August 5th
Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods (Delacorte)
In the legendary ballet theatre of New Kora, the girls on stage enchant the audience each night with their grace and divine beauty. Before Emberlyn became the show’s star, it was her dream to become one of the ballerinas… until she learned the price of their living nightmare.
A curse has bound the girls to the show’s mastermind, Malcolm, so they must obey his every command. They are controlled by the magic’s invisible strings that has the power to wield their limbs like marionette dolls. Only the commands don’t stop when the curtain comes down, and the girls live a life of fear from Malcolm’s wickedness and the twisted truth that each dancer is destined to turn to dust when the curse finally consumes her.
When the troupe is invited to perform in the glitzy city of Parlizia, Emberlyn knows this could be her best chance to save them all. She meets an elusive boy made of shadows with a magical connection to the girls. Together, they work to unravel the haunting truth about their creation and fight for their survival. But the cost of freedom might be too high, and as she dances closer to the edge of darkness she realizes she might break the curse… or break her own heart forever.
A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid (HarperTeen)
All stories come to an end.
Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.
But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?
With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.
As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.
Are dreams ever truly just dreams?
The L.O.V.E. Club by Lion Min (Flatiron Books)
Three years ago, Elle (the “e” in the self-proclaimed L.O.V.E. Club) disappeared from Calendula, an affluent Chinese American suburb in inland California. Soon afterward, Liberty and Vera (“l” and “v”) moved away, leaving O alone with her grief, abandonment, and confusion. . . until Liberty and Vera return for their senior year of high school.
Though the L.O.V.E. Club’s three remaining members once bonded as outcasts and gamers, they can’t pick up the pieces of their friendship. But the girls are drawn back to their old clubhouse, where they discover, loaded for them to play, a new game created by none other than the missing Elle.
One click, and Liberty, Vera, and O are ported into Morning Glory, an ever-evolving botanical fantasy coded with their lived experiences, complicated history, and repressed insecurities. Unbeknownst to the others, O can’t remember the events surrounding Elle’s disappearance―but within the game, Elle has sent O a cryptic hint about Morning Glory’s real nature.
While Liberty and Vera defeat increasingly sinister bosses, O grapples with the secret knowledge that her deepest wish, to reunite with Elle, might just come true. But as the girls progress through Morning Glory, O begins to wonder how well she actually knew any of her former best friends and if she’s ready to confront the hard truths―and dangerous revelations―about Elle in her returning memories.
The Whisperings by Joel A. Sutherland (Tundra Books) - cover not yet updated on Goodreads.
Joana and her younger brother Peter aren't used to setting down roots. Ever since the violent murder of their mother, their father can't stay in one place for long, haunted by the literal ghosts of the past. He has what he calls "the whisperings," and will do anything to protect his children from the horrors that torment him.
When the family moves to Burlington, Vermont, Joana thinks they've finally found a place to call home. They rent the lower half of a creepy yet comfortable mansion downtown, and Joana actually begins to fit in at school, thanks in part to Willem, a handsome (and single) classmate.
But a near-death experience awakens the whisperings in Joana, and she soon realizes her family isn't the only family living in the house. She meets the Keils — ghosts forced to relive their own gruesome murders every night. As they say, misery loves company . . . and suddenly, Joana is forced to protect the ones closest to her from a supernatural threat, in this horrifying haunted house story for teen readers.
Knocking on Windows by Jeannine Atkins (Atheneum) - YA memoir.
Night darkens the window to mirror.
I’m back in my old bedroom.
Six weeks after the start of her freshman year of college, Jeannine Atkins finds herself back in her childhood bedroom after an unimaginable trauma. Now home in Massachusetts, she’s struggling to reclaim her life and her voice. Seeking comfort in the words of women, she turns to the lives and stories of Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, and Emily Dickinson. Through raw and poignant letter-poems addressed to these literary giants, Jeannine finds that the process of writing and reflecting has become not only a means of survival but the catalyst for a burgeoning writing career.
