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Debut YA Novels: April 2018

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It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month — here’s what we’ve got for April.

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, unless otherwise noted; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts that came out in April from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title, with pub dates beside them. Starred titles are the beginning of a new series.

I’ve pushed this post to the very end of the month for the benefit of readers being able to pick up these books ASAP — no waiting for pub dates because they’ve all been published!

 

*Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess–a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

 

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist

Ten years ago, a horrifying disease began spreading across the West Texas desert. Infected people—shakes—attacked the living and created havoc and destruction. No one has ever survived the infection. Daisy Wilcox, known as Willie, has been protecting her siblings within the relatively safe walls of Glory, Texas. When Willie’s good-for-nothing father steals a fortune from one of the most dangerous shake-hunters in town, she finds herself on the hook for his debt. With two hunters, including the gruff and handsome Ben, to accompany her, she sets out across the desert in search of her father. But the desert is not kind to travelers, and not everyone will pass through alive.

 

 

 

 

The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone.

The singleborn

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him.

The diminished

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what’s left of her life in peace.

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.

 

The Fandom by Anna Day

Cosplay ready, Violet and her friends are at Comic-Con.

They can’t wait to meet the fandom of mega movie, The Gallows Dance. What they’re not expecting is to be catapulted by freak accident into their favourite world – for real. Fuelled by love, guilt and fear, can the friends put the plot back on track and get out? The fate of the story is in their hands …

 

 

 

 

 

Folded Notes From High School by Matthew Boren

It’s 1991, and Tara Maureen Murphy is finally on top. A frightening cross between Regina George and Tracy Flick, Tara Maureen Murphy is any high school’s worst nightmare, bringing single-minded ambition, narcissism, manipulation, and jealousy to new extremes. She’s got a hot jock boyfriend in Christopher Patrick Caparelli, her best friend Stef Campbell by her side, and she’s a SENIOR, poised to star as Sandy in South High’s production of Grease. Cinching the role is just one teensy step in Tara’s plot to get out of her hometown and become the Broadway starlet she was born to be. She’s grasping distance from the finish line–graduation and college are right around the corner–but she has to remain vigilant. It gets trickier with the arrival of freshman Matthew Bloom, whose dazzling audition for the role of Danny Zuko turns Tara’s world upside down. Freshmen belong in the chorus, not the spotlight! But Tara’s outrage is tinged with an unfamiliar emotion, at least to her: adoration. And what starts as a conniving ploy to “mentor” young Matt quickly turns into a romantic obsession that threatens to topple Tara’s hard-won status at South High….

 

Rebel With a Cupcake by Anna Mainwaring

Jesobel Jones is bold and brash, the daughter of a hand model and a washed-up rock star. Jess sees no need to apologize for her rambling house, her imperfect family, her single status … or her weight. Jess is who she is. She makes her own cupcakes and she eats them, too. No regrets.

That is, until Own Clothes Day rolls around at school. Jess and her friends dedicate the requisite hours of planning to their outfits, their hair and their makeup for the one day they are free from school uniforms. But a wardrobe malfunction leaves Jess with a pair of leggings split open at the worst spot, and a mean girl calling her the one thing that’s never bothered her before: fat.

The encounter shakes Jess’s formerly iron-clad confidence, and she starts to wonder if she’s been just a little too comfortable in her own skin. When the boy of her dreams invites her to a party, she must decide whether to try to fit in for the first time in her life, or remain true to herself — whoever that really is.

 

Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield — her brother, fighting with the enemy — the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

 

Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion

Dominique is a high school junior from a gritty neighborhood in Trenton, where she and her mom are barely getting by.

Ben is a musical prodigy from the Upper East Side, a violinist at a top conservatory with obsessive talent and a brilliant future.

When Dom’s class is taken to hear a concert at Carnegie Hall, she expects to be bored out of her mind. But then she sees the boy in the front row playing violin like his life depends on it — and she is transfixed.

Posing as an NYU student, Dom sneaks back to New York City to track down Ben Tristan, a magnetic genius who whisks her into a fantasy world of jazz clubs and opera, infatuation and possibility. Each sees something in the other that promises to complete them.

