January 3rd
A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith (Disney Hyperion) - originally titled Witch's Dice, title changed in April 2022.
Calliope Rosewood is a witch with a long streak of bad luck. Like all witches in Illustros, her fate is directly tied to Witch’s Dice—powerful artifacts that have blessed her kind with limitless magic but also set them on a path toward destruction. Cursed with unspeakable powers that terrify even the most dangerous witches and fae, Calla deserted her coven four years ago and has been in hiding with her two best friends since. But Calla is also hiding a grave secret: She is only three Rolls away from becoming the last Blood Warrior and starting the Final War that will decimate her people and eradicate their magic.
After a betrayal from her ex leads her one step closer to fulfilling that age-old prophecy, Calla is desperate to do whatever it takes to reset her fate . . . even if that means journeying into the deadly Neverending Forest with said ex and his enticing, yet enigmatic older brother to find the one being who can help her forge her own path. As Calla ventures farther into the enchanted woods, she finds her heart torn between her past desires and the alluring new possibilities of her future and learns that choosing your own destiny may come with deadly consequences.
Featuring a charming and chaotic ensemble cast of characters, this first book in a planned series by debut author Kaylie Smith will sweep readers away with its utterly immersive world building, swoon-worthy romance, and action-packed storytelling.
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao (Delacorte) - moved from January 17th, release date not yet changed on Goodreads.
Once, Lan had a different name. Now, she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people's magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak'gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and spends her days scavenging for remnants of the past. For anything that might help her understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother, in her last act before she died.
No one can see the mysterious mark--an untranslatable Hin character--except Lan. Until the night a boy appears at the teahouse and saves her life.
Zen is a practitioner--one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom, whose abilities were rumored to be drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Magic to be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.
When Zen comes across Lan's unusual qi, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He's never seen anything like it--but he knows: if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.
French Kissing in New York by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau (Delacorte)
Welcome to New York. . . . He’s been waiting for you.
Margot hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Zach, the dreamy American boy she met one magical night in Paris. In an instant, they fell head over heels in love and spent the perfect evening ensemble—sealed with a kiss and a promise: if the universe wants them to be together, fate will find a way.
Flash forward one year later: Margot has finished high school and is newly arrived in New York, ready to roll up her chef's-coat sleeves in Manhattan’s bustling restaurant scene, celebrate her father’s upcoming wedding . . . and reconnect with Zach.
But a lot can happen in a year, and promises made in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower look different in the neon glow of the Big Apple. Margot spends the summer desperate to find Zach and enlists the help of Ben, the sweet line cook at her restaurant. Margot is convinced she found her soul mate that night in Paris . . . but what if the universe has a different plan?
Anything’s possible in New York City. Especially l'amour, American-style.
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman (Inkyard Press)
Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde… but as an autistic changeling trying to navigate her unpredictable magic, Seelie finds it more difficult to fit in with the humans around her. When Seelie and Isolde are caught up in a heist gone wrong and make some unexpected allies, they find themselves unraveling a larger mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.
Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister, and herself?
The Wrong Kind of Weird by James Ramos (Inkyard Press)
Cameron Carson, member of the multicultural Geeks and Nerds United (G.A.N.U.) club, has been secretly hooking up with student council president, cheerleader, theatre enthusiast and all-around queen bee Karla Ortega, since the summer. The one problem—what was meant to be a summer fling between coffee shop coworkers has now evolved into a clandestine school-year entanglement, where Karla isn’t intending on blending their friend groups anytime soon, or at all.
Enter Mackenzie Briggs, who isn’t afraid to be herself or wear her heart on her sleeve. When Cameron finds himself unexpectedly bonding with Mackenzie and repeatedly snubbed in public by Karla, he starts to wonder who he can truly consider a friend and who might have the potential to become more…
The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim (Salaam Reads) - moved from May 2022, then from December 2022.
Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.
Enter Harun Emon, who’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it’s a bad match. It’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents’ plans. And for once in Zahra’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: “dating” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim.
But life—and boys—can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra realizes sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman (Scholastic) - originally published in the UK.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder... right?
Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie love their nearly inseparable life together. But soon Nick will be leaving for university, and Charlie, a year younger, will be left behind. Everyone's asking if they're staying together, which is a stupid question... or at least that's what Nick and Charlie assume at first.
As the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie start to question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Charlie is sure he's holding Nick back... and Nick can't tell what Charlie's thinking.
Things spiral from there.
Everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever. What will it take for Nick and Charlie to defy the odds?
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (Little, Brown)
A reluctant prince. A runaway queen. And a quest that may destroy them both.
They're Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso (Sourcebooks Fire) - previously titled The Gamemaster's Society and dated Spring 2022.
It's been two weeks since Polly St. James went missing. The police, the headmistress of Torrey-Wells Academy, and even her parents have ruled her a runaway. But not Maren, her best friend and roommate. She knows Polly had a secret that she was about to share with Maren before she disappeared― something to do with the elite, ultra-rich crowd at Torrey-Wells.
Then Maren finds an envelope hidden among Polly's things: an invitation to the Gamemaster's Society. Do not tell anyone, it says. Maren is certain her classmates in the Society know the truth about what happened to Polly, though it's no easy feat to join. Once Maren's made it through the treacherous initiation, she discovers a world she never knew existed within her school, where Society members compete in high-stakes games for unheard-of rewards―Ivy League connections, privileges, favors.
But Maren's been drawn into a different game: for every win, she'll receive a clue about Polly. And as Maren keeps winning, she begins to see just how powerful the Society's game is―bigger and deadlier than she ever imagined. They see, they know, they control. And they kill.
The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (Sourcebooks Fire) - previously published in the UK in 2022.
Welcome to the Arcadia.
Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States - a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.
Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.
When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever...
Breakup from Hell by Ann Dávila Cardinal (HarperCollins)
It’s not long before she is under Sam’s spell and doing things she’s never done before, like winning all her martial arts sparring matches—and lying to her favorite people. The more time Mica spends with Sam, the more weird things start to happen, too. Like terrifying-visions-of-the-world-ending weird.
Mica’s gut instincts keep telling her something is off, yet Sam is the most exciting guy she’s ever met. But when Mica discovers his family’s roots, she realizes that instead of being in the typical high school relationship, she’s living in a horror novel.
She has to leave Sam, but will ending their relationship also bring an end to everything she knows and everyone she loves?
Clever, hilarious, and steeped in supernatural suspense, Breakup From Hell will keep you hooked until the last page.
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (Random House) - moved from Fall 2022.
Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)
These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed...or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
The Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer (Amulet) - moved from Spring 2022.
Finn lives in a family of theater lovers. His older brothers are both actors, and one of his moms is an actor and the other one is a director. They even live in an enormous historic mansion owned by the Beauregard, Minnesota's largest regional theater.
Finn is desperate to be an actor, too, despite the fact that he can never seem to remember his lines. When a new artistic director threatens to sell the Jorgensen house and kick out his family from the only home he's ever known, his family puts on a show—an immersive 1890s experience unlike anything else out there.
But will it be too much for his mom Lula, who is recovering from cancer? Will Finn connect with his crush and deal with his long-time rival, Jade? Will saving the house save Finn's acting career? Funny, warm, and full of Victorian hijinks, this is a novel for anyone looking for a place to belong.
