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) - title and release date not yet updated on Goodreads.
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.
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?
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.
Malicia by Steven dos Santos (Page Street) - previously dated September 2023, some editions still have this date.
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.
Witty in Pink by Erica George (Entangled Teen) - moved from March 2024.
A Spin of Fate by AA Vora (Putnam)
Three teens fight the system in this high-stakes high fantasy YA, the first in an epic trilogy inspired by Indian philosophy that's perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and The Inheritance Cycle!
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.
Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe and Dr Sarah Peitzmeier (Dutton) - YA graphic non-fiction.
A graphic guide to gender affirming care with real-life stories and research-backed advice about chest binding from bestselling Gender Queer author Maia Kobabe and University of Michigan professor Sarah Peitzmeier.
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.
Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab)
Portugal, 1967. Sónia thinks she knows what her future holds. She’ll become a poet, and together she and her artist boyfriend, Zé Miguel, will rise above the government restrictions that shape their lives. The restrictions on what Sónia can do and where she can go without a man’s permission. The restrictions on what music she can enjoy, what books she can read, what questions she can ask.
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?
Queerceañera by Alex Crespo (HarperTeen)
Carolina Ortiz at HarperTeen has bought Alex Crespo's YA rom-com, Queerceañera, in which 17-year-old Joaquin Zoido is thrown into a whirlwind of telenovela-level drama when he finds himself fake-dating his childhood crush and newly minted escort to his "queerceañera." Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Mary C. Moore at Kimberley Cameron & Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.
Sunhead by Alex Assan (Harper Alley) - YA graphic novel, moved from 2023.
Andrew
Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired, in a preempt, Sunhead, a YA graphic
novel written and illustrated by transmasc Israeli creator Alex Assan,
in which the somewhat odd and outspoken Rotem finds an unlikely friend
in her shy classmate when the two bond over their shared love of a
vampire book in 2008 Tel Aviv. Publication of the first book is planned
for 2023; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management brokered the
two-book deal for North American rights.
Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber (Balzer + Bray)
Dispatches from Parts Unknown by Bryan Bliss (Greenwillow Books)
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.
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.
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe (Little, Brown)
Three henchmen.
Two thousand acres of remote forest.
One very bad man.
The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza (Holiday House)
Equal parts tender and edgy, this inventive queer romance imagines what it might feel like to come of age in the afterlife.
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.
Blood & Fury by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton (Razorbill)
Blood magic. Ancient fury.
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?
The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood (Wednesday Books)
1863, Pennsylvania
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.
10 Things I Hate About Prom by Elle Gonzalez Rose (Joy Revolution)
A fun, fresh contemporary rom-com that covers all the ways in which prom is overrated, and the biggest ways to sabotage your lovable best friend’s promposals to the school’s most popular girl.
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.
True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li (Quill Tree Books)
Alexandra Cooper at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired Clues to the Universe author Christina Li's debut YA novel, True Love and Other Impossible Odds. Pitched as Nina LaCour meets The Half of It, the story follows a first-year college student Grace Tang who invents a class algorithm that pairs people with their perfect romantic campus match, only to have everything thrown into question as she explores questions of love, identity, and her past. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Jess Regel at Helm Literary brokered the deal for North American rights.
Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc (Balzer + Bray)
Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired, at auction, North American rights to Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc, a queer YA debut novel with a dose of magic in the vein of The Night Circus, about a closeted trans teenager named Asher who begins dreaming of a magical circus where he can finally be seen for who he is, all while navigating senior year at his new Catholic school. Publication is slated for winter 2024; Mollie Glick at Creative Artists Agency negotiated the deal.
Break to You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young and Michele Knowlden (Quill Tree Books)
Thirsty by Jas Hammonds (Roaring Brook Press)
A Tale of Two Knights: Tristan and Lancelot by James Persichetti and L Biehler (HarperAlley) - YA graphic novel.
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.
I Wish You Would by Eva Des Lauriers (Henry Holt)
In this drama-filled romance novel, the senior class's private confessions are scattered on the beach during a school overnight and explosive secrets threaten to tear everyone apart, including best friends (... or maybe more?) Natalia and Ethan.
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.
A gripping YA fantasy with a deadly contest to win a crown, a fierce heroine determined to right the wrongs done to her people, and a smoldering love story that could change everything...
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.
Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill (Delacorte)
In this grumpy-sunshine teen romance, indoorsy theater girl Natalie must team up with surly nature-lover Finn in an Amazing Race -style reality show set in the Appalachian wilderness—if they don’t kill (or kiss!) each other first.
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.
Summer Nights and Meteorites by Hannah Reynolds (Razorbill)
From the two-time Sydney Taylor Honor author comes another sweet Nantucket-set summer romance, perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and K.L. Walther.
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.
