Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt (Peachtree Teen) - moved from June 9th.
When Jack’s mom is arrested, he knows something’s not right. His mom was sold out, and he knows who did it. Peter Carlevaro: rival casino owner, mobster, jilted lover (gross). Jack hatches a plan to break into Carlevaro’s inner sanctum and turn the blackmailer into the blackmailed, but he can’t do it on his own. Luckily he has just the team—his friends from all over the country that he met on online fandom forums, brought to together by the fact that they're all asexual.
All he needs to do is infiltrate a secret high stakes poker ring, save his mom, and dodge any dark secrets about his family that he’d rather not know, all while hopelessly navigating what it means to be in love while asexual. All before the end of the summer. Easy, right?
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (Feiwel and Friends)
“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”
As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all—they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.
Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya—daughter of Tierra, the god of earth—is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste.
But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival.
Blood in the Water: A Hunt a Killer Novel by Caleb Roedrig (Scholastic)
In the world of Hunt A Killer, players help PI Michelle Gray solve murders through a variety of games using clues from autopsy reports to police records, and more.
Now, Hunt A Killer is making the leap to the page in this YA mystery series! Follow an original character as he investigates a brand-new case. Can he solve the crime before the killer strikes again?
This second original novel follows a totally new set of characters solving a stand-alone mystery -- just like in the games!
Blood of Troy by Claire M. Andrews (Little, Brown)
A year after Daphne saved the powers of Olympus by defeating Nyx, the Goddess of Darkness, she’s haunted by still-looming threats, her complicated feelings for the god Apollo, and the promise she made to the Olympian gods that she would help them again when they called upon her. When their command comes, it is deceptively simple: secure herself a spot as one of Queen Helen’s guards.
A war is coming, and all of Sparta must be prepared.
In the midst of a treaty summit among the monarchs of Greece, Daphne and Helen uncover a plot of betrayal—and soon, a battle begins. As the kingdoms of Greece clash on the shores of Troy and the gods choose sides, Daphne must use her wits, her training, and her precarious relationship with Apollo to find a way to keep her queen safe, stop the war, and uncover the true reason the gods led her to Troy in this thrilling sequel to Daughter of Sparta.
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah (Sourcebooks Fire) - previously dated July 2022.
In
an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers - the ruling
elite, have indentured her family to provide the maristags for the
Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class.
The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others - if they’re
lucky - survive.
When the last maristag of the year escapes, and
Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family’s financial situation
takes a turn for the worse, and they can’t afford medicine for her
chronically ill little sister. Koral decides her only choice is to do
what no one in the world has ever dared: she cheats her way into the
Glory Race.
But every step of the way is unpredictable, as Koral
races against contenders who have trained for this their whole lives and
have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. When
riots break out and rogues attack Koral to try to force her to drop out,
she must choose—her life or her sister’s—before the whole island burns.
Daughters of the Dawn by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua (HarperTeen) - moved from June 2022.
The powerful Bloodstone is in dangerous hands. And a deadly new threat rises.
Ria and Rani have barely settled into their new lives at the palace—as princesses, as sisters—when a sinister new prophecy uproots them once more.
The Blood Moon will rise in one month’s time, and with it their enemy Amara’s opportunity to destroy everything Ria and Rani hold dear.
The twin princesses must find Amara and retrieve the Bloodstone before the month is up—a deadly search that separates Ria and Rani once more and takes them into dangerous new lands.
In wintry kingdoms and scorching deserts, Ria and Rani find themselves pitted against ancient mysteries and trap-ridden labyrinths, lethal sea monsters and an elusive enemy that steals into their very dreams.
But as the Blood Moon looms closer, a new danger emerges that makes Ria and Rani question everything they thought they knew—and who their true enemy really is.
The lush world building of Star Daughter meets the thrilling adventure of Ash Princess in
this sensational finale to Ria’s and Rani’s journeys that pits them
against impossible odds—and battles from within that could destroy
everything they’ve fought to save.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson (Katherine Tegan Books)
When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have one explanation . . . Maddy did it.
An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it since she had more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She had been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.
After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville
High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan: host the first
integrated prom as a show of unity. Popular white class president
convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be
his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal
life. But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And they
don’t know that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost
them all their lives.
Shades of Rust and Ruin by A.G. Howard (Bloomsbury) - previously titled Mystiquiel.
Phoenix “Nix” Loring knows her family is under a Halloween curse. When she was three, her parents tragically died on October 31st. Eleven years later, her twin sister Lark suffered a similar fate.
Ever since, Nix has battled survivor guilt. She can’t even find comfort in Clarey, Lark’s boyfriend and the one person who understands her pain, because Nix’s hidden feelings for him go far beyond friendship. All that remains are her sketches, where she finds solace among the goblins and faeries in her imaginary world of Mystiquel. When her depression starts affecting her ability to see color, Nix all but gives up on her art, until her uncle goes missing on Halloween day. Hot on his trail, Nix and Clarey step through a portal, becoming trapped inside a decaying version of their town filled with Nix’s own sketches come to life.
As Nix and Clarey search for her uncle within the sinister and dangerous world of Mystiquel, Nix discovers there’s more to her family curse and otherworldly artwork than she ever imagined—and unless she can solve the Goblin King’s maze before the clock strikes midnight, her life won’t be the only one the curse claims next.
