May 7th
Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho (Disney Hyperion)
Agnes Chan never expected to be the punchline of her own life . . .
But how else do you explain getting accidentally run over and seeing a lifetime of careful preparation, endless training, and all your hopes of a track scholarship to college destroyed in a split second? Not to mention the only witness to your humiliation being your #1 archnemesis, Royce Taslim.
So, when Agnes finds a new answer to her scholarship predicament in the form of an international stand-up comedy contest for teens, the last person she expects to be up against is also the last person she wants to Royce. Because for years Royce has represented everything Agnes extreme privilege, popularity, and physical perfection (ok maybe she doesn’t hate that part so much).
Behind the scenes, though, Royce’s flawless façade fades away, revealing someone Agnes never expected—someone who shows her that perhaps the best parts of life are the ones you aren’t prepared for—and as the competition heats up, so do things between these two rivals. But will the pressure to win be too much for them to handle—or will Agnes (and Royce) get the last laugh?
The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve (Abrams)
Hayley always has a crush. The problem is, her crushes never like her back. After her latest unrequited love—a girl from her basketball team—gets a boyfriend, she decides she’s done falling for girls who are unavailable. Her best friend, Talia, wants romance too, but rarely gets crushes on anyone, and she’s tired of watching Hayley get her heart stomped on over and over. So the two girls make a they’ll help each other find summer love by putting themselves in situations that always lead to romance in movies.
To help carry out their summer love strategy, they make a list of all the places they could find their real-life the beach, the Pride parade, the pool, a MUNA concert, and a party. But as they go to each place and try to find the one , it seems like they just can’t catch a break—they don’t know how to talk to cute strangers, someone mistakes Hayley as straight, and Hayley does a truly unfortunate DIY haircut (that she cannot be held responsible for––it was a crisis!). But when Talia and Hayley finally manage to score dates, will they be able to get out of their own way and really dive into the romances they deserve? Or is summer love not as far off as Hayley thought?
Prom Babies by Kekla Magoon (Henry Holt)
Mina, Penny, and Sheryl have the typical expectations of prom night in 2005: dresses, dancing, and of course some coming of age moments. None of them plans to get pregnant, but when all three do, they band together as they face decisions that have the power to shape the rest of their lives.
In 2024, their three children--Blossom, Amber, and Cole--are high school seniors, gearing up to go to prom and facing some big decisions of their own. As they seek to understand who they are and who they want to be, they grapple with issues that range from consent to virginity, gendered dress codes, and the many patriarchal, heteronormative expectations that still come along with prom.
A generation later, will this prom night change lives too?
Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R X He (Sourcebooks Fire) - moved from August 2024.
Someone
has murdered the queen bee of Sierton High School…and all the dead
girl’s friends are suspects. A twisty thriller from a talented debut
author perfect for fans of They Wish They Were Us and One of Us is
Lying.Ella Moore was the most popular girl in school…and also the most hated. When she’s murdered at her own party, there are too many suspects to count. And too many people who think she deserved it.
The police’s prime suspect is the new girl, Dawn Foster. Dawn was the last to hand Ella a drink on the night she died. Plus, all of Ella’s friends with a motive for wanting Ella dead are more than willing to throw Dawn under the bus, if it means keeping the heat off themselves.
But Dawn refuses to go down without a fight. She’s determined to clear her name. As she delves deeper into the past, she discovers that Ella and her friends had major enemies, and someone is out for revenge. Dawn must uncover the truth before the police arrest the wrong suspect… and before the next person dies.
The Davenports: More Than This by Krysal Marquis (Dial)
Like the blazing Chicago sun, the drama is heating up for the Davenports and their social set. Before the summer of 1910 drops its last petal, the lives—and loves—of these four young women will change in ways they never could have
Newly engaged Ruby Tremaine is eagerly planning her wedding to the love of her life when a nasty rumor threatens her reputation and her marriage. Olivia Davenport has committed to the social justice cause and secretly hopes she’ll be reunited with dashing lawyer Washington DeWight—until her parents decide she’s to marry someone else. Amy-Rose Shepherd is making her lifelong wish of owning a salon come true, but when an incident forces her to return to Freeport Manor, she’s back in the path of John Davenport, who still holds her heart. Helen Davenport is determined to get over her own heartbreak and bring the Davenport Carriage Company into the new century, even if it means teaming up with a thrill-seeking racecar driver who just loves to get under her skin.
Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, More Than This is the second book in critically adored Davenports series, following four empowered and passionate young Black women as they navigate a rapidly changing society and discover the courage to steer their own paths in life—and love.
Better Must Come by Desmond Hall (Atheneum)
Deja is a “barrel girl”—one of the Jamaican kids who get barrels full of clothes, food, and treats shipped to them from parents who have moved to the US or Canada to make more money. Gabriel is caught up in a gang and desperate for a way out. When he meets Deja at a party, he starts looking for a way into her life and wonders if they could be a part of each other’s futures.
Then, one day while out fishing, Deja spies a go-fast boat stalled out by some rocks, smeared with blood. Inside, a badly wounded man thrusts a knapsack at her, begging her to deliver it to his original destination, and to not say a word. She binds his wounds, determines to send for help, and make good on her promise…not realizing that the bag is stuffed with $500,000 American. Not realizing that the posse Gabriel is in will stop at nothing to get their hands on this bag—or that Gabriel’s and her lives will intersect in ways neither ever imagined, as they both are forced to make split second choices to keep the ones they love most alive.
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (Simon and Schuster) - repackaged 2013 release.
Chelsea isn’t looking forward to her summer at the lake. It’s the first time her family has been there since her grandmother died, and she can’t break out of her funk. But her summer takes a turn for the better when she meets a boy who works in the bookstore. Josh is cute, sweet, funny…and best of all, seems to like her as much as she likes him. As the days pass by in a blur of boat rides, picnics, and stolen kisses, she can’t believe how lucky she is. No one has ever made her feel so special, or so beautiful.
But Chelsea knows her days with Josh are numbered. She’ll be heading home at the end of the summer—and he’ll be staying behind. Will this be Chelsea’s summer of love? Or will it be the summer of her broken heart?
Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (Simon and Schuster) - repackaged 2011 release.
Anna is dreading another tourist-filled summer on Dune Island that follows the same beach, ice cream, friends, repeat. That is, until she locks eyes with Will, the gorgeous and sweet guy visiting from New York. Soon, her summer is filled with flirtatious fun as Anna falls head over heels in love.
