July 2nd
A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman (Scholastic) - previously titled With Love and Mischief.
When Cal Ware wins a scholarship to an elite New England boarding school, he's thrilled to leave his past behind. Back home in Mississippi, he was the poor, queer kid who never fit in. But at Essex Academy, he'll be able to reinvent himself. Or so he hopes... But at Essex, Cal's classmates only see his cheap clothes and old iPhone. They mock his accent, and can't believe he's never left the country, or heard of The Hamptons. Cal, at his breaking point, is about to give up and return to Mississippi when he learns about a secret society on campus -- the key to becoming Essex royalty. Cal knows he's not exactly secret society material, but to his surprise, he finds an unlikely champion in the handsome, charismatic, and slightly dangerous Luke Kim.
As they get swept up in the mystery and glamour of the Rush process, Cal finds himself falling in love for the first time. But as the initiation rituals grow riskier -- and increasingly nefarious -- Cal must decide how far he's willing to go, and how much of himself he's willing to sacrifice, to save everything and everyone he cherishes most. Because nothing at Essex -- not even Cal's first love -- is quite what it seems.
On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino (G.P. Putnam and Sons) - details not yet updated on Goodreads.
Ellie’s
Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she
considered home and return to her hearing family. Back in a mainstream
school, Ellie quickly becomes the subject of hateful rumors. That’s when
her guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, a student who’s supposed
to help her adjust. Can the boy who tries to say the right things, and
gets it all wrong, be the lifeline Ellie needs?
Jackson has been
avoiding his teammates ever since some numbness in his legs cost them an
important soccer match. With his senior year off to a lonely start,
he’s intrigued when he’s asked to help the new girl, initially thinking
it will be a commendable move on his part. Little does he know Ellie
will soon be the person he wants most by his side when the strange
symptoms he’s experiencing amount to a life-changing diagnosis.
Exploring
what it means to build community, Anna Sortino pens a story about the
fear of the unknown and the beauty of the unexpected, all wrapped up in a
poignant romance that will break your heart and put it back together
again.
Ready or Not by Andi Porretta (Atheneum) - YA graphic novel, previously titled Roofhoppers.
With senior year finally behind them, Cassie and her three best friends are on their way to what’s next. Like their parents, the crew has always been there’s Marcy, the artist, for whom style is self-expression and sarcasm is a love language; Aaron, the future lawyer, whose good humor balances out his competitive streak; Nico, the musician, whose flirtatiousness, obliviousness, and recent interest in a rising senior are becoming increasingly unbearable to Cassie; and of course, Cassie herself, the only one who doesn’t have her future all figured out.
This summer is their last chance to make memories together in New York City before everyone but Cassie scatters across the globe for college—and she’s determined to make the most of it. Her plan? They’ll spend August playing the game of dares and risks they invented as kids! From adventurous to outrageous, these dares will definitely make for an unforgettable summer. Even better, Cassie is hopeful they’ll help the group stay friends no matter what…because she is not ready for a future without them.
Not About a Boy by Myah Hollis (HarperTeen)
Amélie Cœur has never known what it truly means to be happy.
She thought she’d found happiness once, in a love that ended in tragedy and nearly sent her over the edge. Now, at seventeen, Mel is beginning to piece her life back together. Under the supervision of Laurelle Child Services, the exclusive foster care agency that raised her, Mel is sober and living with a new family among Manhattan’s elite. It’s her last chance at adoption before she ages out of the system and she promised, this time, she’ll try.
But a casual relationship with a boy is turning into something she never intended for it to be, causing small cracks in her carefully constructed walls. Then the sister she has no memory of contacts Mel, unearthing complicated feelings about the past and what could have been.
As the anniversary of the worst day of her life approaches, Mel must
weather the rising tides of grief and depression before she loses
herself, and those close to her, all over again.
Joined at the Joints by Marissa Eller (Holiday House)
Chronically ill seventeen-year-old Ivy has stayed in watching the Food Network all summer—pies are better than people, and they don’t trigger her social anxiety. So when her (also) chronically ill mom and sister cook up a plan to get Ivy out of the house and into a support group, Ivy doesn’t expect to say more than a few words.
And she certainly doesn’t expect Grant. Grant is class-clown cute, perfectly-messy-hair cute, will-always-text-you-back cute. There’s an instant connection between them. He has the same diagnosis as her--juvenille rheumatoid arthritis--and he actually understands Ivy’s world.
But just because he understands Ivy’s pain doesn’t mean he can take it away. And she wishes he could—because it’s getting worse. Ivy has always tried her best to appear pain-free, but between treatment plans, symptom management, and struggling with medical self-advocacy, being sick feels more and more difficult. Will Ivy’s delicious new romance pan out? Can she keep up the façade, for him and for the world… or should she be brave and let it go?
Marissa Eller serves up a sweet, satisfying romcom that tackles the realities of chronic illness—and coming-of-age milestones from friend breakups to first kisses—with wry humor, tons of heart, and a huge helping of honesty. Nuanced, poignant, and deeply enjoyable, readers will fall for Eller’s voice in this compelling debut that offers all the right ingredients.