Set in a gritty, steampunk-inspired fantasy world, New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard launches a thrilling new duology full of romance, twists, and betrayals.
A Pocket Full of Posies by Shawn Sarles (Scholastic)
The scent of the town engulfs Parker in its perfume the moment she enters the gates. So much so that she nearly forgets all about the life that she left behind and the best friend she abandoned. Coronation is a place where she and her parents can have a new start. And as soon as Parker gets there, its peacefulness puts her at ease. Everyone is nice. The tennis team immediately accepts her. Even the boys are easy to talk to. The only thing that she can’t quite understand is the town’s history—its devotion to the saint, Rosamund, who helped the original town settlers survive their first winter all those years ago.
But she isn’t the only skeptic. Whatever you do, hold on tight. Don’t fall down, the boy tells her frantically before the town’s yearly Spring Festival—thrown in Rosamund’s honor to encourage the harvest. But Parker can’t help it. The vibrant festival immediately draws her into the gardens, the rows of flowers, the food, the laughter. Linked together with the other girls, Parker finds herself spinning with the other girls, struggling to stay in sync. Tilting forward, it’s as if her balance has been taken from her.
Because Rosamund has been waiting. Parker has been chosen. Coronation’s next Rose Duchess has been crowned, destined to fulfill her role unless she can find a way to uncover the truth.
Ring around the rosie
For long ago the seed was sown.
A pocket full of posies
A sacrifice must be made.
Ashes, ashes
One must die for the town to survive.
We all fall down.
The Rose Duchess must follow in her footsteps. Offering herself up to the flames.
Coven by Jennifer Dugan and Kit Seaton (Putnam) - YA graphic novel.
Emsy has always lived in sunny California, and she'd much rather spend her days surfing with her friends or hanging out with her girlfriend than honing her powers as a fire elemental. But when members of her family's coven back east are murdered under mysterious circumstances that can only be the result of powerful witchcraft, her family must suddenly return to dreary upstate New York. There, Emsy will have to master her neglected craft in order to find the killer...before her family becomes their next target.
Unretouchable by Sofia Szamosi (Graphic Universe)
Soon Olive is fixating on her own appearance and pondering the ethics of her work behind the scenes. As college gets closer, she'll try to get out of her own head, attempt to quit the Internet, and finally embrace image-making on her own terms. Unretouchable is a window into the little-known, hugely influential world of fashion photography and a tribute to self-acceptance.
Don't Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack (Sourcebooks Fire) - previously titled The Darkness of Snow.
When her mother remarries after an all-too-short courtship, Lottie and her new stepsister must house sit for a night while their parents honeymoon in Reno. Lottie feels out of place at her new stepdad's fancy ski cabin in Tahoe, especially since her lone companion is her new smart and sullen stepsister, Jade, who she's only met briefly once before. And when a solar flare causes a massive blackout-no cell signal or power-Lottie knows they've got a long night ahead of them.
Then, in the dark, someone else shows up at the cabin-a cute, fast-talking stranger named Alex with his dog, claiming to be lost and needing shelter from the developing snowstorm. Lottie's suspicions about him grow throughout the night, but when a fireplace malfunction causes a fire, the three of them are forced out into the blizzard and must rely on one another to find shelter and safety..
In the remote, freezing woods with no way to call for help, the wary trio encounters the perils of the wilderness as well as two mysterious young men who seem to know Alex. Now Lottie must decide who she should trust in order to survive.
Abuela, Don't Forget Me by Rex Ogle (Norton Young Readers) - YA graphic memior, previously titled Todo Sobre Mi Abeula.
Abuela, Don’t Forget Me is a lyrical portrait of the transformative and towering woman who believed in Rex even when he didn’t yet know how to believe in himself.
The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden (Candlewick)
When fifteen-year-old Harris moves with his family from California (home of beautiful-but-inaccessible beaches) to New Jersey (home of some much-hyped pizza and bagels), he’s determined to be known as more than just the kid in the powered wheelchair. Armed with his favorite getting-to-know-you question (“What’s your favorite color?”), he’ll weed out the incompatible people—the greens and the purples, people who are too close to his own blue to make for good friends—and surround himself with outgoing yellows, adventurous oranges, and even thrilling reds. But first things first: he needs to find a new nurse, stat, so that his mom doesn’t have to keep accompanying him to school.
Enter Miranda, a young nursing student who graduated from Harris’s new high school. Beautiful, confident, and the perfect blend of orange and red, Miranda sees Harris for who he really is—funny, smart, and totally worthy of the affections of Nory Fischer, the cute girl who’s in most of his classes. With Miranda at his side, Harris soon befriends geeky Zander (yellow) and even makes headway with Nory (who stubbornly refuses to reveal her favorite color). But Miranda is fighting her own demons, and Harris starts to wonder if she truly has his best interests at heart.
Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers and Jeff Edwards (Levine Querido)
Making her YA debut, Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers takes her place as one of the most striking voices of the horror renaissance that has swept the last decade.