But with every perfect afternoon, sweet kiss, and walk on the beach, Anna can’t ignore that the days are quickly growing shorter, and Will has to leave at the end of August. Anna’s never felt anything like this before, but when forever isn’t even a possibility, one summer doesn’t feel worth the promise of her heart breaking…
Seventeenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (Simon and Schuster) - repackaged 1940s release.
Angeline “Angie” Morrow always thought high school romances were just silly infatuations that come and go. She certainly never thought she would fall in love. But when she’s asked out on her first date by the school basketball star, Jack Duluth, their connection is beyond any childish crush.
Suddenly, Angie and Jack are filling their summer with stolen moments and romantic nights. But fall is coming—Angie is going off to college in Chicago, while Jack is planning to move to Oklahoma to help with the family bakery—and they must figure out if their love is forever, or just a summer they’ll never forget.
Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton (Simon and Schuster) - repackaged release.
In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts. Izzy’s tight group of coworkers at the local surf shop have tried relentlessly to break shy Izzy out of her (sea)shell. But Izzy isn’t interested…until the day Ben Barker walks into the store.
Ben’s from the city. He’s cute, charming, and wants her help adjusting to beach town culture. As the weeks of surfing lessons and pizza shack visits fly by, Izzy and Ben realize their attraction goes beyond mere friendship. But Ben is only in town for three months, and Izzy wonders if this amazing guy is worth stepping out of her comfort zone for what might be the perfect summer romance—or her first heartbreak.
Swept Away by Michelle Dalton (Simon and Schuster) - repackaged release.
Mandy Sullivan isn’t exactly looking forward to the summer months as tourists invade her seaside hometown on the coast of Maine. Her best friend, Cynthia, has abandoned her for camp and her older brother just announced he’ll be staying at college taking classes for the summer, leaving Mandy with nothing to do and no one to hang out with. Hoping to keep herself busy, Mandy takes a volunteer job at the Rocky Pointe Lighthouse.
On her very first day, Oliver Farmingham asks for a private tour. A new—and incredibly cute—face in Rocky Pointe, Oliver seems more interested in Mandy than the lighthouse and its history. Without her best friend at her side, Mandy is scrambling to act the right way and say the right things when Oliver is around. Cynthia—not Mandy—has always been the confident, flirtatious girl that everyone wanted to be around.
As Mandy and Oliver spend more time together exploring the coast, biking through the woods, and attending the local summer festivals, their budding friendship becomes much more. But with Mandy’s insecurities creeping to the surface, can she open her heart to someone who will only be in town for three months?
A Spin of Fate by AA Vora (Putnam)
Aina’s world is governed by Toranic Law—a force that segregates people into upper and lower realms based on the weight of their souls. It’s said that if the sinful lower-borns commit themselves to kindness and charity, their souls will lighten and allow them into the peaceful upper realms.
But Aina, one of the few lower-borns to ever ascend, just wants to go back home.
Aina hates the pomp of the upper realms, and she’s desperate to reunite with her mother, hoping she’s survived the beasts and wars of the lower realms alone. After trying, and failing, to weigh down her soul with petty crimes, Aina joins a rebel group bringing aid to the unfortunare—those ignored by the authorities and condemned, from birth, to a life of suffering under the Toranic system. Alongside Aina are two other new Meizan, a rough fighter hoping to save his clan, and Aranel, a spoiled noble sent by the powers that be as a spy.
Before long, the rebels find themselves in the middle of a brewing On one side, a violent king is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the authorities of the upper realms will do anything to stay on top. Now the young rebels must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law—but the universe itself.
The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté (Page Street) - YA memior, moved from July 2024.
Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams (Labyrinth Road)
A teenager on the run from his past finds the
family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed
at an HCBU for the young, Black, and magical . Enroll in this fresh
fantasy debut with the emotional power of Legendborn and the redefined
ancestral magic of Lovecraft Country .
Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.
At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.
In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.
This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed (Little, Brown)
From the New York Times bestselling author of
Internment comes a timely and gripping social-suspense novel about book
banning, activism, and standing up for what you believe.
After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation. But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors. Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?
The Dare by Natasha Preston (Delacorte)
Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.
At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.
In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.
This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed (Little, Brown)
After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation. But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors. Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?
The Dare by Natasha Preston (Delacorte)
I triple dog dare you . . .
As senior year comes to an end, senior pranks are just beginning. It all starts innocently enough. Marley and her friends—Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse—egg houses, set chickens free on the quad, and fill the principal’s office with glitter-filled balloons.
But when Jesse accepts a dare to drive danger alley, a ten-mile stretch of winding road that’s notorious for car wrecks, with no headlights, things take a turn for the worst.
Now, the four friends are bound by a tragic accident—and a dark secret that threatens their bright futures.
Lie Until It's True by Jessie Weaver (Disney Hyperion) - moved from January 2024.
Amanda Pruitt needs redemption. She is the one, after all, who turned her sister in for murder and anonymously broadcasted her trial to millions on TikTok. And she was wrong. Her sister is innocent, making Amanda the villain—not the hero—all along.
So when her childhood best friend's mom is arrested for murdering an eccentric billionaire and refuses to give a statement, Amanda decides to help solve the crime. This could be her second chance. If she can use her TikTok to get the public on her friend's side, the police will have to reopen the investigation.
The plan? Stay the summer with her aunt who is the concierge at the Summit, a historic (read: haunted) hotel in the mountains that also happens to be the scene of the crime. Investigate the billionaire's murder. Win back her estranged bestie Vincent.
Not the plan? See a ghost. Fall for Vincent. Black out and lose 15 minutes of her life. Wake up to find the dead body of a frenemy.
Amanda and Vincent must work together to find the killer, or Amanda risks going down for a murder she isn't quite sure she didn't commit. Set in a possibly haunted hotel and including TikTok interstitials, this is the perfect follow up to Live Your Best Lie.
Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez (MTV Books) - moved from 2023.
Mac has never really felt like he belonged. Definitely not at home—his dad’s politics and toxic masculinity make a real connection impossible. He thought he fit in on the baseball team, but that’s only because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Finding his first gay friend, Cammy, was momentous; finally, he could be his authentic self around someone else. But as it turned out, not really. Cammy could be cruel, and his “advice” often came off way harsh.
