Tropes on tropes on tropes on tropes but far from lazy.
All tagged female lead
The Drastic Dragon of Draco, Texas by Elizabeth Scarborough
Not as cute as that cover.
Found by June Oldham
As a child, there was little I looked forward to more than the Scholastic Book magazine. Even in my tiny, evangelical Christian school, somehow it remained uncensored even as amazing, though-provoking books were purged from the school’s own library.
War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
War for the Oaks is one of the harder books I’ve ever written a review for. It’s good—it’s dazzlingly good—but it’s also quite simple. Unlike other books that move at a breakneck speed and unfurl a dozen twists and turns by the third chapter, War for the Oaks is lyrical, methodical, and shines with an exquisite attention to detail.