Horror fans will get their thrills in this collection – from werewolves to vampires to zombies – all the time-worn horror baddies are there. But so are predators of a distinctly American variety – the horrors of empire, of intimate partner violence, of dispossession. And so too the monsters of Rogers’ imagination, that draw upon long-told Cherokee stories – of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more.
Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.
Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers haunting illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.
But don’t just take it from us – award-winning writer of The Only Good Indians and Mongrels Stephen Graham Jones says that "Andrea Rogers writes like the house is on fire and her words are the only thing that can put it out."
Man Made Monsters is a masterful, heartfelt, haunting collection ripe for crossover appeal – just don’t blame us if you start hearing things that go bump in the night.
A Twisted Tale: Almost There by Farrah Rochon (Disney Hyperion)
Sometimes, life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no other choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.
Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized—she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and, perhaps most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She's got everything she's ever wanted. . . .
But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up from unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right—or risk losing everything she holds dear.
The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror by Various YA Authors (Page Street)
Hauntings, and a variety of horrifying secrets, lurk in the places we once called home. Written by New York Times bestselling, and other critically acclaimed, authors these stories shed a harsh light on the scariest tales we grew up with.
Funeral Girl by Emma K. Ohland (Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab) - some editions dated December 1st.
Then her classmate Milo's body arrives at Richter--and his spirit wants help with unfinished business, forcing Georgia to reckon with her relationship to grief and mortality.
Better Than We Found It by Frederick Joseph and Porsche Landon (Candlewick) - YA Non-fiction.
Every generation inherits the problems created
by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many
problems--as many crises--as
the current generation of young people. From the devastations of
climate change to the horrors of gun violence, from rampant transphobia
to the widening wealth gap, from the lack of health care to the lack of
housing, the challenges facing the next generation can feel
insurmountable. But change, even revolution, is possible; you just have
to know where to start. In Better Than We Found It,
best-selling author Frederick Joseph and debut author Porsche Joseph
make the case for addressing some of the biggest issues of our day.
Featuring more than two dozen interviews with prominent activists,
authors, actors, and politicians, this is the essential resource for those who want to make the world better than we found it.
Our Shadows Have Claws by Various YA Authors (Algonquin) - moved from 2023.
From zombies to cannibals to death incarnate, this cross-genre anthology offers something for every monster lover. In Our Shadows Have Claws, bloodthirsty vampires are hunted by a quick-witted slayer; children are stolen from their beds by “el viejo de la bolsa” while a military dictatorship steals their parents; and anyone you love, absolutely anyone, might be a shapeshifter waiting to hunt.
The worlds of these stories are dark but also magical ones, where a ghost-witch can make your cheating boyfriend pay, bullies are brought to their knees by vicious wolf-gods, a jar of fireflies can protect you from the reality-warping magic of a bruja—and maybe you’ll even live long enough to tell the tale. Set across Latin America and its diaspora, this collection offers bold, imaginative stories of oppression, grief, sisterhood, first love, and empowerment.
Full contributor list: Chantel Acevedo, Courtney Alameda, Julia Alvarez, Ann Dávila Cardinal, M. García Peña, Racquel Marie, Gabriela Martins, Yamile Saied Méndez, Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, Claribel A. Ortega, Amparo Ortiz, Lilliam Rivera, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Ari Tison, and Alexandra Villasante.
Incredible Doom: Volume 2 by Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden (HarperAlley) - YA graphic novel.
It may look to the unwitting outsider like a broken-down ranch house in the Ohio suburbs--but to those in the know, Evol House is the unexpected sanctuary of truant teens, punk rockers, nerds, and outcasts. At least, that's what it's supposed to be. Lately, it feels like everything's falling apart.
In this thrilling sequel to graphic novel Incredible Doom: Volume 1, Samir finds that life as a teenage runaway isn't all he thought it would be; Allison spirals trying to impress her new "friends", Tina considers leaving town to follow a passionate new connection; and Richard faces down a volatile classmate with a score to settle.
Can these friendships, forged on the internet--the most controversial tool of the modern era--survive the "real world"... or will they drop like a bad connection?
Self Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore (Feiwel and Friends)
New York City, 1922. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota, has no interest in the city’s glamor. Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could set up his future—and his life as a man—and benefit his family.
Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé, Tom—and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay, has erased all signs of her Latina heritage, and now passes seamlessly as white.
Nick’s neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns that the spectacle is all for the benefit of impressing a girl from Jay’s past—Daisy. And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender.
As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love. But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in the American Dream.
September 13th
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum (Philomel)
Hoodie Rosen has recently moved to the town of Tregaron, where members of his Orthodox Jewish community are looking to build a new home. But the town's mayor and many of the people who live there aren't all that thrilled about it, and are in fact blocking them at every turn. Hoodie isn't so bothered, though--he's leaving the worrying to the adults who spend their days thusly engaged. He's got studies at the yeshiva to avoid, basketball to play, and a supermarket full of delicious imported British kosher Starbursts to eat.
But when he meets--and falls for--Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary, he discovers a couple of minor problems. First, as a good yeshiva boy, he's not really supposed to talk to girls, especially girls who aren't Jewish. And second, Anna-Marie's mother just so happens to be Tregaron's mayor and the leader of the effort to stop Hoodie's community from living in the town.