As Dom’s web of lies grows, though, so does Ben’s obsessive need to conquer Beethoven’s famous Kreutzer Sonata. But Ben’s genius, which captivates Dominique, conceals a secret, and the challenges of her life may make it difficult to help him.

Alternating perspectives and an unreliable narrator create suspense and momentum, romance and heartbreak. Author Lindsay Champion’s deep roots in theater and music are evident on every page — structured like a sonata with hints of West Side Story, her debut novel hits all the right notes.

 

The Window by Amelia Brunskill

Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside–it’s hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything.

Or so Jess thought.

After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess’s life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn’t add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her?

Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it’s a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she’s looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Because Anna wasn’t the only one with secrets.

 

 

#hashtags in YA Titles

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Hashtags in #titles of YA books, both fiction and nonfiction, is a trend I’ve noticed more lately. I think it can be effective when used properly – it immediately indicates that the book will be about the online world, social media, viral trends (or the attempt to start one), a hot-button topic the hashtag itself references, or something similar. And it’s still done infrequently enough that it stands out on the shelf. Below are all of the YA titles I’ve been able to find that use this technique. Are there any I’ve missed?

Begin, End Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology edited by Danielle Binks

The YA event of the year. Bestsellers. Award-winners. Superstars. This anthology has them all. With brilliantly entertaining short stories from beloved young adult authors Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson and Danielle Binks, this all-new collection will show the world exactly how much there is to love about Aussie YA. | Published January 9, 2018 by HarperCollins

 

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman. Stories of abuse, humiliation, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. Sometimes angry, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have been virtually invisible. | Published September 12, 2017 by Annick Press

#famous by Jilly Gagnon

In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price? Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone. | Published February 14, 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books

 

#16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler

When Morgan’s mom gets sick, it’s hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn’t as far away as she thought.

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan’s getting to know the real Adam, and he’s actually pretty sweet…in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She’s not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend…and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can’t imagine living without. | Published March 24, 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire

#murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

Welcome to the near future, where good and honest 8/18 citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one? | Forthcoming August 7, 2018 by Freeform

#scandal by Sarah Ockler

Lucy’s learned some important lessons from tabloid darling Jayla Heart’s all-too-public blunders: Avoid the spotlight, don’t feed the Internet trolls, and keep your secrets secret. The policy has served Lucy well all through high school, so when her best friend Ellie gets sick before prom and begs her to step in as Cole’s date, she accepts with a smile, silencing about ten different reservations. Like the one where she’d rather stay home shredding online zombies. And the one where she hates playing dress-up. And especially the one where she’s been secretly in love with Cole since the dawn of time.

When Cole surprises her at the after party with a kiss under the stars, it’s everything Lucy has ever dreamed of… and the biggest BFF deal-breaker ever. Despite Cole’s lingering sweetness, Lucy knows they’ll have to ’fess up to Ellie. But before they get the chance, Lucy’s own Facebook profile mysteriously explodes with compromising pics of her and Cole, along with tons of other students’ party indiscretions. Tagged. Liked. And furiously viral. By Monday morning, Lucy’s been branded a slut, a backstabber, and a narc, mired in a tabloid-worthy scandal just weeks before graduation.

Lucy’s been battling undead masses online long enough to know there’s only one way to survive a disaster of this magnitude: Stand up and fight. Game plan? Uncover and expose the Facebook hacker, win back her best friend’s trust, and graduate with a clean slate. There’s just one snag—Cole. Turns out Lucy’s not the only one who’s been harboring unrequited love… | Published June 17, 2014 by Simon Pulse

#Prettyboy Must Die by Kimberly Reid

When Peter Smith’s classmate snaps a picture of him during a late night run at the track, Peter thinks he might be in trouble. When she posts that photo–along with the caption, “See the Pretty Boy Run,”–Peter knows he’s in trouble. But when hostiles drop through the ceiling of his 6th period Chem Class, Peter’s pretty sure his trouble just became a national emergency.

