June 7th
We All Fall Down by Rose Szabo (FSG)
In River City, where magic used to thrive and is now fading, the witches who once ruled the city along with their powerful King have become all but obsolete. The city's crumbling government is now controlled primarily by the new university and teaching hospital, which has grown to take over half of the city.
Moving between the decaying Old City and the ruthless New, four young queer people struggle with the daily hazards of life―work, school, dodging ruthless cops and unscrupulous scientists―not realizing that they have been selected to play in an age-old drama that revives the flow of magic through their world. When a mysterious death rocks their fragile peace, the four are brought into each other's orbits as they uncover a deeper magical conspiracy.
Devastating, gorgeous, and utterly unique, We All Fall Down examines the complex network of pain created by power differentials, even between people who love each other―and how it is possible to be queer and turn out just fine.
Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid (Knopf) - moved from October 2021, then from January 2022.
James and Michelle find themselves in the Atlanta airport on a layover. They couldn't be more different, but seemingly interminable delays draw them both to a mysterious flashing green light--and each other.
Where James is passive, Michelle is anything but. And she quickly discovers that the flashing green light is actually... a button. Which she presses. Which may or may not unwittingly break the rules of the universe--at least as those rules apply to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.
Before they can figure up from down, strange, impossible things start happening: snowstorms form inside the B terminal; jungles sprout up in the C terminal; and earthquakes split the ground apart in between. And no matter how hard they try, it seems no one can find a way in or out of the airport. James and Michelle team up to find their families and either escape the airport, or put an end to its chaos--before it's too late.
TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo (Viking)
When TJ Powar—a
pretty, popular debater—and her cousin Simran become the subject of a
meme: with TJ being the “expectation” of dating an Indian girl and her
Sikh cousin who does not remove her body hair being the “reality”—TJ
decides to take a stand.
She ditches her razors, cancels her
waxing appointments, and sets a debate resolution for herself: “This
House Believes That TJ Powar can be her hairy self, and still be
beautiful.” Only, as she sets about proving her point, she starts to
seriously doubt anyone could care about her just the way she is—even
when the infuriating boy from a rival debate team seems determined to
prove otherwise.
As her carefully crafted sense of self begins
to crumble, TJ realizes that winning this debate may cost her far more
than the space between her eyebrows. And that the hardest judge to
convince of her arguments might just be herself.
A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy (Balzer + Bray) - moved from May 31st 2022.
Luke Barnes, a 17-year-old Jackson Hollow resident, has
no interest in country music. As the grandson of Verna Rose, the
disgraced country singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean,
the world of country music has only brought his family pain. But as
medical bills pile up at home, he’s forced to accept a job in the last
place he’d ever want to work: a restaurant at Wanda World.
With
Emmett focused on his career, and Luke blossoming in the kitchen,
neither boy is expecting to find romance. But sparks fly when they meet
and soon the two are inseparable. However, when a long-lost secret about
Luke’s grandma and superstar Wanda Jean comes to light, it threatens to
unravel everything. Unless the boys can uncover the truth of what
really happened, their dreams could be over before they start, leaving
their new relationship to go down in history as just another Sad Country
Love Song.
Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Julie Murphy, and of course, the one and only Dolly Parton.
Those Summer Nights by Laura Silverman (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - originally dated May 2021, then moved from May 2022.
Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her in a boarding school for troubled teens. Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hannah’s summer employment. With its miniature golf, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff
competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present.
On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex–best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who suddenly glowed up into a hot, sensitive sweetheart who seems to accept her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life. Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White (Peachtree Teen)
Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation, in this post-apocalyptic thriller, trans boy Benji teams up with an LGBTQ+ youth center to take down the fundamentalist cult who turned him into a monster.
Queer, trans author Andrew Joseph White is an up-and-coming voice in the YA community.
Twice As Perfect by Louisa Onomé (Feiwel and Friends) - previously titled Model Minority.
The only things worth doing are those that will lead to success.
For seventeen-year-old Adanna Nkwachi, life is all about duty: to school and the debate team, to her Nigerian parents, and even to her cousin Genny as Ada helps prepare Genny’s wedding to Afrobeats superstar Skeleboy (“Skeleboy me, Skeleboy this money, everything na Skeleboy…that Skeleboy!”). Because ever since her older brother, Sam, had a fight with their parents a few years ago and disappeared, somebody has to fill the void he left behind. Ada may never know what caused Sam to leave home, but the one thing she’s certain of is that it’s on her to make sure her parents’ sacrifices aren’t in vain.
One day, chance brings the siblings back together. Although she fears how their parents will react if they find out she and Sam are back in touch, Ada’s determined to get answers about the night Sam left—Sam, who was supposed to be an engineer but is now, what, a poet? The more she learns about Sam’s poetry, the more Ada begins to wonder if maybe her own happiness is just as important as doing what’s expected of her. Amid parental pressure, anxiety over the debate competition, a complicated love life, and the Nigerian wedding-to-end-all-weddings, can Ada learn, just this once, to put herself first?
Empress Crowned in Red by Ciannon Smart (HarperTeen) - title and cover not yet released on Goodreads.
The Doyenne is dead, and the throne is empty.
Iraya, her revenge taken and magic unfettered, turns her sights on a bigger goal: freeing Aiyca for the Obeah. But first she must shed the guise of the rogue warrior and become the Lost Empress her people need.
Jazmyne has crowned herself the doyenne and is prepared to go to extreme lengths—and court ruthless danger—to prove to her people she deserves the throne.
But there is more at stake than Jazmyne or Iraya know: a new threat is awakening on the other side of the island that could destroy everything they’ve been fighting for.
Trust is scarce, and betrayal a breath away. But Iraya and Jazmine once again find themselves turning to each other—after all, better the witch you know than the nightmare you don’t.
Iraya and Jazmyne’s deadly game continues in this electric finale to the hit Witches Steeped in Gold, where eldritch terrors lurk in the shadows, unnatural magic reigns, and the fate of Obeah relies on a fraying alliance between sworn enemies.
Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler (Wednesday Books)
The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie's been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she's only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down.
Just one problem: Amber and Jack are falling for each other, and if Amber can't stand up for Jack and figure out how to get everyone to fall in line, her dream may come at the cost of her heart.
Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage is a sparkling romance about fighting for what - or who - you truly want.
Happily Ever Island by Crystal Cestari (Disney Hyperion)
Head-in-the-clouds romantic Madison and driven pragmatist Lanie are unlikely best friends, but the two would do anything for each other. So when Madison’s life starts to fall apart, Lanie agrees to join Madison for the test run of Disney’s newest resort experience during their first college spring break: Happily Ever Island—an immersive vacation destination, where guests can become their favorite Disney character for a week. Madison decides to go as the iconic princess herself, Cinderella, with Lanie as bow-wielding Merida. It’s not Lanie’s idea of fun, but she knows Madison needs her, and besides, she could use the break from her strenuous courseload anyway. Plus, maybe she’ll get to shoot things.
But once on the island, Lanie and Madison begin to drift apart. Madison finds herself either missing out or messing up all the enchanting moments she has dreamt her whole life about, and is forever running into their annoyingly perfect (and distractingly cute) vacation’s coordinator, Val. Meanwhile, Lanie unexpectedly finds herself swept up in the magic of it all. She strikes up a secret romance with Prince Charming—but there’s no telling whether he’s just playing a part.
In this delightful YA rom-com inspired by Disney fandom, get swept up in a whirlwind of laughter, tears, and more than just a touch of Disney magic.
No Way Home by Jody Feldman (Sourcebooks)
Tess Morelli is living a dream: she was selected for an incredible exchange program in Rome, where she'll spend a month taking in the beautiful sights and sounds and tastes of Italy. Her Italian counterpart, Sofia, will stay with Tess's family while she's away. Sure, her host parents barely speak English, but they seem cool enough.
Until one night, when Tess discovers them on a video chat with their daughter, who is brandishing a knife over Tess's sleeping parents. They tell Tess she needs to do exactly as they tell her, or her parents will die. Without her passport, credit cards or phone, Tess is forced to commit a series of crimes that add up to a shocking plan...and unless she finds a way to outwit these criminals, she—and her parents—will end up dead.
The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad by Natasha Deen (Running Kids Press)
Let’s be clear. No matter what her older brother, Robby, says, aspiring screenwriter Tuna Rashad is not “stupidstitious.” She is, however, cool with her Caribbean heritage, which means she is always on the lookout for messages from loved ones who have passed on. But ever since Robby became a widower, all he does is hang out at the house, mock Tuna for following in their ancestors’ traditions, and meddle in her life.