Inspired and ready to move forward, she enrolls in her state university, where she feeds her growing passion for writing in fiction seminars. But she finds that she’s unable to escape the pervasive misogyny of her classmates and professors, who challenge her to assert her own voice against a backdrop of disbelief and minimalization. This time, though, Jeannine is not willing to go down without a fight.
A searingly honest memoir told through gorgeous verse, Knocking on Windows stands as a beacon of hope and a celebration of the enduring spirit of survivors of sexual assault—and of writers.
Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina (Wednesday Books) - moved from 2024, description not yet updated on Goodreads.
It's been thousands of years since the gods lifted the continents into the air so humanity could thrive, chaining the lands down with their bones and turning them into Anchor.
Azul del Arroyo doesn't care about gods or Anchor; she cares about being responsible for her sister's death and getting her bones from the capital so she can bring her back to life. Again. But in her way stands the Emissary of the Lord Death, who will do anything in his power to stop her, because a necromancer like her shouldn’t exist—no matter how alluring.
As Azul and the Emissary's cat-and-mouse game leads them to the dangerous Court of Cienpuentes, their fate becomes entwined with a count who begrudgingly works for a child king, a faceless witch who transforms Anchor into dreams she can peddle, and a long-lost half-brother with a secret of his own. It's a time of enlightenment, of rapiers and scientific prowess, in a country where Anchor ceased to be something worth revering a long time ago, and people have forgotten the gods' sacrifice.
But the gods haven’t. Because the gods want their bones back, and they're not opposed to becoming players in their own game.
Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss debut about love, about loss, and, of course, about death.
A Beautiful and Terrible Murder by Claire M. Andrews (Little, Brown)
A retelling of Sherlock Holmes from the perspective of the one woman to ever outwit him, A Beautiful and Terrible Murder follows Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes as they are forced to work together to hunt down a murderer at Oxford who is killing their classmates.
How We Play the Game by Alexis Nedd (Bloomsbury)
Zora Lyon plays to dominate. And as a no-nonsense, strategic prodigy of Wizzard Gaming's viral battle royale, she has all the skills she needs to do so. So when Wizzard offers their top players a chance to participate in a summer academy designed to launch them into the world of professional gaming, Zora knows she has what it takes to be the last player standing.
But Wizzard isn't just looking for winners-they're looking to create viral gaming superstars. Suddenly, Zora finds herself competing against famous eSports influencers who are only there to boost their follower count. That includes Ivan Hunt-her insufferably good-looking instant rival, whom she betrayed to earn her spot in the academy.
With their matches broadcast to Wizzard's fanbase, Zora is almost immediately fancast as an ice queen and snubbed for her ruthless playing style. With her dreams of going pro in jeopardy, Zora will do just about anything to fix her image-even if that means pretending to date fan-favorite Ivan to earn back some popularity points. What can go wrong with a little white lie?
Rosa by Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz (Viking)
Rosa Capistrano has been attending posh North Phoenix High School to boost her chances of a college education and a career in journalism, thanks to the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education verdict for desegregation. But though she’s legally allowed to be there, it’s still unsafe for Mexican Americans. That’s why she’s secretly passing as Rosie, a white girl. All she has to do to secure her future is make sure her Mexican home life and her white school experience never intersect.
However, Rosa’s two worlds collide when her best friend Ramon and classmate Julianne meet and find themselves entangled in a star-crossed romance. Rosa is terrified about what their relationship could mean for her and them . . . and her worst fears are soon realized in an unspeakable tragedy. Rosa is thrown into the center of a town-wide scandal and her true identity is put in the spotlight. With the help of Marco, Ramon’s brooding and volatile brother whose passion ignites hers, Rosa must choose what is more important to her—protecting her fragile future, or risking everything to help her friends find justice.
Rosa by Any Other Name is a harrowingly beautiful coming-of-age tale that shines a light on an important and often overlooked facet of US history.
D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T. by Abby White (Levine Querido) - details not yet updated on Goodreads.
For fans of Looking for Alaska and Never Have I Ever comes D.J. ROSENBLUM BECOMES THE G.O.A.T. by debut author Abby White. It’s a basket of matzo ball soup dumplings for anyone learning to chart their own path, navigate new friendships and crushes, and figure out how to love — and live — after loss.