Hoodie's family, friends, and rabbis all see his friendship with Anna-Marie as a betrayal of their traditions--he's siding with the enemy, they say, the people who are against them. And with the weight of centuries of Jewish oppression on their shoulders, that's not something they take lightly. But Hoodie doesn't understand why everyone can't just get along. After all, isn't befriending Anna-Marie a great way to bring the sides together?
When a string of antisemitic crimes comes to Tregaron, though, Hoodie finds himself caught between two worlds. And when those crimes escalate to deadly violence--the kind with hate-filled manifestos, carefully picked targets, and fully loaded guns--the town and its factions must all face the truth, Hoodie included.
In this ripped-from-the-headlines story, debut author Isaac Blum delivers a perfect blend of wry, witty writing and a deeply important topic that will resonate well beyond the community it describes.
The Depths by Nicole Lesperance (Razorbill) - moved from October 4th.
She’s right, but not for the reasons she thinks.
Eulalie Island is stunning, with its secluded beaches and forests full of white flowers. But the birds keep calling Addie’s name, and there’s a strange little girl in the woods who wants to play hide and seek. When Addie learns about two sisters who died on the island in the 1800s, she starts to wonder if there’s more to this place, things only she can see.
Then she meets the caretakers’ reclusive older son, and all the flowers start turning pink. He shows her a network of underwater caves deep beneath the island, and they sneak out every night to explore them. Addie knows it’s dangerous, but she’s too intrigued to stop. The flowers are turning blood-red now, sprouting everywhere she goes. The island loves you, the boy tells her. But Addie doesn't realize that when the island loves someone, it never lets them go.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh (Little, Brown)
Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber (Flatiron Books) - moved from September 27th, release date not yet updated on Goodreads.
After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she's discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.
But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed.Jacks isn't the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.
Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline's life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts.Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she's not sure she can.
The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti (Labyrinth Road)
Harper Proulx has lived her whole life with unanswered questions about her anonymous sperm donor father. She's convinced that without knowing him, she can't know herself. When a chance Instagram post connects Harper to a half sibling, that connection yields many more and ultimately leads Harper to uncover her father's identity.
So, fresh from a painful breakup and still reeling with anxiety that reached a lifetime high during the pandemic, Harper joins her newfound half siblings on a voyage to Hawaii to face their father. The events of that summer, and the man they discover—a charismatic deep-sea diver obsessed with solving the mystery of a fragile sunken shipwreck—will force Harper to face some even bigger questions: Who is she? Is she her DNA, her experiences, her successes, her failures? Is she the things she loves—or the things she hates? Who she is in dark times? Who she might become after them?
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer (Bloomsbury)
The kingdom of Kandala narrowly avoided catastrophe, but the embers of revolution still simmer. While King Harristan seeks a new way to lead, Tessa and Prince Corrick attempt to foster unity between rebels and royals.
But the consuls who control the Moonflower will not back down, and Corrick realizes he must find a new source for the lifesaving Elixir.
When an emissary from the neighboring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey as they attempt to mend their own fractured relationship.
This could be their only chance to keep the peace and bring relief to the people of Kandala, but danger strikes during the journey to Ostriary, and no one is who they seemed to be...
Wishtress by Nadine Brandes (Thomas Nelson Books)
Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It’s a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life—and before the king’s militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.
He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.
Bastiaan’s powerful—and rare—Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she’s fulfilled her end of the deal, he’ll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don’t compromise his job.
They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.
Everyone seems to need a wish—the king, Myrthe’s cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they’re ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they’ll just kill her anyway.
It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames (Page Street)
Riley has anxiety--ostracized by the kids at school because of panic attacks--so when she starts to feel like something’s wrong with their expedition leader, Greta, she writes it off. But when Greta snaps and tries to kill Riley, she can’t chalk it up to an overactive imagination anymore. Worse, after watching Greta disintegrate, only to find another student with the same affliction, she realizes they haven’t been infected, they’ve been infiltrated--by something that can change its shape. And if the group isn’t careful, that something could quickly replace any of them.
Inaugural Ballers by Andrew Maraniss (Viking) - YA non-fiction.
A League of Their Own meets Miracle in the inspirational true story of the first US Women's Olympic Basketball team and their unlikely rise to the top.
Twenty years before women's soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the '76 US women's basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women's sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels.
Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the '76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. From Pat Head, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, coach Billie Moore, and beyond--these women took on the world and proved everyone wrong.
Packed with black-and-white photos and thoroughly researched details about the beginnings of US women's basketball, Inaugural Ballers is the fascinating story of the women who paved the way for girls everywhere.
September 20th
Rust In the Root by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)
It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.
Laura disagrees. A talented young mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker
But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.
As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.
The Getaway by Lamar Giles (Scholastic)
Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. He’s got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property’s main theme park. Life isn’t so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it’s to get away from all that.
As things outside get worse, trouble starts seeping into Karloff. First, Jay’s friend Connie and her family disappear in the middle of the night and no one will talk about it. Then the richest and most powerful families start arriving, only... they aren’t leaving. Unknown to the employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis. The best of the best at the end of days. And in order to deliver the top-notch customer service the wealthy clientele paid for, the employees will be at their total beck and call.
Whether they like it or not.