The Midnight Game by Cynthia Murphy (Delacorte) - previously published in the UK.
Six strangers. One night. But how many survivors?
When a group of six strangers who have only ever spoken on a creepy Deddit thread decide to meet IRL, they have one plan in they are going to play The Midnight Game and summon the Midnight Man.
Rules of the game are Do not turn on the lights. Do not go to sleep. Do not leave the building.
And once you start the game, you must finish it—there's no other way out...
We Don't Have Time for This by Brianna Craft (Disney Hyperion)
What's more romantic than saving the earth?
Two presidents. One club. A sizzling connection.
Isa Brown wishes her life would slow down. She doesn’t want to leave for college. Not now that her dad finally gets to spend some time at home. Not now that she’s finally been in one place for longer than a year. But nothing lasts forever. With wildfires ravaging her community and a new natural gas pipeline threatening her dad’s job, the last thing Isa can do is relax. The school’s environmental justice club seems like a promising way to make real change. If only her annoying co-president Darius would stop being such a control freak.
Darius Freeman can’t stop hustling. If he does, how will he beat the other honors kids to be valedictorian? How will he get into the top schools in the country? How will he launch his political career? No. Darius can’t stop, and the next step in his plan is leading the environmental justice club this year—putting on a policy summit and rounding out his college applications with a leadership role. But then Isa joins the club and becomes co-president. Is she the stumbling block on his road to success?
As Isa and Darius clash over the best way to lead the environmental justice club, deeper feelings emerge. About what’s at stake for their communities if they can’t figure out how to work together. And about the sparks they feel between them.
Will Darius and Isa figure out how to burn brightly together? Or will their flames leave nothing but ashes behind?
Rise by Freya Finch (Disney Hyperion)
For seventeen-year-old Bryn, being the youngest, messiest, most rebellious sister in a family of valkyries isn’t easy. Especially considering home is a Renaissance faire in Chicago full of costumed workers who see her as nothing more than a nuisance. When her mother disappears on a mission for Odin, Bryn begins having strange visions about the impending Ragnarök. Bryn senses their mother is in great danger, but her annoyingly perfect older sisters refuse to take her seriously. Their mother is, after all, captain of the valkyries.
Things only take a turn for the worse when a half human, half giant named Juniper crashes the party with a violent zombie in tow, confirming Bryn’s worst fears—her visions of Ragnarök are real. If that wasn’t enough, the faire’s mysterious new addition, Wyatt the Black Knight, just so happens to have a ferocious secret that threatens everyone around him. Determined to survive Ragnarök, Bryn, Juniper, and Wyatt team up to combat the horde of monsters that keeps appearing throughout the faire. But after Bryn ignores the call to deliver Wyatt to Odin’s eternal warriors in Valhalla, choosing to save his life instead, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever get this valkyrie thing right.
Whispers of divine interference—including sightings of the mischievous Loki—reach Bryn’s ears. Soon everyone at the faire becomes a suspect, leaving Bryn, her sisters, and their newfound friends the only ones who can stop the war to end all realms. Whether she’s ready or not, Bryn is about to learn how the ties between fate and choice are as interwoven and unbreakable as the bonds between sisters.
The Ones Who Come Back Hungry by Amelinda Berube (Sourcebooks Fire)
After the sudden death of her perfect, popular older sister, Jo and her family feel empty. But days after crying at Audrey's graveside, Jo stumbles on the impossible: Audrey, standing barefoot in the snowy backyard. But Audrey isn't breathing. She's still marred with the evidence of an autopsy. She's decaying. And worst of all, Audrey is hungry, and only human blood can curb her relentless appetite.
Jo knows she can put her family back together; she just has to figure out how to fix Audrey. She hides her sister and sustains her with her own blood, determined to figure out how to keep Audrey with them. When her search takes her to her sister's grieving inner circle of friends, Jo finds herself drawn into their fold―and to Audrey's boyfriend, Sam.
As Jo slips further into her sister's old life, Audrey's hunger and jealousy grow more insatiable. She's not going to sit back and let Jo replace her or, worse, discover the secrets hidden beneath her golden girl facade. As Jo struggles to juggle everything she will be forced to decide which of her loved ones needs her the most ―and who she's willing to sacrifice to save them.
The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman (Knopf)
July 4th
The Mirror World by Femi Fadugba (HarperTeen) - moved from July 2023, then from January 2023, published in the UK in 2023.
NOW: With her mentor, Dr. Esso, by her side, eighteen-year-old Rhia is determined to make her mark on the hallowed halls of Oxford University. But the power of the Upper World is becoming an addiction she can't shake. Even worse, she's not alone. Someone else knows the secrets of the Upper World. And he's come to eliminate his newest rival: Rhia.