And then, Mac meets Flor, who shows him that you can be both fierce and kind, and Mikey, who is superhot and might maybe think the same about him. Over the course of one hot, life-changing summer, Mac will stand face-to-face with desire, betrayal, and letting go of shame, which will lead to some huge discoveries about the realness of truly belonging.
Told in Mac’s infectious, joyful, gay AF voice, Hot Boy Summer serves a tale as important as hope four gay teens doing what they can to connect and have the fiercest summer of their lives. New friendships will be forged, hot boys will be kissed…and girl, the toxic will be detoxed.
Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber (Balzer + Bray)
Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.
Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.
Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.
As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take
everything they have to save Eana–including a sacrifice they may not be
prepared to make.
Dispatches from Parts Unknown by Bryan Bliss (Greenwillow Books)
Ever since her dad died three years ago, Julie has been surviving more than she’s been thriving. And surviving is sneaking into her parents’ closet when her mom is out, since it’s the only place that still sometimes smells like her dad. It’s roaming around the Mall of America, stopping to get two Orange Juliuses, just like they always did. It’s pulling out the box of her dad’s VHS tapes, recordings of his favorite vintage professional wrestling matches.
And it’s hearing the voice of the Masked Man in her head, running a commentary of her life.
It’s embarrassing, really. Sure, he was her dad’s favorite wrestler, but that doesn’t mean she wants him in her head. And does he really have to comment on everything?
As Julie finally starts to come out of the haze of grief, just as her senior year is winding down, maybe she’ll finally figure out why that voice is there, and how to let it go. She might even find herself a crush . . . one who could convince her to go to prom.
National Book Award nominee Bryan Bliss has made a name for himself
writing thoughtful, thought-provoking novels for teens that tackle tough
and often underrepresented topics. In Dispatches from Parts Unknown,
he explores how a teenager deals with grief, but he’s also written
perhaps his funniest novel. He expertly balances dark and light to weave
a compelling and ultimately uplifting story that readers will want to
revisit again and again.
Sunhead by Alex Assan (Harper Alley) - YA graphic novel, moved from 2023.
Rotem is a Sunhead, a fan of the international smash hit Sunrise series of books and films. There’s just something about the book that speaks to her. She’s obsessed with the main character, Edmund, and no one else gets it. But all that changes when she befriends Ayala, a shy classmate and avid book lover who seems to be as swept away by the romance as she is. The two become fast friends, but as their deep connection grows stronger, Rotem starts to wonder: what exactly draws her to this story?
Alex Assan’s debut Sunhead is an earnest coming-of-age graphic novel that explores how the stories we love help us understand our friendships, our relationships, and ourselves.
Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab)
But when Zé Miguel is arrested for anti-government activities and Sónia’s family’s restaurant is shut down, Sónia’s plans are upended. No longer part of the comfortable middle class, she’s forced to leave school and take a low-paying, grueling, dangerous job. She thought she understood the dark sides of her world, but now she sees suffering she never imagined.
Without the protection of her boyfriend or her family, can Sónia find a way to fight for justice?
Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe and Dr Sarah Peitzmeier (Dutton) - YA graphic non-fiction.
Breathe arose from the need for an evidence-based resource for folks considering chest binding as gender-affirming care. Its original form was a 32-page digital-only 'zine, but Peitzmeier and Kobabe saw potential for reaching a wider audience with an expanded version with more art and more exploration of what the research really shows about binding, designed to be easily readable as a printed book. This is the result.
To create Breathe , Peitzmeier and her research team interviewed 25 people of different ages and backgrounds about their journeys with binding, and then she and Kobabe combined excerpts from those interviews with evidence-based resources on binding into this extremely accessible book. The result is both a practical resource for trans and nonbinary folks and an engaging and perspective-broadening read for anyone interested in what it means to be on a journey of expressing one's gender in the ways that are the most joyful, healthy, and affirming for them.
Ray
enlisted his friends to help him make a documentary of the park where
his mother and brother were murdered in a mass killing. But what Ray
doesn’t know is that Joaquin, his crush, was the sole survivor of that
massacre all those years ago. With an impending hurricane and horrors
around every corner, they all struggle to survive the park while
discovering secrets about each other as their weekend adventure goes off
the rails.
The group must not only face the deadly storm and
their own inner demons, but also the ancient malignant presence on the
island, threatening to plunge them into madness, and destroy them one by
one.
The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson (Simon and Schuster) - moved from 2025.
Darcy believes in love at first sight.
Even though it’s never happened to her, she’s spent her whole life waiting for that perfect, magical moment. But right now, her life is anything but perfect. In the aftermath of a music festival, she’s stranded at a bus station until morning – the day before she leaves for college. Her phone is dead, she has no cash, and she’s convinced nothing good can come of this night…but then she meets Russell.
Russell. Cute and nice, funny and kind. She knows this is the moment – and the guy – she’s been waiting for. And they have until sunrise to walk, and talk, and connect.
Over the course of this one fateful night – filled with football field picnics, nightswimming, and escape-artist dogs – Darcy and Russell’s lives will change forever. They’ll discover things they never imagined about each other – and about themselves.
But can you really know someone after only a handful of hours? Is it possible to fall in love in just one day?
And is it worth saying hello…when you know you’re destined for a goodbye?
Queerceañera by Alex Crespo (HarperTeen)
Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it. And while he knew his dad and sister, Carmen, would be super supportive, he wasn’t quite ready for them to surprise him with a queerceañera, a coming out party to celebrate him. Between all the talks of tastings and venues, and the chirping of his family’s RSVP texts, the question of who will be his chambelán is on everyone’s minds.
What Joaquin is decidedly trying to not think about is whether his mom is going attend or if she’s finally replaced him with her favorite godson, Felix—the boy who made Joaquin realize he was gay and who was his first kiss. But when an impromptu lie snowballs into a full-fledged family-group-chat rumor, every Zoido from Texas to Mexico starts believing that Felix is not only Joaquin’s chambelán but also his brand-new boyfriend.
To avoid the pity and sympathies of an ill-timed breakup, Joaquin and Felix strike a deal—they’ll stay fake boyfriends until the party. Yet, as the day draws nearer and old feelings spark anew, Joaquin will have to decide whether a picture-perfect queerceañera with a fake boyfriend is worth giving up the chance of something real.