Because he’s not really Peter Smith. He’s Jake Morrow, former foster-kid turned CIA operative. After a massive screw-up on his first mission, he’s on a pity assignment, a dozen hit lists and now, social media, apparently. As #Prettyboy, of all freaking things. His cover’s blown, his school’s under siege, and if he screws up now, #Prettyboy will become #Deadboy faster than you can say, ‘fifteen minutes of fame.’ Trapped in a high school with rabid killers and rabid fans, he’ll need all his training and then some to save his job, his school and, oh yeah, his life. | Published February 13, 2018 by Tor Teen

Macbeth #killingit by William Shakespeare and Courtney Carbone

Imagine: What if that tragic couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays! A prophecy from three witches. A social-climbing couple committing a murder most foul. A cover-up that spins way out of control. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. 😉  

tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. | Published January 5, 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers

A Midsummer Night #nofilter by William Shakespeare and Brett Wright

Imagine: What if the fairies and star-crossed lovers of the forest had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays! Four lovers who can’t decide who they have a crush on. One mischievous fairy with a love potion. Total chaos in the fairy world, the human world, and everywhere in between!  The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. 😉

tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. | Published January 5, 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers

YA Hardback-to-Paperback Cover Makeovers: 5 To Consider

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Every time I do one of these posts, I’ve got to hold back from how many I pack in. I spent a lot of time on Edelweiss, and whenever I come across a new book package, I make note, meaning that in a couple of months, I’ve got way too many for a single post. But for those who love looking at cover changes, it means there’s another post in the near future featuring some of the others I’ve come across worth talking about.

As always, some of these covers are strong redesigns while others aren’t quite as strong as their original packaging. Let’s take a peek. Love one of these? Dislike one of these? Seen other redesigns lately that are worth looking at? I’d love to hear about those things in the comments.

Original hardcover designs are on the left, and new paperback editions are on the right.

 

 

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas hit shelves last spring with sort of an odd cover. I don’t think I “got” what it was trying to do until looking at it right now. We have a profile of a girl on repeat with what looks like weird color blotches beside some of them. But beneath those color blotches are more profiles of the same girl. Perhaps it’s meant to signal mental instability? Confusion? The splotch colors in addition to the child-style font for the title and author, though, don’t especially scream “thriller” to me with this cover. I’m not sure I could pin down what the cover expresses in terms of genre or feel, beyond that it’s a little confusing.

The paperback redesign, though, does this book some tremendous service. The shadow of a face, with the wind-in-the-hair effect of the girl scream thriller. You could shelve this alongside the Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter books and have it fit right in. The title font and effect work much better, too: there’s something eerie and off about a title which is in all lowercase letters, and having it centered just below the nose of the girl’s face add to the creep factor. Further adding to the effect with the font is the fact that Thomas’s name is in all caps and in red. It’s a color palette that complements the design really well.

For me, the more appealing cover design is the paperback, which will be available July 3.

 

 

Going in the complete opposite direction is Jennifer E. Smith’s lighter-hearted contemporary Windfall. I’ve not yet read this one, but mean to, given that I’ve loved Smith’s work in the past and the premise — a girl buys her best male friend a lottery ticket for his birthday and he wins. There’s also a romance thread through the story.

In terms of cover: the original hardcover is not only adorable, it’s memorable, and it’s in a color scheme that isn’t seen enough in YA. The blue and green with confetti are fun and clever, and the use of the gold tokens on the bottom add to the real lighthearted, sweet feel. Note the tag line for this cover, “Let luck find you.” It’s short and to-the-point, and it ties the entire cover together in a nice little bow.

The paperback for Windfall will hit shelves July 31. This new take on the original is clever in that it retains some of what makes the original work. We see the confetti again, but tis time it’s in a variety of colors. We have two people at the bottom of the cover, as opposed to the tokens, but it’s as nice a mirrored effect as the script-style font for the title carrying over. What’s interesting to me is the complete change in color scheme. The paperback feels like it’s leaning into the Millennial Pink trend almost too hard (and I say this as someone who loves that color). That, paired with the fact that the teens are dressed in a very now look, make me wonder if this cover will date much more quickly than the original. It’s certainly eye catching, but it screams 2017/2018. And interestingly, the tag line is gone, replaced with a blurb from Morgan Matson. That’s the perfect name to have attached as a blurb, but I think I lean toward the tag line working a bit more. Is it me, or does this cover maybe feel like it’s reaching an adult YA reading audience more than a teen YA reading audience?