Yet Karloff Country didn’t count on Jay and his crew--and just how far they’ll go to find out the truth and save themselves. But what’s more dangerous: the monster you know in your home or the unknown nightmare outside the walls?
My Second Impression of You by Michelle I. Mason (Bloomsbury) - previously titled Best Day Of My Life, previously dated August 2022.
Sixteen-year-old Maggie is having the worst day ever. Her perfect boyfriend, Theo,
breaks up with her, and then she literally breaks a leg (well, foot), preventing her from starring in the school play. When she receives a text offering her the chance to relive her best day ever – the day she and Theo met – she decides to take the leap. Everything would be better if she could figure out how to win him back. Only, there’s a catch. She doesn’t just relive the day; she gets everyone else’s perspectives, too. The information – not only about Theo, but her family, her best friend, and even Theo’s obnoxious buddy Carson (who is suddenly… nice?) – is more than she bargained for.
As she learns about all the minor details – and major ones – she missed the first time around, she finds herself transported back to reality with a completely new perspective and a big opportunity to decide how to move forward on her own terms.
Michelle I. Mason offers another heartfelt and relatable YA novel with a twist, diving into big questions of what we’d do differently if we only had the chance… or whether we can trust things to turn out just the way they’re meant to be.
Eternally Yours by Various YA Authors (Viking) - some editions dated January 2022, moved from August 30th.
Vampires and merpeople, angels and demons--the paranormal is full of unusual beings. The stories in this anthology imagine worlds where the only thing more powerful than the supernatural, is love.
Contributors include: Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods); Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue; One Last Stop); Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse); Adib Khorram (Darius the Great Is Not Okay); Sandhya Menon (When Dimple Met Rishi); Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns); Julian Winters (Running With Lions; Right Where I Left You); Akshaya Raman (The Ivory Key); Kat Cho (Wicked Fox); Alexis Henderson (The Year of the Witching); Hafsah Faisal (We Hunt the Flame); Sarah Gailey (When We Were Magic); Kalynn Bayron (Cinderella Is Dead; This Poison Heart); Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights).
Each Night Was Illuminated by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Quill Tree Books)
With writing that sparks off the page, New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson tells a story of saints and floods, secrets and truths, rage and love—and the bravery it takes to bet your whole life on a new kind of hope.
The day the train fell in the lake, Cassie stopped believing in much of anything. Then she set her mind to forgetting the strange boy named Elias who was with her when it happened.
When Elias comes back to town after many years away, Cassie finds herself talked into sneaking out at night to follow him ghost hunting—though she knows better than to believe they will find any spirits.
Still, the more time she spends with Elias—with his questions, his rebelliousness, his imagination that is so much bigger than the box she has made for herself—the more Cassie thinks that even in a world that seems broken beyond repair, there just may be something worth believing in.
The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass (Philomel)
Micah Summers runs a popular Instagram full of drawings of his numerous imaginary boyfriends (ninety-nine so far)—though he's never had a real boyfriend before. But when a meet-cute with Boy 100 goes wrong, Micah embarks on a Prince Charming-like quest throughout Chicago to find true love—for real this time.
Will Boy 100 be the One?
Micah is rich, dreamy, and charming. As the “Prince of Chicago,”—the son of local celebrity sports radio host known as the King of Chicago—he has everything going for him. Unfortunately, he’s also the prince of imaginary meet-cutes, since he’s too nervous to actually ask boys out.
Instead, Micah draws each crush to share on Instagram with a post about their imaginary dates. Ninety-nine “boyfriends” later, his account is hugely popular, and everyone is eagerly awaiting Boy 100. So is Micah. He’s determined that Boy 100 will be different. This time, Micah will sweep the boy off his feet, for real!
So when Micah flirts with a hot boy on the L who’s wearing a vegan leather jacket and lugging a ton of library books, he is sure this is Boy 100. But right before he can make his move and ask for the boy’s number, the guy rushes off the train, leaving behind his pumpkin-embroidered jacket. The jacket holds clues to the boy’s identity, so Micah and his friends set off on a quest to return it. Along the way, Micah will discover that the best relationships aren’t fairy tales. In fact, the perfect fit—and true love—might be closer than he thinks.
Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros (Inkyard Press)
The Kosa empire roils in tension, on the verge of being torn apart by a proletarian revolution between magic-endowed elites and the superstitious lower-class, but seventeen-year-old Toma lives blissfully disconnected from the conflict in the empire with her adoptive family of benevolent undead.
When she crosses paths with Vanya, a charming commoner with awe-inspiring powers, and the usurped Tsar Mikhail himself, the unlikely trio bonds over trying to restore Mikhail’s magic and protect the empire from the revolutionary leader, Koschei, whose forces have stolen the castle. Vanya has his magic, and Mikhail has his title, but if Toma can’t dig deep and find her power in time, all of their lives will be at Koschei’s mercy.
The Killing Code by Ellie Marney (Little, Brown) - think this is likely a newer title for "Arlington Hall".
Kit is soon involved in another kind of fight: Government girls are being brutally murdered in Washington DC, and when Kit stumbles onto a bloody homicide scene, she is drawn into the hunt for the killer.