Death's Country by R.M. Romero (Peachtree Teen)
Andres Santos of São Paulo was all swinging fists and firecracker fury, a foot soldier in the war between his parents. Until he drowned in the Tietê River… and made a bargain with Death for a new life. A year later, his parents have relocated the family to Miami, but their promises of a fresh start quickly dissolve in the summer heat.
Instead of fists, Andres now uses music to escape his parents’ battles. While wandering Miami Beach, he meets two photographer Renee, a blaze of fire, and dancer Liora, a ray of sunshine. The three become a polyamorous triad, happy, despite how no one understands their relationship. But when a car accident leaves Liora in a coma, Andres and Renee are shattered.
Then Renee proposes a radical She and Andres must go into the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s spirit and reunite it with her body—before it’s too late. Their search takes them to the City of the dead, where painters bleed color, songs grow flowers, and regretful souls will do anything to forget their lives on earth. But finding Liora’s spirit is only the first step in returning to the living world. Because when Andres drowned, he left a part of himself in the underworld—a part he’s in no hurry to meet again. But it is eager to be reunited with him...
In verse as vibrant as the Miami skyline, critically acclaimed author R.M. Romero has crafted a masterpiece of magical realism and an openhearted ode to the nature of healing.
May 14th
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur (Feiwel and Friends) - moved from 2023.
Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.
1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.
Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.
Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.
When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen:
Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.
10 Things I Hate About Prom by Elle Gonzalez Rose (Joy Revolution)
The best things in life come in pairs. Peanut butter has jelly, Taylor has Selena, and Ivelisse Santos has Joaquin Romero. They are not only next-door neighbors; they’re platonic soulmates. Ive gets Quin like no one else.
At least, she thought she did before Joaquin shocks her by revealing that he wants to ask Tessa Gordon to prom. Tessa freaking Gordon. The same Tessa Gordon who spread the rumor that Ivelisse started the infamous Second Grade Lice Outbreak. Why her?
Tessa and Joaquin are a match made in popular kid heaven. The head cheerleader and the star of the baseball team going to prom together makes more sense than Joaquin and Ivelisse—a member of tech crew—would. But just because it makes sense doesn’t mean it should happen.
To make matters worse, Joaquin wants Ivelisse’s assistance planning the grandest, most elaborate promposal Cordero High has ever seen. To win the queen bee over, he’ll have to go bigger than any of their peers have ever gone. Ivelisse would rather wrestle a bear than wingwoman Joaquin.
But with senior year coming to an end and their paths diverging, she'll take all the quality time with Joaquin she can get. So, she swallows her pride. At first.
In Repair by A. L. Graziadei (Godwin Books)
troublemaker―he’ll do just about anything to have everyone’s eyes on him.
But things are about to change. Nathaniel is in his first year of college, flung into new circumstances withnew people to meet. There are public speaking classmates, lacrosse players―and then there’s the aspiring photographer who asks Nathaniel to be their model, who’s interested in more than what’s on the surface. Nathaniel feels like he’s moving forward―until a former friend shows up, someone who reminds him of habits and hurts he thought he’d left behind.
From the author of Icebreaker comes a deeply felt, gorgeously told story about confronting what's
buried, coming into your own, and finding your people.
It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents)
Unlike the other residents of the small
Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, Selina DaSilva does not believe in
magic. With a logical mind and a knack for botany, Selina used to dream
of leaving the island to study Pharmacology—until a vicious, unsolved
attack left her father dead and her mother in a coma.
Now her guilt over her mother’s condition keeps her tethered to the island, relegated to conning gullible tourists with
useless talismans and phony protection rituals. But when one of those
tourists ends up at the center of a string of strange murders, the truth
that Selina has been denying can no longer be avoided: there is evil
lurking in the forests that surround St. Virgil. Another thing that
can’t be avoided? Selina’s ex-boyfriend Gabriel, newly employed at the
local newspaper and eager to put his investigative skills to use.
Desperate
to put an end to the killings and claim justice for Selina’s family,
these two former lovers race to find answers. But evil bides its time.
And as long-buried feelings and long-hidden secrets about Selina’s
family’s past begin to reveal themselves, only one answer remains—and it
waits in the forest.
Break to You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young and Michele Knowlden (Quill Tree Books) - moved from July 2024, some editions still have this date.
Adriana knows why she is in Compass juvenile detention center: her bad taste in “friends.” If she can manage to keep her head down for the next seven months, she might be able to get through her sentence. Thankfully, she’s allowed to keep her journal, where she writes down her most private thoughts and observations when the pressure inside her is too much.
Until the day she opens her journal and discovers that her thoughts are no longer so private. Someone has read her writings, and written back. A boy who lives on the other side of the gender-divided detention center. A boy who sparks a fire in her to write back.
Jon’s story is different than Adriana’s; he’s already been at Compass for years and will be in the system for years to come. Still, when he reads the words Adriana writes to him, it makes him feel like the walls that hold them in just melt away.
Bestselling author of Scythe Neal Shusterman with coauthors
Debra Young and Michelle Knowlden together tell an intense yet tender
story of two teens trapped in impossible circumstances and unjust
systems, willing to risk everything for love—no matter what consequences
their fates have in store.
The Night Is Ours by Ronni Davis (Little, Brown) - moved from Summer 2023, then from April 2024.
The thing is, Brandy wants to be an artist. Brandy knows all the risks of chasing her dream. She’s heard them from her mother over and over.
On top of that, Brandy’s annoying classmate from high school, startlingly handsome Ben Nolan, is catching his far-fetched dreams of being an actor. Why does he get to be fearless while she has to be practical? Ben is the last thing Brandy wants on her mind, so of course today is the day he decides to glue himself to her hip. Now, his perfect face is right there in the cacophony crashing through her head.
Spinning in too many directions, Brandy’s emotions clash with the flashing lights at the town’s summer carnival. Can she have one extraordinary night before everything changes.
Beach Cute by Beth Reekles (Delacorte)
Luna, Rory and Jodie are strangers in the need of a vacation...
Luna has unexpectedly broken up with her boyfriend.
Rory has to come up with a creative way to break it to her family she wants to pursue her art passion.
And as for Jodie - she feels lost in both life and love.
But these three strangers have one other thing in common...they are on their way to the same resort. As their lives collide in unexpected ways will they have the summer they'll never forget?
