February may be the shortest month of the year, but there is a nice selection of debut YA novels coming out this month. I find pulling these lists together each month is helpful for me not only as a reader, but also for me as a librarian to get some new voices and titles on my radar. You can see January’s debuts here, with a nice series of additional titles to the list in the comments. 

All of the books in this roundup are debuts in the truest sense of the word — these are the first books published by the author in any category. Descriptions come from WorldCat unless otherwise noted, and please feel free to let me know if I’ve missed any for this month in the comments. 

Alienated by Melissa Landers: High school senior Cara Sweeney gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to participate in earth’s first intergalactic high school exchange program. 

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens: Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer. When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in “the Kool-Aid Kid,” who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth. Reviewed here. 

Fates by Lanie Bross: Corinthe, a former Fate and now Executor, responsible for carrying out unfulfilled destinies on Earth, finds herself falling for Lucas, a human boy whose death she is supposed to enact as her last act before returning to Pyralis.

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen: In a futuristic, fractured United States where the oppressed Rootless handle the raw nuclear material that powers the Gentry’s lavish lifestyle, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry must choose between taking over her father’s vast estate or rebelling against everything she has ever known, in the name of justice.

Road Rash by Mark Huntley Parsons: When teen drummer, Zach, signed up to spend the summer on tour with a rock band, he didn’t realize the stairway to heaven was such a bumpy ride. 

Something Real by Heather Demetrios: Since the cancellation of her family’s reality television show, seventeen-year-old Bonnie Baker, one of twelve siblings, has tried to live a normal life with real friends and a possible boyfriend, until her mother and the show’s producers decide to bring “Baker’s Dozen” back on the air. Other reality television inspired YA novels. 

The Well’s End by Seth Fishman: 16-year-old Mia Kish and her friends search for answers when a mysterious illness brings their Colorado community to its knees. 

Since both November and December are quieter months when it comes to debut novels this year, rather than having two separate posts, I’d combine the two. This will be the last roundup of debut novels out in 2013, but you can catch up on previous posts by checking out October’s debut post and working backwards from there. 

Did you see this week’s announcement of the YALSA Morris contenders? Check out the 5 books honored on the short list. This is probably my favorite of the awards lists, as it rewards not just a well-done debut novel, but it looks at both appeal to readers and the potential for that author to continue producing excellent work in the future. 

As usual, if I’ve missed a traditionally-published debut novel that came out in November or will be coming out this month, let me know in the comments. All descriptions are from WorldCat, unless otherwise noted.

After Eden by Helen Douglas: Eden, sixteen, must choose between helping Ryan, a time-traveler, and her best friend Connor who, according to Ryan, is about to become famous through a significant scientific discovery that will, ultimately ruin the world.

Cracked by Eliza Crewe: Meet Meda. She eats people. Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she can’t help being a bad guy. She knows she’s different and the only other person who could have told her about other “soul-eaters” is now dead. That is, until the three men in suits show up. They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally be able to figure out what she is and why the Hunger with her for souls is growing. The problem? They want to kill her.

Control by Lydia Kang: In 2150, when genetic manipulation has been outlawed, seventeen-year-old Zelia must rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of a band of outcasts with mutated genes.

These Broken Stars by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner: Two star-crossed lovers must fight for survival when they crash land on a seemingly uninhabited planet. Note that Kaufman is the debut author with this book, but Spooner debuted in August 2012 with Skylark. 

Have you had any favorite debut novels this year? I’d love to know what you dug in the comments and what you’re looking forward to in 2014. 

Ready for this month’s debut YA novels? We’ve been keeping track of debut novels throughout the year, and you can get to past roundups by starting in our August post and working backwards. 

A note about the definition of the word “debut.” I am strict in applying it — these are first-time works by first-time authors, unless otherwise noted. I don’t include first-time YA works by authors who have published in other categories. I don’t include YA authors who have changed their names (I’ve seen a number of lists including books that are by authors who have published in YA previously but who are writing under a pen name or have married and changed their publication name). The books included are debuts in the truest sense of the word.

If I am missing a debut novel by a traditional publisher out in September, let me know in the comments. All descriptions are via WorldCat unless otherwise notes. 

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis: Sixteen-year-old Lynn will do anything to protect her valuable water source, but the arrival of new neighbors forces her to reconsider her attitudes.

Relativity by Cristin Bishara: If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?