To find the man responsible and bring him to justice, Kit must join forces with other girl codebreakers at Arlington Hall – gossip queen Dottie Crockford, sharp-tongued intelligence maven Moya Kershaw, and cleverly resourceful Violet DuLac, from the segregated codebreaking unit on the grounds of the Hall.
But as the girls pool their energies, and find friendships – and romance – that they never expected, two things begin to come clear: The murderer they’re hunting is getting closer every minute…and Kit herself is hiding an unbelievable secret.
Heart-stopping
intrigue, compelling romance, and 1940s glamor combine in The Killing
Code, by the author of the Aurealis-winning None Shall Sleep.
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco (Little, Brown)
Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.
And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.
Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.
Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.
Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.
Other Ever Afters by Melanie Gillman (Random House Graphic) - YA graphic novel, some editions dated September 6th.
What if the giant who abducted you was actually thoughtful and kind? What if you didn’t want to marry your handsome, popular-but-cold-inside suitor? What if your one true love has all the responsibilities that come with running a kingdom?
Award-winning author Melanie Gillman’s phenomenal colored-pencil art creates another ever after for the characters who are most worthy of it.
Fraternity by Andy Mientus (Abrams)
In the fall of 1991, Zooey Orson transfers to the Blackfriars School for Boys hoping for a fresh start following a scandal at his last school. However, he quickly learns that he isn’t the only student keeping a secret. Before he knows it, he’s fallen in with a group of boys who all share the same secret, one which they can only express openly within the safety of the clandestine gatherings of the Vicious Circle––the covert club for gay students going back decades. But when the boys unwittingly happen upon the headmaster’s copy of an arcane occult text, they unleash an eldritch secret so terrible, it threatens to consume them all.
A queer paranormal story set during the still-raging AIDS crisis, Fraternity examines a time not so long ago when a secret brotherhood lurked in the shadows. What would Zooey and his friends do to protect their found family?
Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with all of their friends.
But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that's exactly what now has her on the outs.
But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame and someone to trust, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs…that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.
Berliners by Vesper Stamper (Knopf)
A city divided. A family fractured. Two brothers caught between past and present.
Berlin,
1961. Rudi Möser-Fleischmann is an aspiring photographer with dreams of
greatness, but he can’t hold a candle to his talented, charismatic twin
brother Peter, an ambitious actor. With the sudden divorce of their
parents, the brothers find themselves living in different sectors of a
divided Berlin; the postwar partition strangely mirroring their broken
family. But one night, as the city sleeps, the Berlin Wall is hurriedly
built, dividing society further, and Rudi and Peter are forced to choose
between playing by the rules and taking their dreams underground. That
is, until the truth about their family history and the growing cracks in
their relationship threaten to split them apart for good.
From
National Book Award-nominated, critically acclaimed author-illustrator
Vesper Stamper comes a stark look at how resentment and denial can
strain the bonds of brotherhood to the breaking point.
But when a man comes to town looking to hire her and her brother to retrieve a magical artifact that used to be in her mother’s care, Arian finds that she can't run away from her past. Her destiny is intimately tied to the destiny of her city, and one way or another, she will have to fight for it. Arian will have to steal back not just the artifact, but the city itself.
What the Fact?! by Dr. Seema Yasmin (Simon and Schuster) - YA Non-fiction, moved from January 2021.
What is a fact? What are reliable sources? What is news? What is fake news? How can anyone make sense of it anymore? Well, we have to. As conspiracy theories and online hoaxes increasingly become a part of our national discourse and “truth” itself is being questioned, it has never been more vital to build the discernment necessary to tell fact from fiction, and media literacy has never been more vital.
In this accessibly-written guide, Dr. Seema Yasmin, an award-winning journalist, scientist, medical professional, and professor, traces the spread of misinformation and disinformation through our fast-moving media landscape and teaches young readers the skills that will help them identify and counter poorly-sourced clickbait and misleading headlines.
Direwood by Catherine Yu (Page Street)
There, Aja discovers the vampires’ lair in a ruined church, filled with her former classmates, most of them turned into enthralled servants. Now Aja, along with her friend Nico and ex-BFF Mary, must face their own differences and work together to escape. But while Aja tries to find and save her friends, her sister, and herself, she must also come to terms with her own secret truth: she’s fascinated by the very monster who lured her in.
Until We Break by Matthew Dawkins (Wattpad)
After Naomi’s injury, she’s forced to deal with not only Jessica’s death, but also what she wants from life, from dance, and at this pivotal moment, she meets Saint. A street artist expressing his views on everything he feels is wrong in the world. The two of them come together, and it’s their journey of self-discovery that kicks off a movement in their sleepy California town—and the two of them soon stand tall against every odd stacked against them. Dreams are important, but real life is truly what matters...
September 27th
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.
Code name: Fortune.
But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.
To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo (Feiwel and Friends)
For sixteen years, Selestra Somniatis has been trapped in a castle on the Floating Mountain, preparing to take her mother’s place as King Seryth’s right hand. Tied by blood to steal souls for the immortal King of the Six Isles, the Somniatis Witch foretells the deaths of participants in the Festival of Predictions. To outrun your fate is to save your soul and steal the King’s immortality. But if you die, your soul is forfeit. And though thousands have tried, nobody has ever beaten death.
