October 5th
The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer (Razorbill)
From the author of Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf comes
another searing, affecting novel that follows one girl caught between
two toxic worlds, perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow and Nina LaCour.
Shade
and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes,
toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade
unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who
her best friend is becoming.
Shade loves the idea of falling
into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her
body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds
herself drawn to The Three Chloes--the insufferable trio that rules the
squad--including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as
compelling as it is alarming.
Jadis won't give Shade up so
easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new
teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So
when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade
is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows
Jadis--and if her friend is responsible, doesn't that mean she is, too?
In
this compelling, nuanced exploration of the layered, intoxicating
relationships between teen girls, and all the darkness and light that
exists between them, novelist Hayley Krischer weaves a story of loss and
betrayal, and the deep reverberations felt at a friendship's breaking
point.
We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera (Bloomsbury)
Pedro, Luna, and Rafa may attend Fairfax High School together in Los Angeles, but they run in separate spheres. Pedro is often told that he's "too much" and seeks refuge from his home life in a local drag bar. Luna is pretending to go along with the popular crowd but is still grieving the unexpected passing of her beloved cousin Tasha. Then there's Rafa, the quiet new kid who is hiding the fact that his family is homeless.
But Pedro, Luna, and Rafa find themselves thrown together when an extraterrestrial visitor lands in their city and takes the form of Luna's cousin Tasha. As the Visitor causes destruction wherever it goes, the three teens struggle to survive and warn others of what's coming--because this Visitor is only the first of many. But who is their true enemy--this alien, or their fellow humans? Can Pedro, Luna, and Rafa find a way to save a world that has repeatedly proven it doesn't want to save them?
Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Lilliam Rivera examines the days before a War of the Worlds-inspired alien invasion in this captivating and chilling new novel.
Bluebird by Sharon Cameron (Scholastic)
Sharon Cameron delivers another immersive, heartbreaking, uplifting historical novel, set in postwar New York City.
In
1946, Eva leaves behind the rubble of Berlin for the streets of New
York City, stepping from the fiery aftermath of one war into another,
far colder one, where power is more important than principles, and lies
are more plentiful than the truth. Eva holds the key to a deadly secret:
Project Bluebird -- a horrific experiment of the concentration camps,
capable of tipping the balance of world power. Both the Americans and
the Soviets want Bluebird, and it is something that neither should ever
be allowed to possess.
But Eva hasn't come to America for secrets
or power. She hasn't even come for a new life. She has come to America
for one thing: justice. And the Nazi that has escaped its net.
Critically acclaimed author of The Light in Hidden Places,
Sharon Cameron, weaves a taut and affecting thriller ripe with intrigue
and romance in this alternately chilling and poignant portrait of the
personal betrayals, terrifying injustices, and deadly secrets that
seethe beneath the surface in the aftermath of World War II.
When Night Breaks by Janelle Angeles (Wednesday Books) - moved from June 2021, then August 2021.
The competition has come to a disastrous end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news. But little matters to him beyond Kallia, the contestant he fell for who is now lost to this world and in the hands of a dangerous magician. Daron is willing to do whatever it takes to find her. Even if it means embarking on a dark and treacherous journey, risking more than just his life, with no promise of return.
After awaking in darkness, Kallia has never felt more lost. Especially with Jack by her side, the magician with who has the answers but cannot be trusted. Together, they must navigate a dazzling world where mirrors show memories and illusions shadow every corner, one ruled by a powerful game master who could all too easily destroy the world she left behind -- and the boy she can’t seem to forget. With time running out, Kallia must embrace her role in a darker destiny, or lose everyone she loves, forever.
Tiny Dancer by Siena Cherson Siegel and Mark Siegal (Antheneum) - YA Graphic Memoir.
All her life, Siena has dreamed of being a ballerina. Her love of movement and dedication to the craft earned her a spot at the School of American Ballet, with hopes of becoming a member of George Balanchine’s world-famous New York City Ballet company. Siena has worked hard for many years to be a professional ballet dancer, but injury and doubt are starting to take their toll.
Maybe it’s time to look beyond the world of dance—but Siena’s whole identity has been shaped by ballet. When you have spent your entire life working toward something, how do you figure out what comes next? And how do you figure out who you are without the thing that defined you? This is a moving and beautifully drawn memoir of a dancer struggling to find her next step—and a young woman finding her true footing in the world.
Everything Within and in Between by Nicki Barthelmess (HarperTeen)
In her most private thoughts, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when she was young, would accept her exactly how she is. So when Ri finds a secret unanswered letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: a heritage and a mother. But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn’t who Ri imagined she would be. And Ri’s struggling to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is—not even Ri, herself.
Everything Within and In Between is a new, deeply honest story about the bonds between families and defining who you are for yourself from acclaimed author Nikki Barthelmess.
Crown of Cinders by Emily R. King (47North)
Poseidon and Hades are also in hiding. Althea sets out to find her brothers, but hunting them down without getting caught and persuading them to stand against their all-powerful father will be next to impossible. Althea has a lot to learn about
her newly restored crown and Titaness powers. She must divide heaven and earth to protect her mortal home and friends and unite her brothers and sisters in the war to end all wars.