THEN: In 1990s Benin, Serou believes he's destined to inherit the powers of the Upper World. But instead of being welcomed into his temple as a young adept, he is exiled-only to uncover a conspiracy that has sacrificed dozens of kids like him so one man can stay in power. In his quest for justice, Serou faces a deadly crossroads: a choice that could break the cycle of violence... or send him down the same path.
July 9th
The King & the Crash by Kara McDowell (Wednesday Books) - previously titled The King & the Crash.
Freshman year is stressful enough without accidentally being married to the King of England. Of course, Wren Wheeler can’t tell her Northwestern classmates about that; after surviving a narrowly-averted apocalypse over the summer, everyone’s had enough excitement for one lifetime. Wren knows she needs to move on from Theo, but she can’t forget the look in his eyes when he left her on that island in Greece—and also, he took her dog.
When an ill-fated attempt to rescue Comet the Apocalypse Dog turns into a chemistry-fueled reunion with Theo that’s caught by the paparazzi, Wren finds herself under the royal spotlight. Suddenly, she’s a problem for “the firm” to solve, and in order to be protected from the rabid press, she’ll have to fly back to London with Theo. Along for the ride are Naomi and Brooke, as well as Theo's siblings, including Henry, the brother he's spent his life being compared to. But because the universe can’t let these two maybe-newlyweds have one conversation in peace, their plane goes down over the Atlantic, crashing on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere.
Stranded with no sign of rescue, the group will have to band together against poisonous animals, catastrophic injuries, a brotherly rivalry, and an ill-timed volcano if they’re going to make it out alive. And, scariest of all, Wren and Theo will have to face their feelings for one another and decide what they want their futures to look like—and if that future will be heartbreak, or happily ever after.
A Magic Fierce and Bright by Hemant Nayak (Simon & Schuster)
Adya wants nothing more than to be left alone. Content to be loyal to no one but herself in the isolated jungles of South India, she dreams only of finding her lost sister, Priya, and making enough money to take care of their family. It’s too bad that her rare ability to wake electric machines—using the magic that wiped them out five centuries ago—also makes her a coveted political pawn. Everyone seems to believe that her technomancy can help them win the endless war for control over the magic’s supernatural source.
These senseless power struggles mean little to Adya. But when her enemies dangle news of her sister before her, she’s all too quick to leap at the chance to bring Priya home—even if it means teaming up with a rakish, disreputable thief in order to do it. With the threat of invasion looming ever larger on the horizon, Adya must reconcile the kind of person she is with the kind of person she wants to be and untangle the web of intrigue, conspiracy, and deceit that threatens to take all of India down with it.
Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan (Clarion Books)
Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.
Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.
When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.
While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.
The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.
Hearts Overboard by Becky Dean (Delacorte)
Love is on the horizon...
After a very public breakup where her ex, Caleb, told her she is both, a.) boring, and b.) stuck in her ways, Savannah Moore decides her mom’s company cruise to Alaska is the perfect opportunity to show people that she can be fun. One new thing a day should be enough to prove to others, and herself, that she isn’t “Moore the Bore.”
Stepping out of her comfort zone isn’t easy, especially since her long-time nemesis, Tanner Woods, is also on the ship. His family and hers are friends, and Tanner knows her—and her true self—better than she’d like to admit.
When he learns of her plan, Tanner offers to help Savannah be adventurous and encourages her to try absolutely everything—zip lining and dogsledding, hiking the bear-infested Alaskan wilderness, late-night karaoke, and a polar plunge. Savannah will win Caleb back by showing him just what he’s missing.
Except after spending so much time with Tanner, soon she’s not sure Caleb is the one she wants anymore…
Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin (Simon and Schuster) - moved from May 2024.
In a not-too-distant America, abortions are prosecuted and the right to choose is no longer an option. But best friends Laylah and Noor want to change the world. After graduating high school, they’ll become an OBGYN and a journalist, but in the meantime, they’re working on an illegal guide to abortion in Texas.
In response to the unfair laws, underground networks of clinics have sprung up, but the good fight has gotten even more precarious as it becomes harder to secure safe medication and supplies. Both Layla and Noor are passionate about getting their guide completed so it can help those in need, but Laylah treats their project with an urgency Noor doesn’t understand—that may have something to do with the strange goings-on between their mosque and a local politician.
Fighting for what they believe in may involve even more obstacles than they bargained for, but the two best friends will continue as they always together.
How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean (Little, Brown) - US edition not yet added to Goodreads.
Rising star Abel Miller has just landed a role in one of the hottest reboots on the Omni Channel, Sunset High. It looks like he’ll be yet another budding celebrity plucked from obscurity, but he has a secret: his brother, Adam, a mere production associate, died during the filming of the last attempt at Sunset High, and no one knows how… or why. Abel is going to find out.
But when he meets the other stars of the show— Lucky, Ryan, and Ella, along with creator Lake Carter— he realizes there’s even more darkness beneath the shimmer of fame. They all have their own secrets to hide, and one of them is willing to kill to keep it that way.
It's Only a Game by Kelsea Yu (Bloomsbury) - moved from June 2024.