True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li (Quill Tree Books)
After Grace Tang lost her mother and wrecked the only friendship she cared about during her senior year of high school, she lives her first year of college like a predictable formula: attend class, study, go home and visit her dad every weekend. Repeat. There’s no room in her life for outliers or anomalies.
As a project for her statistics class, Grace comes up with the idea to use an algorithm to pair students with their perfect romantic partner. Though some people are skeptical, like Julia, Grace’s coworker at the campus library, Grace is confident that her algorithm is accurate. That’s why she keeps trying to make things work with her “perfect” match, a guy named Jamie. But as the semester goes on and she grows closer to Julia, Grace starts to question who she’s really attracted to.
In acclaimed author Christina Li’s YA debut, Grace will have to make a
choice between the tidy equations she knows will protect her heart from
grief, or the possibility that true love doesn’t follow a formula.
The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood (Wednesday Books)
War doesn’t scare Jerusalem - she’s a Saint. Thanks to powerful demigod-style reflexes, endurance, and strength, she’s fearless. And ever since the Confederates declared civil war, partnering with the vampires who benefitted off slavery, she and her battalion of Saints are essential to the Union army.
Jerusalem herself had been enslaved by a vampire, escaping North only after her family was murdered. She knows the enemy better, hates the enemy more than anyone in her battalion, and has been using it to her advantage since she joined the war a year ago. More than anything she wants revenge, but if she can help Black people gain freedom and equality without having to steal it for themselves like she had to, then all the better.
But she never expects to have to team up with a vampire to do it. Alexei is one of those handsome, arrogant Ancient Vampires. But he’s on the Union’s side, and in the year they've known each other, has never done anything but prove he’s on hers.
Together, they set out to change the course of the war and take down the vampire who destroyed everyone Jerusalem loved. But for her, it’s about more than justice.
It's about killing a god.
A Tale of Two Knights: Tristan and Lancelot by James Persichetti and L Biehler (HarperAlley) - YA graphic novel.
Merlin is missing, and Camelot is under attack.
When King Arthur calls for aid, Morgan le Fay answers her estranged half brother’s plea—for a price. She’ll locate Merlin in exchange for the mysterious magical sapling their father bequeathed to Arthur on his passing. Much to her chagrin, Arthur insists on sending two Knights of the Round Table with her.
Sir Lancelot has carefully built himself a reputation as the most well-liked of Arthur’s knights, but he can’t crack quiet Tristan’s brooding exterior. Sir Tristan is silently battling a curse—one that has bound him to the lady Isolde against his will, and one he grows ever more desperate to break.
As the trio journeys through Albion, sparks begin to fly between the
two knights. But before they can unravel the tangle of feelings and
secrets between them, they will have to face a threat that could destroy
all of Camelot—unless they and Morgan can learn to work together to
destroy it first.
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe (Little, Brown)
Now Raymond has a hostage. Nora has no leverage. Iris has a spear and Wes is building boobytraps. It’ll take all of their skills to make it out of the forest alive.
There are three problems: Someone is lying. Someone is keeping secrets.
And someone has to die.
The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse (Little, Brown)
Seven months ago, Edda was on the World War I front lines as one of two hundred “Hello Girls,” female switchboard operators employed by the US Army. She spent her nights memorizing secret connection codes to stay ahead of spying enemies, and her days connecting vital calls between platoons and bases and generals, all trying to survive—and win—a brutal war. Their lives were in Edda’s hands, and one day, in fateful seconds, everything went wrong.
Now, Edda is back in Washington, DC, working as an American Bell Telephone operator, the picture of respectability. But when her shift ends, Edda is barely hanging on, desperate to forget the circumstances that cut her time overseas short. When Edda receives a panicked phone call from someone who utters the fateful code word “Brightwood,” she has no choice but to confront her past. With precious few clues and help only from Theo, a young man bearing his own WWI scars, Edda races to uncover what secrets may have followed her across the ocean.
Timely and unforgettable, The Brightwood Code sheds light on hidden history and the brutality of being a woman in a war built by men.
Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin (Simon and Schuster)
In a not-too-distant America, abortions are prosecuted and the right to choose is no longer an option. But best friends Laylah and Noor want to change the world. After graduating high school, they’ll become an OBGYN and a journalist, but in the meantime, they’re working on an illegal guide to abortion in Texas.
In response to the unfair laws, underground networks of clinics have sprung up, but the good fight has gotten even more precarious as it becomes harder to secure safe medication and supplies. Both Layla and Noor are passionate about getting their guide completed so it can help those in need, but Laylah treats their project with an urgency Noor doesn’t understand—that may have something to do with the strange goings-on between their mosque and a local politician.
Fighting for what they believe in may involve even more obstacles than they bargained for, but the two best friends will continue as they always together.
The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza (Holiday House)
Tegan Masters is dead.
She’s sixteen and she’s dead and she’s standing in the parking lot of the Marybelle Motor Lodge, the single most depressing motel in all of New Jersey and the place where Tegan spent what she remembers as the worst weekend of her life.
In the front office, she meets Zelda, a cute and sarcastic girl Tegan’s age who is, in fact, an angel (wings and all). According to Zelda, Tegan is officially in heaven, where every person inhabits an exact replica of their happiest memory. For Tegan, Zelda insists, that place is the Marybelle—creepy minigolf course, revolting breakfast buffet, broken TV, and all.
Tegan has a few complaints about this.
As Zelda takes Tegan on a whirlwind tour through Tegan’s past to help her understand what mattered most to her in life, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If Zelda fails to convince Tegan that the Marybelle was the site of Tegan's perfect moment, both girls face eternal consequences too dire to consider. But if she succeeds…they just might get their happily-ever-afterlife.
Full of humor and heartbreak, The Worst Perfect Moment asks what it means to be truly happy.
Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc (Balzer + Bray)
After an incident at his school leaves closeted trans teenager Asher Sullivan needing stitches, his mother betrays him in the worst possible way—she sends him to Catholic school for his senior year. Now he has to contend with hideous plaid skirts, cranky nuns, and #bathroomJesus.
Nighttime brings an escape for Asher when he dreams of the Midnight Circus—the one place where he is seen for the boy he truly is. Too bad it exists only in his sleep. Or at least, that’s what he believes, until the day his annoyingly attractive trapeze rival, Apollo, walks out of his dreams and into his classroom. On the heels of this realization that the magical circus might be real, Asher also learns that his time there is limited.