16 and Pregnant by Lala Thomas (MTV Books)
Erykah was looking forward to junior year at East Prep High. She has a cute boyfriend, gets good grades, and has the best bestie. Money is tight, though that’s nothing new in her world. But everything changes when she gets pregnant. Having a baby at sixteen was definitely not part of the plan.
Kelly’s plan was to dominate junior year—grade-wise and on the basketball court—and eventually get an athletic scholarship. It did not include helping her best friend through a pregnancy. But that’s what best friends do, right? Besides, Kelly has every intention of being a good auntie.
As the two girls navigate the pregnancy, they’ll learn some harsh realities about the world and be forced to make some huge decisions. They’ll also discover a deep reserve of strength and compassion…for each other and themselves.
16 & Pregnant: A Novel honestly and openly explores pregnancy through the eyes of two young Black teens in modern-day Nevada. Debut author LaLa Thomas combines personal insights, heartfelt dialogue, and authentic emotions in this powerful portrait of American teen life.
Dark Testament by Crystal Simone Smith (Henry Holt)
With poems found within the text of George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo, Crystal Simone Smith embarks on an uncompromising exploration of collective mourning and crafts a masterwork that resonates far beyond the page. These poems are visually stark, a gathering of gripping verses that unmasks a dialogue of tragic truths—the stories of lives taken unjustly and too soon.
Bold and deeply affecting, Dark Testament is a remarkable reckoning with our present moment, a call to action, and a plea for a more just future.
January 10th
We Are All So Good At Smiling by Amber McBride (Feiwel and Friends)
Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.
They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.
The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.
A Tale of Two Princes by Eric Geron (Inkyard Press) - moved from May and June 2022, then from November 2022.
Edward Dinnissen, Crown Prince of Canada, loves getting the royal treatment at his exclusive Manhattan private school and living in a fancy mansion on Park Avenue. But despite living a royal life of luxury, Edward is unsure how to tell his parents, his expectant country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay.
Billy Boone couldn’t be happier: he loves small-town life and his family’s Montana ranch, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. But this out-and-proud cowboy is finally admitting to himself that he feels destined for more . . .
When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City and discover that they are long-lost twins, their lives are forever changed. Will the twin princes—“twinces”— be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal disaster?
Friday I'm in Love by Camryn Garrett (Knopf) - moved from February 2nd.
Mahalia Harris wants.
She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend Naomi.
She wants the super cute new girl Siobhan to like her back.
She wants a break from worrying--about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it.
Then inspiration strikes: It's too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a Coming Out Party? A singing, dancing, rainbow-cake-eating celebration of queerness on her own terms.
The idea lights a fire in her, and soon Mahalia is scrimping and saving, taking on extra hours at her afterschool job, trying on dresses, and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all in preparation for the Coming Out of her dreams. But it's not long before she's buried in a mountain of bills, unfinished schoolwork, and enough drama to make her English Lit teacher blush. With all the responsibility on her shoulders, will Mahalia's party be over before it's even begun?
A novel about finding yourself, falling in love, and celebrating what makes you you.
City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer (Clarion Books)
Ever since her sister became a man-eating spider and slaughtered her way through town, nineteen-year-old Ness has been terrified—terrified of some other Nightmare murdering her, and terrified of ending up like her sister. Because in Newham, the city that never sleeps and the only other home Ness has known, dreaming means waking up as your worst fear.
Whether that means becoming a Nightmare that is only monstrous in appearance but is otherwise able to live a semi-normal existence, to transforming into a twisted, unrecognizable creature that terrorizes the citizens of Newham, no one is safe. Ness will do anything to avoid becoming another victim, even if that means lying low among the Friends of the Restful Soul, a seedy organization that may or may not be a cult.
But being a member of the Friends of the Restful Soul has a price. In order to prove herself, Ness cons her way into what’s supposed to be a simple job for the organization—only for it to blow up in her face. Literally. Tangled up in the aftermath of an explosive assassination, Ness and the only other survivor—a Nightmare boy who Ness suspects is planning to eat her—must find their way back to Newham and uncover the sinister truth behind the attack.
The Everlasting Road by Wab Kinew (Tundra Books)
Devastated by the loss of her beloved older brother to cancer, Bugz returns to the place where she can always find solace and strength: the Floraverse. Over the past year, she has gained back all that she had lost in that virtual world, and while the remaining ClanLess members still plot against her, she is easily able to overcome their attacks. Even better, she's been secretly working on a bot that will be both an incredible weapon and a source of comfort: Waawaate.
With the Waawaate bot looking exactly like the brother she misses so much -- even acting so much like him -- Bugz feels ready to show him off to Feng, who has become a constant companion in the Verse, and she cannot wait to team up with both friend and bot to secure her dominance once and for all. But Feng has his own issues to deal with, especially when news that his parents are alive and want to contact him threatens to send his new life on the Rez into upheaval.
As they work through their complicated feelings of grief and loss, Feng and Bugz find themselves becoming ever closer. But disturbances in the Floraverse cannot be ignored, especially when Bugz realizes that her Waawaate bot is growing in powers beyond her control...
Waking Fire by Jean Louise (Inkyard Press)
Naira Khoum has only known life in Lagusa, a quiet village at the desert’s end. But to the rest of the world, Lagusa is a myth, its location shrouded in secrecy. While war rages to the north led by power-hungry Sothpike and his army of undead monsters called Dambi, Naira’s people live in peace.
Until the impossible happens—Lagusa is attacked by a Mistress sent to do Sothpike’s bidding with a hoard of Dambi under her control. The Mistress is looking for something, and she’s willing to let her Dambi destroy Lagusa to get it.
Desperate to protect her home, Naira convinces her twin brother Nez and handsome refugee Kal to join the newly formed resistance with her. Together, they’ll have to figure out what the Mistress wants—before there’s nothing left of Lagusa to save.
Rebel, Brave and Beautiful by Shannon Dittemore (Amulet)
Sylvi Quine, the best rig driver on Layce, has braved the dangers of the Shiv Road to save her friend and learned the truth of her power over Winter. Now, she’s joined the rebels working to take down the Majority. Her magic could change the course of their fight, and she agrees to meet the king of Paradyia to offer an exchange: the healing powers of the Pool of Begynd for his army.
The journey won't be easy. To get there, Sylvi will have to navigate the Kol Sea, crossing through Winter’s storms and swarms of her Abaki—all while outrunning the Majority, who have sent their best Kol Master to track her down and bring her in, dead or alive.
But she isn’t traveling alone. Mars Dresden knows Sylvi is the key to freeing Layce, and demands she train like it. Kyn, the boy with stone flesh and a soft heart, is bound to Sylvi in more ways than one, a connection that both hurts and heals. And Lenore, Sylvi’s best friend, insists the Majority pay for what they’ve done to her parents. Even though her crew believes in her, Sylvi's still learning to use her power, and Winter’s whispers are constant.
Will she be able to control Winter when it matters most? Or will this be the end of the rebellion?
Riven by Mindee Arnett (Baler + Bray)
Mars Darksvane wants out. Out from under the thumb of Una, the crime boss who pulled him off the streets as a child and trained him as an assassin; out from the island country of Riven, where magic, in the form of a dangerous material called Ice, allows the rich to live in luxury and keeps the poor in thrall. Mars is a secret adept—a person born with the ability to channel the magic that flows beneath Riven—and while his power gives him abilities useful to an assassin, it also makes him a target. And when his last mission ends in tragedy, Mars finally decides it’s time to escape to the mainland. No magic, no history, a new life on his own.