When Marina Chan ran from her old life, she brought nothing with her-not even her real name. Now she lives in fear of her past being discovered. But when her online gaming team is offered a tour of their favorite game company, Marina can't resist accepting, even though she knows it might put her fake identity at risk.
Then the creator of the game is murdered during their tour. Whoever killed him plans to frame Marina and her friends for the murder unless they win four rounds of a dangerous game. A game that requires them to lie, trespass, and steal. A game that could destroy everything Marina's worked so hard to build…. A game that she might not survive.
July 16th
Dashed by Amanda Quain (Wednesday Books)
Margaret Dashwood lives her life according to plan, and it involves absolutely zero heartbreak, thank you very much. Five years ago, love tore her family apart, and since then, she’s kept her own heart as safe as possible. It hasn’t been easy, especially since her sister Marianne—the world’s biggest romantic—has conveniently forgotten that love burned her so badly she literally almost died. So when their oldest sister Elinor invites Margaret along for a Marianne-free summer cruise, she can’t wait to soak up every scheduled moment with sensible Elinor before heading off to college.
But just before they set sail, a newly-single Marianne announces that she’s crashing their vacation. Suddenly, Margaret’s itineraries are thrown overboard, and the ship’s cabin feels even tinier with her sister wailing about her breakup from the bottom bunk. The only solution? Find Marianne a dose of love to tide her over until they reach land.
With help from Elinor, her husband Edward, and Gabe—a distractingly handsome new friend on the crew—Margaret sets out to create a series of elaborate fake dates that will give Marianne the spontaneously curated summer romance of a lifetime. But between a chaotic sister, the growing storm of feelings between Margaret and Gabe, and an actual storm on the horizon, this summer is destined to go off course. Margaret will have to decide what’s more important—following the plan, or following her heart.
The Second Son by Adrienne Tooley (Little Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books)
The centuries-old prophecy has been fulfilled at last: the New Maiden has returned to Velle. Unfortunately, so has a malicious demi-god, whose elusive prophet is intent on converting the New Maiden’s followers. The Second Son is a vengeful, angry deity, whose psalm resonates with the disenfranchised.
With Elodie on the throne and Sabine in her own unique position of power, it should be easy enough to track down the culprit. Yet even as they're falling in love, both girls are keeping dangerous secrets from each other. While the cult of the Second Son threatens to overthrow not only the Church of the New Maiden but also Velle’s monarchy, Elodie and Sabine must navigate impossible odds to dismantle the root of his power, all while their lives hang in the balance.
Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass (Viking)
Grant Rossi is never getting a happily-ever-after.
Ever since he was a kid and made a wish on his family’s iconic Wishing Rose, his romantic relationships have been cursed to end. Following his most recent (and extremely public) dumping, Grant is languishing in a hot Chicago summer, abandoning his beloved design projects to sink back into depression. But when his family suggests spending the summer helping his aunt and uncle refurbish their beautiful but rundown B&B and vineyard—the home of the Wishing Rose that changed everything for him—Grant decides to accept. Maybe he can finally find a way to recover his creative spark...and break his curse.
But things at the vineyard are not what Grant expects. The place is in almost total disrepair, and—even worse—the person his relatives hired to help is his former childhood crush, Ben—the first boy who broke his heart.
As their chemistry sparks and the summer heats up, the wedge between them can’t be ignored. But while they race to restore the B&B in time for the beloved local rose festival, grumpy but lovable Ben starts to break through Grant’s carefully crafted defenses. Can Grant find a way to overcome his curse and open his heart, even when it’s broken?
Portrait of a Shadow by Meriam Metoui (Henry Holt)
Inez is missing, but missing things can always be found.
Mae knows this as a fact, even though the police investigation has come to a standstill, even though her parents are moving on. But when she goes to clear out her older sister’s studio, she finds a mess of research and a white canvas that seems even older than the ornate frame it is set in. The closer Mae gets to the canvas, the more difficult it is to pull her eyes away from its mottled surface, its heavy layers of white paint, its peeling top corner she is tempted to pull to see what’s beneath. But she doesn’t. Not yet.
Mae decides to trace her sister’s last steps in the hopes of finding answers, certain that Inez’s disappearance is related to the painting. And she knows she is desperate enough to let the strange boy who claims to have been Inez’s neighbor tag along. Even if his good looks don't help distract from his avoidance of her questions. So begins a scavenger hunt piecing together what they can find from what Inez left behind. One that leads to centuries-old questions best left unasked and secrets best kept in the dark.
From the author of A Guide to the Dark comes another tender horror story about the lengths we are willing to go for the truth and the ones we love.
Riot Act by Sarah Lariviere (Knopf)
In an alternate 1991, the authoritarian US government keeps tabs on everybody and everything. It censors which books can be read, what music can be listened to, and which plays can be performed.
When her best friend is killed by the authorities and her theater teacher disappears without a trace, Gigi decides to organize her fellow Champaign High School thespians to put on a production of Henry VI. But at what cost?
Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu (Abrams)
In life, high school classmates Caroline Davison and Kenny Zhou existed in separate universes—Caroline in one of softball practices and family dinners; Kenny in one of NASA photo books and late-night shifts at his parents’ Chinese restaurant. But after their deaths, they find themselves thrown together as roommates in a mysterious white room—one that seems to exist outside of time and space, shows them their loved ones’ lives on a large hi-def TV, and grants their wishes with a sardonic sense of humor.
As Caroline and Kenny watch life continue to unfold back on Earth, they realize they can influence events through radio signals, psychic mediums, and electromagnetic interference. In their efforts to console their families, they also start to understand the tragic depth of how their lives and deaths were connected and how to help their families—and themselves—heal from the losses.
The Ping-Pong Queen of Chinatown by Andrew Yang (Quill Tree Books)
On the eve of Felix Ma’s junior year of high school, his parents hires a college admissions coach to help him find a marketable activity. Cynically trawling for extracurricular excellence, Felix decides to start a film club at school.
But then he meets Cassie Chow, a bubbly high school senior who shares Felix’s anxieties about the future and complicated relationship with parental expectations. Felix feels drawn to Cassie for reasons he can’t quite articulate, so as an excuse to see her more, Felix invites Cassie to star in his short film.
While the project starts out as a lighthearted mockumentary, at the urging of Felix’s college admissions coach, who wants to turn the film into college essay material, it soon morphs into a serious drama about the emotional scars that parents leave on their kids. As Felix and Cassie uncover their most painful memories, Cassie starts to balk at opening her wounds for the camera.
With his parents and college admissions coach hot on his heels, Felix
discovers painful truths about himself and his past—and must decide
whether academic achievement is worth losing his closest friend.
Trespass Against Us by Leon Kemp (HarperTeen)
Two years ago, Riley visited the abandoned and allegedly haunted religious reform school Dominic House with his boyfriend, Ethan, and his best friends, Colton and Vee.
Ethan never came out. Colton’s leg will never quite heal, Vee is branded as hysterical, and Riley has horrific scars as a reminder of that night.
Now, at eighteen, Riley hasn’t exactly moved on, but he’s kept away from all things paranormal.
Until legendary ghost chaser Jordan Jones shows up with an offer: return to Dominic House with her to film an episode of her Spirit Seekers TV show.
Riley may have vowed never to return, but he has unfinished business at Dominic House. With a reluctant Colton and Vee at his side, Riley is determined to find out what happened to Ethan once and for all.
But as the night wears on, Riley realizes he isn’t just revisiting the most terrifying night of his life— he’s reliving it.
With an eerily elegant voice, dual timelines that slowly unravel a chilling ghost story, themes of religious trauma, and secrets in every corner, Trespass Against Us is the kind of horror story that will keep you up long into the night.
Youth Group by Jordan Morris and Bowen McCurdy (First Second) - YA graphic novel.
The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power by Various YA Authors (Tor Teen)
13 TIMES WE SURVIVED THE FIRST KILL.
The White Guy Dies Firs t is a powerful and entertaining collection for YA readers featuring thirteen scary stories in which the white guy dies first.
Edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker, including stories from bestselling and critically acclaimed Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, H. E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Terry J. Benton-Walker.
Cabin Redemption by Shelly X. Leonn (Owl Hollow Press) - moved from 2022.
When Laena wakes in the
hospital after her third suicide attempt, her family is desperate and
out of solutions. Then, Dr. Neeler knocks on their door and tells them
about a treatment center, Cabin Redemption, offering teens immersive,
holistic therapy, complete with horses.
A week later, Laena
travels to Cabin Redemption in the rustic, untamed mountains of North
Carolina. She meets her eleven cabinmates, who have issues ranging from
obsessive-compulsive disorders and sociopathic personalities. She bonds
with the horses, four Friesian geldings as damaged and fragile as the
teens caring for them.
In the night, disaster strikes. The bridge leading off the mountain is swept away by sudden flooding, and, due to miscommunication, none of the adults remain on site.
The twelve teens are left alone and tragedy ensues, putting them in a race against time to solve the mystery and save themselves.
July 23rd
Asking for a Friend by Kara H. L. Chen (Quill Tree Books)
Juliana Zhao is absolutely certain of a few things:
1. She is the world’s foremost expert on love.
2. She is going to win the nationally renowned Asian Americans in Business Competition.
When Juliana is unceremoniously dropped by her partner and she’s forced to pair with her nonconformist and annoying frenemy, Garrett Tsai, everything seems less clear. Their joint dating advice column must be good enough to win and secure bragging rights within her small Taiwanese American community, where her family’s reputation has been in the pits since her older sister was disowned a few years prior. Juliana always thought prestige mattered above all else. But as she argues with Garrett over how to best solve everyone else’s love problems and faces failure for the first time, she starts to see fractures in this privileged, sheltered worldview. With the competition heating up, Juliana must reckon with the sacrifices she’s made to be a perfect daughter—and whether winning is something she even wants anymore.
Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses by Katrina Emmel (Delacorte) - some editions dated July 22nd, but publisher confirms this date
Anything’s possible under a prairie sky…
Riley Thomas is feeling stuck—she’s moved from California to Nebraska, she’s on a weeklong Oregon Trail family bonding excursion, and her luggage is lost. There’s no one her age on the trip except a tall, dark and irksome cowboy who wrongly assumes she has zero ability to handle the great outdoors. She can’t wait for this misery to end—even though going “home” isn’t even possible anymore.
Lone wolf Colton Walker loves the simpler life of the plains and his family’s tourism business that helps protect them. He’s a stand-up guy—not a love ‘em and leave ‘em type like his rival, Jake. And he knows better than to take his chances with a prairie princess like Riley.
But Riley’s got more sense than Colton thinks--and he’s not nearly as inflexible as he seems. And under a wide prairie sky of puffy clouds and bright stars, everything comes into focus--including a cowboy’s heart.
Katrina Emmel’s Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses will take you on a sweeping journey across the American prairie... once you love a boy in a Stetson, you’ll never be the same.
So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky (Little, Brown) - details not yet updated on Goodreads.
For high school senior Nell and her friends, a vacation house on a
private Florida island sounds like the makings of a dream spring break.
But Nell brings secrets with her—secrets that fuse with the island’s
tragic history, trapping them all with a curse that surrounds the island
in a toxic, vengeful mist and the surrounding waters with an unseen,
devouring beast.
Getting out alive means risking her friendships,
her sanity, and even her own life. In order to save herself and her
friends, Nell will have to face memories she’d rather leave behind,
reveal the horrific truth behind the encounter that changed her life one
year ago, and face the shadow that’s haunted her since childhood.
Easier said than done.
But when Nell’s friends reveal that they each brought secrets of their own, a solution even more dangerous than the curse begins to take shape.
Perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Rory Power and reading like a YA feminist spin on Stephen King’s The Mist, So Witches We Became
is a diverse, queer horror about female friendship, the emotional
aftermath of surviving assault, and how to find power in the shadows of
your past.
Maya has always belonged to Alana. After four years of dating, and on the precipice of graduating high school, Maya has been too terrified to consider the idea of life outside of their volatile relationship. Until she finds the courage to break up with Alana while they’re hiking in Southern California.
Then Alana goes missing. As the police get involved and the media run wild with the story, everyone seems to think that Maya is lying about Alana’s disappearance. Secretly, Maya knows they’re if Alana’s dead, she’s the one to blame.
But that’s not Maya’s only secret. Alana isn’t gone, not really—and she isn’t going to let Maya go so easily…
Exes and Foes by Amanda Woody (Viking)
Emma has been a thorn in Caleb’s
side since middle school. Having tarnished their friendship in eighth
grade, she’s now little more to him than an unkempt, unruly, disastrous
bisexual mess. Over the years, she’s gotten in the way of every romantic
relationship he’s attempted to settle into, using little more than
mischievous charisma to lure them into her clutches.
To Emma,
Caleb sets the record for World’s Largest Stick in the Mud. Uptight,
unbearably tidy, and a rule-follower, he’s exactly the kind of boring
person her mother wishes she was. When she discovers they’re both after
Juliet, the new girl, Emma proposes a competition to nudge him out of
the way. Whoever can get Juliet to kiss them first wins, and the
opposition must bow out with the promise of never talking to her again.
But
plans go awry when Juliet seems mostly interested in hanging out with
both of them together. Emma and Caleb just have to figure out whether
winning Juliet’s heart is worth the torment of constantly dealing with
each other, and the risk of reopening wounds from a past they thought
they had left behind.
The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor (Razorbill) - YA graphic novel.
Dorian
Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and
tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him
an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed
grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability
into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the
only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all
worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A
chance to save those who cannot save themselves.
Then one day,
the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land
of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on
Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move
on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague
them.
As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become
desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to
bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost
of his own….
Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield (Bloomsbury)
On August 6th she fell asleep with a stomachache and woke up to find the space-time continuum broken. Ever since, she's been stuck living the same sweltering summer day over and over (and over and over) again: pancakes with Mom in the morning, Scrabble with Dad in the afternoon, and a constant, desperate search for answers on how to escape the time loop and make it to her appointment with a doctor who will take her irritable bowel syndrome seriously. It's the same thing day after day--until Phoebe's childhood crush Jess hits her with their car and comes crashing into the time loop, too.