In his desperation to hang onto the one place he feels at home, Asher sets both worlds on a collision course that could destroy all the relationships he cares about most. Now he must decide how far he’ll go to preserve the magical circus, even if it means facing his biggest challenge yet—coming out.
Thirsty by Jas Hammonds (Roaring Brook Press)
It’s the summer before college and eighteen-year-old Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella’s acceptance is a sure thing―she’s the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.
As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella’s pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, she’s bold, funny, and unstoppable―and the Serenas love it. But as pledging intensifies, so does Blake’s drinking, until it’s seeping into every corner of her life. Ella assures Blake that she’s fine ; partying hard is what it takes to make the cut . . .
But success has never felt so much like drowning. With her future hanging in the balance and her past dragging her down, Blake must decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success―and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process.Blood & Fury by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton (Razorbill)
Prepare for the gripping conclusion to the Chaos & Flame saga, the "fast-paced, action-filled fantasy that reads like a mix of Game of Thrones and The Last Airbender " (BCCB) from two beloved New York Times bestselling authors.
A single kiss set Chaos ablaze.
Picking up months after akiss transformed Darling into the long-lost Phoenix and every House regent into their empyreal form, Darling struggles to make sense of her destiny as a legendary creature. How can she, an orphan with no family, truly be the one to reunite the fractured houses and bring about peace, if she can't control the magic of her new Phoenix body?
Talon Goldhoard, still in love with Darling but wounded by her betrayal, is tasked with ending the vicious war that his family instigated. With the Phoenix reborn, Talon is hopeful that the bloodshed will end swiftly. Instead, the kingdom grows more fraught, with the threat of violence ever present – especially from dark, conniving forces within the walls of his own House Dragon.
As Chaos reigns, Talon and Darling must find their way back to each other to not survive but save the kingdom. Can Darling harness the power of the ancient magic that runs through her blood to bring about a new peace? Or will the fury that House Dragon fueled for a hundred-year war be too strong to break?
May 21st
Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio (Wednesday Books)
Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after -- and now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her love life, her new job, her relationship with her none of it is quite what she envisioned it to be.
One evening, on a whim, she applies for a reality show where she’ll be stranded on an island, with a bunch of strangers, to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. What better way to force herself to break up with the things that aren’t bringing her joy, than to abandon them all on short notice to live off the grid on a beach in the South Pacific!
Orie's shocked when she ends up cast in an experimental romantic edition of the and even more surprised to find that her old high school crush, Remy, has been cast as well. Orie's one of ten contestants, set to compete in formidable challenges, while speed dating, in the without deodorant, toilets, shaving cream, or showers. (How !?)
She finds herself tied up ― literally ― in a game of risky alliances as she navigates ever-growing feelings for her one that got away , alongside an exciting array of budding new relationships.
Summer Nights and Meteorites by Hannah Reynolds (Razorbill)
Jordan Edelman’s messy dating days are over. After a few too many broken hearts, and a father who worries a bit too much, she’s sworn off boys—at least for the summer. And since she’ll be tagging along on her father’s research trip to Nantucket, she doesn’t think it’ll be too hard to stick to her resolution.
But hooking up with the cute boy on the ferry doesn’t count, right? At least, not until that cute boy turns out to be Ethan Barbanel. As in, her father’s longtime research assistant Ethan Barbanel, the boy Jordan has hated from afar for years. And to make matters worse, Jordan might actually be falling for him.
As if that didn’t complicate her life enough, Jordan’s new summer job with a local astronomer turns up a centuries-old mystery surrounding Gibson’s Comet—and as she dives into her research, what she learns just might put her growing relationship with Ethan in jeopardy.
Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill (Delacorte)
Natalie Hart has always been loud, unfiltered, and unapologetically herself. But that was before her freshman year of college, when she lost her merit scholarship and gained one pesky little anxiety diagnosis.
Hesitant to take out more student loans, Natalie decides to shoot her shot and applies to Wild Adventures , a popular outdoorsy reality competition show. Sure, Natalie prefers her twelve-step skincare routine to roughing it along the Appalachian Trail while competing in challenges against other college kids, but that scholarship prize money is calling her name. High risk, high reward, right?
Enter Finn Markum, her randomly assigned, capital- O Outdoorsy teammate whose growl could rival a black bear. These partners have more friction than a pair of new hiking boots. Or is that… flirtation? One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a wild adventure.
Keepers of the Stones and Stars by Michael Barakiva (FSG) - previously titled These Precious Stones, moved from 2021, then from 2022.
Get the guy.
Keepers of the Stones and Stars is a witty, young adult contemporary epic fantasy about a cheeky quintet of teens chosen by magical gems to save the world.
Reed is leading his best he’s just kissed the boy of his dreams, his band is starting to get actual paying gigs, and he’s a shoo-in to getting elected as next year’s Student Council president. But he’s ready to give it all up when his suspiciously aristocratic guidance counselor tells him he has been chosen to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
Because Reed is the first of five Stone Bearers who have been chosen by magical gems and granted super powers. All he has to do is unite all five and lead them to seal a portal that will release an onslaught of uncontrollable chaotic magical energies, and destroy the world as we know it. It’s up to the Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, Emerald, and Amethyst Bearers to save the world, fulfilling their roles in a centuries-old cycle that dates back to the 17th century Mughal court and the first Bearers of the Stones.
Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall (HarperTeen)
Another girl has gone missing in Cardinal Creek.
Sid knows their dad didn’t do it—this time. He’s currently serving a life sentence for the five girls he murdered ten years ago. Girls whose bodies he dumped into the lake. The same lake where June Hargrove was just found. And while Sid’s dad couldn’t have done it, suspicion is now directed at Sid. The only person who doesn’t suspect Sid is the new girl, Mavis—as long as Sid doesn’t let her find out about their past.
But Sid has another secret: They’re being haunted by the ghosts of the five girls their father killed. Except now there are six. And unlike the others, June isn’t content to just whisper in Sid’s ear. She wants them to find out who’s killing again, especially as another girl goes missing. If Sid wants any chance of solving the current disappearances, they’re going to have to face what their father did—or risk being haunted forever.