As a soldier in King Seryth’s army, Nox Laederic is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but he has no plans to die at the hands of the King or his witches. His plan is more akin to violent revenge: steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra herself.
But when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, she sees her own death alongside his--their fates are unmistakably intertwined, and Selestra is no longer safe in the only home she’s ever known. Nox and Selestra will have to enter a turbulent alliance in order to survive long enough to free the Six Isles from King Seryth’s clutches and escape the new fate that hunts them.
Before We Were Sorry by Kit Frick (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - previously published as See All the Stars.
It’s hard to find the truth beneath the lies you tell yourself.
Then: They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. (Venus. Earth. Moon. Sun.) Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system.
Now: Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever.
Then: Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love.
Now: Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.
The path forward isn’t a straight line. And moving on will mean sorting the truth from the lies—the lies Ellory has been telling herself.
Miss Peregrine's Muesum of Wonders by Ransom Riggs (Dutton)
Gloriously rich and utterly delightful, Miss Peregrine’s Museum of Wonders is an indispensable guide to the peculiar world, perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike. Covering everything from how to blend in with suspicious normals to the most popular time loops to visit as a temporal tourist, this essential volume is ideal for anyone curious about the world of Miss Peregrine: its strange history, curious practices, fascinating places, most famous (and infamous) names, and much more.
Written in Miss Peregrine’s inimitable style, it’s also a dramatic expansion of the universe fans have already come to love, introducing countless new peculiars, enemies, time loops, stories, and secrets, in addition to hundreds of never-before-seen vintage found photographs and select illustrations.
Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch (Simon and Schuster)
Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world. But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem, Massachusetts, to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had. An aunt who may or may not have been a witch.
There, she meets Mason, a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life. He’s been classified as one of the runaways, constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she can’t take care of him, it’s his job to try and take care of her. Isn’t it?
Naturally pulled to one another, Willow and Mason set out across Salem to discover the secret past of Willow’s mother, her aunt, and the ambiguous history of her family. During all of this, the two can’t help but act on their natural connection. But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow’s growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each other?
Talk Santa To Me by Linda Urban (Atheneum)
Francie was born in a stable. Really. Granted, it was the deluxe model with the light-up star on the roof, one of the many Christmas items for sale at her family’s Hollydale Holiday Shop. Their holiday gift empire also includes the Santa School, which was founded by Francie’s beloved grandpa, who recently passed away.
Francie’s always loved working in the shop, but lately Aunt Carole has been changing everything with her ideas for too-slick, Hollywood-inspired Santas and horrible holiday-themed employee uniforms. Aunt Carole’s vision will ruin all the charm and nostalgia Francie loves about her family’s business…unless she does something about it.
But this winter is about more than preserving the magic of Christmas. Francie is saving up for a car and angling to kiss the cute boy who works at the tree lot next door—hopefully it will be good enough to wipe her fiasco of a first kiss from her memory.
As the weather outside gets more and more frightful, can Francie pull off the holiday of her dreams?
Mere Mortals by Erin Jade Lange (HarperTeen)
Charlie and her brother, Reg, have been vampires for…a very long time. For a century, they enjoyed the glitz and glamour of life as members of the wealthiest vampire clan. But now, after one careless mistake, they’ve been expelled from the vampire community and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, to live as mortals.
Suddenly Charlie has to deal with zits, tears, and—worst of all—high school. But things start to change when she and Reg find a group of friends, including the deliciously good-looking Dexter. And though Charlie would give anything to be vampire again, she begins to appreciate some of the new experiences that humanity brings too.
But nothing could make them forget the life they’ve left behind. When
they’re offered a second shot at immortality, Charlie is desperate to
seize it. It’ll just mean a total betrayal of all her new friends, who
will have their minds wiped of their memories of her. She can handle
that if it means she can live forever…right?
Afterlove by Tanya Byrne (Laura Goodwin Books) - previously published in the UK.
When Ashana Persaud meets Poppy Morgan on a school trip, she’s sure it’s too good to be true. Ash has never had much luck with girls, but Poppy proves different. Coffee dates turn to museum trips until, soon, the two girls can see a future together—one that’s seemingly snatched from them when a hit-and-run takes Ash’s life on New Year’s Eve.
As the last person to die before midnight, Ash is bestowed the title of reaper, tasked with finding lost souls and helping them cross over. Only those close to death can perceive a reaper, so when Ash runs into Poppy one lonely night—and Poppy recognizes her—they can't be sure if it's the second chance they've so desperately wished for, or a tragedy lying in wait.
Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Delacorte) - some editions dated December 2022.
After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia. It'll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.
When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.
When the kids find out about their parents' actions, they're horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender (Abrams)
Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark's Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark's tweets are suddenly the talk of the school—and beyond. To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark gets closer to their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy, and Lark's social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll—as does the judgment of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes––or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them ...
In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.
I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers (Wednesday Books) - some editions dated September 13th.
When sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis discovers the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, she teams up with Ashley's older sister, Nora, to find and bring the killer to justice before he strikes again. But their investigation throws Georgia into a world of unimaginable privilege and wealth, without conscience or consequence, and as Ashley’s killer closes in, Georgia will discover when money, power and beauty rule, it might not be a matter of who is guilty—but who is guiltiest.