The Last Beautiful Girl by Nina Laurin (Sourcebooks Fire) - previously titled Like Her, some editions dated September 2021.
When Izzy is dragged from Brooklyn to a tiny town for her parents' new job, she's not thrilled. The silver lining is the gorgeous old mansion she's moved into: the former home of an artist's muse who died tragically in a fire. But the house has its quirks: whole floors are closed off, paintings are covered up, and cell reception is nonexistent.
Izzy throws herself into starting an Instagram fashion account using the gowns and jewelry she finds hidden away in the house. She looks perfect in the photos--almost unnaturally perfect--and they quickly go viral. Soon she's got a new best friend, a potential boyfriend, and is surrounded by a group of girls who want the photoshoots and fame for themselves. But there's a darkness in the house, and a darkness growing in Izzy, too. When girls start dying, it's clear that something--or someone--in the house is growing in power, with deadly intentions.
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco (Jimmy Paterson)
One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge…Welcome to Hell.
After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.
She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria...even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.
The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world...or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?
Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves...
Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey (Little, Brown)
Soon, Miriam is charged with being trained in both magic and combat to act as chief protector to her sister. But shadowy threats are moving closer and closer to their kingdom, and Miriam's dark power may not be enough to save everyone she loves, let alone herself.
The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo (Underlined)
Lila Castro is ready to take on her last winter break of high school. The snow is plentiful, the mood is full of holiday cheer, and she's earning extra cash working at the cozy local inn. But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Veracruz, becomes her coworker. When they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they both realize they've been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets--and a dash of holiday spirit--bring them closer to love?
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.
I'm Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas by Tiffany Schmidt (Amulet)
Noelle Partridge is known for three things: being the best ballet dancer, babysitter, and person with the most Christmas spirit in her small town. But lately she’s bored by the lessons at her dance school, and her friends and father are more bah humbug than Hallmark movie marathon. So when her favorite babysitting clients ask her to accompany them on a ski trip over winter break, she packs her bags for the slopes. It helps that they’re offering double her rate—she’ll need the money for Beacon, an elite ballet academy that’s granted her an audition.
Noelle is ready to “Deck the Halls” and have fa la la la fun, until Wyatt, the older half-brother of her babysitting charges, decides to surprise his family for the holiday. He’s one of the best dancers at Beacon, and makes Noelle’s head spin faster than pirouettes. Unfortunately, she also manages to step on his toes—spoiling his surprise and complicating his secret plans. After a few missteps, Noelle and Wyatt begin to thaw toward each other and bond over the big decisions looming in each of their lives. With enough Christmas magic, Noelle might just start the New Year with lots of babysitting cash in her pocket and a chance with the pas de deux partner of her dreams.
So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen (Viking)
When Finley Brown returned to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she expected to find it just as she left it. Christmas hasn't changed much in her sixteen years. But instead she returns to find that her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents have separated, and her archnemesis got a job working at her grandmother's inn. And she certainly didn't expect to find the boy she may or may not have tricked into believing that Christmas was an idyllic holiday paradise on her grandmother's doorstep. It's up to Finley to make sure he gets the Christmas he was promised. This is Finley's Christmas. It's about home and family and friends and finding her place, and along the way she also finds the best Christmas present of all: love.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle (Greenwillow) - YA Graphic Novel.
When Becca transfers to a high school in an elite San Francisco suburb, she’s worried she’s not going to fit in. To her surprise, she’s immediately adopted by the most popular girls in school. At first glance, Marley, Arianna, and Mandy are perfect. But at a party under a full moon, Becca learns that they also have a big secret.
Becca’s new friends are werewolves. Their prey? Slimy boys who take advantage of unsuspecting girls. Eager to be accepted, Becca allows her friends to turn her into a werewolf, and finally, for the first time in her life, she feels like she truly belongs.
But things get complicated when Arianna’s predatory boyfriend is
killed, and the cops begin searching for a serial killer. As their pack
begins to buckle under the pressure—and their moral high ground gets
muddier and muddier—Becca realizes that she might have feelings for one
of her new best friends.
Where There's a Wisk by Sarah J. Schmitt (Running Press)
Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV's new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you're born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish.
As things start to heat up on and off the set, Peyton will have to prove to the judges that she deserves to win while trying to untangle what is real and what is scripted drama, and decide what she is willing to risk to win before her dreams end up on the chopping block.
Once More Upon A Time by Roshani Chokshi (Sourcebooks Casablanca) - technically an adult romance novella, but I know this author has a large YA audience, so I have included this one here for completeness.
and a princess named Imelda who loved each other...
But alas, no more.
"What a witch takes, a witch does not give back!"
their friends and family warn.
They resign themselves to this loveless fate...
A year and a day pass.
And then their story truly begins...