Tuna needs to break free from her brother’s loving but over-bearing ways and get him a life (or at least, get him out of hers!). Based on the signs, her ancestors are on board. They also seem to be on board with helping Tuna win over her crush, Tristan Dangerfield. The only hiccup? She has to do it before leaving for college in the fall. A ticking clock, a grief-stricken brother, and a crush who doesn’t believe in signs. What could possibly go wrong?
Out There: Into the Queer New World by Various YA Authors (Inkyard Press) - moved from May 10th.
To conclude the trio of anthologies that started with critically acclaimed All Out and Out Now, Out There features seventeen original short stories set in the future from fantastic queer YA authors.
Explore new and familiar worlds where the human consciousness can be uploaded into a body on Mars…an alien helps a girl decide if she should tell her best friend how she feels…two teens get stuck in a time loop at a space station…people are forced to travel to the past or the future to escape the dying planet…only a nonbinary person can translate the binary code of a machine that predicts the future…everyone in the world vanishes except for two teen girls who are in love.
This essential and beautifully written collection immerses and surprises with each turn of the page.
Game of Strength and Storm by Rachel Menard (Flux)
Once a year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people selected by a lottery—for a price. Seventeen-year-old Gen, a former circus performer, wants the freedom of her father, who was sentenced to life in prison for murders she knows he didn’t commit. Castor plans to carry the island Arcadia into the future in place of her brother, Pollux, but only after the Empresses force a change in her island’s archaic laws that requires a male heir.
To get what they want, Gen and Castor must race to complete the better half of ten nearly impossible labors. They have to catch the fastest ship in the sea, slay the immortal Hydra, defeat a gangster called the Boar, and capture the flesh-eating Mares, among other deadly tasks.
Gen has her magic, her ability to speak to animals, her inhuman strength—and the help of Pollux, who’s been secretly pining for her for years. But Castor has her own gifts: the power of the storms, along with endless coin. Only one can win. The other walks away with nothing—if she walks away at all.
The House of the Scorpion: Twentieth Aniversary Edition by Nancy Farmer (Atheneum) - reprint of a "YA classic".
Matt Alacrán wasn’t born. He was harvested.
His DNA came from El Patrón, the drug-lord ruler of the country of Opium. Most people hate and fear clones like Matt—except for El Patrón. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself.
As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, and realizes escape is his only chance to survive. But escape from the Alacrán Estate is no guarantee of freedom.
Rise of the Snake Goddess by Jenny Elder Moke (Disney Hyperion)
Samantha Knox is back for another adventure in this 1920s female-driven mystery-adventure series! Sam Knox’s second adventure takes her to the island of Crete, just off the coast of Greece, where she discovers the ancient Snake Goddess’s golden girdle in the depths of a cave shrine that has been buried for decades. After having been belittled by her archaeology professor throughout her first college semester, Sam knows this triumph will prove her worth in the field, but before she can take credit for the find, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite geological. Soon Sam, Bennett and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt—one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous auction party and a near fiery death—to find the girdle before someone can use it to raise an ancient goddess from her slumber. The final battle features gryphons, a labyrinth, the minotaur of legend and lots of snakes. Lots.
The Holloway Girls by Susan Crispell (Sourcebooks) - some editions titled The Kissing Season.
During the kissing season, one kiss from Remy or her older sister Maggie will give the boy—or girl—good luck. Or so it has been for all the Holloway girls before. But this year, Remy's first season, she doesn't follow the rules, dooming the boy she kisses to bad luck that almost kills him and leaving Remy with a cursed kissing season.
Now
Remy is adamant about keeping her lips to herself. But the new boy in
town is making it hard to keep her promise. Especially because he seems
to really want to get to know her, and isn't just using her for the
Holloway luck. But before she can even think about kissing someone else,
she'll have to find a way to fix the curse, or else her family's legacy
will be tainted forever.
Meet Me In Mumbai by Sabina Khan (Scholastic)
Seventeen-year-old Mira Fuller-Jensen was adopted by her moms at birth. All she knows about her biological mother is that she was a high-school student from India who returned to India after giving birth. Although Mira loves her moms, she's always felt out of place in her mostly white community.
So when Mira finds an old box with letters addressed to her from her birth mother, she sees a way to finally capture that feeling of belonging. Her mother writes that if Mira can forgive her for having to give her up, she should find a way to travel to India for her eighteenth birthday and meet her. Mira knows she'll always regret it if she doesn't go. But is she actually ready for what she will learn?
The Loophole by Naz Kutub (Bloomsbury)
Syyed is pining for his ex, who left home to—save the world? He doesn’t know much more, except to wish he’d gone along when Farouk asked. But Sy is shy and timid, from a controlling Indian Muslim family, and wants most to make a life and home with people he loves. Then he meets Reggie, an heiress—is she magical or just rich?—who, in exchange for his kindness, offers to grant Sy three wishes, the first of which is a million dollars, naturally!
But soon reality bites hard: His father realizes Sy is gay and kicks him out. Homeless and alone, he’s off with Reggie and his last two wishes, chasing Farouk to lands he never dreamed to visit to find his missing love for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life. And he’ll find out, maybe, that there is a loophole to everything, including wishes.
The Gravity of Missing Things by Marisa Urgo (Entangled Teen)
Everyone thinks my mom did it on purpose.
Officially, her plane is still missing somewhere in the Atlantic. Unofficially, news reporters all over the world say she was a suicidal terrorist and crashed it into the sea, killing 155 people. But I know better. My mom could never hurt anyone.
The day the plane disappeared, she left me a note. She has a plan. It said I am asking you to trust me. She understands me and my secrets in a way my sister and my dad never could. She’s the only one who gets it, because we are the same. If I retrace her steps, I can solve this.
But then Landon shows up. He’s sweet and thoughtful and auditioning for the play that I’m designing the set for. It’s tempting to lose myself with him, forget that my life’s a hot mess and everything’s in shambles. I can’t be with him though. I can’t be with anyone until I find out the truth.
Mom didn’t crash the plane on purpose. She didn’t crash it at all. I think she’s still alive.
This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian (Balzer + Bray)
When their house is vandalized with a shocking racial slur, Margaret rushes home from her summer internship in New York City. She expects outrage. Instead, her sister and mother would rather keep their heads down and move on. Especially once Margaret's own investigation begins to make members of their community uncomfortable.
For Annalie, this was meant to be a summer of new possibilities, and she resents her sister’s sudden presence and insistence on drawing negative attention to their family. Meanwhile Margaret is infuriated with Annalie’s passive acceptance of what happened. For Margaret, the summer couldn’t possibly get worse, until she crosses paths with someone she swore she’d never see again: her first love, Rajiv Agarwal, who broke up with her the year before for a very good reason.
As the sisters navigate this unexpected summer, an explosive secret simmering below the surface threatens to break their relationship apart, once and for all.
This Place Is Still Beautiful is a luminous, captivating story about identity, the complicated bonds of sisterhood, and how our hometowns are inextricably a part of who we are, even when we outgrow them.
Exactly Where You Need To Be by Amelia Diane Coombs (Simon Pulse)
Florie’s OCD and her mother’s worrying have kept her from a lot of things, like having an after-school job and getting her driver’s license. And now that she’s graduated high school, while her best friend Kacey is headed off to Portland in the fall, Florie’s taking a parent-sanctioned gap year off before starting college. When the decision was made, Florie was on board, but now she can't ignore the growing itch to become the person she wants to be and venture outside the quaint, boring Washington town she grew up in.
Winning tickets to see her favorite true crime podcast’s live show in California gives her the opportunity to do just that, if only for a few days. So—unbeknownst to their parents—Kacey and Florie set off on a road trip to San Francisco. The only downside in Florie’s opinion? Sam, Kacey’s older brother and Florie’s forever crush, is their ride. The Samson Hodge, who Florie hasn’t seen since winter break, and who she’d prefer to never see again, if possible. But Florie is willing to put up with Sam if it means one last adventure with her best friend.
Making it to San Francisco and back to Washington without their parents catching on isn’t a given, but one thing is for sure: this trip will change everything.
Crumbs by Danie Stirling (Etch/Clarion Books) - YA graphic novel.
In a very special town, there’s an even more unusual bakery with a selection of baked treats hand-crafted to help your dreams come true. For Ray, a quiet young woman with special powers of her own, the order is always the same: a hot tea with a delicious side of romance.
When Ray meets Laurie, the kind barista who aspires to be a professional musician, she gets a real taste of love for the first time. But even with a spark of magic, romance isn’t so simple. Both Ray and Laurie are chasing their own dreams and even when Ray starts to see the future, she can’t predict her fate with Laurie.
Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, this sweet coming-of-age story of friendship and first love comes to life in graphic novel format with gorgeous illustrations and exclusive content.
Slip by McCoola Marika (Algonquin) - YA graphic novel.
How do you move on when you don’t want to let go?
Right before Jade is about to leave for a summer art intensive, her best friend, Phoebe, attempts suicide. Jade is shaken and Phoebe is unreachable. How is Jade supposed to focus on herself right now?
But at the Art Farm she has artistic opportunities she’s been waiting for her whole life. As Jade gets to know her classmates, she begins to fall for whimsical, upbeat, comfortable-in-her-own-skin Mary, and pours herself into making ceramic monsters who vent her stress and the worst of her emotions. When Jade puts her creatures in the kiln, something magical happens, something that shouldn’t be real: they come to life. And they’re taking a stand: if Jade won’t confront her problems, her problems are going to confront her. The biggest problem is the scariest one of all—if Jade grows, prospers, and even falls in love this summer, is she leaving Phoebe behind?
Eisner Award–winning writer Marika McCoola and artist Aatmaja Pandya craft an emotionally honest, nuanced story of how growing up can mean growing apart and how art can change us forever.
Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest (Koklia)
While
on a school trip to the Poconos Mountains (in the middle of a storm)
high school seniors, Zyla Matthews and Kai Johnson, run away together
leaving their friends and family confused. As far as everyone knows,
Zyla and Kai have been broken up for months. And honestly? Their break
up hadn’t surprised anyone. Zyla and Kai met while working together at
an amusement park the previous summer, and they couldn’t have been more
different.
Zyla was a cynic about love. She’d witnessed
the dissolution of her parents’ marriage early in life, and it left an
indelible impression. Her only aim was graduating and going to fashion
school abroad. Until she met Kai.
Kai was a serial
monogamist and a hopeless romantic. He’d put a temporary pause on his
dating life before senior year to focus on school and getting into his
dream HBCU. Until he met Zyla.
Alternating between the
past and present, we see the love story unfold from Zyla and Kai’s
perspectives: how they first became the unlikeliest of friends over the
summer, how they fell in love during the school year, and why they
ultimately broke up… Or did they?
Romantic, heart-stirring and a little mysterious, Zyla & Kai will keep readers guessing until the last chapter.
Fireworks by Alice Lin (Underlined)
Seventeen-year-old Lulu Li has her last summer before college all planned out. But her plans go awry when she learns that Kite Xu, her old next-door neighbor and childhood friend, will be returning home from South Korea.
Lulu hasn't seen Kite since eighth grade, after he left the country to pursue a career in K-pop, eventually debuting in the boy group Karnival. When Karnival announces that Kite will be taking a break from K-pop activities for mysterious reasons, the opportunity to rekindle their friendship arises.
Star-struck and nostalgic, Lulu tries to reconnect with Kite. As they continue to bond and reminisce over the past, Kite's sister, Connie, warns Lulu not to get too close to her brother. The harder Lulu tries to deny her feelings, the stronger they get. But how could a K-pop star ever fall for a nobody from home? And even if he did, is there any way for their relationship to end but badly?
Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it.
Tomorrow y Mañana by Monica Gomez-Hira (HarperTeen) - title not yet updated on Goodreads, details from publisher website.
"...Finds Ariana feeling liberated by playing the lead in her school’s gender-blind production of Hamlet."
June 14th
The Edge of Summer by Erica George (Little, Brown) - previously dated June 1st and June 12th.
Fans of Sarah Dessen and
Morgan Matson will be swept away by this big-hearted novel about one
girl navigating first loss and first love during her summer on Cape Cod.
Saving the whales has been Coriander Cabot and her best friend Ella’s dream since elementary school. But when tragedy strikes, Cor is left to complete the list of things they wanted to accomplish before college alone, including a marine biology internship on Cape Cod.
Cor's summer of healing and new beginnings turns complicated when she meets Mannix, a local lifeguard who completely takes her breath away. But she knows whatever she has with Mannix might not last, and that her focus should be on rescuing the humpback whales from entanglement. As the tide changes, Cor finds herself distracted and struggling with her priorities.
Can she follow her heart and keep her promise to the whales and her best friend?
The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni (HMH)
Kiva trades one cage
for another when she leaves behind a deadly prison for a deceptive
palace in this dark and dangerous sequel to The Prison Healer, which Sarah J. Maas called "a must-read".
Kiva Meridan is a survivor.
She survived not only Zalindov prison, but also the deadly Trial by Ordeal. Now Kiva’s purpose goes beyond survival to vengeance. For the past ten years, her only goal was to reunite with her family and destroy the people responsible for ruining their lives. But now that she has escaped Zalindov, her mission has become more complicated than ever.
As Kiva settles into her new life in the capital, she discovers she wasn’t the only one who suffered while she was in Zalindov—her siblings and their beliefs have changed too. Soon it’s not just her enemies she’s keeping secrets from, but her own family as well.
Outside the city walls, tensions are brewing from the rebels, along with whispers of a growing threat from the northern kingdoms. Kiva’s allegiances are more important than ever, but she’s beginning to question where they truly lie. To survive this time, she’ll have to navigate a complicated web of lies before both sides of the battle turn against her and she loses everything.
The Sea Knows My Name by Laura Brooke Robson (Penguin Teen)
In this seafaring
fantasy, a soft-spoken and empathic teen must chart her own course to
rescue the ruthless pirate who raised her
If there's one thing Thea Fowler has learned from her mother, it's that the only way for a woman to survive in a man's world is to make herself strong, invulnerable even. Strength, after all, is how Clementine Fowler survived an apocalyptic Flood and became one of the most notorious pirates the world has ever known. Unfortunately, Thea has inherited none of her mother's ruthlessness and grit.
After a lifetime of being told she is a disappointment, Thea longs to escape life under her mother's thumb. And when she falls for a handsome sailor named Bauer, she thinks she's found her chance at a new life. But it's not long before first love leads to first betrayal, and Thea learns that there's more than one way to be strong.
Go Hunt Me by Kelly DeVos (Razorbill)
For Dracula lovers and fans of Diana Urban’s All Your Twisted Secrets,this
spine-tingling thriller follows eight horror buffs as their dream trip
to a remote Romanian castle turns into a nightmare when they begin to be
killed one by one.
Alex Rush is ready for the trip of a lifetime.
She and her friends have made some creepily awesome films together throughout high school, so with only a few months left before they go their separate ways for college, they’re determined to make the best one yet: an epic documentary about the real inspiration for Dracula, filmed on location at a remote castle in Romania.
But when they get there, it’s not quite the majestic setting they planned for. Menacing weapons line the walls, the twisted halls are easy to get lost in, and with no connection to the outside world, the group is unexpectedly off the grid. After just a few hours spent under its roof, Alex and her friends have no trouble imagining how this dark, terrifying castle inspired one of the most enduring horror novels of all time.
Only soon they no longer have to use their imaginations to understand the location’s terrifying history—just as they get the documentary’s first shot rolling, one of Alex’s friends disappears, and she’s nearly certain she saw a cloaked stranger lurking in the shadows. As more members of the group begin to meet an untimely demise, Alex is desperate to stop the bloodshed, even if it means facing a monster she never thought would be let loose.
The first in a thrilling
and romantic YA political fantasy duology about a fierce princess
determined to bring lasting peace to her kingdom regardless of the cost
to her heart—from C. J. Redwine, acclaimed author of the Defiance series
and the New York Times bestselling Ravenspire series.
Princess Charis Willowthorn is the dutiful sword of Calera. Raised to be ruthless and cunning, her only goal is to hold her war-torn kingdom together long enough to find a path toward peace with their ancient foe, Montevallo, even if the cost is her own heart.
When violence erupts in the castle itself and an unseen enemy begins sinking Calera’s ships, Charis realizes a threat much greater than Montevallo is coming for her people. So she forms a plan. By day, she is Calera’s formidable princess intent on forging an alliance with Montevallo. By night, she disguises herself as a smuggler and roams the sea with a trusted group of loyalists, hunting for their new enemies. And through it all, there’s the one boy she can’t have—who guards her life but steals her heart.
But her enemies are much closer than Charis realizes, and her heart isn’t the only thing she has left to lose.
Valiant Ladies by Melissa Grey (Feiwel and Friends) - originally titled The Valiant Ladies of Potosi, moved from January 2022.
Two teen vigilantes set off on an action-packed investigation to expose corruption and deliver justice in Valiant Ladies,
Melissa Grey's YA historical fiction novel inspired by real seventeenth
century Latinx teenagers known as the Valiant Ladies of PotosÃ.