Shooting for Stars by Christine Webb (Peachtree Teen)
A charming romantic dramedy from the author of The Art of Insanity
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?
Into 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.
In this captivating young adult novel, two girls set out to unravel a mystery tied to the sea—and fall in love along the way.
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?
Keepers of the Stones and Stars by Michael Barakiva (FSG) - previously titled These Precious Stones, moved from 2021, then from 2022.
Save the world.
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.
Into the Winds by Carrie Ryan (Dutton) - YA novel based on a true story, moved from February 2022, then from May 2022, then from November 2022, then from August 2023. Release date not yet updated on Goodreads.
Eleven members of wilderness expedition WILD-596 entered the mountain pass. Only one would return. Bestselling author Carrie Ryan will be the first to tell their little-known story in this cunning and layered nesting-doll story.
Nine students and two instructors set out on a six-week-long wilderness expedition into the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains. Only one returned alive. On May 14, 1996, a group of students arrived at the Wilderness Intensive Learning and Development (WILD) outpost in Ames River, Wyoming. When the van arrived at the trailhead to pick them up a month and a half later, the team, known as WILD-596, was nowhere to be found. In the end, only one of the missing hikers was found alive―Josh Otero.
The remaining ten members of WILD-596 died in the Wyoming wilderness. Through extensive research using journals, documents, and interviews, Carrie Ryan has crafted a riveting page-turner, bringing a fiction writer’s touch to tell the little-known story of the tragic events of those six weeks and the courageous will to survive exhibited by the team members of WILD-596.
The Word by Mary G. Thompson (Page Street YA)
After her parents split up, seven-year-old Lisa’s father convinces her to leave out the window in the middle of the night. After all, according to their religion, she belongs to him, and it is her duty to obey him. Ever the dutiful daughter, at least on the outside, and confused about the sinful changes in her mother (she’s cut her hair, there’s a new man around, she’s had a baby with him), Lisa complies.
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.
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Faith Schaffer (HMH/Etch) - YA graphic novel.
When an unlikely pair of female samurai join forces, what begins as your run-of-the-mill quest for glory and revenge evolves into something much more complicated. Turns out fighting actual demons doesn’t mean you’re not running from your own internal ones. Nimona meets Attack on Titan in this edgy, unexpectedly hilarious, genre-defying young adult 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.
Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall (HarperTeen)
Stephanie Stein at HarperTeen has bought Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall,
a YA thriller about a North Carolina teen whose father is a notorious
serial killer. Sid's dad has been in prison for years, but when another
girl is murdered, all eyes are on them—and when signs point to the girl
Sid loves being next, they'll have to confront their father as well as
the ghosts that haunt them. Publication is set for winter 2024; Eric
Smith at P.S. Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore (Feiwel and Friends)
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.
Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lora Merriman (Henry Holt) - YA graphic novel.
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)
When seventeen-year-old Briar Vincent’s mental health takes a downward turn, her parents send her to spend the summer in New York City with her brother, Beau, who’s made a name for himself as a popular drag queen.
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 Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken (Random House)
With the dream of Avalon in ruins, Tamsin and her friends are all that stands in the way of Lord Death's plans to unleash the horrors of Anwnn on the world of the living. As the Wild Hunt carves a bloody path across continents, Tamsin is mustering allies, tracking down powerful artifacts, and traversing into new otherlands in search of a way to stop him.
Legend tells of a “Mirror of Beasts,” powerful enough to trap even Lord Death in its accursed glass, but the mirror is not all that it seems. Tamsin must confront her own darkest secrets if she hopes to tap the mirror's strength to defeat her enemies.
Arthurian legend bleeds into contemporary action, and scars of the past are torn open anew by a starcrossed love that refuses to go quietly. This riveting conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology will hold you in its thrall until the very last page.
Stay Dead by April Henry (Little, Brown/Ottaviano)
New York Times bestselling author April Henry is back with a thrilling new murder mystery featuring a government cover up, perfect for fans of Karen McManus's suspense novels.
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?
The Lilies by Quinn Diacon-Furtado (HarperTeen)
Kristen Pettit while at HarperTeen acquired The Lilies by Quinn Diacon-Furtado; Alice Jerman will edit. This queer dark academia novel, pitched as Yellowjackets meets Palm Springs, follows four students at an illustrious prep school who find themselves sucked into a time loop, revisiting their darkest moments on a day of massive upheaval. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media represents Electric Postcard Entertainment and brokered the deal at auction for North American rights.
The Redemption of Daya Keane (HarperTeen)
Kristen Pettit, while at HarperCollins, bought Gia Gordon's YA contemporary novel The Redemption of Daya Keane, a sapphic romance set against the backdrop of a small Southwestern town and its influential Evangelical church; Clare Vaughn will complete edits. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency sold world English rights.
The Quince Project by Jessica Parra (Wednesday Books)
The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown (Balzer + Bray)
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