But Una has other ideas. If Mars wants his freedom, he’s going to have to perform a final job: protecting Fura Torvald—the heiress of the rich and powerful Torvald kith, and the daughter of the last man Mars was sent to kill—and stealing from her a mysterious object known only as the Primer.
Mars has no interest in Fura or whatever the Primer is, nor in Riven’s corrupt and oppressive politics; he just wants to do his job and get out. But as Mars comes to know more about Fura, the Primer, and the true nature of the power in Riven, he realizes that he will soon have to take a side in a fight he has avoided his entire life. Which side, however, he does not yet know.
Mindee Arnett, the acclaimed author of Onyx & Ivory, returns with a sweeping, pulse-pounding new fantasy adventure set in an unforgettable world in which the power you have can set you free, or bind you in chains forever.
Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes (Bloomsbury)
Shy foster kid Jonas and self-assured vlogger Shani met online, and so far, that's where their relationship has stayed, sharing memes and baring their souls from behind their screens. Shani is eager to finally meet up, but Jonas isn't so sure--he's not confident Shani will like the real him . . . if he's even sure who that is.
Jonas knows he's trapped himself in a lie with Shani--and wants to dig himself out. But Shani, who's been burned before, may not give him a chance: she talks her best friend Ash into playing spy and finding out the truth. When Ash falls for Jonas, too, he keeps that news from Shani, and soon they're all keeping secrets. Will it matter that their hearts are in the right place? Coming clean will require them to figure out who they really are, which is no easy task when all the pieces of your identity go beyond easy boxes and labels.
Lauded writer David Valdes offers a heartfelt, clever, and thought-provoking story about how we figure out who we want to be--online and IRL--for fans of David Levithan and Adam Silvera.
Cool. Awkward. Black. by Various YA Authors (Philomel) - release date not yet announced on Goodreads.
A
girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his
Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her
school’s production of The Wiz; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn’t quite understand.
These plotlines and more comprise the eclectic stories found within the pages of Cool. Awkward. Black.–a
dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection of stories featuring
exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy
to sci-fi, magical to realistic, this anthology celebrates and redefines
the many facets of Blackness and geekiness–both in the real world, and
those imagined.
The collection will feature contributions from
this powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks: Amerie, Kalynn Bayron,
Terry Benton, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, S. G. Demciri, Tracy
Deonn, Desiree S. Evans, Isaac Fitzsimons, Lamar R. Giles, Jordan
Ifueko, Leah Johnson, Amanda Joy, Kwame Mbalia, Tochi Onyebuchi, K.
Arsenault Rivera, Ciannon Smart, Karen Strong (editor), Julian Winters,
Ibi Zoboi, and New Voices contest winner, Shari B. Pennant.
The Girl I Am, Was and Never Will Be by Shannon Gibney (Dutton) - YA memoir, moved from 2021, previously titled Botched.
Part memoir, part speculative fiction, The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be explores the often surreal experience of growing up as a mixed-Black transracial adoptee.
Dream Country author Shannon Gibney returns with The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be, a book woven from her true story of growing up as a mixed-Black transracial adoptee and fictional story of Erin Powers, the name Shannon was given at birth, a child raised by a white, closeted lesbian.
At its core, the novel is a tale of two girls on two different timelines occasionally bridged by a mysterious portal and their shared search for a complete picture of their origins. Gibney surrounds that story with reproductions of her own adoption documents, letters, family photographs, interviews, medical records, and brief essays on the surreal absurdities of the adoptee experience.
The end result is a remarkable portrait of an American experience rarely depicted in any form.
January 17th
As You Walk On By by Julian Winters (Viking)
The Breakfast Club meets Can't Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters!
Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out. His plan (well, more like his dad's plan) is a foolproof strategy that involves exceling in school, getting scouted by college recruiters, and going to Duke on athletic scholarship for track. But for now, all Theo wants is a perfect prom night. So when his best friend Jay dares Theo to prompose to his crush, Christian, at Chloe Campbell's party, Theo's ready to throw caution to the wind and take his chances.
But when the promposal goes epically wrong, Theo starts to doubt his friendship with Jay, and seeks refuge in an empty bedroom while the party rages on downstairs. Having an existential crisis about who he really is with and without his so-called best friend wasn't on tonight's agenda. But as the night goes on, Theo finds out he's not as alone as he thinks when, one by one, new classmates join him for unexpectedly deep conversations, competitive dance-offs, and to avoid who they're supposed be outside the bedroom door.
This Is Not a Personal Statement by Tracy Badua (Quill Tree Books)
From rising star Tracy
Badua comes a poignant, propulsive standalone YA novel about a teen who,
after getting rejected from her dream college, forges her own
acceptance and commits to living a lie—perfect for fans of Mary H.K.
Choi and Gloria Chao.
An incisive, relatable tale of acceptance, self-discovery, and the infinite possibilities that await when we embrace our imperfections.
As the youngest graduating senior at her hypercompetitive high school, Perla Perez is certain all the late nights, social isolation, and crushing stress will be worth it when she gets into the college of her (and her parents’) dreams: Delmont University.
Then Perla doesn’t get in, and her meticulously planned future shatters. In a panic, she forges her own acceptance letter, and next thing she knows, she’s heading to Delmont for real, acceptance or not. Perla’s plan? Gather on-the-ground intel to beef up her application and reapply spring semester before she’s caught.
But as her guilty conscience grows and campus security looms large, Perla starts to wonder if her plan will really succeed, and if this dream she’s worked for her entire life is something she even wants.
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O'Clover (HarperTeen)
A clever, charming, and
poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her
dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with
her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.
Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.
Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a person’s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soul mates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.
Ro’s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and she’ll do anything to prove to her new backing company—and the world—that the app works. So it’s a huge shock when the app says her soul mate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago. Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams.
Fans of Emma Lord and Alex Light will love this stand-alone contemporary novel with a masterful slow-burn romance at its core.
Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston (Zando) - previously dated November 2022, moved from Henry Holt.
A stunning Celtic YA
fantasy adventure set in the ancient kingdom of Eire, inspired by the
legend of the first true queen of Ireland, perfect for fans of Shelby
Mahurin and Adrienne Young.
In the kingdom of Eire, banshees chill the air, and water-wights lurk in the rivers. But magic is outlawed by the king, and jealously hoarded by his Druid priests.
Neve is the youngest daughter of the king, and Ronan is a Druid's apprentice-turned-thief, making a living by selling stolen spells. They should be enemies, but their shared hatred of the Druids-and a dark magic that has marked them both-makes them unlikely, if uneasy, allies.
When Eire is threatened by a power struggle, Neve must seize the chance to take her rightful place on her family's throne, with the help of Ronan and the realm's most dangerous outcasts. Their journey takes them to the outskirts of Eire where magic still runs free . . . and where an outlaw and a warrior princess might carve out a future with spells and swords.
Lesley Livingston vividly reimagines Irish legends and fairytales to craft a YA fantasy adventure that will captivate readers of Brigid Kemmerer and Tricia Levenseller.
Manifesto by Brittany Cavallaro (Katherine Tegan Books) - moved from 2021.
New York Times
bestselling author Brittany Cavallaro delivers the thrilling conclusion
to her YA duology set in an alternate history American monarchy in which
a girl fighting for her own freedom sets out to change the government
from within . . . or burn it all down.