A spiritual successor to the 2018 breakout hit, Sadie, I'm the Girl is a masterfully written, bold, and unflinching account of how one young woman feels in her body as she struggles to navigate a deadly and predatory power structure while asking readers one question: if this is the way the world is, do you accept it?
Descendent of the Crane by Joan He (Roaring Brook Press) - re-release of out of print title released in 2020 by Albert Whitman.
Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by
death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago.
Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?
Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo and Dani Pentergast (Roaring Brook Press) - YA graphic novel.
Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves…
Discover the start of a grand and sinister destiny in this must-have graphic novel prequel to the bestselling series and international Netflix sensation Shadow and Bone from spectacular new talent Dani Pendergast and #1 New York Times bestseller Leigh Bardugo.
Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone (Henry Holt) - some editions dated October 2022.
The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption.
To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead. And though he claims to have given her all he promised, Leta knows this world of souls and mists hides many secrets.
When she discovers she is still bound to Rowan, Leta goes to drastic lengths to reforge their connection. But her search for answers, and a path back home, will see her drawn into even more dangerous bargains, and struggling to resist the allure of a new, dark, power in Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone.
Luminary: A Guide to Magical Self Care by Kate Scelsa (Simon and Schuster) - YA non-fiction/self-help.
Self-care is not only necessary, it’s magical! Your road to self-care can be a mystical journey that leaves you feeling more confident, determined, and ready to accomplish all those bucket-list items and dreams you have scribbled in your journal. So why not start that journey now?
Find both mystical and practical tools to help deal with stress, depression, and other challenges in this gorgeously illustrated and highly designed guide offering different creative ways of living a heart-centered, mindful, and magical life through concrete tools for self-care and advice from a diverse group of practitioners in areas like tarot, astrology, energy work, and much more.
Luminary is a book of practical magic that empowers you to pursue mental wellness with curiosity and confidence. But it’s also a book of possibility that pushes the boundaries of what self-help can be.
Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen (Random House) - various release dates listed, this is the one confirmed by the author and publisher.
One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.
To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.
But when signs of demons begin to appear, it's clear there are deeper consequences of Simi's trade. These demons spell the world's ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.
With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.
Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain (Razorbill)
Twelve years ago, Avril’s mother drowned at Whisper Cove theater, just off the rocky Connecticut coastline. It was ruled an accident, but Avril’s never been totally convinced. Local legend claims that the women in the waves—ghosts from old whaling stories—called her mother into the ocean with their whispering. Because, as they say at Whisper Cove, what the sea wants, the sea will have.
While Avril doesn’t believe in ghosts, she knows there are lots of different ways for places, and people, to be haunted. She’s spent the past twelve years trying to make sense of the strange bits and pieces she does remember from the night she lost her mother. Stars falling into the sea. A blinding light. A tight grip on her wrist. The odd sensation of flying. Now, at seventeen, she’s returning to Whisper Cove for the first time, and she might finally unravel the mystery of what really happened.
As Avril becomes more involved with camp director Willa and her mysterious son Cole, Whisper Cove reveals itself to her. Distances seem to shift in the strange fog. Echos of long-past moments bounce off the marsh. And Avril keeps meeting herself—and her dead mother—late at night, at the edge of the ocean.
The truth Avril seeks is ready to be discovered. But it will come at a terrible cost.
Creep: A Love Story by Lygia Day Peñaflor (Clarion)
Laney Villanueva and Nico Fiore are the perfect couple: beautiful, popular, talented, and hopelessly in love. Everyone looks up to them at Holy Family High School.
But Rafi doesn’t just admire them. She watches them. She’s drawn to them.
Intent on becoming their closest friend, Rafi weaves her way into their lives. She starts small: taking photos of the senior class for the yearbook, joining Laney’s club, and babysitting Nico's little sister. And it works—soon they invite her to parties, take her on joyrides, and ask her for favors. Rafi’s actions quickly turn invasive, delving deeper and deeper until she’s consumed by their most intimate secrets.
When tragedy strikes the young lovers, Rafi’s obsession spirals, and she will do anything to keep the perfect couple together. Anything...How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy (Delacorte)
Teen witch Shay Johnson has one thing on her mind: winning the Brockton Scholarship. It’s her ticket into the magical university of her dreams. The only one standing in Shay's way is her nemesis—the brilliant Ana Álvarez.
When the head of the scholarship committee and drama teacher, Mr. B., persuades Shay to audition for the musical, she warily agrees just to impress him. But Mr. B casts Shay, who is half-Black, as the lead because he thinks she’s Latina. Well, she's not. And who does Mr. B. cast as the other lead? Ana freaking Álvarez.
With rehearsals underway, Shay realizes Ana is...kind of nice. And beautiful. But as Shay finds herself in the favor of Mr. B., his special attention starts to make her uncomfortable. And when Shay learns Mr. B has a history of inappropriate relationships with teen witches, she’s faced with a tough decision: Does she say something—even if it means risking the scholarship and the future she’s fought so hard for?
Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim (Entangled Teen) - some editions dated 2023.
Suddenly Lina find herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.
Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.
Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart.
Even if it means giving up her own.
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