By day Eustaquia “Kiki” de Sonza and Ana Lezama de Urinza are proper young seventeeth century ladies. But when night falls, they trade in their silks and lace for swords and muskets, venturing out into the vibrant, bustling, crime-ridden streets of PotosÃ, in the Spanish Empire's Viceroyalty of Peru. They pass their time fighting, gambling, and falling desperately in love with one another.
Then, on the night Kiki's engagement to the Viceroy's son is announced, her older brother―heir to her family’s fortune―is murdered. The girls immediately embark on a whirlwind investigation that takes them from the lowliest brothels of Potosà to the highest echelons of the Spanish aristocracy.
Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg (Inkyard Press)
Fate brought them together. Time will tear them apart.
When a mysterious Scotsman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the road, Klara thinks the biggest problem is whether she hit him with her car. But, as impossible as it sounds, Callum has stepped out of another time, and it’s just the beginning of a deadly adventure.
Klara will soon learn that she is the last Pillar of Time—an anchor point in the timeline of the world and a hiding place for a rogue goddess’s magic. Callum is fated to protect her at all costs. A dark force is hunting for the Pillars, to claim the power of the goddess—and Klara and Callum are the only two standing in the way. Thrown together by fate, the two have to learn to trust one another and work together…but they'll need to protect their hearts from one another if they're going to survive.
Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean (Delacorte) - previously titled Chasing Chaucer.
An American girl
embarks on a competitive scavenger hunt in England--and along the way,
meets up with a bookish British boy who can't help her with the clues . .
. but might make the trip take some unexpected turns.
Britt Hanson jumps at the chance to compete for a literary scholarship--but this is no ordinary competition.
Britt must: 1) Travel to England. 2) Solve clues that lead her to locations of classic novels (some of which she didn’t actually read). 3) Write tales about her adventures (even though her teacher called her essays “lacking”).
And when she meets the bookish Luke Jackson, she's torn. Britt doesn’t want to get attached to the cute, young Englishman--and besides, he can’t actually help her with any of the clues. But something about Luke compels her to invite him along for the ride. This is not the time to fancy a British boy . . . or is it?
Vows of Empire by Emily Skrutskie (Del Rey) - technically an adult title, but I know this series has a large YA audience, some editions dated May 3rd but publisher confirms this release date.
Two young princes on opposite sides
of a war must decide between loyalty and love in this galaxy-shaking
finale of the Bloodright Trilogy.
Taylor Parker isn't out
yet, but she's keeping an even bigger secret: she entered a sketch
contest where the grand prize is an internship at SNL.
When Taylor applied to this opportunity for marginalized writers, she checked the "LGBTQ" box on the application without really thinking about it. But now that she's a finalist, she realizes she'll need to be out to win. Whether she's ready or not.
In the month leading up to the competition results, Taylor befriends Charlotte Grey, whom Taylor's had a crush on for years. As they spend more time together, they realize they're genuinely falling for each other--and while Charlotte is willing to take it slow, Taylor doesn't want to ask her to keep their relationship secret forever. Taylor just hopes she can muster the courage to come out before all her secrets do.
The Silence That Binds Us by Joanna Ho (HarperTeen)
After her popular older brother's death by suicide, racist accusations
are hurled against 16-year-old May, her Chinese American parents, and
other Asian families for putting too much "pressure" on their kids. May
attempts to challenge the racism and ugly stereotypes through her
writing, only to realize that she still has much to learn and that the
consequences of speaking truth to power run much deeper than she could
have foreseen. Publication is set for summer 2022; Caryn Wiseman at
Andrea Brown Literary did the deal for world rights.
June 21st
Epically Earnest by Molly Horan (HMH)
Jumper by Melanie Crowder (Philomel) - moved from Spring 2022, some editions have Viking as the publisher.
In a
ripped-from-the-headlines story, nineteen-year-old Blair's passion for
fighting fires lands her a spot with the Forest Service and sets her on a
wilderness adventure that quickly turns catastrophic.
How far would you go to save yourself?
Blair Scott is in her second season as a wildland firefighter when the Forest Service puts out a call for an additional class of smokejumpers. She and her best friend Jason both apply, though neither expects to get in since they’re only nineteen. But it’s been a devastating fire season, and they are both accepted. But going to training camp is only the first step—everyone expects the teenage rookies will wash out in the first week. Blair has always been touchy about people telling her she isn’t good enough, so she begins taking unnecessary risks to prove herself. It doesn’t take long before everything spins out of control, leaving Blair struggling to cope.
A story of courage, self-knowledge, and ultimate triumph over the elements, Jumper is a dramatic wilderness adventure that explores what it takes to survive—in every sense of the word.
Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino (Page Street) - moved from May 3rd.
‘Salem’s Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.”
Seventeen years ago, May and Laura Wickett fought their way out of the goblin market but the scars will never fade from May’s heart. After all, the market was more than the sum of the bodies it left behind: it was also the home of her first love. But when the price of freedom is blood and marrow, some heartbreaks are better left buried.
In present-day Boston, Louisa Wickett-Stevens does not believe in magic, despite Mom’s and Aunt May’s superstitions. But after Lou’s teenage aunt, Neela, goes missing, Lou realizes that their superstitions have been handed down to protect them from York’s bloodthirsty goblin market. It’s up to Lou, Mom, and May to infiltrate the market and steal Neela back before the goblins disappear. But the market has its fair share of secrets, and this time, the goblins do not only want death: they seek vengeance.
Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - set in the same world as Night Shine, moved from Fall 2022.
The
fate of an Empire lies with a headstrong Heir and a restless demon in
this lush YA fantasy for fans of Laini Taylor and Girl, Serpent, Thorn.
Ever since she was a girl, Raliel Dark-Smile’s best friend has been the great demon that lives in the palace. As the daughter of the Emperor, Raliel appears cold and distant to those around her, but what no one understands is that she and the great demon, Moon, have a close and unbreakable bond and are together at all times. Moon is bound to the Emperor and his two consorts, Raliel’s parents, and when Raliel comes of age, she will be bound to Moon as well, constrained to live in the Palace for the rest of her days.
Raliel is desperate to see the Empire Between Five Mountains, and she feels a deep kinship with Moon, who longs to break free of its bonds. When the time finally arrives for Raliel’s coming of age journey, she discovers a dangerous way to take Moon with her, even as she hides this truth from her travel companion, the beautiful, demon-kissed bodyguard Osian Redpop. But Osian is hiding secrets of his own, and when a plot surfaces that threatens the Empire, Raliel will have to decide who she can trust and what she’ll sacrifice for the power to protect all that she loves.
A Year to the Day by Robin Benway (HarperTeen)
National Book
Award–winning author Robin Benway returns with an ambitious I’ll Give
You the Sun meets Every Day story of love, loss, and sisterhood told in a
reverse chronological narrative that will claim a permanent home in
your heart.
It’s been a year—a year of missing Nina. A year of milestones—holidays, birthdays, everything without her.
Leo feels like she should remember what happened that night. But all she knows is that she left the party and got into a car with Nina and Nina’s boyfriend, East.
East, who once promised Nina he’d watch out for her younger sister. East, who has been trying to keep that promise every day since. But East won’t give Leo the one thing she wants—the one thing she needs. He won’t tell her anything about the accident. He won’t talk about that night at all.
As the days tumble one into the next, Leo’s story comes together while her world falls apart. The only constant is the one person who can help her bear the enormous weight of her love for Nina—and East might be carrying too heavy a load of his own.
Robin Benway’s signature exploration of love, family, and finding yourself is on display in her most ambitious story yet.
The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley (HarperTeen)
From the acclaimed
author of Three Things I Know Are True comes a new novel in verse, a
deeply emotional story about an adopted teenager exploring the meaning
of family, friendship, and love in all its many forms.
Perfect for fans of Robin Benway, Cynthia Hand, and Jandy Nelson, Rynn’s journey shows how complicated and infuriating, yet healing, family can be.
When Rynn was born, her birth mother named her Scheherazade. It’s one of the only things Rynn has from her. Now sixteen, Rynn and her adoptive parents live on a small garlic farm in central Maine. Rynn’s father is kind and gentle but oblivious to Rynn’s mother’s temper and coldness toward their daughter.
Rynn has longed to know her birth family for years. She can’t legally open her adoption records until she turns eighteen, but that won’t stop her from searching on her own. She finds out that though her birth mother has died, she has a younger sister—who’s in foster care two towns away. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.