Now stuck together, Jess convinces Phoebe to break out of her routine and instead use their days to have fun. With virtually no consequences, Phoebe and Jess can do whatever they want! From draining their bank accounts to snag concert tickets, to enacting (mostly) harmless revenge, to late-night road trips, Jess pulls Phoebe further and further out of her comfort zone--and deeper and deeper in love with Jess. But the more Phoebe falls, the more she must grapple with dreams of a future that may be impossible to reach. The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza (Henry Holt)
But lately Brett’s grip on reality has started to lose its hold. The fictions he’s been telling himself – about his unattractive body, the feeling that he’s a burden to his best friend, that he’s too messed up to be loved – has consumed him completely, and Brett will do anything to forget about the cosmic-sized hole in his chest, even if it's unhealthy.But when Brett’s journal and deepest insecurities are posted online for the whole school to see, Brett realizes he can no longer avoid the painful truths of his real-life narrative.
As his eating disorder escalates, Brett must be honest with the people closest to him, including his new and fierce friend Mallory who seems to know more about Brett’s issues than he does. With their support, he just might find the courage to face the toughest reality of all.
The Lost Souls of Benzaiten by Kelly Murashige (Soho Teen) - moved from September 2024.
"I wish to become one of those round vacuum cleaner robots." That's what Machi writes while praying at the altar of Japanese goddess Benzaiten. She writes it because ever since her two best friends Angel and Sunny decided they want nothing to do with her, Machi hasn't been able to speak. After months and months of online school and seeing different therapists, Machi still hasn't uttered a word, and she can no longer see the point of being human. But she doesn't expect Benzaiten to actually hear her prayer, much less offer a to show Machi all the beauty of humanity, ultimately restoring her voice.
Benzaiten is enamored with the human world—possibly a little too enamored—and, as she's the goddess of love, humanity is enamored right back. Being second-best to another friend isn't helping Machi move past her trauma, and with each adventure they share, Machi is reminded of everything she's lost. It isn't until Machi starts interacting with the souls of the dead—a phenomena of spending so much time around a goddess—that she starts to understand pain can serve a purpose. And when she really stops to take a look around her, she realizes the potential for happiness, and for closure, has been there all along.
Stefi and the Spanish Prince by Donna Freitas (HarperTeen)
In Barcelona, the beach is beautiful, the tapas are delicious, and the boys are plentiful. Good thing, too, because Stefi’s nursing a broken heart after a disastrous breakup and is excited to reinvent herself, practice her Catalan language skills, and take baking classes at the legendary culinary institute, all in a magical city where no one knows her.
Another thing Barcelona has? A secret prince. Xavi Borges is spending his final summer of anonymity helping his mother run a popular tapas spot in El Mercado. But after Stefi stops at their counter, Xavi can’t get the beautiful American girl off his mind, even though his life is way too complicated for romance.
Part bodyguard, part confidante, Santiago is tasked with keeping Xavi out of trouble. Santiago knows Xavi and Stefi’s budding relationship can’t last once Xavi’s real identity becomes public. But soon Santiago is crushing on Xavi’s best friend, Diego, and his focus shifts from royal protection duties to the possibility of enjoying a romance of his own.
With so many sparks flying, a threat to expose Xavi’s royal secret goes unheeded, and when the news blows up, it threatens to burn down all of their lives.
Eighteen Roses by Shannon C. F. Rogers (Feiwel and Friends)
As it turns out, Esmé wants something different out of her senior year. And, on top of that, Lucia's mom has planned a debutante ball for her birthday behind her back. She'll be forced to cobble together a court of eighteen “friends” before her beloved lola arrives from the Philippines for this blessed occasion.
How far will Lucia stray from her comfort zone in order to play the role of dutiful daughter and granddaughter? Will she do the unthinkable– participating in a school sponsored activity? Will she discover that her sense of humor can be a way to connect with people, not just push them away?
The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller (Feiwel and Friends)
By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.
Or so she thought.
Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.
Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber (Wednesday Books) - moved from Fall 2023.
THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY…
After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.
Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.
As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.
Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith (Delacorte)
There’s something in the lake at Wren Hall.At least, that’s what the locals say. Not that Meg cares much about the rumors. When she’s asked to spend Halloween weekend at the Ireland retreat of the wealthy Wren twins, she recognizes the invitation for exactly what it her last, and only, chance to save her spot at Greyscott’s, the exclusive British art school she attended on scholarship until last summer. Clever, beautiful, and talented, the twins are the pride of Greyscott’s, and kindhearted Lottie Wren was once Meg’s closest friends.
But not anymore.
None of Meg’s old friend group have talked to her since she left school—and they especially don’t talk about the incident that resulted in her suspension. Now, Meg is willing to do whatever it takes to earn their forgiveness.But Wren Hall turns out to be far from the idyllic country manor Meg was expecting. The house is damp and drafty, the mirrors are all covered, and the weed-choked lake is at the center of legends that haunt the property to this day—a tainted legacy the estate seems unable to shake.The truth is, people aren’t the only ones who keep secrets. Places can keep them too—and Wren Hall is drowning in them.
When the past bleeds into the present and ancient sins rise to the surface, Meg must ask herself how well she really knows her one-time best friends...or whether any of them will survive the weekend.
The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Little, Brown)
Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.
Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.
Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a brand-new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you’ll never forget.
Do you have what it takes to play?
The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford (Holiday House) - moved from August 2024.