For the first time in her life, Claire Emerson isn’t under a man’s control. She’s escaped from her dangerous father and no longer forced to act as his muse, granting inspiration for his deadly inventions. And her fiancé, Governor Remy Duchamp, is too weak from an attempted assassination to rule. All eyes fall on Claire—and the power she could wield.
But that power is precarious as she and Remy are leading St. Cloud in exile after the General’s attempted coup. And when King Washington descends on the small province, he brings with him his baseball team, Claire’s brother, and a proximity to power Claire has never dreamed of. With few allies to support her, she determines her best chance at survival is earning the King’s good graces. Claire’s schemes quickly get out of hand—reminding her that it isn’t about who holds the power. It’s about a system that grants such power to a select few, and the men who built it that way. Claire isn’t anyone’s muse, and if she can’t fix the system from within, she’s determined to be the spark of revolution in the First American Kingdom.
Be With Me by Jessica Cunsolo (Wattpad Books)
Jessica Cunsolo’s With Me series continues with Jason and Jackson Parker who are all grown up now and ready to follow in their brother Aiden's footsteps.
Sisters Siena and Gia Amato have just moved to King City. On their first night in town, Siena is almost run over by the devastatingly handsome Jason Parker who’s trying to evade arrest after getting caught drag-racing by the police. While the circumstances of their meeting are less than ideal, Siena can’t deny the instant attraction she feels for him—even if it goes against every one of her “good girl” instincts. When a classmate goes missing and Siena’s life is endangered, she and Jason are thrust together. Suddenly, the stakes are even higher, and more than their hearts are on the line.
Jessica Cunsolo’s trademark blend of romance and mystery will appeal to fans of Aiden and Amelia’s story as well as new readers.
Another Dimesion of Us by Mike Albo (Penguin Workshop) - YA graphic novel.
The Breakfast Club meets Brit Marling's The OA in
this thrilling science fiction story about teens from the past and the
future who travel across the astral plane save the ones they love.
In 1986, Tommy Gaye is in love with his best friend, budding teen poet Renaldo Calabasas. But at the height of the AIDS crisis and amidst the homophobia running rampant across America, Tommy can never share his feelings. Then, one terrible night, Renaldo is struck by lightning. And he emerges from the storm a very different boy.
In 2044, Heron High student Pris Devrees jolts awake after having a strange nightmare about a boy named Tommy and a house in the neighborhood the locals affectionally call The Murder House. When she ventures to the house to better understand her vivid dreams, she happens upon an old self-help book that she soon realizes is a guide to trans-dimensional travel.
As bodies and minds merge across the astral plane, Pris, Tommy, and their friends race to save Renaldo from a dangerous demon, while uncovering potent realities about love, sexuality, and friendship.
Dream Country author Shannon Gibney returns with The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be, a book woven from her true story of growing up as a mixed-Black transracial adoptee and fictional story of Erin Powers, the name Shannon was given at birth, a child raised by a white, closeted lesbian.
At its core, the novel is a tale of two girls on two different timelines occasionally bridged by a mysterious portal and their shared search for a complete picture of their origins. Gibney surrounds that story with reproductions of her own adoption documents, letters, family photographs, interviews, medical records, and brief essays on the surreal absurdities of the adoptee experience.
The end result is a remarkable portrait of an American experience rarely depicted in any form.
January 17th
As You Walk On By by Julian Winters (Viking)
Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out. His plan (well, more like his dad's plan) is a foolproof strategy that involves exceling in school, getting scouted by college recruiters, and going to Duke on athletic scholarship for track. But for now, all Theo wants is a perfect prom night. So when his best friend Jay dares Theo to prompose to his crush, Christian, at Chloe Campbell's party, Theo's ready to throw caution to the wind and take his chances.
But when the promposal goes epically wrong, Theo starts to doubt his friendship with Jay, and seeks refuge in an empty bedroom while the party rages on downstairs. Having an existential crisis about who he really is with and without his so-called best friend wasn't on tonight's agenda. But as the night goes on, Theo finds out he's not as alone as he thinks when, one by one, new classmates join him for unexpectedly deep conversations, competitive dance-offs, and to avoid who they're supposed be outside the bedroom door.
This Is Not a Personal Statement by Tracy Badua (Quill Tree Books)
An incisive, relatable tale of acceptance, self-discovery, and the infinite possibilities that await when we embrace our imperfections.
As the youngest graduating senior at her hypercompetitive high school, Perla Perez is certain all the late nights, social isolation, and crushing stress will be worth it when she gets into the college of her (and her parents’) dreams: Delmont University.
Then Perla doesn’t get in, and her meticulously planned future shatters. In a panic, she forges her own acceptance letter, and next thing she knows, she’s heading to Delmont for real, acceptance or not. Perla’s plan? Gather on-the-ground intel to beef up her application and reapply spring semester before she’s caught.
But as her guilty conscience grows and campus security looms large, Perla starts to wonder if her plan will really succeed, and if this dream she’s worked for her entire life is something she even wants.
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O'Clover (HarperTeen)
Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.
Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a person’s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soul mates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.
Ro’s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and she’ll do anything to prove to her new backing company—and the world—that the app works. So it’s a huge shock when the app says her soul mate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago. Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams.
Fans of Emma Lord and Alex Light will love this stand-alone contemporary novel with a masterful slow-burn romance at its core.
Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston (Zando) - previously dated November 2022, moved from Henry Holt.
In the kingdom of Eire, banshees chill the air, and water-wights lurk in the rivers. But magic is outlawed by the king, and jealously hoarded by his Druid priests.
Neve is the youngest daughter of the king, and Ronan is a Druid's apprentice-turned-thief, making a living by selling stolen spells. They should be enemies, but their shared hatred of the Druids-and a dark magic that has marked them both-makes them unlikely, if uneasy, allies.
When Eire is threatened by a power struggle, Neve must seize the chance to take her rightful place on her family's throne, with the help of Ronan and the realm's most dangerous outcasts. Their journey takes them to the outskirts of Eire where magic still runs free . . . and where an outlaw and a warrior princess might carve out a future with spells and swords.
Lesley Livingston vividly reimagines Irish legends and fairytales to craft a YA fantasy adventure that will captivate readers of Brigid Kemmerer and Tricia Levenseller.
Manifesto by Brittany Cavallaro (Katherine Tegan Books) - moved from 2021.
For the first time in her life, Claire Emerson isn’t under a man’s control. She’s escaped from her dangerous father and no longer forced to act as his muse, granting inspiration for his deadly inventions. And her fiancé, Governor Remy Duchamp, is too weak from an attempted assassination to rule. All eyes fall on Claire—and the power she could wield.
But that power is precarious as she and Remy are leading St. Cloud in exile after the General’s attempted coup. And when King Washington descends on the small province, he brings with him his baseball team, Claire’s brother, and a proximity to power Claire has never dreamed of. With few allies to support her, she determines her best chance at survival is earning the King’s good graces. Claire’s schemes quickly get out of hand—reminding her that it isn’t about who holds the power. It’s about a system that grants such power to a select few, and the men who built it that way. Claire isn’t anyone’s muse, and if she can’t fix the system from within, she’s determined to be the spark of revolution in the First American Kingdom.
Be With Me by Jessica Cunsolo (Wattpad Books)
Sisters Siena and Gia Amato have just moved to King City. On their first night in town, Siena is almost run over by the devastatingly handsome Jason Parker who’s trying to evade arrest after getting caught drag-racing by the police. While the circumstances of their meeting are less than ideal, Siena can’t deny the instant attraction she feels for him—even if it goes against every one of her “good girl” instincts. When a classmate goes missing and Siena’s life is endangered, she and Jason are thrust together. Suddenly, the stakes are even higher, and more than their hearts are on the line.
