and fancy theme and get a unique reading experience catered to you by none other than I, the great J’shuall of Jackanapery! Just pick a theme and run with it, finding new books similar to the ones you love and maybe just something that you wouldn’t have read otherwise.

Now you may be asking “deific and mighty J’shuall, wherever can I get my hands on one of these Kete of YA?” Well my good fellow, it is quite simple. At any one time we have eight different Kete available in the Young Adult section of Johnsonville Library at Waitohi Hub. They are in black bags with these fancy little pamphlet/tag thingies that tell you what the theme is, what books are inside, and how to issue them. Speaking of, once you have grabbed the appropriate goody bag of your choosing, you issue it like you would any other book, the main difference being you have to issue it all at once and return it the same way.

So! I’ve got you sold, but you’re wondering just what type of themes do these collections have. So! Let us have a gander at the current eight Kete we have available! If one piques your interest, and you’re quick on the draw, you know the deal, head to Johnsonville library and snatch it up! Elsewise just look at the cool books I’ve selected.

Truthwitch / Dennard, Susan
“On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a ‘witchery,’ a magical skill that sets them apart from others. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. Iseult is a Threadwitch, seeing the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her– but not those that touch her own heart. With the help of Prince Merik, a Windwitch– and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge– the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.” (Catalogue)

Tess of the road / Hartman, Rachel
“Tess Dombegh journeys through the kingdom of Goredd in search of the World Serpents and finds herself along the way”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Sandry’s book / Pierce, Tamora
“Four young misfits find themselves living in a strictly disciplined temple community where they become friends while also learning to do crafts and to use their powers, especially magic.” (Catalogue)

Poison Ivy : thorns / Keplinger, Kody
“Even though Pamela Isley spends most of her time caring for a few small plants and does not trust other people, when cute goth girl Alice Oh comes into her life she starts to open up, but the dark secrets from home could destroy the one person who ever cared about Pamela, or as her mom called her, Ivy.” (Catalogue)
Mera : tidebreaker / Paige, Danielle
“Princess Mera is teenage royalty and heir to the throne of Xebel, a penal colony ruled by the other no-so-lost land under the sea, Atlantis. Her father, his court and the entire kingdom are expecting her to marry and introduce a new king, but Mera is destined to wear a different crown. When the Xebellian military plots to overthrow Atlantis and break free of its oppressive regime, Mera seizes the opportunity to take control over her own destiny by assassinating Arthur Curry – the long-lost prince and heir to the kingdom of Atlantis. But her mission gets sidetracked when Mera and Arthur unexpectedly fall in love. Will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera’s side, or will he die under her blade as she attempts to free her people from persecution?”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Teen Titans : Raven / Garcia, Kami
“When a tragic accident takes the life of the only family she’s ever known, 16-year-old Raven is sent to New Orleans to start over. She soon discovers that she can hear the thoughts of others around her… and another, more disturbing, voice in her head.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)


Willful impropriety : 13 tales of society, scandal, and romance
“The Season has finally arrived, filled with the magnificent balls, scandalous gossip, and clandestine romances that every lord and lady in good society has come to expect. But far within the walls of lavish estates and in the dark corners of the city lies a world that the aristocracy dares not touch, with rules and risks that glamour cannot overpower. Yet true love has no boundaries, and heiresses and street thieves alike must use their savvy and strength to create new beginnings and happily-ever-afters. Sometimes luck is enough, but every once in a while, a touch of magic may be needed”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Rags & bones : new twists on timeless tales
“In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine their favorite classic stories, the ones that have inspired, awed, and enraged them, the ones that have become ingrained in modern culture, and the ones that have been too long overlooked”–Dust jacket flap.” (Catalogue)
A tyranny of petticoats : 15 stories of belles, bank robbers & other badass girls
“From pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago, take a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They’re making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.” (Catalogue)