Sixteen-year-old Casey Kowalski dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curveball—sudden, permanent, and profound hearing loss—mere months before her family’s cross-country move from Portland to Miami. Now, faced with the dual challenges of starting over at a new high school and learning to navigate the world as a Deaf-Hard of Hearing person, Casey is mourning the loss of her music while trying to conceal her hearing loss from her new schoolmates.
Soccer captain Hayden González-Rossi is facing his own challenges. Three generations of González men have risen to stardom on the soccer field, including Hayden’s older brother. Hayden knows his family expects him to follow in their footsteps, but he has a secret: he wants to quit soccer and pursue a career on Broadway. If only his Generalized Anxiety Disorder didn’t send him into a debilitating spiral over the thought of telling them the truth.
Casey and Hayden are determined to hide who they really are. But when they meet at school, they bond over their shared love of music and feeling like they don’t belong, and the secrets spill. Their intimate friendship is the beating heart of this dual-POV story featuring thoughtful disability representation, nuanced queer identities, and a lovably quirky supporting cast.
Under the Surface by Diana Urban (G.P Putnam and Sons)
An epic survival-thriller about four
teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and
propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope… even when all
seems lost.
Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.
Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.
But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.
Underground, as something sinister chases them deeper , they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs….and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.
Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.
From award-winning author and rising YA star Diana Urban comes a twisty tale of four teens lost in the dark beneath the City of Light and the race to find them.
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington (Simon and Schuster)
Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.
Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.
But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.
Underground, as something sinister chases them deeper , they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs….and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.
Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.
From award-winning author and rising YA star Diana Urban comes a twisty tale of four teens lost in the dark beneath the City of Light and the race to find them.
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington (Simon and Schuster)
Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?
But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.
Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?
Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (Delcorte)
Twelve years ago, on a weekend getaway to Las Vegas, Kat and Liam's parents rolled the dice and gambled with fate.
They met on Friday, got married on Saturday, and divorced on Sunday. You could say it was a whirlwind romance, but a cyclone would be more accurate.
You learn to live dangerously when you're raised by con artists but when their parents' paths cross again at a billionaire's birthday party, their plan takes a deadly turn and the stakes have never been higher.
It's hard to know who to trust when you're surrounded by such charming liars...
Finding Famous by Candice Jalili (Disney Hyperion) - previously titled Making Mashad.
Ever
since her mom died, Josie Lawrence has been content with her safe,
predictable life. She hangs out with exactly two people: her best (and
only) friend, Louise, and her stepdad, Matt. She has exactly one
(unrequited) crush on resident high school himbo, Isaac. And she’s fully
prepared to spend the end senior year preparing for Stanford and
actively avoiding anything that reminds her of her mother.
But
when Josie discovers that her biological father is the recently deceased
Ali Mashad—patriarch of America’s original reality TV family, dripping
with wealth, fame, and Vogue magazine covers—Josie’s “predictable” life is gone quicker than you can say “you’re doing amazing, sweetie.”
Being
a Mashad means that the entire world is now at Josie’s feet—desperate
to dress her, to photograph her, to know her—opening a door to a world
that Josie never expected to find: one with a cute guy who just might be
her soulmate, three ridiculous but wonderful sisters, and answers to
all the questions she wishes she could ask her mom. But the biggest
question of all is: If being a Mashad is the chance of a lifetime, will
Josie be brave enough to take it?
A Greater Goal: The Epic Battle for Equal Pay in Women's Soccer-and Beyond by Elizabeth Rusch (Greenwillow Books) - YA non-fiction.
With the passage of Title IX in 1972, the doors opened for young women to play sports at a higher level. But for the women on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, being able to compete at an international level didn’t mean fair treatment and fair compensation.
From economy-class airplane seats and inadequate lodging to minimal marketing and slashed wages, the women representing the United States at the Olympics, the World Cup, and other tournaments had reason to be fed up. They were expected to—and did—win, but they weren’t compensated for their talent and dedication. With the help of their union and in collaboration with the men’s team, they secured an equitable contract in 2022 that ultimately benefited both national teams as well as athletes of the future.
Elizabeth Rusch’s A Greater Goal chronicles how members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team fought to receive fair treatment and equal pay despite the intense pushback they received from U.S. Soccer, the governing body of soccer in the United States. With a narrative that includes player profiles and vignettes framed from team member perspectives, A Greater Goal illuminates the work, support, and grit needed to be treated with equality in a world that often undervalues the contributions of women.The Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken (Random House) - moved from May 2024.
Legend tells of a “Mirror of Beasts,” powerful enough to trap even Lord Death in its accursed glass, but the mirror is not all that it seems. Tamsin must confront her own darkest secrets if she hopes to tap the mirror's strength to defeat her enemies.
Arthurian legend bleeds into contemporary action, and scars of the past are torn open anew by a starcrossed love that refuses to go quietly. This riveting conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology will hold you in its thrall until the very last page.
Once again, thank you for this list! Very grateful for it!
ReplyDelete