Never Coming Home by Kate Williams (Delacorte) - moved from 2021, previously untitled Unfollowed.
The beach read you
have been dying for! When ten of America's hottest teenage influencers
are invited to an exclusive island resort, things are sure to get wild.
But murder isn't what anyone expected. Will anyone survive?
Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?
After launching with a showstopping viral marketing campaign, the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.
What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.
This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury)
How much would you
risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous
fate? Bestselling author Kalynn Bayron continues the story of Briseis
and her family's deadly magic in the sequel to This Poison Heart.
Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?
The second book in this empowering and inclusive fantasy duology is perfect for fans of Legendborn and Lore.
We Weren't Looking to Be Found by Stephanie Kuehn (Disney Hyperion)
Two young girls. Two disparate stories. One unlikely friendship....
Dani comes from the richest, most famous Black family in Texas and seems to have everything a girl could want. So why does she keep using and engaging in other self-destructive behavior?
Camila’s Colombian-American family doesn’t have much, but she knows exactly what she wants out of life and works her ass off to get it. So why does she keep failing, and why does she self-harm every time she does?
When Dani and Camila find themselves rooming together at Peach Tree Hills, a treatment facility in beautiful rural Georgia, they initially think they’ll never get along—and they’ll never get better. But then they find a mysterious music box filled with letters from a former resident of PTH, and together they set out to solve the mystery of who this girl was . . . and who she’s become. The investigation will bring them together, and what they find at the end might just bring them hope.
From award-winning author Stephanie Kuehn comes a breathtaking tale of friendship and healing. Both poignant and timely, We Weren’t Looking to Be Found is complex, hopeful, and heartbreaking all at once.
June 28th
Sometime in Summer by Katrina Leno (Poppy) - previously titled Summer Reading, previously dated June 1st, some editions date June 26th.
From critically acclaimed author Katrina Leno comes a tender love letter to books and summertime, with a touch of magic.
Anna Lucia Bell believes in luck: bad luck. Bad luck made her best friend stop talking to her. Bad luck caused her parents’ divorce. Bad luck is forcing her mother, Miriam, to sell the family’s beloved bookstore. And it is definitely bad luck that Anna seems to be the only person in the world Miriam is unable to recommend a life-changing book.
When Anna finds out that she and her mom are spending two months in a New England seaside town called Rockport, she expects a summer plagued with bad luck too. But Rockport has surprises in store for Anna, including a comet making its first appearance in over twenty years and two new—but familiar—friends.
In what will prove to be the most important summer of her life so far, Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.
Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert (Flatiron Books) - cover recently updated.
THE SUBURBS, RIGHT NOW . . .
Seventeen-year-old Ivy’s summer break kicks off with an accident, a punishment, and a mystery: a stranger whose appearance in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night, heralds a string of increasingly unsettling events. As the days pass, Ivy grapples with eerie offerings, corroded memories, and a secret she’s always known—that there’s more to her mother than meets the eye.
THE CITY, BACK THEN . . .
Dana has always been perceptive. And the summer she turns sixteen, with the help of her best friend and an ambitious older girl, her gifts bloom into a heady fling with the supernatural, set in a city of magical possibilities and secret mystics. As the trio’s aspirations darken, they find themselves speeding toward a violent breaking point.
Years after it began, Ivy and Dana’s shared story will come down to a reckoning among a daughter, a mother, and the dark forces they never should’ve messed with.
Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty (FSG) - pushed from July 2021, then pushed from December 2021, then from May 2022. Previously dated August 2022.
In this medieval YA
fantasy thriller, an orphan with a secret, magical sight gets caught
between a mysterious genius and the serial killer he’s hunting.
Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills—for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly.
But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into the web of a dangerous man who will definitely strike again. Assigned to capture the culprit is the mysterious, brilliant, and enigmatic Simon, whose insights into the mind of a killer are frighteningly accurate.
As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between murderer and detective while hiding her own secret—a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims...
Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Feiwel and Friends)
Godslayers--Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane sequel to Gearbreakers--is perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series.
The only way to kill a god is from the inside...
The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who've managed to escape the tyrannical empire's bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith--Godolia's only surviving leader.
Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona--the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for--also survived, only to be captured and Corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris' mortal enemy.
With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war...
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede (Wednesday Books) - previously titled The Last Finestra.
Three weddings.
Three funerals.
Her divine "gift" is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill everyone she touches.
With only weeks before she has to protect her island home from an apocalyptic invasion, Alessa is running out of time —and suitors. And when a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is their only hope, her own soldiers turn against her. With mutiny growing inside the Citadel and rebellion erupting beyond the walls, Alessa coaxes a cynical outcast marked as a killer to become her personal bodyguard as she tries one last time to find a compatible partner.
But Dante has dark secrets of his own.
He might be the one person who can help her master her gift... or destroy her once and for all.
Set on an island inspired by Italy's colorful, lemon-soaked Amalfi coast, The Last Finestra is a high-stakes Young Adult fantasy full of intrigue, excitement, humor, and romance.
The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar (HarperTeen)
Seven years ago, Tanvi
was spirited away to the subterranean realm of Nagalok, where she joined
the ranks of the dream runners: human children freed of all memory and
emotion, charged with harvesting mortal dreams for the consumption of
the naga court.
Venkat knows a different side of Nagalok. As apprentice to the influential Lord Nayan, he shapes the dream runners’ wares into the kingdom’s most tantalizing commodity. And Nayan has larger plans for these mortal dreams: with a dreamsmith of Venkat’s talent, he believes he can use them to end a war between nagas and their ancient foe, the garudas.
But when one of Tanvi’s dream harvests goes awry, she begins to remember her life on Earth. Panicked and confused, she turns to the one mortal in Nagalok who can help: Venkat. And as they search for answers, a terrifying truth begins to take shape—one that could turn the nagas’ realm of dreams into a land of waking nightmare.
Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Cheerleaders
in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of
unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it
all.
Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next.
In this charming, contemporary YA novel, neighborhood rideshare driver Charlie Morgan embarks on a collision course with love when she crashes into the school's cute but annoying party boy and wrecks his car and her no-strings-attached attitude toward life.
As a driver for her local ride share app, Charlie Owens loves what the open road gives her: freedom, extra cash for an epic road trip, and a path to getting out of her sleepy town of Chester Falls, Massachusetts. She's seen her fair share of mysterious passengers and explosive break-ups in the backseat of her car, but Charlie lives a no-strings-attached lifestyle and never gets involved.
But when a routine post-party pick-up ends with Charlie crashing into Andre, her school's notorious party boy, she's forced to make a deal to drive him anywhere he needs to go, anytime, until his car can be repaired. Suddenly Charlie and Andre are stuck together, and they couldn't be more different. But Andre's charm wins over Charlie's passengers, and she soon finds herself at risk of breaking her most sacred rule: don't fall in love.
The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright (HarperTeen)
Rora is tired of being afraid. Exhausted by a mind that sees
everything through a prism of fear. Claudia would do anything to ease
her best friend’s anxiety, but lately her own life has been spiraling
out of control.
A surprising and romantic YA retelling-mashup of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz.
Best friends Mary Lennox, Sara Crewe, and Cedric Erroll have each other, and they are the only reason boarding school isn’t completely insufferable.
Tragically, Mary’s father passes away after he’s stripped of his fortune, leaving her orphaned and with just one possession: a ticket to a ship that will bring her to the home of her last living relative, in America. But Cedric can’t bear to say goodbye, and reveals that he’s the son of an earl with endless riches . . . and a huge estate that the three of them can run away to, leaving the boarding school–and thoughts of America–behind.
That’s when Sara and Cedric discover that there’s more to them than friendship, and Mary begins spending time with a handsome local boy–a relationship that quickly blossoms into romance.
It turns out that Maythem Estate is more than just a getaway–it’s a secret garden of budding romance.
Filled with charm, romance, and swoon, and inspired by some of classic literature’s most beloved characters, The Secret Princess is the perfect blend of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden— and the perfect companion to Jo & Laurie.
Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia (Greenwillow Books)
From acclaimed author Francesca Zappia, American Horror Story meets the dark comedy of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis as Cat searches for a way to escape her high school. Katzenjammer is
a tale of family, love, tragedy, and masks—the ones others make for us,
and the ones we make for ourselves. Eerie and thought-provoking, this
novel will haunt fans of Chelsie Pitcher’s This Lie Will Kill You and E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars. Features illustrations by the author throughout.
In the sequel to Victoria Aveyard’s instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker, a divided world must rally, an unstoppable enemy must be defeated, and the fate of the world rests on a blade’s edge.