Critically acclaimed author of Who I Was with Her, Nita Tyndall delivers a page-turning thriller that will captivate fans of Sadie and Monday’s Not Coming.
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Faith Schaffer (HMH/Etch) - YA graphic novel.
Being a samurai isn’t easy. Sixteen-year-old Chihiro Ito knows that more than anyone. Her father is renowned among the samurai, but the only thing Chihiro is known for is spending way too much time on her phone obsessing over Tatsuo Nakano, Chihiro’s idol and the first woman to be accepted into Kesi Academy, a prestigious samurai school.
So, when
Chihiro’s father is conscripted for service and the opportunity arises
to work with Tatsuo in his stead, Chihiro jumps at the chance to prove
that she’s worthy of a spot at Kesi Academy and the samurai title. Their
mission: kill the yamauba demon terrorizing a village. With a legendary
samurai like Tatsuo by her side, Chihiro is convinced victory is
inevitable. But Tatsuo isn’t at all like the hero Chihiro imagined.
Foulmouthed, quick tempered, and a terrible drunk, Tatsuo completely
turned her back on the samurai way and is now a ronin working for hire
as a means of escaping the grief that haunts her. Forced to work
together, the two are thrust on a treacherous journey filled with epic
battles and twisted conspiracies as they must put aside their
differences to save the village and face the demons of the past.
The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell (Flux) - moved from June 2024.
The whaling village of Warbler is famous for its lucky ship figureheads—and infamous for people disappearing into the nightly fog. In this murky locale, the lamplighter position is synonymous with safety and protection, and it’s a position Temperance assumes when her father is found hanging from one of the lampposts. Though Tempe proves competent, the town is still hesitant to let a woman handle this responsibility.
When a girl goes missing after two lamps go out, Tempe’s ability to provide for her mother and younger sister hangs in the balance. She scrambles for answers, hindered at every turn by the village authorities’ call for her removal. As more villagers vanish under her watch, Tempe discovers unsettling truths about the famous Warbler figureheads and her own beloved father. But her warnings of a monster are ignored, even by her own family. Now she must follow the light out of her own fog of despair, as she faces the choice to look the other way or risk speaking out and possibly dooming herself and her sister to be among the lost.
The Word by Mary G. Thompson (Page Street YA)
She spends the next nine years on the run before the police finally catch up with her father, and she is returned to a mother who is “dead” in the eyes of their religion. But her father always had a plan for when the law came and took what was his―a plan that was set in motion the moment the police arrived at their home.
Now Lisa must make a follow the plan and go home again with the hope that she’ll see her brother and father again, or risk everything to figure out what life could be when she makes her own choices.
It’s Senior Sunrise, the epic overnight at the beach that kicks off senior year. But for Natalia and Ethan, it’s the first time seeing each other after what happened at junior prom―when they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more and ruined everything. After ghosting each other all summer, Natalia is desperate to pretend she doesn’t care and Ethan is desperate to fix his mistake.
When the senior class carries out their tradition of writing private letters to themselves―what they wish they would do this year if they were braver―Natalia pours her heart out. So does Ethan. So does everyone in their entire class. But in Natalia’s panicked attempt to retrieve her heartfelt confession, the wind scatters seven of the notes across the beach. Now, Ethan and Natalia are forced to work together to find the lost letters before any secrets are revealed―especially their own.
Seven private confessions. Seven time bombs loose for anyone to find. And one last chance before the sun rises for these two to fall in love. Perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, You’ve Reached Sam , People We Meet on Vacation, and Love & Gelato.
Liar's Test by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Knopf) - moved from July 2023.
I didn’t want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely.
Bell Silverleaf is a liar.
It’s how she’s survived. It’s how all Treesingers have survived, after they were invaded by the Risen and their gods. But now—thanks to some political maneuvering—Bell is in the Queen’s Test. She’s one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who rules for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she’ll use the power to help her people and get her revenge on the Risen.
But Bell doesn’t know how much she’s been lied to. She’s part of a conspiracy stretching back generations, and she’s facing much bigger dangers than the Queen’s Test. She’s up against the gods themselves.
Getting hold of that crown might just be the least of her problems.
Aboriginal writer Ambelin Kwaymullina has created a fast-paced, twisty narrative and an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.
In the Shallows by Tanya Byrne (Godwin Books) - moved from September 2023, then from January 2024, then from March 2024, previously titled The Mermaid of Black Rock and Into the Shallows.
On New Year's Day, three fishermen haul a teenage girl out of the ocean. By the time they bring her to land, it’s clear that she doesn’t know where or who she is. Her story goes viral. The media calls her Nicoletta, after the fishermen’s boat. The rumors take a dark turn the next time the fishermen head out to sea—and fail to return. People say Nicoletta lured them to their deaths—their lives in exchange for hers.
And with that, the mystery becomes a legend.
Eighteen months later, Mara Malakar meets Nicoletta, or Nico, at a café. The two become fast friends, but as Mara realizes she wants more from their relationship, Nico remains oblivious, focused only on remembering. She may not want to, though. Could there be a reason she’s locked everything behind a door? And once she's brave enough to open it, what will happen to her? To them?
Shooting for Stars by Christine Webb (Peachtree Teen)
High schooler Skyler Davidson spends most of her time with her pet rat, Five. The daughter of scientists, she’s determined to finish her late mother's research on neutron stars. So she teams up with aspiring videographer, Cooper, to film a submission for a NASA internship—all while keeping it a secret from her dad, who doesn’t expect any trouble from his obviously college-bound daughter.
As Skyler and Cooper grow closer, it turns out that Skyler’s dad has a new love interest as a hot makeup influencer who likes to put her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’ll keep hush on Skyler’s NASA plans, if Skyler agrees to get to know her. Now Skyler’s tangled up in a budding romance, an unexpected friendship, and the stress of having to retake her SATs. Will Skyler’s dream of stars collapse and explode, or can dad and daughter reconcile and change their trajectory?
Before & After You & Me by Dallas Woodburn (Owl Hollow Press)
Emma blames herself when a freak accident at a pool party leaves Hunter, the town’s rising track star and her former boyfriend, paralyzed from the waist down. As she struggles with anxiety, loneliness and regret, she begins to obsessively paint portraits of legs and feet—Hunter’s legs and feet—and for the first time receives critical acclaim and notice for her artwork.