For me, the hardcover edges out the paperback.

 

 

 

Let’s follow up the eerie and the sweet with the downright strange. Jane, Unlimited hit shelves last year to a lot of mixed reviews. Long-time fans of Cashore were thrilled she tried her hand at a new genre, and many were smitten while others were left a bit confused. I didn’t pick this one up, in part because the hardcover edition told me literally nothing about the book. It’s a purple and silver color scheme, with little more than a standard font used for both the book’s title and the author’s name. The tag line, “One house, limitless possibilities” suggests nothing, either. Is this a thriller? A horror? Contemporary? Fantasy? It’s impossible to tell because there’s nothing here to tell. The book’s sell is on the author name and the title of her previous best-selling work (which, in this case, is likely fair for fans but not useful for newcomers or shelf browsers).

And then there’s the paperback, which comes out July 10. This is perhaps one of the weirdest YA book covers I’ve seen in a long time. I’d argue that it’s not a YA book cover at all, and in fact, rivals many of the bizarre, genre-bending adult covers out there. The artistic direction is entirely different than the hardcover, beginning with the fact that, while a dual color palette, the title font and author name font actually have some weight to them on the cover. The design is box-like, with the red being the sides and the turquoise in the center. Before going further: the colors. They’re slightly disorienting when put together, odd colors to see used in conjunction with one another, especially on a YA book cover. In some ways, that disorientation works quite well — it forces you to pause, consider, and become curious in what’s going on.

That curiosity extends when you realize there is a foot coming through. I noted that the design looks like a box, but I also wonder if it’s meant to play the role of a house of sorts. The red being the walls, the turquoise being the inside, and the foot falling through the roof. This is, of course, a consideration I’m making entirely on the tag line from the hardcover. Would a casual reader who hasn’t seen the original or the tag line put that together? I have no idea.

The tag line is ditched on the paperback, replaced with a blurb from the New York Times review of the book. Here’s where the cover begins to make a little more sense: the review notes it’s a genre bender, and that it’s one which may mess with your brain.

It’s hard to say which cover is more effective. I’m not sure either really does much for the book itself or tells causal readers what they can expect. The paperback might be closer, if only because of the blurb pulled on it. But, this cover doesn’t feel like it belongs in the YA section at all.

For me, neither of these are especially working.

 

 

 

 

The hardcover version of Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten never got on my radar. It’s not especially remarkable, and even though this is a thriller, there’s little about the cover that would tell you so much. Sure, there’s the tag line “This will be our little secret,” but that tag line doesn’t really go with either the title nor the shadowy girl in the image. Who is telling us to beware? Who is the girl in the image? How does that tie into keeping a little secret? Does it at all? The font for the title is off-putting for me, too, as it feels too rough and jagged, and incongruent with the shadowy image in the background. Is this image moving or is it still? I can’t make too much sense of it.

But the paperback cover caught my eye immediately. This is a creepy as hell cover which brings its creep factor in very subtilely. The white background is stark in contrast to the bright red sucker, which doesn’t land in the middle of the cover, but rather, is placed in the upper third of it. Anyone who knows about design knows this is a placement our brains and eyes find appealing and unique.

Then there are the ants.

Those highly focused black ants stand out against both the white background and the red sucker. Their legs, despite not being especially chill-inducing, manage to bring on the uncomfortable factor because of how clear they are. This cover veers from being gross, though; instead, it has a feeling of discomfort.

The discomfort, though, is made even more obvious with the change in tag line for the paperback “She only looks sweet.” That tag line, with the image, with the thinning out of the title font — along with a slightly disorienting kerning style — makes it clear this is going to be a book that is strange, unsettling, and mysterious. The change from pushing the mystery tropes too hard to stripping them away all together in favor of something completely different piques reader interest in a whole different capacity. More, given that this is a book about the rich elite and a girl desperate to climb the social ladder, the image of the sucker with ants harkens images of childhood, loss, desperation, and ambition so perfectly.

Beware That Girl hits shelves in paperback on May 15.