Embark on a perilous journey with Imelda and Ambrose as they brave magical landscapes and enchanted creatures on their quest to reclaim their heart's desire...But first they must remember what that is... Immerse yourself in the beauty of a highly unusual fairy tale by New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.
Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley (Page Street) - moved from September 2021.
As
officials begin interviewing students to get to the bottom of things,
rumors about an assault flood the school hallways. No one knows it
happened to Owen, and he’s afraid of what will happen if his name gets
out.He’s afraid that his classmates will call him a word he can’t
stand—“victim.”He’s afraid his father, a tough-as-nails military vet,
will resort to extreme methods to hunt down the name of who did it.And
he’s afraid that when Lily finds out, she’ll take their relationship to a
dark, dangerous place to keep Owen quiet.
Then, one day, Owen’s fears all come true. And it’ll take everything he’s got to escape the explosion intact.
Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal (Sourcebooks Fire)
From the bestselling authors of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight comes a compelling YA novel about the choices teens make.
Two high school cheerleaders face the ultimate test when an act of solidarity spurs chaos. With a rocky start to senior year, lifelong friends Lily and Ebony have a lot on their mind. Lily is still in physical therapy months after a serious concussion from a failed cheer attempt. Ebony's putting tremendous pressure on herself to get into the best colleges and starts making questionable decisions. But they have each other's backs just as always.
Lily's new relationship with star quarterback Three may be causing a rift between the best friends. When the cheer squad decides to take a knee at the season's first football game, what seemed like a positive show of solidarity suddenly becomes the reason for a larger fallout between the girls.
Grappling with the weight of the school's actions as well as their own problems, can the girls rely on the friendship they've always shared?
A searing new work of non-fiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about
the history and legacy of one of the most deadly and destructive acts
of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre. Punching Bag by Rex Ogle (Norton Books For Young Readers) - YA non-fiction, moved from August 2021.
Punching Bag is
the compelling true story of a high school career defined by poverty
and punctuated by outbreaks of domestic abuse. Rex Ogle, who brilliantly
mapped his experience of hunger in Free Lunch, here describes
his struggle to survive; reflects on his complex, often paradoxical
relationship with his passionate, fierce mother; and charts the
trajectory of his stepdad’s anger. Hovering over Rex’s story is the
talismanic presence of his unborn baby sister.
Through it all, Rex threads moments of grace and humor that act as beacons of light in the darkness. Compulsively readable, beautifully crafted, and authentically told, Punching Bag is a remarkable memoir about one teenager’s cycle of violence, blame, and attempts to forgive his parents—and himself.
Dragonblood Rising by Amparo Ortiz (Page Street) - previously titled Bloodbath Ring, title not yet updated on Goodreads.
After the Sire’s
capture, teen athletes Lana Torres and Victoria Peralta travel to Puerto
Rico with their former Blazewrath team. While Lana discovers her roots,
nothing fills the void Blazewrath’s cancelation has left in Victoria.
But it’s up to their team and the Bureau to protect their dragons.
But when reports of burning towns and kidnapped dragons dominate the news, Director Sandhar refuses to answer the girls’ questions. So they follow him into his Transport Charm into Le Parc Du Chasseurs.
In this French theme park, they find dragons forced to fight. When the Blazewrath World Cup ended, people turned to this illegal sport for wealth. So now, not only are the Sire’s followers looking to release him, the leader of this fighting ring wants Puerto Rico’s dragons to fight in Bloodbath too.
Luminous by Mara Rutherford (Inkyard Press) Then, one day, Owen’s fears all come true. And it’ll take everything he’s got to escape the explosion intact.
Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal (Sourcebooks Fire)
Two high school cheerleaders face the ultimate test when an act of solidarity spurs chaos. With a rocky start to senior year, lifelong friends Lily and Ebony have a lot on their mind. Lily is still in physical therapy months after a serious concussion from a failed cheer attempt. Ebony's putting tremendous pressure on herself to get into the best colleges and starts making questionable decisions. But they have each other's backs just as always.
Lily's new relationship with star quarterback Three may be causing a rift between the best friends. When the cheer squad decides to take a knee at the season's first football game, what seemed like a positive show of solidarity suddenly becomes the reason for a larger fallout between the girls.
Grappling with the weight of the school's actions as well as their own problems, can the girls rely on the friendship they've always shared?
Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert (Balzer + Bray) - YA Non-fiction.
In the early morning of June 1, 1921, a white mob marched across the train tracks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and into its predominantly Black Greenwood District—a thriving, affluent neighborhood known as America's Black Wall Street. They brought with them firearms, gasoline, and explosives. In a few short hours, they'd razed thirty-five square blocks to the ground, leaving hundreds dead. The Tulsa Race Massacre is one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in US history. But how did it come to pass? What exactly happened? And why are the events unknown to so many of us today?
These are the questions that award-winning author Brandy Colbert seeks to answer in this unflinching nonfiction account of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In examining the tension that was brought to a boil by many factors—white resentment of Black economic and political advancement, the resurgence of white supremacist groups, the tone and perspective of the media, and more—a portrait is drawn of an event singular in its devastation, but not in its kind. It is part of a legacy of white violence that can be traced from our country's earliest days through Reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement in the mid–twentieth century, and the fight for justice and accountability Black Americans still face today.