But what started as therapeutic for Emma ends up deepening her guilt. Does creating meaningful art require retreating inward toward self-expression, or striving outward toward recognition—or can it somehow be both?
Searching for one whole, authentic identity, Emma grapples with love, ambition, grief, homecoming, and—ultimately—redemption.
May 28th
The Redemption of Daya Keane (HarperTeen)
It’s Daya Keane’s junior year, and nothing is as she expected.
First, her mother has started attending Grace Redeemer, the popular megachurch in town. Boasting concert-worthy light shows, an amazing live band—and a pastor who’s all about loving thy neighbor, as long as thy neighbor “gets right with God” first.
And second, Daya talks to Beckett Wild at a party neither of them were meant to be at.
Beckett is Daya’s longtime crush, the one she’s been pining after for years. She’s smart, cute, artistic…and the apparent poster girl for Grace Redeemer’s popular youth program. As Daya’s best friends, Stella and B’Rad, are quick to point out, someone like Beckett wouldn’t be remotely interested in returning her feelings.
Except maybe she is. Except maybe she does.
Daya’s never felt the need to have “normal” high school experiences. But she never expected to fall this hard for someone, either. Now Daya has to decide how far she’s willing to surrender to Beckett’s world of Grace Redeemer, and who she’s willing to become to be with her.
A fearless and profound tale ideal for readers of Jeff Zentner and Jennifer Dugan, The Redemption of Daya Keane gives an intimate and unforgettable look into a world that demands to be seen.
Younger sister Isla is back home within a day. She refuses to become one of the eerily sweet Alarie girls in their prim white dresses. Older sister Renata stays. When she returns months later, she’s unfailingly pleasant, unnervingly polite, and, Isla discovers, possibly murderous. And the same night she returns home, she vanishes.
As their grandmother uses every connection she has to find Renata, Isla re-enrolls, intent on finding out what happened to her sister. But the Alarie House is as exacting as it is opulent. It won’t give up its secrets easily, and neither will a mysterious, conniving girl who’s either controlling the house, or carrying out its deadly orders.
Tautly written, tense, and evocative, this is a stunning YA novel by award-winning and critically acclaimed author Anna-Marie McLemore.
The Quince Project by Jessica Parra (Wednesday Books)
The only catch is that she needs more party planning experience before she can apply. When she books a quinceañera for a teen Disneyland vlogger, Cas thinks her plan is taking off…until she discovers that the party is just a publicity stunt and she catches feelings for the chambelán. It’s clear that her agenda is about to go way off-script, and that real life is a bit more complicated than a fairy tale.
But maybe Happily Ever Afters aren’t just for the movies and a little spontaneity is just what she needs. Can Cas go from planner to participant in her own life? Or will this would-be princess turn into a pumpkin at the end of the ball?
Stay Dead by April Henry (Little, Brown/Ottaviano)
Sometimes, the only way to live is to make sure the world thinks you’re dead . . .
In the aftermath of a car accident that claimed the life of her senator father, sixteen-year-old Milan finds herself adrift, expelled from her third boarding school. Milan’s mother, who has assumed the senate seat, diverts her private plane to pick up her daughter. But on their way home, a bomb rips off a wing and the plane crashes in the mountains. In her final moments, Milan’s mother entrusts her with a key. She reveals it will unlock the evidence that so many people have already died for—including Milan’s father. The only way Milan can survive, her mom tells her, is to let everyone believe she died with the other passengers.
Milan is forced to navigate a perilous descent in freezing conditions while outwitting everything from a drone to wild animals. With relentless assassins on her trail, she must untangle the web of deceit and save herself and countless others. Will she piece together the truth in time?
Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lora Merriman (Henry Holt) - YA graphic novel.
In this action-packed, hilarious fantasy graphic novel perfect for fans of Nimona and The Adventure Zone,
Maelstrom, the demon son of an evil tyrant improbably teams up with the
Hero of Virtue to take his mother down—that is, unless, Maelstrom
decides to betray the Hero first.
Maelstrom is a
half-demon prince pining for a place in history. (Honestly, he’s just
bored and searching for a way to pass the time.) Twigs is the young,
prophesized Hero of Virtue fated to face him—or so we’ve been told . . .
But
Maelstrom’s mother, regent to the throne and a powerful necromancer, is
determined to keep an iron grip on her domain. Bemoaning his lost
destiny, Maelstrom teams up with the Hero to stop his mother and forge a
new destiny for himself. What Twigs doesn’t know is that Maelstrom has a
cunning plan to build his own epic legend and double-cross Twigs at the
perfect moment...
Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan (Page Street)
All Briar wants is to read, breathe, and rest―none of which should involve Selene Brooks’ shade-throwing drag king alter-ego Spencer Read. But when Selene puts down another up-and-coming drag king, Briar decides to enter Mr. Drag U.S.A against her.
There’s just one flaw in her Briar has never done drag before. Unless she can learn how to lip-sync and shake her anxiety, she doesn’t stand a chance against Selene. But with the help of her brother and a few new friends―Briar is prepared to step into the shoes of Edgar Allan Foe, her drag king persona who is hellbent on taking Selene down.
The Lilies by Quinn Diacon-Furtado (HarperTeen)
Archwell Academy is shaping the next generation of exceptional young women, and everyone knows that membership to the Lilies Society is the best way to secure your ticket to a successful future. But like every secret society, there is something dark at the Lilies’ heart—sometimes Lilies disappear.
When four Archwell students find themselves trapped in a mysterious time loop on the day after the most recent disappearance, they discover that every one of them holds a clue that will unlock the truth of the Lilies. But they're each harboring a secret of their own. Something they would do anything to hide.
This fast-paced and compulsively readable mystery follows multiple unreliable narrators as they relive their worst memories and try to untangle the rot at the center of the Lilies’ origin…before it destroys their futures forever.
The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown (Balzer + Bray)
The highly-anticipated sequel to the queer genre-bending dystopian romance All That's Left in the World.
Against the backdrop of a ravaged world, Andrew and Jamie have settled in a new community, more in love than ever. Finally they've reached safety and have each taken on roles and responsibilities in this new life. But it's soon clear they want different things:
Jamie is ready to move on and take to the road, just the two of them.
Andrew wants to remain in the safety of numbers.
With a storm brewing up the coast they have no choice to head back into the wilderness where old enemies roam and they don't know who to trust. Can they find their way back to safety and each other?
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