 

 

 

I don’t want to delve into the cover packaging for If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson too much, but I wanted to include it in this round-up because it’s the book’s 20th anniversary this year. In honor of that, it’s been given a stunning new look. What makes the new cover really stand out for me is not only the fact there’s an interracial couple on the cover, but that the illustrative take fits in with some of the biggest titles in recent memory. I’m not a huge fan of illustrated covers — it’s a trend that burned itself out really quickly and one that often is hard to make distinctions between and among covers — but in this case, the cover is absolutely beautiful, magical, and will encourage new readers to pick up Woodson’s classic.

If You Come Softly’s 20th anniversary edition is available now.

Texas Library Association 2018

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The Texas Library Association annual conference is one of the best (if not the best) professional library conferences in the nation. I think it fairly rivals ALA and librarians from other states tell me their own state conferences don’t compare. This year was really great – tons of valuable sessions about kidlit and collection management and how to better make your library space a welcoming one for all people, including in particular trans people and people experiencing homelessness.

Long gone are the days when I was so thrilled by the prospect of “free” books that I participated in the initial frenzy in the exhibit halls. Now I wait about 15 minutes for the stampede to die down before venturing in myself, asking a few specific questions – What diverse genre fiction do you have? What are you most excited about in the upcoming season? What do you think has been overlooked? – of the very friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable people staffing the publishers’ booths. (That said, I did still get my foot stomped on the first day by an overzealous attendee who wasn’t paying enough attention to the people around her in her quest for books.) The stack below are the books I’m most excited about adding to the library collection and promoting on our shelves (and reading myself!).

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

This is the sequel to Nyxia, one of the three books I discussed in my post on the mini-trend of teens competing with each other to go to outer space. I really enjoyed it, and I appreciated the diversity of its ensemble cast, including the Black protagonist Emmett. I feel like it flew a bit under the radar compared to other big sci fi and fantasy titles, but it’s exciting and fun and also asks the deep questions that SF is so good at. I’m excited to read the second book in the trilogy and hope it doesn’t suffer from a middle book slump. Nyxia Unleashed publishes July 17 from Crown Books for Young Readers.

Contagion by Erin Bowman

Bowman kicks off the first in a new sci fi/horror series with Contagion, about a crew of people who go on a rescue mission to a distant planet after receiving an SOS message – but what they find is horrifying. I tend to prefer my horror on the written page as opposed to the screen, and the fact that it’s also set in space only makes it more appealing. It’s being pitched as Alien meets The Thing. Contagion publishes July 24 by HarperTeen.

 

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

One of the few genre fiction titles I found that’s explicitly diverse, Mirage is a big science fiction story about a girl in a subjugated star system who’s kidnapped in order to serve as the body double for a hated princess – and must endure all the danger that entails. There also looks to be a bit of romance and lots of adventure. This seems really fun and like it’s a really big, epic kind of story, which I’m always yearning for more of in teen SF. Plus the cover is gorgeous. Mirage publishes August 28 by Flatiron Books.

 

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Arnold, who has previously stuck to contemporaries, takes a dive into fairy tales with Damsel. It’s an explicitly feminist story, with the “damsel” of the title waking up after being rescued from imprisonment and being forced to fall into the traditional fairy tale role. She’ll be a queen to the prince who rescued her, or so the rite demands – but all is not what it seems. Kelly has loved Arnold’s realistic stories, and I’m excited she’s written a fantasy story now too – it’s the perfect entree into her writing for me. Damsel publishes October 2 by Balzer + Bray.

 

Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

I like everything Sarah Beth Durst has ever written, so I picked this one up on name recognition alone. It thrilled me even more to learn that her newest book combines my two favorite genres: heist stories and fantasy. It’s about humans who can turn into dragons and steal treasure, like Ocean’s 8 if the women were shapeshifters. I’m pretty psyched. (That’s actually an understatement.) This may be the first book I crack open after I finish up the mystery I’m currently reading. Fire & Heist publishes December 4 by Crown Books for Young Readers.

On The Radar: April YA Books To Know

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“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

April’s 12 titles showcases a variety of continuing series, new titles by long-time favorites, and a handful of YA books which have seen some good buzz.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for them being on your radar are mine and mine alone. Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them. Titles with a * in front of them are books that are starting or a continuation of a series.

 

*The Complication by Suzanne Young (4/24)

Every cure has a cost.