The Tulsa Race Massacre has long failed to fit into the story Americans like to tell themselves about the history of their country. This book, ambitious and intimate in turn, explores the ways in which the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre is the story of America—and by showing us who we are, points to a way forward.
Through it all, Rex threads moments of grace and humor that act as beacons of light in the darkness. Compulsively readable, beautifully crafted, and authentically told, Punching Bag is a remarkable memoir about one teenager’s cycle of violence, blame, and attempts to forgive his parents—and himself.
Dragonblood Rising by Amparo Ortiz (Page Street) - previously titled Bloodbath Ring, title not yet updated on Goodreads.
But when reports of burning towns and kidnapped dragons dominate the news, Director Sandhar refuses to answer the girls’ questions. So they follow him into his Transport Charm into Le Parc Du Chasseurs.
In this French theme park, they find dragons forced to fight. When the Blazewrath World Cup ended, people turned to this illegal sport for wealth. So now, not only are the Sire’s followers looking to release him, the leader of this fighting ring wants Puerto Rico’s dragons to fight in Bloodbath too.
Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.
To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos—and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.
Rise Up! How You Can Fight Against Racism by Crystal Fleming (Henry Holt) - YA non-fiction.
Through vivid narratives and contemporary examples ripped from the headlines, Rise Up! provides young readers with a first-of-its-kind resource for understanding racial injustice and its continued impact on the US today, addressing questions like: Why are white supremacists still openly marching in America? And why are undocumented children of color separated from their families and housed in cages?
Sociologist and critically-acclaimed author Crystal Fleming delivers an in-depth overview of the roots and legacies of racism in the US and offers young people ways in which they can help foster a more just society. With her honest, direct tone, Crystal imparts the knowledge and values that unite all antiracists who wish to join the struggle for equality in the hopes of building a more inclusive world: empathy, respect, and tolerance.
Vial of Tears by Cristan Bishara (Holiday House)
Sixteen-year-old sisters Samira
and Rima aren't exactly living the dream. Instead, they live with their
maddeningly unreliable mother in a rundown trailer in Michigan. Dad's
dead, money's tight, and Mom disappears for days at a time. So when
Sam's grandfather wills her the family valuables--a cache of Lebanese
antiquities--she's desperate enough to try pawning them before Mom can.
But
she shouldn't. Because one is cursed, forbidden, the burial coin of a
forgotten god. Disturbing it condemns her and Rima to the Phoenician
underworld, a place of wicked cities, burning cedar forests, poisoned
feasts of milk and lemons, and an endless, windless ocean.
Nothing is what it seems. No one is who they say. And down here, the night never ends.
To
get home--and keep her sister safe--Sam will have to outwit beautiful
shapeshifters, pose as a royal bride, sail the darkest sea... and maybe
kill the god of death himself.
October 12th
Our Way Back To Always by Nina Moreno (Disney-Hyperion)
With her older sister having given up a scholarship to Princeton to have a baby and work at the local botanica, all of their mother's expectations are now riding on Lou's shoulders. She's retaking her SAT's, signed up for way too many AP classes, and her sights set on colleges with fancy names like Duke and Vanderbilt. But when she finds the bucket list she and Sam wrote together as kids, before Sam's father was diagnosed with cancer, she's shocked to see that she hasn't accomplished any of the goals she'd set for herself. Go to a party? Nope. Pull the greatest prank of all time? Still no. Learn how to be a really good kisser? Definitely not.
Torn between the future that her mother, sister, and younger self planned for her, Lou sets out to finish the list, and in a stroke of destiny or fate, Sam decides to tag along. Still trying to stay afloat amid the grief of losing his father, Sam himself is staring down a future that feels all too close, and is coming far too fast. But with the bucket list to guide them, Sam and Lou might just be able to find a way through the future, and also a way back to each other.
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan (HarperTeen) - delayed from fall 2020 due to change of publisher from Blink to HarperTeen.
In
order to save her grandmother from a cult of dangerous priests, a
peasant girl cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous
alliance with an exiled prince bent on taking back the Dragon Throne.
The pair must learn to trust each other but are haunted by their
pasts--and the true nature of her dark magic. A dual-POV YA fantasy
inspired by Chinese mythology.
Thronebreakers by Rebecca Coffindaffer (HarperTeen)
Alyssa Farshot never wanted to rule the empire. But to honor her uncle’s dying wish, she participated in the crownchase, a race across the empire’s 1,001 planets to find the royal seal and win the throne. Alyssa tried to help her friend, Coy, win the crownchase, but just as victory was within their grasp, Edgar Voles killed Coy—and claimed the seal for himself.
Broken-hearted over her friend’s death, Alyssa is hell-bent on revenge. But Edgar is well protected in the kingship. Alyssa will have to rally rivals, friends, and foes from across the empire to take him down and change the course of the galaxy.