For Now, Not Forever by C.W. Farnsworth (Entangled Teen) - previously a self published title.
LIAM. At some point, summer became my least favorite season. It begins the build toward the inevitable highs and lows of football. Losing isn’t a trait anyone looks for in a quarterback, and I never won when it mattered. Arlington University was supposed to be a fresh start. But infamy isn’t easily forgotten— especially when everyone knows my twin sister is dating my biggest rival. Constant reminders of their relationship have me just as on edge about Alleghany as I was in high school. Spending a weekend sleeping across the hall from Natalie Jacobs doesn’t help. The popular, pretty blonde didn’t just celebrate each of my defeats—she literally led the cheer against me. Just my luck the last girl who should pique my interest is also the only one who ever has.
NATALIE. Spending the summer back in Alleghany, dealing with my parents’ problems, is the last place I want to be. I jump at the chance to spend a weekend away, visiting a college friend. I’m not expecting to know anyone else visiting her cottage on the Cape, much less come face-to-face with Glenmont’s infamous former quarterback. Not-so affectionately known as Sergeant Stevens on my side of the lake, Liam is still every bit the stoic, serious rule-follower I watched bark orders on the field for four years. Sure, he’s nice to look at—especially shirtless—but that’s where any interest begins and ends. The one thing Liam and I agree on is the rivalry between our hometowns isn’t a surpassable boundary. And if we did allow ourselves to cross it, it would only be for now…not forever.
August 12th
Woven From Clay by Jenny Birch (Wednesday Books)
Terra Slater might not know anything about her birth family or her origins, but that hasn’t stopped her life from unfolding just as she always imagined, and she fully intends her senior year to be her best year yet. Then Thorne Wilder, a magical bounty hunter, moves to town, bringing revelations that mess up all of Terra’s plans. When Terra learns she is a golem, not born but crafted from mud and magic by a warlock, her world is upended. Moreover, Cyrus Quill, the warlock that made her, is on the run, hiding from Thorne's coven who want to hold him accountable for his past crimes. Desperate to save herself – and the other golems that populate their small town – Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and the witches to preserve the life and magic of the warlock. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, she and the mud children will perish along with Cyrus.
Along the way, she finds an unexpected ally in the dark and mysterious Thorne, as she comes to understand the depths of her own magic, humanity, and love for the people most important to her.
The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy (Simon and Schuster) - repackaging of a 2015 release, cover not yet updated on Goodreads.
Twelve years ago, Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.
Now Stella is seventeen and ready for everyone to move on already. Yes, she’s the lucky survivor of her town’s ugly legacy, but she’s looking forward, not back. This coming summer, Stella has a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.
Then the body of a little girl washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and she has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect something sinister is at work.
Before the summer ends, Stella may learn the hard way that when you hunt for monsters, you might find them.
Marisol Acts the Part by Elle Gonzalez Rose (Joy Revolution)
After wrapping the hit drama that made her a star, actress Marisol Polly-Rodriguez is worried she might be entering her flop era. A concern that’s amplified when she’s suddenly dumped by her co-star turned boyfriend, Miles, for being “unserious”.
With Marisol’s post-breakup meltdown splashed across the tabloids, she sets out to show that she’s just as talented as Miles by landing a role on the same buzzworthy show as him. From the eccentric director who pushes her to her limits, to the snobby castmate who can’t stand her, Marisol realizes that her dream of nabbing a Supporting Actress nomination during awards season may never be a reality.
The drama only continues as Marisol develops feelings for her ex's on-screen love interest, Jamila. The wounds of her breakup barely healed, Marisol is hesitant to fall in love again. But as Jamila gets Marisol to unlock her full potential as an actress, and Marisol returns the favor by helping Jamila find her confidence and style as she navigates newfound fame, the sparks between them quickly become too intense to ignore.
Starstrike by Yoon Ha Lee (Delacorte) - moved from 2024, previously titled Starstriker, description not yet updated on Goodreads.
