Fiction Winner

Everything We Never Had
by Randy Ribay
High School    Kokila/Penguin    288 pp.
8/24    9780593461419    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593461433    $10.99

Perspectives in this novel alternate among members of the Maghabol family from four different generations. In 1929, Francisco has recently emigrated from the ­Philippines to Watsonville, California, where he picks produce and eventually becomes a major labor organizer. In 1965, his son, Emil, has grown up without the presence of his constantly traveling father. Emil finds his way out of poverty by committing to academic and professional excellence. In 1983, Emil’s son, Chris, struggles with pressures from his father, who expects him to assimilate and focus on school — but a class project leads Chris to uncover deep and difficult histories of the Philippines, which is met with Emil’s disapproval. And in 2020, Chris’s son Enzo witnesses the effects of generational differences, rifts, and trauma when his grandfather moves in with the family as a precaution at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to exploring complex father-son relationships, Ribay takes the reader on a journey through Filipino American history, from the Manong Generation (young, single men who came to the U.S. in the early twentieth century) to the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020. A brief historical note and resources are appended. GABI KIM HUESCA

From the September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Honor Books

Oasis
by Guojing; illus. by the author
Intermediate, Middle School    Godwin/Holt    160 pp.
2/25    9781250818379    $21.99
Paper ed.  9781250818386    $14.99
e-book ed.  9781250415790    $9.99

As this graphic novel opens, JieJie and her younger brother, Didi, press their way through a windswept landscape toward an isolated telephone booth in the desert. It’s their way of reaching their mother, who works at a factory in the “paradise” city of Oasis to make ends meet. The next time they try, on Didi’s birthday, they don’t get through; worried, they trek across a vast wasteland, without water and with only the clothes on their backs, toward Oasis. Along the way, they stumble upon the remnants of an abandoned, obsolete AI robot, which they activate to play the role of a mother. Before long, they develop a loving relationship with this artificial life form, but how will it compare with their real mother? The story unfolds cinematically, with carefully orchestrated images capturing evocative facial expressions in dynamic exchanges between characters seeking refuge and familial reconciliation. Softly shaded charcoal-esque panels (in pencil, toner powder, and digital editing) create a bleak, atmospheric mood, with occasional bursts of vibrant light. Themes of struggling for survival, preserving family connections, embracing humanity, and cultivating love resonate throughout this endearing tale of perseverance marked by hope against all odds. JERRY DEAR

From the March/April 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Compound Fracture
by Andrew Joseph White
High School    Peachtree Teen    416 pp.
9/24    9781682636121    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781682637395    $19.99

Miles Abernathy lives in a struggling West Virginia town in 2017. Power is monopolized by the Davieses, the family of the sheriff and the Abernathys’ mortal enemies in a blood feud that began with the murder of Miles’s great-great-grandfather, who dared to challenge the corrupt ruling class. Tired of the Davieses’ ruthless pursuit of dominance and control, Miles tries to undermine the sheriff but is wholly unprepared for the chain of events one small act of defiance sets off. White (The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, rev. 11/23) crafts a high-stakes thriller that is atmospheric and suspenseful — with a touch of the supernatural — while also nuanced and incisive in its exploration of violence (at times extreme and graphically depicted) and its impact on individual and collective psyches. The story raises and addresses questions of power, agency, and complicity through an intimate first-person narrative of a teen who feels the injustice of the world on a deep and personal level and must decide how far he is willing to go to change his situation. Miles also experiences the trials and tribulations of coming out as trans in a small town, realizing that he is autistic, and questioning his romantic orientation. These elements are well integrated into the story and coincide with developments in the thriller plotline, making for a multilayered, engrossing read. SHENWEI CHANG

From the November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

The 2025 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners and honors were announced on June 23rd, 2025. For reviews of the other winning titles and more, click on the tag BGHB25.