Remember Me by Estelle Laure (Wednesday Books)
If you could erase all of your painful memories, would you? Blue Owens wakes up one day with the strangest feeling that something is very wrong. Everyone’s acting weird and she’s found a note in her closet telling her to get on the Little Blue Bus at 7:45, which she does, meeting up with the exact person she was supposed to avoid: Adam Mendoza. Even though she has no idea who he is, something about him is so familiar. When the two are discovered by their families, the truth is revealed—Blue has paid to have her memories removed, and Adam is one of those memories. What transpires is Blue’s journey to get her memories back, uncover the truth of why she had them removed in the first place, and ultimately decide whether they were too necessary to who she is to lose in the first place.
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (Inkyard Press)
Death is her destiny.
Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough has been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries. Expected to obey the harsh hierarchy of the Reapers who despise her, Ren conceals her emotions and avoids her tormentors as best she can.
When her failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives Ren out of London, she flees to Japan to seek the acceptance she’s never gotten from her fellow Reapers. Accompanied by her younger brother, the only being on earth to care for her, Ren enters the Japanese underworld to serve the Goddess of Death…only to learn that here, too, she must prove herself worthy. Determined to earn respect, Ren accepts an impossible task—find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons—and learns how far she’ll go to claim her place at Death’s side.
The Night When No One Had Sex by Kalena Miller (Albert Whitman) - moved from September 2021.
Mooncakes: Collectors Edition by Suzanne Walker (Oni Press) - YA graphic novel.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods.
As a genderqueer werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido) - moved from August, release date uncertain.
Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake.
Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries.
And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.
Darcie Little Badger introduced herself to the world with Elatsoe. In A Snake Falls to Earth, she draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed.
Ferryman by Claire McFall (Walker Books US) - originally published in the UK.
When Dylan wakes up after her train has crashed, she thinks she has survived unscathed. But she couldn't be more mistaken: the bleak landscape around her isn't Scotland, it's a wasteland--a terrain somehow shaped by her own feelings and fears, a border to whatever awaits her in the afterlife. And the stranger sitting by the train track isn't an ordinary teenage boy. Tristan is a Ferryman, tasked with guiding Dylan's soul safely across the treacherous landscape, a journey he has made a thousand times before. Only this time, something's different. The crossing, as ever, is perilous, with ravenous wraiths hounding the two at each day's end, hungry for Dylan's soul. But as Dylan focuses her strength on survival, with Tristan as protector, challenger, and confidant, she begins to wonder where she is truly meant to be--and what she must risk to get there. An international bestseller with a phenomenal following, the award-winning Ferryman (with its sequels Trespassers and Outcasts) is in development to be a major motion picture.
Fly by Night by Tara O' Conner (Random House) - YA Graphic novel, some editions dated April 2021, but this is the most precise release date.
There are monsters in the woods.
But they aren't who you should be afraid of.
When Dee returns to her small New Jersey hometown to search for her missing twin, Beth, she dives deeper into her sister's life, only to come up with secrets and lies. With a mysterious boyfriend, a conspiracy that might destroy the endangered pinelands, and maybe something supernatural in the woods, Dee looks for answers and finds secrets underneath every question she asks. The only one Dee can trust might not even be human. . . .
Tara O'Connor's Fly by Night brings to life an environmental thriller for fans of Veronica Mars and Emily Carroll's Through the Woods. An amazing mystery filled with strange creatures, high school drama, and family, this darkly illustrated book focuses on the importance of your home, your relationships, and your family.
Golden Boys Beware by Hannah Capin (Wednesday Books) - Previously published in hardcover as Foul is Fair.
They picked the wrong girl.
Sworn to vengeance, Jade transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She'll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school's hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.
The Gilded Cage 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 Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta (Candlewick) - previously dated September 2021.
“What’s done is done.”
Unless, of course, it was done by my brownies. Then it’s getting undone.
Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. And everyone who eats Syd’s breakup brownies . . . breaks up. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Being dumped is one thing; causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it’s probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. And Harley believes Syd’s magical baking can fix things, too—one recipe at a time.
Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson (Greenwillow Books)
Paige Miller is determined to take her basketball team to the state championship, maybe even beyond. But as March Madness heats up, Paige falls deathly ill. Days later, she wakes up attached to an IV and learns that the whole world has perished. Everyone she loves, and all of her dreams for the future—they’re gone.
But Paige is a warrior, so she pushes through her fear and her grief. And as she gets through each day—scrounging for food, for shelter, for safety—Paige encounters a few more young survivors. Together, they might stand a chance. But as they struggle to endure their new reality, they learn that the apocalypse did not happen by accident. And that there are worse things than being alone.
New York Times–bestselling author Rae Carson tells a contemporary and all-too-realistic story about surviving against the odds. The award-winning author brings the vivid world-building, memorable characters, and extraordinary writing she is known for to this near-future thriller. With page-turning suspense, a light sci-fi twist, and an emotional focus on the resolute qualities of the human spirit, Any Sign of Life will electrify fans of Rory Power’s Wilder Girls and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven.