Andry, a former squire, continues to fight for hope amid blood and chaos.
Dom, a grieving immortal, strives to fulfill a broken oath.
Sorasa, an outcast assassin, faces her past when it returns with sharpened teeth.
Valtik, an old sorceress, summons a mighty power.
And Corayne, a pirate’s daughter with an ancient magic in her blood, steps closer to becoming the hero she’s destined to be.
Together they must assemble an army to face Queen Erida and Taristan’s wicked forces. But something deadly waits in the shadows, something that might consume the world before there’s any hope for victory.
The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman (Fiewel and Friends) - previously titled What About Katia?
Sixteen-year-old Beau
Willet has dreams of being an artist and one day leaving the Chicago
projects she's grown up in. But after her older sister, Katia, is killed
by an off-duty police officer, Beau knows she has to clear her sister's
name by finding the only witness to the murder; Katia's no-good
boyfriend, Jordan, who has gone missing. If she doesn't find him and
tell the world what really happened, Katia's death will be ignored, like
the deaths of so many other Black women who are wrongfully killed.
With the help of her friend, Sonnet, Beau sets up a Twitter account to gather anonymous tips. But the more that Beau finds out about her sister's death, the more danger she finds herself in. And with a new relationship developing with her childhood friend, Champion, and the struggle to keep her family together, Beau is soon in way over her head. How much is she willing to risk to clear her sister's name and make sure she's not forgotten?
My Name is Jason. Mine Too by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin (Atheneum) - YA non-fiction.
A stunning visual
autobiography of two crazy-talented besties, bestselling and
award-winning author Jason Reynolds and painter Jason Griffin, who could
never be who they are singularly if they weren’t who they were
together.
Once upon a time in America, there were two Jasons. Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin. One a poet. One an artist. One Black. One white. Two voices. One journey in mind: to move to New York, the city of dreams, to make their own dreams come true. Willing to have a life not un-hard, so long as it wasn’t unhappy. Willing to let the city swallow them whole, so long as it gives them their chance. They had each other. “What if painting was a sin, and the poetry became taboo. And no one ever clapped for me again. My question is, would you?”
They clapped. Oh, they clapped. And aren’t we glad?
Stealing Infinity by Alison Noel (Entangled Teen) - moved from February 2022.
When a young girl with
an unusual gift is whisked away to an academy for time-travelling teens,
she becomes the target for a sinister organization hell-bent on
rewriting history in this clever and fast-paced YA that is guaranteed to
become your next fantasy romance obsession.
The Edge of Summer by Erica George (Little, Brown) - previously dated June 1st and June 12th.
Saving the whales has been Coriander Cabot and her best friend Ella’s dream since elementary school. But when tragedy strikes, Cor is left to complete the list of things they wanted to accomplish before college alone, including a marine biology internship on Cape Cod.
Cor's summer of healing and new beginnings turns complicated when she meets Mannix, a local lifeguard who completely takes her breath away. But she knows whatever she has with Mannix might not last, and that her focus should be on rescuing the humpback whales from entanglement. As the tide changes, Cor finds herself distracted and struggling with her priorities.
Can she follow her heart and keep her promise to the whales and her best friend?
The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni (HMH)
Kiva Meridan is a survivor.
She survived not only Zalindov prison, but also the deadly Trial by Ordeal. Now Kiva’s purpose goes beyond survival to vengeance. For the past ten years, her only goal was to reunite with her family and destroy the people responsible for ruining their lives. But now that she has escaped Zalindov, her mission has become more complicated than ever.
As Kiva settles into her new life in the capital, she discovers she wasn’t the only one who suffered while she was in Zalindov—her siblings and their beliefs have changed too. Soon it’s not just her enemies she’s keeping secrets from, but her own family as well.
Outside the city walls, tensions are brewing from the rebels, along with whispers of a growing threat from the northern kingdoms. Kiva’s allegiances are more important than ever, but she’s beginning to question where they truly lie. To survive this time, she’ll have to navigate a complicated web of lies before both sides of the battle turn against her and she loses everything.
The Sea Knows My Name by Laura Brooke Robson (Penguin Teen)
If there's one thing Thea Fowler has learned from her mother, it's that the only way for a woman to survive in a man's world is to make herself strong, invulnerable even. Strength, after all, is how Clementine Fowler survived an apocalyptic Flood and became one of the most notorious pirates the world has ever known. Unfortunately, Thea has inherited none of her mother's ruthlessness and grit.
After a lifetime of being told she is a disappointment, Thea longs to escape life under her mother's thumb. And when she falls for a handsome sailor named Bauer, she thinks she's found her chance at a new life. But it's not long before first love leads to first betrayal, and Thea learns that there's more than one way to be strong.
Go Hunt Me by Kelly DeVos (Razorbill)
Alex Rush is ready for the trip of a lifetime.
She and her friends have made some creepily awesome films together throughout high school, so with only a few months left before they go their separate ways for college, they’re determined to make the best one yet: an epic documentary about the real inspiration for Dracula, filmed on location at a remote castle in Romania.
But when they get there, it’s not quite the majestic setting they planned for. Menacing weapons line the walls, the twisted halls are easy to get lost in, and with no connection to the outside world, the group is unexpectedly off the grid. After just a few hours spent under its roof, Alex and her friends have no trouble imagining how this dark, terrifying castle inspired one of the most enduring horror novels of all time.
Only soon they no longer have to use their imaginations to understand the location’s terrifying history—just as they get the documentary’s first shot rolling, one of Alex’s friends disappears, and she’s nearly certain she saw a cloaked stranger lurking in the shadows. As more members of the group begin to meet an untimely demise, Alex is desperate to stop the bloodshed, even if it means facing a monster she never thought would be let loose.
Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine (HarperTeen) - moved from 2020.
Princess Charis Willowthorn is the dutiful sword of Calera. Raised to be ruthless and cunning, her only goal is to hold her war-torn kingdom together long enough to find a path toward peace with their ancient foe, Montevallo, even if the cost is her own heart.
When violence erupts in the castle itself and an unseen enemy begins sinking Calera’s ships, Charis realizes a threat much greater than Montevallo is coming for her people. So she forms a plan. By day, she is Calera’s formidable princess intent on forging an alliance with Montevallo. By night, she disguises herself as a smuggler and roams the sea with a trusted group of loyalists, hunting for their new enemies. And through it all, there’s the one boy she can’t have—who guards her life but steals her heart.
But her enemies are much closer than Charis realizes, and her heart isn’t the only thing she has left to lose.
Valiant Ladies by Melissa Grey (Feiwel and Friends) - originally titled The Valiant Ladies of Potosi, moved from January 2022.
By day Eustaquia “Kiki” de Sonza and Ana Lezama de Urinza are proper young seventeeth century ladies. But when night falls, they trade in their silks and lace for swords and muskets, venturing out into the vibrant, bustling, crime-ridden streets of PotosÃ, in the Spanish Empire's Viceroyalty of Peru. They pass their time fighting, gambling, and falling desperately in love with one another.
Then, on the night Kiki's engagement to the Viceroy's son is announced, her older brother―heir to her family’s fortune―is murdered. The girls immediately embark on a whirlwind investigation that takes them from the lowliest brothels of Potosà to the highest echelons of the Spanish aristocracy.
Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg (Inkyard Press)
When a mysterious Scotsman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the road, Klara thinks the biggest problem is whether she hit him with her car. But, as impossible as it sounds, Callum has stepped out of another time, and it’s just the beginning of a deadly adventure.
Klara will soon learn that she is the last Pillar of Time—an anchor point in the timeline of the world and a hiding place for a rogue goddess’s magic. Callum is fated to protect her at all costs. A dark force is hunting for the Pillars, to claim the power of the goddess—and Klara and Callum are the only two standing in the way. Thrown together by fate, the two have to learn to trust one another and work together…but they'll need to protect their hearts from one another if they're going to survive.
Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean (Delacorte) - previously titled Chasing Chaucer.
Britt Hanson jumps at the chance to compete for a literary scholarship--but this is no ordinary competition.
Britt must: 1) Travel to England. 2) Solve clues that lead her to locations of classic novels (some of which she didn’t actually read). 3) Write tales about her adventures (even though her teacher called her essays “lacking”).
And when she meets the bookish Luke Jackson, she's torn. Britt doesn’t want to get attached to the cute, young Englishman--and besides, he can’t actually help her with any of the clues. But something about Luke compels her to invite him along for the ride. This is not the time to fancy a British boy . . . or is it?
Vows of Empire by Emily Skrutskie (Del Rey) - technically an adult title, but I know this series has a large YA audience, some editions dated May 3rd but publisher confirms this release date.