Jessica Cunsolo’s trademark blend of romance and mystery will appeal to fans of Aiden and Amelia’s story as well as new readers.
Another Dimesion of Us by Mike Albo (Penguin Workshop) - YA graphic novel.
In 1986, Tommy Gaye is in love with his best friend, budding teen poet Renaldo Calabasas. But at the height of the AIDS crisis and amidst the homophobia running rampant across America, Tommy can never share his feelings. Then, one terrible night, Renaldo is struck by lightning. And he emerges from the storm a very different boy.
In 2044, Heron High student Pris Devrees jolts awake after having a strange nightmare about a boy named Tommy and a house in the neighborhood the locals affectionally call The Murder House. When she ventures to the house to better understand her vivid dreams, she happens upon an old self-help book that she soon realizes is a guide to trans-dimensional travel.
As bodies and minds merge across the astral plane, Pris, Tommy, and their friends race to save Renaldo from a dangerous demon, while uncovering potent realities about love, sexuality, and friendship.
Saints of the Household by Ari Tison (FSG)
Max and Jay have always depended on one another for their survival. Growing up with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned that the only way to protect themselves and their mother is to stick to a schedule and keep their heads down.
But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, instinct takes over and they intervene, breaking up a fight and beating their high school's star soccer player to a pulp. This act of violence threatens the brothers' dreams for the future and their beliefs about who they are. As the true details of that fateful afternoon unfold over the course of the novel, Max and Jay grapple with the weight of their actions, their shifting relationship as brothers, and the realization that they may be more like their father than they thought. They'll have to reach back to their Bribri roots to find their way forward.
Told in alternating points of view using vignettes and poems, debut author Ari Tison crafts an emotional, slow-burning drama about brotherhood, abuse, recovery, and doing the right thing.
One Last Shot by Kip Wilson (Versify)
The daughter of Polish Jewish immigrants, Gerta Pohorylle doesn't quite fit in with her German classmates. While she's away at boarding school, however, she becomes a master at reinventing herself as a vibrant, confident young woman. When she returns from school, she joins a group of young activists and is arrested for distributing anti-Nazi propaganda. Her family decides she must leave Germany.
In Paris, Gerta meets Andre Friedman, a Hungarian photographer eager for fame and fortune, who fosters Gerda's interest in photography. Together the pair reinvents their brand of photojournalism under the names Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, in part to gloss over their Jewish ancestry, and soon they're traveling to areas of military conflict and selling their photos for high prices. Gerda continues to travel solo through Europe, often the only woman in journalism circles. Her assignments eventually lead her to Spain to cover the growing conflict that is becoming the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), part of events leading to World War II.
True to her political beliefs, Gerda pushes closer and closer to the front line, eager to capture the lives and vibrant hopes of Spanish republican forces fighting against fascism, only to lose sight of her own safety.
Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long (Wednesday Books)
In Meg Long's Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame,
a girl hellbent on finding the friend she lost races against time on a
planet approaching corporate destruction. Only one way to find answers
amidst the chaos: team up with a traitor to help stage a revolution...
The Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
In this delightful sequel novella to the New York Times bestselling Sorcery of Thorns,
Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping
them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!
Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city's most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate's wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor's occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another...
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas - along with their new maid Mercy - will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they're due to host the city's Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel's ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.
January 18th
Food-Related Stories by Gaby Melian (Penguin Workshop) - YA graphic non-fiction, release date likely not final.
Pocket Change
Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to
connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us.
In this moving, personal account, chef and activist Gaby Melian shares her journey with food and how creating a relationship with food -- however simple or complicated -- is a form of activism in its own right.
Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists.
Food rescued me so many other times -- not only because I sold food to survive. I cook to entertain; I cook to be liked; I cook to be loved. In this installment, chef and activist Gaby Melian shares her personal journey with food -- from growing up in Argentina to her time as a Jersey City street vendor and later, as Bon Appetit's test kitchen manager. Powerful and full of heart, here, Melian explores how we can develop a relationship with food that's healthy, sustainable, and thoughtful.
January 24th
Begin Again by Emma Lord (Wednesday Books)
As usual, Andie Rose has a
plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue
Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of
becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have
recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless
organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to
pull it all together.
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.
But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver (Disney Hyperion)
Sometimes the prettiest Instagram feeds mask the darkest, and bloodiest, secrets.
Social media influencer Summer Cartwright leads a very charmed life: millions of followers, the hottest designer and vintage clothes at her fingertips, a newly minted book deal, the coolest friends, and, until recently, the hottest boyfriend at her über-elite prep school. Every moment of her life has been carefully planned and cultivated to complement her “imperfectly perfect” social media persona. She is truly #LivingHerBestLife.
But when Summer goes missing during her annual Halloween party and then an unscheduled post appears on her feed stating that she’ll be dead within the next five minutes, those closest to Summer know something isn’t quite right—or on-brand. Grace, Summer’s camera-shy best friend; Adam, Summer’s gamer ex-boyfriend; Laney, Summer’s moody camp roommate; and Cora, an influencer wannabe, all decide to investigate. And when they come upon Summer’s lifeless body, they soon realize that no filter is strong enough to mask the lies we tell ourselves.
Told in multiple POVs interspersed with social media posts and flashbacks, Live Your Best Lie has twists and turns that will keep readers turning the page and no one will be able to guess the ending.
6 Times We Almost Kissed (+ 1 Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe (Little, Brown) - moved from February 2023.
An utterly compelling will-they-won't-they slow-burn queer romance from the author of THE GIRLS I'VE BEEN.
Penny and Tate clash. Their mothers have an epic friendship that's spanned decades, deaths and divorces. So, since they were toddlers, the girls have always been... a reluctant, quarrelling twosome.
But when a medical event forces their moms to move in together, Penny and Tate call a truce. There's just one little hitch: Penny and Tate keep almost kissing.
It just... happens. They've never talked about it. They've always ignored each other after.
But now, the girls find themselves living across the landing from each other. And when an almost kiss finally goes from almost to I am now wearing your lip gloss, they have to face the music... right?
The Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim (Delacorte) - moved from July 2021, then from 2022.
In the hidden desert
city of Qalia, sixteen-year-old Imani dreams of joining the Council of
Al-Zahim— the leaders who harness and protect her tribal nation’s secret
tea magic. In neighboring Taeel-Sa, an orphan named Kazi has become an
assassin to realize humbler dreams: regular food and a place to sleep.
So when he’s offered unimaginable wealth to help a foreigner usurp
Taeel-Sa’s throne, he jumps at it. What he doesn’t realize is he’s about
to change the continent of Alqibah forever—and turn Imani’s dreams into
a nightmare.
Upon seizing the throne, the new King invades Qalia, ruthlessly pursuing the source of the magic: a limitless power sealed in a magical vault beneath the city. The Council entrusts Imani with smuggling the vault’s key far away from the besieged city, thwarting Kazi’s attempts to secure it on behalf of the King. Furious, the King gives Kazi one chance to redeem himself: he must kill Imani and return the key.
But there are others who plot to steal it. If Imani and Kazi are to triumph, they’ll both need help— and maybe magic of their own. Little do they know, the ancient magic that divides them is what ultimately links them.