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning (Page Street)
Seventeen-year-old Dinah runs her family’s farm in the Ozarks. When she finds her grief-stricken mother dead in the living room with wealthy rancher Gabriel Gates standing over her, Dinah’s life narrows to a single point: kill Gabriel Gates.
But Gates has built his wealth giving out bad loans and surrounds himself with bodyguards. Dinah’s mountains are now one giant foreclosure, including her own farm. It all belongs to him. Once he puts a ten-thousand-dollar reward on Dinah’s head, everyone in the starving county wants a piece of her.
Homeless and alone in the woods, all she has is Johnny, the moonshining bootlegger at home in the caves. He begs her to leave the mountains, to start over with a new life. But Dinah is hell-bent on sparking a county revolution. She’ll lose her life to see this killer dead.
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz (HMH) - previously titled The World Without You In It and There Will Be Other Summers.
A love story like no other.
In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys fell in love. Now they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.
Ari has spent all of high school hiding who he really is, staying silent and invisible. He expected his senior year to be the same. But something in him cracked open when he fell in love with Dante, and he can't go back. Suddenly he finds himself reaching out to new friends, standing up to bullies and making his voice heard. And, always, there is Dante - dreamy, witty Dante - who can get on Ari's nerves and fill him with desire all at once.
The boys are determined to forge a path for themselves in a world that doesn't understand them. But when Ari is faced with a shocking loss, he'll have to fight like never before to create a life that is truthfully, joyfully his own.
Why Is Everybody Yelling? by Marissabino Russo (FSG) - YA graphic novel.
It's 1950s New York, and Marisabina Russo is being raised Catholic and attending a Catholic school that she loves--but when she finds out that she's Jewish by blood, and that her family members are Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, her childhood is thrown into turmoil. To make matters more complicated, her father is out of the picture, her mother is ambitious and demanding, and her older half-brothers have troubles, too. Following the author's young life into the tumultuous, liberating 1960s, this heartfelt, unexpectedly humorous, and meticulously illustrated graphic-novel memoir explores the childhood burdens of memory and guilt, and Marisabina's struggle and success in forming an identity entirely her own.
October 19th
Out of the Fire by Andrea Contos (Scholastic)
Sadie meets One of Us is Lying
in a mind-blowingly twisty, feminist thriller that will grab you from
the very first page and keep your heart pounding until the shocking
conclusion.
We were like fire, the four of us. Catching each other's sparks until the flames grew, spread, raged beyond our control.
We'll give them back the damage they left us with, burden them with the weight of our pain.
We may be temporarily broken, but we will leave them forever charred.
Ashes to ashes.
It
wasn't the kidnapping that ruined Cass Adams's life. It was the letters
that came after. The pink envelopes that appear in her car, her locker,
her bedroom. Notes from the man she escaped, telling her that he's
always there, always watching.
And that someday, he'll be back for her.
The
police say there's nothing they can do, and Cass resigns herself to
live in fear until she reconnects with three old friends-three girls
ready to exact vengeance on those who wronged them.
But
the deeper Cass digs, the more shocking the truth becomes, especially
when she discovers that the person who ruined her life may be the only
one who can save it.
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen (Henry Holt) - moved from October 5th.
But instead of serving the princess, the wicked maid stole her place.
For a year the true princess toiled away like a common goose girl, while the wicked maid lived high in the palace, fooling the kingdom. But the truth came out. The princess took back her name, her crown, and her husband, and the imposter died for her crimes.
Then one day, the wicked maid...
...told her own story.
That Dark Infinity by Kate Pentecost (Little, Brown)
After the kingdom of Kaer-Ise is sacked, Flora, loyal handmaiden to the princess, is assaulted and left for dead. As the sole survivor of the massacre, Flora wants desperately to find the princess she served. When the Ankou agrees to help her find the princess, and to train her in exchange for her help in breaking his curse, she accepts. But how can she kill an immortal? Especially one whom she is slowly growing to understand—and maybe even to love?
Together, they will solve mysteries, battle monsters, break curses, and race not only against time, but against fate itself.
Lies My Memory Told Me by Sacha Wunsch (Inkyard Press)
Enhanced Memory changed everything. By sharing someone else’s memory, you can experience anything and everything with no risk at all: learn any skill instantly, travel the world from home, and safeguard all your most treasured secrets forever. Nova’s parents invented this technology, and it’s slowly taking over their lives. That’s where Nova comes in. She can pick up the slack for them—and she doesn’t mind. She knows Enhanced Memory is a gift, and its value outweighs its costs.
But Kade says Nova doesn’t even know the costs. Kade runs a secret vlog cataloging real experiences, is always on the move, and he’s strangely afraid of Nova—even though she feels more comfortable with him than she ever has with anyone. Suddenly there are things Nova can’t stop noticing: the way her parents don’t meet her eyes anymore, the questions no one wants her to ask, and the relentless feeling like there’s something she’s forgotten.