Gal and Ettian have
never been farther apart. Once, they were roommates and best friends,
each suffocating under a secret of galactic consequence. When Gal’s came
to light—that he was heir to the Umber Empire and all of its brutal
conquest—the two were forced to flee their military academy, fall in
with a brewing rebellion to reclaim the Archon Empire from Umber’s
grasp, and face their long-held feelings for each other.
Then the
rebellion discovered Gal’s identity and to save his life, Ettian had no
choice but to unveil his own secret: that he was the long-lost heir to
the Archon throne. With Gal as a political prisoner, Ettian began the
fight to restore his own empire—and to open Gal’s eyes to the
possibility of a galaxy reclaimed from Umber’s greed. But just when Gal
was starting to come around, a team of Umber operatives rescued him from
Archon’s clutches and dragged him home to take up his crown.
Now,
separated for the first time and in full command of the might of their
respective forces, the star-crossed rulers find themselves truly at
odds. And with the war reaching a tipping point, the time has finally
come for Gal and Ettian to confront what they owe their empires, their
friends, and each other if they’re ever to forge a universe where the
two of them can be together.
When Taylor applied to this opportunity for marginalized writers, she checked the "LGBTQ" box on the application without really thinking about it. But now that she's a finalist, she realizes she'll need to be out to win. Whether she's ready or not.
In the month leading up to the competition results, Taylor befriends Charlotte Grey, whom Taylor's had a crush on for years. As they spend more time together, they realize they're genuinely falling for each other--and while Charlotte is willing to take it slow, Taylor doesn't want to ask her to keep their relationship secret forever. Taylor just hopes she can muster the courage to come out before all her secrets do.
The Silence That Binds Us by Joanna Ho (HarperTeen)
June 21st
Epically Earnest by Molly Horan (HMH)
In this delightfully romantic LGBTQ+ comedy-of-errors inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a high school senior works up the courage to ask her long-time crush to prom all while deciding if she should look for her bio family.
Jane Grady's claim to fame is that she was one first viral internet sensations, dubbed #bagbaby--discovered as a one-year-old in an oversized Gucci bag by her adopted father in a Poughkeepsie train station. Now in her senior year of high school, Jane is questioning whether she wants to look for her bio family due to a loving, but deeply misguided push from her best friend Algie, while also navigating an all-consuming crush on his cousin, the beautiful, way-out-of-her-league Gwen Fairfax.
And while Janey's never thought of herself as the earnest type, she needs to be honest with her parents, Algie, Gwen, but mostly herself if she wants to make her life truly epic. With a wink toward Oscar Wilde's beloved play, Epically Earnest explores the complexity of identity, the many forms family can take, and the importance of being . . . yourself.
Jumper by Melanie Crowder (Philomel) - moved from Spring 2022, some editions have Viking as the publisher.
How far would you go to save yourself?
Blair Scott is in her second season as a wildland firefighter when the Forest Service puts out a call for an additional class of smokejumpers. She and her best friend Jason both apply, though neither expects to get in since they’re only nineteen. But it’s been a devastating fire season, and they are both accepted. But going to training camp is only the first step—everyone expects the teenage rookies will wash out in the first week. Blair has always been touchy about people telling her she isn’t good enough, so she begins taking unnecessary risks to prove herself. It doesn’t take long before everything spins out of control, leaving Blair struggling to cope.
A story of courage, self-knowledge, and ultimate triumph over the elements, Jumper is a dramatic wilderness adventure that explores what it takes to survive—in every sense of the word.
Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino (Page Street) - moved from May 3rd.
Seventeen years ago, May and Laura Wickett fought their way out of the goblin market but the scars will never fade from May’s heart. After all, the market was more than the sum of the bodies it left behind: it was also the home of her first love. But when the price of freedom is blood and marrow, some heartbreaks are better left buried.
In present-day Boston, Louisa Wickett-Stevens does not believe in magic, despite Mom’s and Aunt May’s superstitions. But after Lou’s teenage aunt, Neela, goes missing, Lou realizes that their superstitions have been handed down to protect them from York’s bloodthirsty goblin market. It’s up to Lou, Mom, and May to infiltrate the market and steal Neela back before the goblins disappear. But the market has its fair share of secrets, and this time, the goblins do not only want death: they seek vengeance.
Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - set in the same world as Night Shine, moved from Fall 2022.
Ever since she was a girl, Raliel Dark-Smile’s best friend has been the great demon that lives in the palace. As the daughter of the Emperor, Raliel appears cold and distant to those around her, but what no one understands is that she and the great demon, Moon, have a close and unbreakable bond and are together at all times. Moon is bound to the Emperor and his two consorts, Raliel’s parents, and when Raliel comes of age, she will be bound to Moon as well, constrained to live in the Palace for the rest of her days.
Raliel is desperate to see the Empire Between Five Mountains, and she feels a deep kinship with Moon, who longs to break free of its bonds. When the time finally arrives for Raliel’s coming of age journey, she discovers a dangerous way to take Moon with her, even as she hides this truth from her travel companion, the beautiful, demon-kissed bodyguard Osian Redpop. But Osian is hiding secrets of his own, and when a plot surfaces that threatens the Empire, Raliel will have to decide who she can trust and what she’ll sacrifice for the power to protect all that she loves.
A Year to the Day by Robin Benway (HarperTeen)
It’s been a year—a year of missing Nina. A year of milestones—holidays, birthdays, everything without her.
Leo feels like she should remember what happened that night. But all she knows is that she left the party and got into a car with Nina and Nina’s boyfriend, East.
East, who once promised Nina he’d watch out for her younger sister. East, who has been trying to keep that promise every day since. But East won’t give Leo the one thing she wants—the one thing she needs. He won’t tell her anything about the accident. He won’t talk about that night at all.
As the days tumble one into the next, Leo’s story comes together while her world falls apart. The only constant is the one person who can help her bear the enormous weight of her love for Nina—and East might be carrying too heavy a load of his own.
Robin Benway’s signature exploration of love, family, and finding yourself is on display in her most ambitious story yet.
The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley (HarperTeen)
Perfect for fans of Robin Benway, Cynthia Hand, and Jandy Nelson, Rynn’s journey shows how complicated and infuriating, yet healing, family can be.
When Rynn was born, her birth mother named her Scheherazade. It’s one of the only things Rynn has from her. Now sixteen, Rynn and her adoptive parents live on a small garlic farm in central Maine. Rynn’s father is kind and gentle but oblivious to Rynn’s mother’s temper and coldness toward their daughter.
Rynn has longed to know her birth family for years. She can’t legally open her adoption records until she turns eighteen, but that won’t stop her from searching on her own. She finds out that though her birth mother has died, she has a younger sister—who’s in foster care two towns away. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.
Never Coming Home by Kate Williams (Delacorte) - moved from 2021, previously untitled Unfollowed.
Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?
After launching with a showstopping viral marketing campaign, the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.
What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.
This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury)
Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?
The second book in this empowering and inclusive fantasy duology is perfect for fans of Legendborn and Lore.
We Weren't Looking to Be Found by Stephanie Kuehn (Disney Hyperion)
Dani comes from the richest, most famous Black family in Texas and seems to have everything a girl could want. So why does she keep using and engaging in other self-destructive behavior?
Camila’s Colombian-American family doesn’t have much, but she knows exactly what she wants out of life and works her ass off to get it. So why does she keep failing, and why does she self-harm every time she does?
When Dani and Camila find themselves rooming together at Peach Tree Hills, a treatment facility in beautiful rural Georgia, they initially think they’ll never get along—and they’ll never get better. But then they find a mysterious music box filled with letters from a former resident of PTH, and together they set out to solve the mystery of who this girl was . . . and who she’s become. The investigation will bring them together, and what they find at the end might just bring them hope.
From award-winning author Stephanie Kuehn comes a breathtaking tale of friendship and healing. Both poignant and timely, We Weren’t Looking to Be Found is complex, hopeful, and heartbreaking all at once.
June 28th
Sometime in Summer by Katrina Leno (Poppy) - previously titled Summer Reading, previously dated June 1st, some editions date June 26th.
Anna Lucia Bell believes in luck: bad luck. Bad luck made her best friend stop talking to her. Bad luck caused her parents’ divorce. Bad luck is forcing her mother, Miriam, to sell the family’s beloved bookstore. And it is definitely bad luck that Anna seems to be the only person in the world Miriam is unable to recommend a life-changing book.