Sun Keep Rising by Kristen R. Lee (Crown) - details not yet updated on Goodreads.
When rent increases put a teen mom
at risk of losing her home, she resorts to a dangerous game to keep her
family afloat. But all games have consequences, and this isn’t one she
can afford to lose. A gripping story about race, income instability, and
the strength it takes to survive from a critically acclaimed author.
A dark, alluring YA
fantasy debut from Rochelle Hassan about monsters, magic, and wicked fae
hiding deep in the woods, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Melissa
Albert.
Seventeen-year-old Aziza El-Amin is a hedgewitch. Raised by her immigrant grandfather, she is burdened with the responsibility of protecting the humans in Blackthorn, Massachusetts from the vicious Fae that live in the neighboring wood.
But when a routine patrol ends in a late-night massacre, Aziza discovers that she’s been guarding against the wrong threat. A monster has slipped into Blackthorn—feeding on the townspeople and corrupting the border between the fae and human realm.
Too powerful for Aziza to defeat on her own, she’s forced to seek help from the unlikeliest of allies: Leo Merritt, a boy cursed to forget his true love, desperate to recapture what he lost, and a mysterious young necromancer Aziza isn’t sure they can trust.
Together, they hope to form a coven strong enough—reckless enough—to eradicate the threat in the woods.
With high-stakes, heart, and an other-worldly atmosphere, Rochelle Hassan's The Buried and the Bound is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood, Cemetery Boys, and The Cruel Prince.
Retro by Jarrod Shusterman and Sofía Lapuente (Simon & Schuster) - moved from 2022.
What starts off as a
light-hearted competition to live without modern technology for a year
turns into a fight for survival in this unputdownable young adult
thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jarrod Shusterman and debut author Sofía Lapuente.
To save her struggling family, Luna enters a competition offering reward money to anyone who can successfully live without modern technology for a year. But when this social experiment turns sinister and her classmates start disappearing, her family’s livelihood might not be the only thing she’s in danger of losing.
Viva Lola Espinoza by Ella Cerón (Kokila)
A debut young adult novel that’s
BOOKSMART with a dash of magic, about a Mexican American teen who spends
the summer in Mexico City, meets two very cute boys, attempts to learn
Spanish, and uncovers a family secret that changes her life forever.
From the Coretta Scott King and Printz Honor-winning author of How It Went Down, Light It Up, and Revolution In Our Time comes a moving contemporary YA novel about the bonds between a group of teens whose lives have been upended by tragedy.
Fifteen-year-old Kermit Sanders knows grief and its all-encompassing shadows. After losing his beloved older sister in a tragic car accident, nothing quite punctures through the feelings of loss. Everywhere Kermit goes, he is reminded of her.
But then Kermit finds a mysterious invitation in his locker, signed anonymously with "-1." He has no idea what he's in for, but he shows up to find out. Dubbed the "Minus-One Club," a group of his schoolmates has banded together as a form of moral support. The members have just one thing in common—they have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved.
The usual dividing lines between high school classes and cliques don’t apply inside the Minus-One Club, and Kermit’s secret crush, the handsome and happy-go-lucky Matt (and only out gay student at school), is also a part of the group. Slowly, Matt's positive headstrong approach to life helps relieve Kermit of his constant despair.
But as Kermit grows closer to Matt, the light of his new life begins to show the cracks beneath the surface. When Matt puts himself in danger by avoiding his feelings, Kermit must find the strength to not only lift himself back up but to help the rest of the group from falling apart.
Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - moved from March 2022, then from November 2022.
James
and Cordelia
must save London—and their marriage—in this thrilling and highly
anticipated conclusion to the Last Hours series from the #1 New York
Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Thorns
is a Shadowhunters novel.
Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.
After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.
Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.
For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.
Reggie & Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant (Balzer + Bray)
Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers.
She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’
punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch
table.
Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.
These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.
Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.
As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (Henry Holt)
A trailblazing,
blockbuster YA mystery about three teen boys of color who must
investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names—for fans
of Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, and Karen McManus.
The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious "program's" strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.
But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case's prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them?
This exquisitely taut thriller shines a glaring light on how the system too often condemns Black and Latinx teen boys to failure before they’ve even had a chance at success.
Then Everything Happens at Once by M-E Girard (HarperCollins) - moved from 2022.
From Lambda award–winning and acclaimed author of Girl Mans Up,
M-E Girard, comes a stand-alone sex-positive coming-of-age story about a
teen named Baylee who’s torn between her heart and her hormones as she
navigates her feelings for her best friend, Freddie, and new friend,
Alex. Perfect for fans of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega.
Sixteen-year-old Baylee has never been kissed, but she wants to do way more than that. She’s had a huge crush on her gorgeous best friend and neighbor, Freddie, for years, but since she doesn’t look like the type he normally dates, the judgmental voice in her head tells her he’ll never see her as more than a friend.
Then Baylee meets Alex online and she starts to fall for this sweet, funny barista who likes her just as she is. But when Freddie makes a move on Baylee and a virus shuts the world down, Baylee will find herself torn as everything starts happening at once and she navigates the messy waters of love and desire. It helps that she’s observed her friends’ relationship drama, so she knows exactly what mistakes not to make . . . right?
M-E Girard delivers a rich, honest, boundary pushing story about a girl exploring her desires.
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis (Dial)
A frothy and wise Bridgerton-esque YA romance with an all-Black cast--the first book in a debut duology, set in turn-of-the-last-century Chicago.
The
year is 1910. The Davenports are one of the few Black families of
immense wealth and status in the United States, their fortune made
through the hard work and entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a
formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years
ago.
Now, the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties. This is the story of the Davenport daughters, their maid, and their best friend--Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose, and Ruby--as the four find their way, and unexpectedly find love, in a rapidly changing country. Inspired by the real-life story of the C.R. Patterson dynasty, The Davenports offers a glimpse into a period of African-American history often overlooked, while delivering a totally escapist, swoon-worthy read.
Dream to Me by Megan Paasch (Feiwel and Friends)
From debut author
Megan Paasch comes a YA contemporary fantasy about generational magic,
grief, and what it takes to forgive ourselves.
Eva Sylvan didn’t ask for any of this. Not the cross-country move with her sister to a town in the middle of nowhere, not the inherited family estate from a late great-aunt that’s falling apart at the hinges, and definitely not the sudden death of her beloved father. So when the locals react with hostility to the very mention of their last name, Eva’s pretty sure things can’t get any worse.
Until she has a dream about a gas station employee and the next day, he’s in a coma.
Until it happens again.
Something sinister is lurking in the corners of Eva's dreams - something that’s having devastating effects on the waking world. People are dropping left and right, and Eva is squarely in the town's crosshairs. In order to defeat the shadows in her unconsciousness, Eva must not only unearth the magic tied to her family history, but confront the guilt that has been following her since her father’s death. Only she can save the town from her dreams - if the threat is truly even her dreams at all.
The Black Queen by Jumata Emill (Delacorte) - moved from February 2023.
Nova Albright was
going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High--but now
she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.
Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.
Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it's her legacy--her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.
No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova's best friend. Duchess's father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova's crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won't fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova--and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess's father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.
Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley's guilt. And to do that, she'll have to get close to her.
But Tinsley has an agenda, too.
Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.