But there’s danger around every corner, and her own home might be the most dangerous place of all.
The Color of Dragons by R.A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis (HarperTeen)
Magic needs a spark.
And Maggie’s powers are especially fickle. With no one to help her learn to control her magic, the life debt that she owes stretches eternally over her head, with no way to repay it.
Until she meets Griffin, the king’s champion infamous for hunting down the draignochs that plague their kingdom.
Neither has any idea of the destiny that they both carry, or that
their meeting will set off a chain of events that will alter every
aspect of the life they know—and all of history thereafter.
The Shattered Castle by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic)
King Jaron has outwitted the Prozarians and returned to his own kingdom with one secret in his pocket that not even his friends know about. He's hoping that secret will help him finally bring stability to Carthya.
But a surprise attack on his own land -- on the castle itself -- reminds Jaron that nothing is easy. The Prozarian Monarch threatens to crumble Jaron's entire kingdom. And that's not the only thing in danger: With old enemies and new rumors circling around him, even Jaron's relationship with Imogen is uncertain.
This former False Prince will need his best tricks and many allies at his side to hold Carthya together.
Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim (Scholastic)
Ming survived the famine that killed his parents during China's "Great Leap Forward", and lives a hard but adequate life, working in the fields.
When a group of city boys comes to the village as part of a Communist Party re-education program, Ming and his friends aren't sure what to make of the new arrivals. They're not used to hard labor and village life. But despite his reservations, Ming befriends a charming city boy called Li. The two couldn't be more different, but slowly they form a bond over evening swims and shared dreams.
But as the bitterness of life under the Party begins to take its toll on both boys, they begin to imagine the impossible: freedom.
City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn (Flux)
As heiress to a powerful tech empire, seventeen-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she's more than her manipulative father's shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem.
Gun-slinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem’s underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly the bounty Riven needs—until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa’s wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive.
Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The A.I. exploits the girls’ darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they’re both depending on. As one of Requiem’s 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven’s city and Asa’s sister are snuffed out forever.
On Top of Glass by Karina Manta (Knopf) - previously titled All the Things I've Kept From Myself, YA memior.
Karina Manta has had a busy few years: Not only did she capture the hearts of many with her fan-favorite performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, she also became the first female figure skater on Team USA to come out as queer. Her Modern Love essay I Can't Hate My Body if I Love Hers was published in the New York Times, and then she joined the circus--Cirque du Soleil's on-ice show, AXEL.
Karina's memoir covers these experiences and much more. Attending a high school with 4,000 students, you'd expect to know more than two openly gay students, but Karina didn't meet an out-lesbian until she was nearly seventeen--let alone any other kind of queer woman. But this isn't just a story about her queerness. It's also a story about her struggle with body image in a sport that prizes delicate femininity. It's a story about panic attacks, and first crushes, and all the crushes that followed, and it's a story about growing up, feeling different than everybody around her and then realizing that everyone else felt different too.
Passport by Sofia Glock (Little, Brown) - YA graphic novel, moved from September 2021.
Young Sophia has lived in so many different countries, she can barely keep count. Stationed now with her family in Central America because of her parents' work, Sophia feels displaced as an American living abroad, when she has hardly spent any of her life in America.
Everything changes when she reads a letter she was never meant to see and uncovers her parents' secret. They are not who they say they are. They are spies, agents working for the CIA. As Sophia tries to make sense of this news, and the web of lies surrounding her, she begins to question everything. The impact that this has on Sophia's emerging sense of self and understanding of the world makes for a page-turning exploration of lies and double lives.
In the hands of this extraordinary graphic storyteller, this astonishing true story bursts to life.
Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu (Roaring Brook Press)
From the acclaimed author of Moxie comes a gripping gender-flipped reimagining of The Outsiders that explores the deep bonds of female friendship and what it takes to be a "bad girl."
1964. Houston, Texas.
Evie Barnes is a bad girl. So are all her friends. They’re the sort who wear bold makeup, laugh too loud, and run around with boys. Most of all, they protect their own against the world. So when Evie is saved from the unimaginable by a good girl from the "right" side of the tracks, every rule she's always lived by is called into question. Now she must redefine what it means to be a bad girl and rethink everything she knew about loyalty.
In this riveting story of murder, secrets, and tragedy, Jennifer Mathieu reimagines S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders from a female perspective. Bad Girls Never Say Die has all the drama and heartache of that teen classic, but with a feminist take just right for our times.
1964. Houston, Texas.
Evie Barnes is a bad girl. So are all her friends. They’re the sort who wear bold makeup, laugh too loud, and run around with boys. Most of all, they protect their own against the world. So when Evie is saved from the unimaginable by a good girl from the "right" side of the tracks, every rule she's always lived by is called into question. Now she must redefine what it means to be a bad girl and rethink everything she knew about loyalty.
In this riveting story of murder, secrets, and tragedy, Jennifer Mathieu reimagines S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders from a female perspective. Bad Girls Never Say Die has all the drama and heartache of that teen classic, but with a feminist take just right for our times.