When Anna finds out that she and her mom are spending two months in a New England seaside town called Rockport, she expects a summer plagued with bad luck too. But Rockport has surprises in store for Anna, including a comet making its first appearance in over twenty years and two new—but familiar—friends.
In what will prove to be the most important summer of her life so far, Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.
Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert (Flatiron Books) - cover recently updated.
Seventeen-year-old Ivy’s summer break kicks off with an accident, a punishment, and a mystery: a stranger whose appearance in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night, heralds a string of increasingly unsettling events. As the days pass, Ivy grapples with eerie offerings, corroded memories, and a secret she’s always known—that there’s more to her mother than meets the eye.
THE CITY, BACK THEN . . .
Dana has always been perceptive. And the summer she turns sixteen, with the help of her best friend and an ambitious older girl, her gifts bloom into a heady fling with the supernatural, set in a city of magical possibilities and secret mystics. As the trio’s aspirations darken, they find themselves speeding toward a violent breaking point.
Years after it began, Ivy and Dana’s shared story will come down to a reckoning among a daughter, a mother, and the dark forces they never should’ve messed with.
Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty (FSG) - pushed from July 2021, then pushed from December 2021, then from May 2022. Previously dated August 2022.
Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills—for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly.
But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into the web of a dangerous man who will definitely strike again. Assigned to capture the culprit is the mysterious, brilliant, and enigmatic Simon, whose insights into the mind of a killer are frighteningly accurate.
As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between murderer and detective while hiding her own secret—a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims...
Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Feiwel and Friends)
The only way to kill a god is from the inside...
The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who've managed to escape the tyrannical empire's bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith--Godolia's only surviving leader.
Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona--the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for--also survived, only to be captured and Corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris' mortal enemy.
With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war...
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede (Wednesday Books) - previously titled The Last Finestra.
Three funerals.
Her divine "gift" is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill everyone she touches.
With only weeks before she has to protect her island home from an apocalyptic invasion, Alessa is running out of time —and suitors. And when a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is their only hope, her own soldiers turn against her. With mutiny growing inside the Citadel and rebellion erupting beyond the walls, Alessa coaxes a cynical outcast marked as a killer to become her personal bodyguard as she tries one last time to find a compatible partner.
But Dante has dark secrets of his own.
He might be the one person who can help her master her gift... or destroy her once and for all.
Set on an island inspired by Italy's colorful, lemon-soaked Amalfi coast, The Last Finestra is a high-stakes Young Adult fantasy full of intrigue, excitement, humor, and romance.
The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar (HarperTeen)
Venkat knows a different side of Nagalok. As apprentice to the influential Lord Nayan, he shapes the dream runners’ wares into the kingdom’s most tantalizing commodity. And Nayan has larger plans for these mortal dreams: with a dreamsmith of Venkat’s talent, he believes he can use them to end a war between nagas and their ancient foe, the garudas.
But when one of Tanvi’s dream harvests goes awry, she begins to remember her life on Earth. Panicked and confused, she turns to the one mortal in Nagalok who can help: Venkat. And as they search for answers, a terrifying truth begins to take shape—one that could turn the nagas’ realm of dreams into a land of waking nightmare.
Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next.
When Luca comes home to police cars outside her
house, she knows the curse has visited once again. Except this time, it
came for Whitney, her sister. Luca decides to take the investigation of
Whitney’s death into her own hands. But as a shocking betrayal rocks
Luca’s world, the identity Whitney’s killer isn’t the only truth Luca
seeks. And by the time she finds what she’s looking for, Luca will come
face to face with the curse she’s been running from her whole life.
As a driver for her local ride share app, Charlie Owens loves what the open road gives her: freedom, extra cash for an epic road trip, and a path to getting out of her sleepy town of Chester Falls, Massachusetts. She's seen her fair share of mysterious passengers and explosive break-ups in the backseat of her car, but Charlie lives a no-strings-attached lifestyle and never gets involved.
But when a routine post-party pick-up ends with Charlie crashing into Andre, her school's notorious party boy, she's forced to make a deal to drive him anywhere he needs to go, anytime, until his car can be repaired. Suddenly Charlie and Andre are stuck together, and they couldn't be more different. But Andre's charm wins over Charlie's passengers, and she soon finds herself at risk of breaking her most sacred rule: don't fall in love.
The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright (HarperTeen)
It should be the two of them against the world—but the rest of the world has been descending into chaos too. Every day brings increasingly alarming news: waves of accidents, surging crime statistics, natural phenomena scientists can’t explain. It seems like something has gone seriously wrong with the universe.
Then they meet two boys at a concert and discover that something has. Major and Amir come from one of nine secret cities of the spheres, ruled by the magic of the astrological signs. They say there’s a disruption in the magical symphony that maintains the balance between the worlds. And they need help.
To find the source of the disharmony, Rora and Claudia will embark on a whirlwind journey of secrets, romance, and powerful truths—about themselves, each other, and two long-ago explorers named Dante and Beatrice, who were among the first to chart this course toward the stars.
A Secret Princess by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz (Putnam)
Best friends Mary Lennox, Sara Crewe, and Cedric Erroll have each other, and they are the only reason boarding school isn’t completely insufferable.
Tragically, Mary’s father passes away after he’s stripped of his fortune, leaving her orphaned and with just one possession: a ticket to a ship that will bring her to the home of her last living relative, in America. But Cedric can’t bear to say goodbye, and reveals that he’s the son of an earl with endless riches . . . and a huge estate that the three of them can run away to, leaving the boarding school–and thoughts of America–behind.
That’s when Sara and Cedric discover that there’s more to them than friendship, and Mary begins spending time with a handsome local boy–a relationship that quickly blossoms into romance.
It turns out that Maythem Estate is more than just a getaway–it’s a secret garden of budding romance.
Filled with charm, romance, and swoon, and inspired by some of classic literature’s most beloved characters, The Secret Princess is the perfect blend of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden— and the perfect companion to Jo & Laurie.
Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia (Greenwillow Books)
Cat lives in her high school. She never leaves, and for a long time her school has provided her with everything she needs. But now things are changing. The hallways contract and expand along with the school’s breathing, and the showers in the bathroom run a bloody red. Cat’s best friend is slowly turning into cardboard, and instead of a face, Cat has a cat mask made of her own hardened flesh.
Cat doesn’t remember why she is trapped in her school or why half of them—Cat included—are slowly transforming. Escaping has always been the one impossibility in her school’s upside-down world. But to save herself from the eventual self-destruction all the students face, Cat must find the way out. And to do that, she’ll have to remember the terrible tragedy that put her there in the first place.
Told in chapters alternating between the past and the present,
Francesca Zappia weaves a spine-tingling, suspenseful, and haunting
story about tragedy and the power of memories. Much like the acclaimed Eliza and Her Monsters, Katzenjammer features black-and-white illustrations by the author throughout the novel. Fans of Marieke Nijkamp’s This Is Where It Ends and Karen McManus’s One of Us Is Lying will lose themselves in the pages of this novel—or maybe in the treacherous hallways of the school.
Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard (HarperTeen) - moved from August 9th.
Andry, a former squire, continues to fight for hope amid blood and chaos.
Dom, a grieving immortal, strives to fulfill a broken oath.
Sorasa, an outcast assassin, faces her past when it returns with sharpened teeth.
Valtik, an old sorceress, summons a mighty power.
And Corayne, a pirate’s daughter with an ancient magic in her blood, steps closer to becoming the hero she’s destined to be.
Together they must assemble an army to face Queen Erida and Taristan’s wicked forces. But something deadly waits in the shadows, something that might consume the world before there’s any hope for victory.
The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman (Fiewel and Friends) - previously titled What About Katia?
With the help of her friend, Sonnet, Beau sets up a Twitter account to gather anonymous tips. But the more that Beau finds out about her sister's death, the more danger she finds herself in. And with a new relationship developing with her childhood friend, Champion, and the struggle to keep her family together, Beau is soon in way over her head. How much is she willing to risk to clear her sister's name and make sure she's not forgotten?
My Name is Jason. Mine Too by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin (Atheneum) - YA non-fiction.
Once upon a time in America, there were two Jasons. Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin. One a poet. One an artist. One Black. One white. Two voices. One journey in mind: to move to New York, the city of dreams, to make their own dreams come true. Willing to have a life not un-hard, so long as it wasn’t unhappy. Willing to let the city swallow them whole, so long as it gives them their chance. They had each other. “What if painting was a sin, and the poetry became taboo. And no one ever clapped for me again. My question is, would you?”
They clapped. Oh, they clapped. And aren’t we glad?
Stealing Infinity by Alison Noel (Entangled Teen) - moved from February 2022.
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