One Girl In All the World by Kendare Blake (Disney Hyperion)
New
York Times
best-selling author Kendare Blake takes us back to the demon capital of
the world in this highly anticipated sequel to In Every Generation, set
in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Frankie Rosenberg is coming to terms with the fact that she’s the newest slayer, but that doesn’t mean she has it all figured out just yet. She and her friends are still reeling from the deadly attack on the annual slayer retreat—and the new revelation that some slayers may still be alive. She’s got her own Scooby Gang, but sometimes feels more on the outside than ever. She throws herself into training with her mom, the great witch Willow, and her new Watcher, Spike, but they’ve got demons of their own to contend with (both of the real and metaphorical variety). Buffy made it look easy, but being a slayer is hard—and lonely.
But Frankie doesn’t have time to wander through Sunnydale Cemetery singing about her new responsibilities. With news of Buffy’s possible demise, Demons are making their way back to Sunnydale in droves, called by a Hellmouth that is starting to reawaken. And then an oracle brings news of a new Evil brewing…something called The Darkness. Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie?
With a satisfying blend of fresh and familiar, humor and (stakes through the) heart, One Girl In All The World is a breathtaking continuation of the series that Booklist calls “a worthy successor to the Slayer stories” (Starred Review on In Every Generation).
The Cartographers by Amy Zhang (Greenwillow Books) - moved from October 2022.
Struggling to
balance the expectations of her immigrant mother with her deep
ambivalence about her own place in the world, seventeen-year-old Ocean
Wu takes her savings and goes off the grid. A haunting and romantic
novel about family, friendship, philosophy, and love from Amy Zhang, the
acclaimed author of Falling into Place and This Is Where the World Ends.
Ocean Wu has always felt enormous pressure to succeed. After struggling with depression during her senior year in high school, Ocean moves to New York City, where she has been accepted at a prestigious university. But Ocean feels so emotionally raw and unmoored (and uncertain about what is real and what is not), that she decides to defer and live off her savings until she can get herself together. She also decides not to tell her mother (whom she loves very much but doesn't want to disappoint) that she is deferring--at least until she absolutely must.
In New York, Ocean moves into an apartment with Georgie and Tashya, two strangers who soon become friends, and gets a job tutoring. She also meets a boy--Constantine Brave (a name that makes her laugh)--late one night on the subway. Constant is a fellow student and a graffiti artist, and Constant and Ocean soon start corresponding via Google Docs--they discuss physics, philosophy, art, literature, and love. But everything falls apart when Ocean goes home for Thanksgiving, Constant reveals his true character, Georgie and Tashya break up, and the police get involved.
Ocean, Constant, Georgie, and Tashya are all cartographers--mapping out their futures, their dreams, and their paths toward adulthood in this stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding the strength to control your own destiny. For fans of Nina LaCour's We Are Okay and Daniel Nayeri's Everything Sad Is Untrue.
The Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city's most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate's wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor's occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another...
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas - along with their new maid Mercy - will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they're due to host the city's Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel's ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.
January 18th
Food-Related Stories by Gaby Melian (Penguin Workshop) - YA graphic non-fiction, release date likely not final.
In this moving, personal account, chef and activist Gaby Melian shares her journey with food and how creating a relationship with food -- however simple or complicated -- is a form of activism in its own right.
Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists.
Food rescued me so many other times -- not only because I sold food to survive. I cook to entertain; I cook to be liked; I cook to be loved. In this installment, chef and activist Gaby Melian shares her personal journey with food -- from growing up in Argentina to her time as a Jersey City street vendor and later, as Bon Appetit's test kitchen manager. Powerful and full of heart, here, Melian explores how we can develop a relationship with food that's healthy, sustainable, and thoughtful.
January 24th
Begin Again by Emma Lord (Wednesday Books)
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.
But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver (Disney Hyperion)
Social media influencer Summer Cartwright leads a very charmed life: millions of followers, the hottest designer and vintage clothes at her fingertips, a newly minted book deal, the coolest friends, and, until recently, the hottest boyfriend at her über-elite prep school. Every moment of her life has been carefully planned and cultivated to complement her “imperfectly perfect” social media persona. She is truly #LivingHerBestLife.
But when Summer goes missing during her annual Halloween party and then an unscheduled post appears on her feed stating that she’ll be dead within the next five minutes, those closest to Summer know something isn’t quite right—or on-brand. Grace, Summer’s camera-shy best friend; Adam, Summer’s gamer ex-boyfriend; Laney, Summer’s moody camp roommate; and Cora, an influencer wannabe, all decide to investigate. And when they come upon Summer’s lifeless body, they soon realize that no filter is strong enough to mask the lies we tell ourselves.
Told in multiple POVs interspersed with social media posts and flashbacks, Live Your Best Lie has twists and turns that will keep readers turning the page and no one will be able to guess the ending.
6 Times We Almost Kissed (+ 1 Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe (Little, Brown) - moved from February 2023.
Penny and Tate clash. Their mothers have an epic friendship that's spanned decades, deaths and divorces. So, since they were toddlers, the girls have always been... a reluctant, quarrelling twosome.
But when a medical event forces their moms to move in together, Penny and Tate call a truce. There's just one little hitch: Penny and Tate keep almost kissing.
It just... happens. They've never talked about it. They've always ignored each other after.
But now, the girls find themselves living across the landing from each other. And when an almost kiss finally goes from almost to I am now wearing your lip gloss, they have to face the music... right?
The Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim (Delacorte) - moved from July 2021, then from 2022.
Upon seizing the throne, the new King invades Qalia, ruthlessly pursuing the source of the magic: a limitless power sealed in a magical vault beneath the city. The Council entrusts Imani with smuggling the vault’s key far away from the besieged city, thwarting Kazi’s attempts to secure it on behalf of the King. Furious, the King gives Kazi one chance to redeem himself: he must kill Imani and return the key.
But there are others who plot to steal it. If Imani and Kazi are to triumph, they’ll both need help— and maybe magic of their own. Little do they know, the ancient magic that divides them is what ultimately links them.
Sun Keep Rising by Kristen R. Lee (Crown) - details not yet updated on Goodreads.
B’onca
always knew how to get by. And then her daughter is born. She wouldn’t
trade Mia for anything, but there is never enough cash to go around.
When their gentrifying Memphis neighborhood results in higher prices and
then an eviction notice, B’onca’s already fragile world spirals.
Desperate to make things right, B’onca forges a risky plan to help pay
the bills. But one wrong move could cost B’onca—and her
family—everything.
From the celebrated author of Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman
comes a compelling story about a teen mom navigating income disparity
and racial inequality, and defying challenges to protect those she
loves.
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan (Roaring Brook Press) - previously dated April 2023.
Seventeen-year-old Aziza El-Amin is a hedgewitch. Raised by her immigrant grandfather, she is burdened with the responsibility of protecting the humans in Blackthorn, Massachusetts from the vicious Fae that live in the neighboring wood.
But when a routine patrol ends in a late-night massacre, Aziza discovers that she’s been guarding against the wrong threat. A monster has slipped into Blackthorn—feeding on the townspeople and corrupting the border between the fae and human realm.
Too powerful for Aziza to defeat on her own, she’s forced to seek help from the unlikeliest of allies: Leo Merritt, a boy cursed to forget his true love, desperate to recapture what he lost, and a mysterious young necromancer Aziza isn’t sure they can trust.
Together, they hope to form a coven strong enough—reckless enough—to eradicate the threat in the woods.