Tatum Masterson learned this after years of being monitored by The Program. She witnessed it when her boyfriend, Wes, came back changed, erased. And now, even the newest “cure” has a heavy cost—one she and Wes paid.

The Adjustment came into Tatum’s life just when she thought she needed it most, a promise for Wes to get back his forgotten memories. But when the procedure went wrong, a revelation shattered everything Tatum thought she knew.

Now, with no one left to trust, Tatum must find out what really happened last summer. And with the help of the boyfriend she lost, Tatum will have to dig into the past and future of The Program and its handlers.

And discover the true cost of a cure.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the sixth entry into the New York Times Bestselling “The Program” series. Young’s knack for capturing teen dialog will appeal to readers who love the series and will hook new readers.

 

*Defy The Worlds by Claudia Gray (4/3)

An outcast from her home — Shunned after a trip through the galaxy with Abel, the most advanced cybernetic man ever created, Noemi Vidal dreams of traveling through the stars one more time. And when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people…if only she wasn’t flying straight into a trap.

A fugitive from his fate — On the run to avoid his depraved creator’s clutches, Abel believes he’s said good-bye to Noemi for the last time. After all, the entire universe stands between them…or so he thinks. When word reaches him of Noemi’s capture by the very person he’s trying to escape, Abel knows he must go to her, no matter the cost.

But capturing Noemi was only part of Burton Mansfield’s master plan. In a race against time, Abel and Noemi will come together once more to discover a secret that could save the known worlds, or destroy them all.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the sequel to the popular book Defy The Stars, which was released last year. Claudia Gray is a YA staple author in fantasy and science fiction.

 

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist (4/10)

Ten years ago, a horrifying disease began spreading across the West Texas desert. Infected people—shakes—attacked the living and created havoc and destruction. No one has ever survived the infection. Daisy Wilcox, known as Willie, has been protecting her siblings within the relatively safe walls of Glory, Texas. When Willie’s good-for-nothing father steals a fortune from one of the most dangerous shake-hunters in town, she finds herself on the hook for his debt. With two hunters, including the gruff and handsome Ben, to accompany her, she sets out across the desert in search of her father. But the desert is not kind to travelers, and not everyone will pass through alive.

Western meets horror for this riveting story about survival, family, and inner strength. Tense, short chapters propel readers from one action-packed scene to the next, while Willie’s distinctive, introspective voice deepens the emotional stakes with every turn of the page.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is a debut novel with a ton of buzz surrounding it. It’s a western-meets-horror, and the film rights were already snapped up.

 

*Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (4/3)

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Significant buzz has been building around this title, and with trailers for the book having been shown in theaters prior to Black Panther, readers know it’s coming.

 

*Given To The Earth by Mindy McGinnis (4/10)

Although she was born to save the kingdom by sacrificing herself to the rising sea, Khosa’s marriage to King Vincent has redeemed her. As the Queen of Stille, she’s untouchable. But being Queen hasn’t stopped her heart from longing for the King’s stepbrother, Donil. And it hasn’t stopped her body from longing for the sea itself, which still calls for her.

While Khosa is made to choose between loyalty and love, Dara is on a mission for vengeance. Years ago, the Pietra slaughtered the entire Indiri race, leaving only Dara and her twin, Donil, alive. Now, spurned by King Vincent, Dara has embarked on a mission to spill the blood of Pietra’s leader, Witt, and will stop at nothing to show his people the wrath of the last Indiri.

As the waves crash ever closer to Stille, secrets are revealed, hearts are won and lost, and allegiances change like the shifting sand.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the second book in a duology which has been described as perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

 

*Inferno by Julie Kagawa (4/24)

INFERNO

What if dragons walked among us in human form? Enter a modern fantasy of heroes, sacrifice, forbidden love and enemies turned allies who have no choice but to fight side by side… Don’t miss the epic conclusion as Ember, Riley and Garrett face off against Dante and the Talon dragon clones. Join them…or burn.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the fifth and final installment in Julia Kagawa’s popular “Talon” series. Readers who love epic fantasy are reading this series already and will be itching for its conclusion.

 

 

 

Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (4/24)

Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Fans of Simon — in the book, in the film, or both — are already itching for this companion novel about one of his best friends.