Hwa Young and her pilot comrades have betrayed the Empire to save it from its own destruction—but what comes next? It’s been just two months since the lancer squad stopped imperial forces from deploying a devastating singularity bomb and taken shelter with the rebel clanners, who have kept them busy with raids against their ex-leaders. Their mission have helped numb the shock of recent battles… for now.
Meanwhile, Hwa Young’s best friend, technician Geum, has been left behind on the imperial fleet, imprisoned for aiding Hwa Young’s deceit against the Empire. Hwa Young is desperate to retrieve Geum—but Geum is slowly realizing that Hwa Young’s loyalties aren’t as clear cut as zie once believed.
As Hwa Young delves deeper into the rebels’ inner circles, she soon realizes that the clanners are just as cutthroat as the imperials, leaving her to wonder who she can really trust… and at odds with Geum, the one person she thought she could count on.
Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie (Christy Ottaviano Books) - previously self-published.
In the Kingdom of Noctis, dreams are deadly and darkness reigns.
For nineteen-year-old Esmer Havenfall, life is nothing but a series of loss and misfortune at the hands of the wicked Shadow Bringer, a cruel creature who haunts dreams and corrupts souls:
1) Her sister is dead.
2) Her future is bleak and without prospects.
3) Her village is tormented by demons that prey on dreams — and so is she.
To make matters worse, Esmer is unexpectedly accused of betraying her kingdom and promptly banished to the Shadow Bringer's monster-infested castle. While there, Esmer must face both her inner darkness and the villain she hates to ensure her own survival. Even more vexing is the fact that his powers speak to something within her — and she can wield them, too.
But as her initial hatred for the Shadow Bringer melts into something more passionate, drawing her closer to truths she never thought possible, Esmer realizes they might be the only ones left who stand a chance at conquering the evil plaguing their kingdom. Unfortunately, time is running out — even as they traverse a precarious dreamscape and outwit the demons that haunt it, rushing to unravel a centuries-old curse, more dreamers are falling prey to corruption and dying.
If they succeed, Esmer and the Shadow Bringer will rewrite history and forge a new future for their kingdom. But if they fail, they'll be lost to the Dream Realm forever.
Be careful what you dream of...
Tall Water by S.J. Sindu and Dion MBD (HarperAlley) - YA graphic novel, moved from May 2025.
Ever since she turned sixteen, Nimmi has wanted to see her mother. Though she has a loving but overprotective father and a budding relationship, she yearns to travel to Sri Lanka to confront the mother who refused to leave the island during a war, not even for Nimmi’s sake. Her father is going back for the first time as a reporter on assignment, but he refuses to take her, deeming Sri Lanka too dangerous.
But then Nimmi's mother appears to her in a dream, asking her to come find her, and Nimmi knows she must go. Her father is livid when he sees her at baggage claim, but by then it’s too late, and he reluctantly agrees to help Nimmi make contact with her mother. In Sri Lanka, Nimmi tags along with her father and his guide, past checkpoints and armed soldiers and increasing hints of the war that rages there.
However, the day after Christmas, disaster strikes and a tsunami ravages the island. Stranded amid the devastation and destruction, can Nimmi reunite with her mother? Through her journey, Nimmi might just learn that the person she most needed to find was herself.
August 19th
Once a Villain by Vanessa Len (HarperCollins) - moved from 2023, then from 2024, description not yet updated on Goodreads.
Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.
Now restored, the thirteenth family rules ruthlessly over a new London in which monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.
Only Joan and her friends Aaron and Nick remember that there was once a better timeline. Now, as they negotiate their fractured pasts and face wrenching emotional decisions, they must fight to survive the new world and fix the broken timeline.
But how will they defeat a whole family of monsters with power over time itself?
The unstoppable love and high stakes of Divine Rivals meets the intricate worldbuilding and propulsive thrills of This Savage Song in this high-octane, cross-genre finale to the Only a Monster trilogy—where a breathless race against time and an all-knowing enemy is the only chance for Joan, Aaron, and Nick to restore the world they love.
Leaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow (HarperTeen) - moved from 2026.
Zoe’s life has gone off the rails.