With high-stakes, heart, and an other-worldly atmosphere, Rochelle Hassan's The Buried and the Bound is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood, Cemetery Boys, and The Cruel Prince.
Retro by Jarrod Shusterman and Sofía Lapuente (Simon & Schuster) - moved from 2022.
To save her struggling family, Luna enters a competition offering reward money to anyone who can successfully live without modern technology for a year. But when this social experiment turns sinister and her classmates start disappearing, her family’s livelihood might not be the only thing she’s in danger of losing.
Viva Lola Espinoza by Ella Cerón (Kokila)
Lola
Espinoza is cursed in love. Well, maybe not actually cursed — magic
isn’t real, is it? When Lola goes to spend the summer with her
grandmother in Mexico City and meets handsome, flirtatious Rio, she
discovers the unbelievable truth: Magic is very real, and what she’d
always written off as bad luck is actually, truly . . . a curse. If Lola
ever wants to fall in love without suffering the consequences, she’ll
have to break the curse. She finds an unlikely curse-breaking companion
in Javi, a seemingly stoic boy she meets while working in her cousin’s
restaurant. Javi is willing to help Lola look into this family curse of
hers, and Lola needs all the help she can get. Over the course of one
summer — filled with food, family, and two very different boys — Lola
explores Mexico City while learning about herself, her heritage, and the
magic around us all.
The Minus One Club by Kekla Magoon (Henry Holt)
Fifteen-year-old Kermit Sanders knows grief and its all-encompassing shadows. After losing his beloved older sister in a tragic car accident, nothing quite punctures through the feelings of loss. Everywhere Kermit goes, he is reminded of her.
But then Kermit finds a mysterious invitation in his locker, signed anonymously with "-1." He has no idea what he's in for, but he shows up to find out. Dubbed the "Minus-One Club," a group of his schoolmates has banded together as a form of moral support. The members have just one thing in common—they have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved.
The usual dividing lines between high school classes and cliques don’t apply inside the Minus-One Club, and Kermit’s secret crush, the handsome and happy-go-lucky Matt (and only out gay student at school), is also a part of the group. Slowly, Matt's positive headstrong approach to life helps relieve Kermit of his constant despair.
But as Kermit grows closer to Matt, the light of his new life begins to show the cracks beneath the surface. When Matt puts himself in danger by avoiding his feelings, Kermit must find the strength to not only lift himself back up but to help the rest of the group from falling apart.
Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - moved from March 2022, then from November 2022.
Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.
After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.
Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.
For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.
Reggie & Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant (Balzer + Bray)
Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.
These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.
Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.
As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (Henry Holt)
The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious "program's" strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.
But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case's prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them?
This exquisitely taut thriller shines a glaring light on how the system too often condemns Black and Latinx teen boys to failure before they’ve even had a chance at success.
Then Everything Happens at Once by M-E Girard (HarperCollins) - moved from 2022.
Sixteen-year-old Baylee has never been kissed, but she wants to do way more than that. She’s had a huge crush on her gorgeous best friend and neighbor, Freddie, for years, but since she doesn’t look like the type he normally dates, the judgmental voice in her head tells her he’ll never see her as more than a friend.
Then Baylee meets Alex online and she starts to fall for this sweet, funny barista who likes her just as she is. But when Freddie makes a move on Baylee and a virus shuts the world down, Baylee will find herself torn as everything starts happening at once and she navigates the messy waters of love and desire. It helps that she’s observed her friends’ relationship drama, so she knows exactly what mistakes not to make . . . right?
M-E Girard delivers a rich, honest, boundary pushing story about a girl exploring her desires.
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis (Dial)
Now, the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties. This is the story of the Davenport daughters, their maid, and their best friend--Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose, and Ruby--as the four find their way, and unexpectedly find love, in a rapidly changing country. Inspired by the real-life story of the C.R. Patterson dynasty, The Davenports offers a glimpse into a period of African-American history often overlooked, while delivering a totally escapist, swoon-worthy read.
Dream to Me by Megan Paasch (Feiwel and Friends)
Eva Sylvan didn’t ask for any of this. Not the cross-country move with her sister to a town in the middle of nowhere, not the inherited family estate from a late great-aunt that’s falling apart at the hinges, and definitely not the sudden death of her beloved father. So when the locals react with hostility to the very mention of their last name, Eva’s pretty sure things can’t get any worse.
Until she has a dream about a gas station employee and the next day, he’s in a coma.
Until it happens again.
Something sinister is lurking in the corners of Eva's dreams - something that’s having devastating effects on the waking world. People are dropping left and right, and Eva is squarely in the town's crosshairs. In order to defeat the shadows in her unconsciousness, Eva must not only unearth the magic tied to her family history, but confront the guilt that has been following her since her father’s death. Only she can save the town from her dreams - if the threat is truly even her dreams at all.
The Black Queen by Jumata Emill (Delacorte) - moved from February 2023.
Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.
Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it's her legacy--her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.
No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova's best friend. Duchess's father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova's crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won't fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova--and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess's father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.
Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley's guilt. And to do that, she'll have to get close to her.
But Tinsley has an agenda, too.
Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.
One Girl In All the World by Kendare Blake (Disney Hyperion)
Frankie Rosenberg is coming to terms with the fact that she’s the newest slayer, but that doesn’t mean she has it all figured out just yet. She and her friends are still reeling from the deadly attack on the annual slayer retreat—and the new revelation that some slayers may still be alive. She’s got her own Scooby Gang, but sometimes feels more on the outside than ever. She throws herself into training with her mom, the great witch Willow, and her new Watcher, Spike, but they’ve got demons of their own to contend with (both of the real and metaphorical variety). Buffy made it look easy, but being a slayer is hard—and lonely.
But Frankie doesn’t have time to wander through Sunnydale Cemetery singing about her new responsibilities. With news of Buffy’s possible demise, Demons are making their way back to Sunnydale in droves, called by a Hellmouth that is starting to reawaken. And then an oracle brings news of a new Evil brewing…something called The Darkness. Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie?
With a satisfying blend of fresh and familiar, humor and (stakes through the) heart, One Girl In All The World is a breathtaking continuation of the series that Booklist calls “a worthy successor to the Slayer stories” (Starred Review on In Every Generation).
The Cartographers by Amy Zhang (Greenwillow Books) - moved from October 2022.
Ocean Wu has always felt enormous pressure to succeed. After struggling with depression during her senior year in high school, Ocean moves to New York City, where she has been accepted at a prestigious university. But Ocean feels so emotionally raw and unmoored (and uncertain about what is real and what is not), that she decides to defer and live off her savings until she can get herself together. She also decides not to tell her mother (whom she loves very much but doesn't want to disappoint) that she is deferring--at least until she absolutely must.
In New York, Ocean moves into an apartment with Georgie and Tashya, two strangers who soon become friends, and gets a job tutoring. She also meets a boy--Constantine Brave (a name that makes her laugh)--late one night on the subway. Constant is a fellow student and a graffiti artist, and Constant and Ocean soon start corresponding via Google Docs--they discuss physics, philosophy, art, literature, and love. But everything falls apart when Ocean goes home for Thanksgiving, Constant reveals his true character, Georgie and Tashya break up, and the police get involved.
Ocean, Constant, Georgie, and Tashya are all cartographers--mapping out their futures, their dreams, and their paths toward adulthood in this stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding the strength to control your own destiny. For fans of Nina LaCour's We Are Okay and Daniel Nayeri's Everything Sad Is Untrue.