 

Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert (4/10)

Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father’s closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there’s much more to his family’s past than he ever imagined.

Danny has been an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family’s blessing to pursue the career he’s always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny’s lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their friend group to its core, Danny can’t stop asking himself if Harry is truly in love with his girlfriend, Regina Chan.

When Danny digs deeper into his parents’ past, he uncovers a secret that disturbs the foundations of his family history and the carefully constructed facade his parents have maintained begins to crumble. With everything he loves in danger of being stripped away, Danny must face the ghosts of the past in order to build a future that belongs to him

 

Why it should be on your radar: Gilbert’s first book was a Morris Award finalist, and her sophomore title has been garnering a ton of buzz and positive reviews.

 

Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian (4/24)

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

 

Why it should be on your radar: A fun, feminist romance from New York Times Bestselling author Siobhan Vivian will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Morgan Matson.

 

*Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima (4/3)

The empress in the east—the unspeakably cruel ruler whose power grew in Flamecaster and Shadowcaster—tightens her grip in this chilling third installment in the series.

Vagabond seafarer Evan Strangward can move the ocean and the wind, but his magical abilities seem paltry in comparison to Empress Celestine’s. As Celestine’s bloodsworn armies grow, Evan travels to the Fells to warn the queendom of her imminent invasion. If he can’t convince the Gray Wolf queen to take a stand, he knows that the Seven Realms will fall. Among the dead will be the one person Evan can’t stand to lose.

Meanwhile, the queen’s formidable daughter, Princess Alyssa ana’Raisa, is already a prisoner aboard the empress’s ship. Lyss may be the last remaining hope of bringing down the empress from within her own tightly controlled territory.

Multiple intricately interwoven storylines converge in this gripping novel about a brave, coordinated effort to undermine a horrific tyrant.

 

Why it should be on your radar: The theme of this month’s “On The Radar” continues — it’s another book in a fantasy series by a New York Times bestselling and incredibly well-established SFF YA writer.

 

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And The Best Burger In Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding (4/3)

Seventeen, fashion-obsessed, and gay, Abby Ives has always been content playing the sidekick in other people’s lives. While her friends and sister have plunged headfirst into the world of dating and romances, Abby has stayed focused on her plus-size style blog and her dreams of taking the fashion industry by storm. When she lands a prized internship at her favorite local boutique, she’s thrilled to take her first step into her dream career. She doesn’t expect to fall for her fellow intern, Jordi Perez. Abby knows it’s a big no-no to fall for a colleague. She also knows that Jordi documents her whole life in photographs, while Abby would prefer to stay behind the scenes.

Then again, nothing is going as expected this summer. She’s competing against the girl she’s kissing to win a paid job at the boutique. She’s somehow managed to befriend Jax, a lacrosse-playing bro type who needs help in a project that involves eating burgers across L.A.’s eastside. Suddenly, she doesn’t feel like a sidekick. Is it possible Abby’s finally in her own story?

But when Jordi’s photography puts Abby in the spotlight, it feels like a betrayal, rather than a starring role. Can Abby find a way to reconcile her positive yet private sense of self with the image that other people have of her?

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s a queer girl rom com, which will always be needed on shelves for young readers.

 

 

*Trouble Never Sleeps by Stephanie Tromly (4/24)

No one makes getting into trouble look as good as Philip Digby—and he looks good doing it. Now that he’s back in town, he’s plunged Zoe (and their Scooby Gang of wealthy frenemy Sloane, nerd-tastic genius Felix, and aw-shucks-handsome Henry) back into the deep end on the hunt for his kidnapped sister. He’s got a lead, but it involves doing a deal with the scion of an alarmingly powerful family, not to mention committing some light treason. Zoe and Digby are officially together now, and she’s definitely up for whatever closure this new caper might offer, even though this mystery will come with a twist neither expected.

With acerbic banter, steamy chemistry, and no small amount of sarcasm, Zoe and Digby are the will-they-or-won’t-they, charismatic crime solving couple you’ve been waiting for.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the third installment in the humor-soaked YA mystery series “Trouble Is A Friend of Mine.” Bonus for a lead character of color by an author of color.