When she left Seattle to go to college in New York, she was determined to start fresh, to figure out what being a lesbian meant to her, experiment with clothes and presentation away from home for the first time.
Instead, she lost touch with her freshman orientation friend group, skipped classes, and failed completely at being the studious premed student her parents wanted her to be.
But the biggest derailment of all? Her newly minted ex-boyfriend—and the fact that she had a boyfriend to begin with. When she met Alden, he made her feel wanted, he made her feel free. He made her feel . . . like she could be like him, which was exciting and confusing all at once.
So, Zoe decides a second fresh start is in order: she’s going to take a cross-country train from New York to Seattle for fall break. There, no one will know who she is, and she can outrun her mistakes.
Or so she thinks, until she meets Oakley, who’s the opposite of Zoe in so many ways: effortlessly cool and hot, smart, self-assured. But as Zoe and Oakley make their way across the county, Zoe realizes that Oakley’s life has also gone off the rails—and that they might just be able to help each other along before that train finally leaves the station.
Guardians of Dawn: Yuli by S. Jae-Jones (Wednesday Books)
When the world is out of balance, the Guardians of Dawn are reborn.
As the Guardian of Wind, it is Yuli’s responsibility to bring order to chaos, along with the Guardian of Fire and the Guardian of Wood. But can she restore balance to the Morning Realms when she can’t even win the political games being played at home? The fate of the Morning Realms depends on the Guardians of Dawn, and whether Yuli can manage both the demonic and political chaos at once.
All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi (Atheneum)
Each night, Winter Moon counts her earnings dreaming of escape. Once she’s saved enough, she and her grandmother can finally take flight and disappear. But when her spiteful mother steals her money and blows through it all in one day, Winter is forced to turn to her estranged father, who recently reappeared in her life after being absent for more than a decade. They agree upon a simple she spends time with him in exchange for payment.
It’s not easy reconciling the past and the present, though, and when she’s struck with a sudden loss, Winter flounders in grief and rage. The only person offering a hand is Joon, the new boy at school who sees Winter when no one else does.
When Winter discovers a secret her father has been keeping from her, things get even more complicated. As she navigates grief, first love, and forgiveness, Winter begins to forge connections, new and old, that make her question her future, her conviction to disappear, and what it really means to be family. Winter knows that broken things can never be fixed, but can they come back together in a different way?
Influenced by Sarah Darer Littman and Cindy L. Otis (Scholastic)
Bliss is navigating her own tough sophomore year, determined to find her place. But no matter what’s going on in her life, Bliss is really good about being there for Lainey. She’s confident and fearless, all that Lainey wishes she could be. It seems like Bliss is getting everything she’s ever wanted, including a new boyfriend and becoming the first wheelchair user to land a lead role in the school production.
What no one knows is that Bliss is struggling—both at school and with her parents. When things get worse for Bliss, Lainey stops hearing from her completely. Worried that something awful has happened, Lainey rushes to find out what’s going on. But when Lainey arrives at Bliss’s apartment, nothing is what it seems, and everything Lainey thought she knew about her friend is a lie...
Tripping Over You: Volume One by Susanna Harcum and Owena White (First Second) - YA graphic novel based on a web-comic, description not yet updated on Goodreads.
The infamous theater kid Milo and wallflower Liam are unlikely friends connected by a mutual feeling of being misfits in their boarding school. As their friendship and bond develops, unspoken romantic feelings start to bubble up and complicate everything—misunderstandings and bruised eyes aplenty. But with their graduation soon approaching, Milo gathers the strength to finally confess. They begin dating in secret (for fear of Liam’s strict father finding out), but their relationship becomes more difficult to hide over time and they must decide if they are ready for what the future has in store for them.
Tripping Over You is perfect for readers who want more than just the moody teen problems and the 'getting together' stage. It's a story that throughout the three volumes, progresses until they are out of college, showing the relationship mature and change as the characters move through different stages of their lives.