The true colour of a little white lie / Bergmoser, Gabriel
“After a catastrophic attempt to ask out his crush, fourteen-year-old Nelson is desperate for any chance to escape the daily humiliations of his small-town high school. And with his parents taking over a nearby ski lodge, that chance seems to have arrived. Up at the lodge he discovers a whole new freedom in a world where nobody knows he’s a loser and he can be whatever he wants.But reinvention is complicated, especially when a few white lies land you in the middle of an unexpected love triangle which leads you to sign up for a ski race that you’re nowhere near good enough for. As Nelson’s new world spirals out of control, he’ll slowly discover that no matter where you are, sometimes the hardest thing to run away from is yourself.” (Catalogue)
Invisible boys / Sheppard, Holden
“One town, three boys: Zeke, a shy over-achiever, struggling with his family’s Catholic expectations and the weight of his Sicilian heritage. Charlie, a hard-core rocker, who’s not as tough as he looks. Hammer, a footy jock with big AFL dreams, and an even bigger ego. All three share a secret. Will revealing it make them or break them? By turns hilarious and harrowing, but ultimately hopeful, this gripping novel explores what it is grow up gay in rural Australia.”
(Catalogue)
Not my problem / Smyth, Ciara
“When Aideen agrees to help ambitious class swot Maebh Kowalska deal with her crazy workload, she doesn’t expect to end up reluctantly pushing Maebh down the stairs. With this, Aideen becomes the school ‘fixer’: any problem a student has, Aideen will sort it out, from stealing confiscated mobiles to breaking into parties. All she asks for is a favour in return. But Aideen’s own life is a mess, her mam’s drinking again, her BFF Holly is avoiding her and she’s skipping school. Spending more time with the uptight (but annoyingly cute) Maebh and chatterbox Kavi, Aideen starts to wonder: can every problem be solved?”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)

The gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue / Lee, Mackenzi
“Henry “Monty” Montague was bred to be a gentleman. His passions for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men, have earned the disapproval of his father. His quest for pleasures and vices have led to one last hedonistic hurrah as Monty, his best friend and crush Percy, and Monty’s sister Felicity begin a Grand Tour of Europe. When a reckless decision turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything Monty knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.” (Catalogue)
The prince and the dressmaker / Wang, Jen
“Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride – or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia – the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion! Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances – one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend?” (Catalogue)
The raging quiet / Jordan, Sherryl
“Suspicious of sixteen-year-old Marnie, a newcomer to their village, the residents accuse her of witchcraft when she discovers that the village madman is not crazy but deaf and she begins to communicate with him through hand gestures.” (Catalogue)

The mermaid, the witch, and the sea / Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
“A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. The brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, don’t feel. When the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. The pair set into motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.” (Catalogue)

The beholder / Bright, Anna
“As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, Selah knows her duty is to find a partner who will help secure the future of her people. After an excruciatingly public rejection, Selah’s stepmother suggests Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits… and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all. From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding below deck… and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue)

To kill a kingdom / Christo, Alexandra
“Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. Hearts are power, and with the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. When a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own, the Sea Queen transforms Lira a human as punishment. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. Hunting sirens is Prince Elian’s calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good– but can he trust her?” (Catalogue)

No ivy league / Newlevant, Hazel
“When 17-year-old Hazel Newlevant takes a summer job clearing ivy from the forest in her home town of Portland, Oregon, her only expectation is to earn a little money. Homeschooled, affluent, and sheltered, Hazel soon finds her job working side by side with at-risk teens to be an initiation into a new world that she has no skill in navigating. This uncomfortable and compelling memoir is an important story of a girl’s awakening to the racial insularity of her life, the power of white privilege, and the hidden story of segregation in Portland.”–Page [2] of cover.” (Catalogue)
Camp spirit / Lenoir, Axelle
“Summer camp is supposed to be about finding nirvana in a rock garden but Elodie prefers Nirvana and Soundgarden. Can she confront rambunctious kids, confusing feelings, and supernatural horrors all at once?”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Weeaboo / Sallah, Alissa
“It’s senior year of high school, and three friends are getting ready for the biggest event of the year, the anime convention, which happens just after graduation. Meanwhile, the reality of life after high school looms on the horizon.” (Catalogue)

Tomorrow, when the war began / Marsden, John
“Ellie and her friends leave home one morning, wave goodbye to their parents and head into the hills to camp out for a while ; seven teenagers filling in time during school holidays. The world is about to change forever. Their lives will never be the same again. Would you fight? Would you give up everything? Would you sacrifice even life itself?” (Catalogue)
Z for Zachariah / O’Brien, Robert C
“Ann Burden is sixteen years old and completely alone. The world as she once knew it is gone, ravaged by a nuclear war that has taken everyone from her. For the past year, she has lived in a remote valley with no evidence of any other survivors. But the smoke from a distant campfire shatters Ann’s solitude. Someone is still alive and making his way toward the valley. Who is this man? What does he want? Can he be trusted? Both excited and terrified, Ann soon realizes there may be worse things than being the last person on Earth.”– Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Ashfall / Mullin, Mike
“After the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister, trying to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.” (Catalogue)