Where Echoes Lie by Shannon Schuren (Philomel)
Rena Faye believes in things she can see and touch, or at least capture through the lens of her camera. Things like the moonbow--a gray-and-white colorless bow that arcs out of Cumberland Falls every month when the moon is full. This natural phenomenon is what keeps her family's motel business afloat, and what puts their tiny Kentucky town on the map. That, and the legend of the ghost bride.
Along with everyone else who has grown up near the falls, Rena knows the tragic tale of the bride who walks the cliff on moonlit nights. But when her grandma tells her that the legend is real, and worse, that the ghost bride has cursed the women of their family, she dismisses it as just another of her mawmaw's famous stories. But when Rena Faye's life begins to fall apart, she must delve deeper into the stories surrounding the legend, and reexamine who she can trust, as well as the truth about her town and family history. before the curse takes everything--and everyone--she holds dear.
An eerie thriller of a ghost story filled with twists and turns until the final page.
Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming of Age Story by Stacey Chomiak (Beaming Books) - Illustrated YA memoir.
Stacey loves being a Christian. Her best friends are also her church friends. Her favorite place on earth is Bible camp every summer. And she talks to God like they are old friends.
But one summer, she meets a girl who turns everything upside down. Is this feeling she has for her more than just friendship? Could it be a crush? Filled with dread, Stacey embarks on a journey to discover what it means to be gay, whether it is possible to change, and how to reconcile her identity with her faith. Will it even be possible?
In this young-adult illustrated memoir, Stacey Chomiak tells the true story of her teenage and young-adult years: of heartbreak, family conflict, trying to become ex-gay, wrestling with her faith, and finding love. Uncovering happiness and joy while surrounded by the loneliness of a world that actively excludes her seems insurmountable. Until she learns to love her full self. Then the possibility of being both gay and Christian seems not just possible, but the best answer of all.
The Witch Owl Parliament: Clockword Curandera by David Bowles and Raul Gonzalez III (Tu Books) - postponed from December 2020 and March 2021, YA Graphic Novel.
But to do so requires the green magic Cristina has trained to wield. Will she still have access to that vital power now that her body and soul have been forever altered? Can it be used to fight as well as heal? When groups of refugees and indigenous people begin to disappear, Cristina has to set her doubts aside and embrace her new destiny.
In the first volume of the Clockwork Curandera trilogy, Mexican American creatives David Bowles and Raúl the Third combine their unique talents and vision to craft a compelling new world in which Mesoamerican magic and steampunk technology co-exist, sometimes manipulated by the rich and powerful for nefarious ends.
October 26th
Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe (Wednesday Books)
The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her. Now that she’s eighteen, Mae knows her time with the Prospers may soon come to an end.
But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.
When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers – including a secret about Mae’s past that she doesn’t remember. As Mae and her friends begin to unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.
In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric historical setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.
Once More With Chutzpah by Haley Neil (Bloomsbury)
But as the group travels across the country, Tally realizes her plan might not be working, and that her brother might not be the only one struggling with a major life turning point. And when a new relationship gets complicated in the face of her own anxiety spirals and questions about her sexual identity, and she faces complex questions about the country’s history and her place in the Jewish diaspora, she finds herself grappling with even bigger thoughts about what’s next once they get home.
Debut author Haley Neil offers a relatable and deeply felt story about identity on the cusp of adulthood.
Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah (Disney Hyperion)
Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of the illegal government prison, Broadmoor—but freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates being with her father, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now separated from the boy who has her heart and labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel with her father through unchartered waters in their quest for the truth behind Mr. McQueen’s arrest.
Across Britain, the fallout from Mr.
McQueen’s escape has escalated tensions between Anthropoid and
non-Anthropoid communities, bringing them to an all-time high. And, as
Leyla and her friends fight to uncover the startling truths about their
world, she discovers her own shocking past—and the horrifying secrets
behind her father’s abduction and arrest. But as these long-buried
truths finally begin to surface, so, too, do the authorities’ terrible
future plans. And if the ever-pervasive fear prevents the people from
taking a stand now, the abyss could stay in the dark forever.
Rest Easy by Warona Jolomba (Wattpad)
"We're not friends. We're just volunteer partners.
Once our shift is over, we don't know each other."
"I hate you sometimes."
"What about the rest of the time?"
" . . . the opposite, I guess."
Heartsick from the death of his mother and heartsore from breaking up with his girlfriend, Dudley Warrington is barely getting by.
Eccentric with mad style, Naya’s had straight As since the seventh grade, and when she makes a pinky promise—she means it.
Both find themselves at Salvation Hill Nursing Home, volunteering during their summer break. There they meet Marie Von Delden—a former aspiring poet with a mysterious backstory. As Dudley and Naya read through Marie’s poems, they begin to unravel Marie’s past . . . and discover their own future.
Inspired by a true story, Worona Jolomba shares a tale of love and loss, and a bond that forms in the unlikeliest of places.
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