My Fair Monster by Adrienne Rivera (Page Street YA)
When a regional horror host announces a monster costume contest where first place gets a guest appearance on the show featuring the winner's choice movie and cash prize, Corie knows she’s found a way to prove what she’s capable of. All she has to do is convince a grumpy special effects makeup artist, Everett Robbins, to partner up and turn her into a pageant-worthy monster. But when the contest distracts her from her pageant obligations, Corie must decide which matters pageants—and her promises to her family—or achieving her horror movie dreams?
The Boyfriend Contract by Jenn P. Nguyen (Square Fish) - previously published by Swoon Reads in 2016 with the title "The Way to Game the Walk of Shame".
Before I even opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong.
Taylor Simmons is screwed.
Things were hard enough when her dedication to her studies earned her the title of Ice Queen, but after she got drunk at a party and woke up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down. Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship, complete with a love contract.
But as they begin to spend more time together, Taylor begins to fall, hard. As the lines between contractual dates and real feelings begin to blur, will Taylor be able to save her reputation… and her heart?
August 26th
Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicoll (Wedneday Books) - moved from July 2024, cover not yet updated on Goodreads.
18-year-old Allegra Brooks has skyrocketed to fame after starring in a hit television show, and she's the overnight success that everyone's talking about. They just don't know she's autistic. And now all she wants is a normal teenage summer.
Her destination for escape is the remote Lake Pristine and its annual Book Festival, organized by the dedicated but unfriendly senior bookseller, Jonah Thorne.
In small towns like Lake Pristine, misunderstandings abound, and before long the two are drawn into high-profile hostility that's a far cry from the drama-free holiday Allegra was craving. Thank goodness for her saving grace: the increasingly personal emails she's been sharing with a charming and anonymous bookseller who is definitely not Jonah Thorne...
An unforgettable romcom about finding the one person who makes you feel like yourself when the whole world is watching.
Lady Dragon by A.M. Strickland (Feiwel and Friends)
Since the last war between humans and dragons left the leaders of both species slain—the last human king of Andrath and the legendary dragon queen—both kingdoms have been living under a tentative truce: only women will sit on the throne of Andrath, the dragons will have free passage through the human lands . . . and if men ever try to retake the throne, the draconic kingdom will retaliate.
Samansa and Kirek are two new leaders coming of age in war-scarred lands—Samansa a reluctant human princess and Kirek the favored contender for the draconic queenship. Per tradition, Kirek must undergo the distasteful task of using a mysterious gem called the Heartstone to shift into human form and maintain the strained ties between the species... and study human weaknesses, a new and secret task she’s been given by her queen. As the princess and the dragon girl grow closer, they are sent to investigate a potential breach of the treaty and encounter a plot that could set off a new and bloodier war. While fighting to maintain the peace their ancestors fought for and uncovering centuries-old secrets, Samansa and Kirek must grapple with betraying their clashing nations... or their unexpected feelings for each other.
The Devil's in the Dancers by Catherine Yu (Page Street)
At camp, Mars just wants to work hard enough to earn a letter of recommendation for college. But instead, she finds herself connecting with an old friend, Alex, and making new friends willing to push their bodies to their breaking point. Amidst questionable mandatory supplements, grueling practices, and restrictive diets, Mars can think of little else. But when the lead suddenly breaks both her legs, Mars and Alex suspect sabotage.
As they investigate the camp’s illnesses and injuries, they realize their camp founder may be a real demon, not just a metaphorical one. Can they uncover the academy’s poisonous secret and stop the founder before she kills them?
A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance (G. P. Putnam and Sons) - moved from July 2025.
When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don’t expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.
The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can’t shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years—and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices—Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.
Then, Nora finds a second body. And a whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection—or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach.
Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea (Henry Holt)
Sixteen-year-old Winnie Bray is a liar. As the resident psychic at an oddities shop, Winnie truly can see the future. But her customers only want reassurance, and Winnie only wants their money. Favorable fortunes are a fast track to funding her way out of Buffalo, New York for good, after all.
But all of that changes when a vision sends her stalking in the remains her family home that burned down in a fire 10 years ago. Among the ash and rubble, Winnie finds a box made of bone, untouched by flames and…whispering. At the touch of her finger, the box shows her a vision of death, chaos, and apocalypse, with her and rich kids Apollo and Cyrus Rathbun at the center.