Thin Space by Jody Casella: Consumed by guilt and secrets about his twin brother’s death, Marsh Windsor is looking for a thin space–a place where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to cross over–in hopes of setting things right.

Find Me by Romily Bernard: When teen hacker and foster child Wick Tate finds a dead classmate’s diary on her front step, with a note reading “Find me,” she sets off on a perverse game of hide-and-seek to catch the killer.

Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard: Fifteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson learns that not only was he cloned from infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s blood as part of a top-secret government experiment, but there are other clones like him and he is the only one who can track them down before it is too late.

The Paradox of Vertical Flight by Emil Ostrovski: When, on his eighteenth birthday, Jack Polovsky’s almost-suicide is interrupted by his ex-girlfriend Jess’s call saying she is in labor, he impulsively snatches the baby and hits the road with his best friend Tommy and Jess to introduce baby Socrates to Jack’s aging grandmother.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill: Em must travel back in time to prevent a catastrophic time machine from ever being invented, while Marina battles to prevent the murder of the boy she loves. 

Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair: Seventeen-year-old Faith shepherds her neglectful, drug-addicted mother through her pregnancy and then kidnaps the baby, taking on the responsibility of being her baby sister’s parent while hiding from the authorities.

Relic by Renee Collins: After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries. Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late. (Description via Goodreads). 

This is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky: High school junior Sophie has always had the burden of taking care of her mother, who has bipolar disorder, but after her mother’s hospitalization she must learn to cope with estranged family and figure out her own life.

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison: A reimagining of the world and story of Hamlet–from Ophelia’s perspective and set in an American boarding school.

Another month, another roundup of the YA debut novels published or soon to be published. As usual, you can check out the debut novels published in prior months by starting on our July post and working back through to January. We’ve been a little lax in updating with our review links in those posts, but you can always search our archives if you’re curious about any of the titles we may have covered here with more depth.

If I’ve missed any traditionally published YA debuts out in August, leave a note in the comments. I’m interested only in actual first-time publications, so first YA books by authors who’ve published in other categories aren’t included. All descriptions are from WorldCat or Goodreads. 

August is a slower month in publishing, so there are fewer debuts out. But don’t worry — the fall will bring a huge number more. 

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke: Violet is in love with River, a mysterious seventeen-year-old stranger renting the guest house behind the rotting seaside mansion where Violet lives, but when eerie, grim events begin to happen, Violet recalls her grandmother’s frequent warnings about the devil and wonders if River is evil.

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore: While attending a New Hampshire culinary academy, North Carolina high schooler Nora suspects someone of sabotaging the academy’s televised cooking competition. This looks like it could be a great read alike for Jennifer E. Smith’s books. 

On Little Wings by Regina Sirios: Sixteen-year-old Jennifer travels to Smithport, Maine, to learn about the family her mother has kept a secret.

Canary by Rachele Alpine: In this debut novel, a high school girl tries to understand the world, figure out where she fits in, and learn how to stand up for herself when everything falls apart. With the passing of her mother, Kate Franklin’s life unravels at the seams as she loses the only emotional mooring in her family. Her dad shuts down completely, and her brother enlists in the army. Things start looking better when her dad is hired to coach at Beacon Prep, home of one of the best basketball teams in the state. In a blog of prose and poetry, Kate chronicles her new world, dating a basketball player, being caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, and discovering the perks the inner circle enjoys. Then Kate’s fragile life shatters once again when one of her boyfriend’s teammates assaults her at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad is vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The once welcoming community has betrayed Kate, her family is disintegrating, and she’s on her own to grapple with whether to stay quiet or speak out and expose a town’s hero and destroy her father’s career.

Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem: After a harrowing defection to the United States in 1982, Russian teenager Marya and her father settle in Brooklyn, where Marya is drawn into a web of intrigue involving her gift of foresight, her mother’s disappearance, and a boy she cannot bring herself to trust.

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan: In Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death, seventeen-year-olds Sahar and Nasrin love each other in secret until Nasrin’s parents announce their daughter’s arranged marriage and Sahar proposes a drastic solution.

Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott: In the two years since his mother left him with his grandparents in Des Moines, Washington, Sam has avoided making friends and perfected the art of being a slacker, but being paired with a frightening new student for a slam poetry unit transforms his life.

Gated by Amy Christine Parker: Seventeen-year-old Lyla feels ambivalent when the charismatic leader of her isolated suburban community is told that the end of the world is near and when it arrives they must all be ready to defend themselves against the unchosen.