Apollo knows their cousin is up to no good, and with the Rathbun family scattered to the wind, they know Cyrus is aiming to present himself as the new patriarch. Despite an initial attraction, Apollo is reluctant to believe Winnie. But soon it becomes clear that their family histories are intertwined, with the whispering, hungry box at the very center, and more than their lives are on the line. Together, they must discover the origins of the box and stop unforeseen forces from fulfilling the apocalyptic prophecy, or die trying.
From the author of I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me comes a speculative thriller about the ties that bind us to places and people, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and Tochi Onyebuchi.
The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D'Amato (Wednesday Books) - description not yet updated on Goodreads.
It’s only natural nineteen-year-old Brennan’s life would be upended by something as ridiculous and unexpected as turning into a vampire. But if there’s one thing Brennan can do, it’s pretend everything’s fine when he’s close to losing his mind. Brennan is nineteen and just clawed his way back to Sturbridge University after recovering from a suicide attempt, and this is not the new life he was hoping for.
Brennan’s newly bloodthirsty existence gets way more complicated when Cole, the super cute librarian and everyone’s campus crush, stumbles on Brennan drinking from a stolen blood bag. Luckily, adorable Cole is happy to keep Brennan’s secret, and even seems to maybe like him? Navigating a new relationship is hard enough without the added struggles of vampire puberty, an eclectic clan of self-proclaimed “good” vampires, and growing feelings for the one person who makes Brennan feel normal. With swirling rumors of a missing student and a rise in strange “animal attacks” near campus, Brennan must uncover the secrets of the clan and figure out how to balance vampirism and humanity, or risk losing the first real friends he’s ever had.
Filled with humor and heart, The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and Boyfriends has a gentle bite.
Davy June's Legendary Fry Bread Drive-In by Various YA Authors (Heartdrum) - release date and details not yet updated on Goodreads.
The road to Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy June’s serves up more than food: it hosts live music, movie nights, unexpected family reunions, love long lost, and love found again.
That big green-and-gold neon sign beckons to teens of every tribal Nation, often when they need it most.
Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers, and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread.
Empty Heaven by Freddie Kölsch (Union Square Books)
Darian Sabine Arden is haunted by a monster who claims to love her.
Her only respite is the New England village where she spends summers with her three best friends. Kesuquosh is serene and idyllic, and the townsfolk’s odd worship of a godlike scarecrow only adds to the charming local color. But when Darian pays a surprise Halloween visit to her summer crush—a beautiful, unreadable girl named KJ—just in time to see her swept up in a bizarre harvest ritual, she’s forced to admit that Good Arcturus is more than a quaint superstition. He’s terrifyingly real.
Something ancient and sinister lurks behind the dying sunflower fields and glowing windows of Kesuquosh… and in the hearts of the people who live there. Something that doesn’t take kindly to its paradise being threatened. To save KJ—and themselves—Darian and her friends must question everything they thought they knew about their home. And Darian will have to tell the awful truth about the monster that’s been with her all along.
Empty Heaven is a propulsive and original love story, a darkly funny tribute to the power of queer found family, and a haunting exploration of the hidden horrors of beautiful places.
A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi (Margaret K. McElderry Books) - YA graphic novel.
Pepper Mint might be born a vampire, but she’s pretty much your average teenager who loves skateboarding and her dog. What she doesn’t love is her mother’s continuous efforts to find her a vampire bride so that she can become fully immortal. Then Pepper meets Ana—she’s a charming art student, a part-time waitress…and interested in Pepper.
Ana’s presence changes everything, especially when she uses Pepper for the inspiration behind her art. But the two girls’ instant chemistry seems to provide the perfect opportunity for Pepper to finally commit to becoming the immortal creature of the night her mother desperately wants her to be.
Between the pressure from her mom and her inability to figure out whether Ana likes Pepper for herself or her aesthetic, it feels like everyone just wants a bite of Pepper. And with all these looming questions, will Pepper be ready to take the biggest bite of her life, committing to an unchanging immortality?
The Executioner's Three by Susan Dennard (Tor Teen)
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