On The Radar: 14 September YA Reads

Written by: Kelly on August 31, 2015.

One of the most popular posts I do over at Book Riot is the round-up of upcoming YA fiction titles, and one of the most popular questions I seem to get on Twitter and in my inboxes is “what should I be looking out for in YA?” For a lot of readers, especially those who work with teens either in classrooms or in libraries, knowing what’s coming out ahead of time is valuable to get those books into readers’ hands before they even ask.Each month, I’ll call out between 8 and 12 books coming out that should be on your radar. These include books by high-demand, well-known authors, as well as some up-and-coming and debut authors. They’ll be across a variety of genres, including diverse titles and writers. Not all of the books will be ones that Kimberly or I have read, nor will all of them be titles that we’re going to read and review. Rather, these are books that readers will be looking for and that have popped up regularly on social media, in advertising, in book mail, and so forth. It’s part science and part arbitrary and a way to keep the answer to “what should I know about for this month?” quick, easy, and under $300 (doable for smaller library budgets especially).

For September, here are 14 titles to have on your radar. All descriptions are from WorldCat, and I’ve noted why it should be included. I know that’s more than the normal 12 I like to limit to, but September is a huge month, and I wanted to make sure I hit some of the biggest titles, as well as a handful of the smaller ones. There is really something for every type of reader here.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith: High school sweethearts Clare and Aidan spend the night before they leave for college reminiscing about their relationship and deciding whether they should stay together or break up.

Why: Smith’s contemporary teen romances are wildly popular. With recent movie news for one of her backlist titles, I think we’ll be seeing more and more teens looking for her books.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. Embracing her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, Celaena returns to the empire–for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past

Why: This is the fourth installment in the extremely popular “Throne of Glass” series, so you won’t want to miss it. I got a very early finished copy of this book and it’s massive.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon: The story of a teenage girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

Why: Another big-deal book that was a Buzz title at Book Expo America — and for good reason. This is a really enjoyable read, packed with ephemera to help tell the story. It’s also a book that just had its film rights snatched. On a totally unrelated but interesting note — it’s an Alloy property.

Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz: Fifteen-year-old bender Kivali has had a rough time in a gender-rigid culture. Abandoned as a baby and raised by Sheila, an ardent nonconformist, Kivali has always been surrounded by uncertainty. Where did she come from? Is it true what Sheila says, that she was deposited on Earth by the mysterious saurians? What are you? people ask, and Kivali isn’t sure. Boy/girl? Human/lizard? Both/neither? Now she’s in CropCamp, with all of its schedules and regs, and the first real friends she’s ever had. Strange occurrences and complicated relationships raise questions Kivali has never before had to consider. But she has a gift–the power to enter a trancelike state to harness the “knowings” inside her. She has Lizard Radio. Will it be enough to save her?

Why: This is a scifi novel with a gender fluid teen and aside from filling a huge hole in YA, it’s a really compelling, engaging, and thought-provoking read.

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett: Tiffany must gather all the witches to prepare for a fairy invasion.

Why: It’s the last Terry Pratchett book and another addition to the “Tiffany Aching” series.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy: Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.

Why: This book does a fat girl right. Seriously. It’s a fantastic read that’s fun, funny, and heart-filled. In what could be called a trend in this post, the movie rights for this one have been acquired.

Beastly Bones by William Ritter: When dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind, Abigail and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby, investigators of the supernatural in 1892 New England, find themselves hunting for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Why: It’s the sequel to Jackaby, which is a perfect book for fans of “Sherlock Holmes.”

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson: Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Why: It’s the first book in a new series by Morris Award nominee Rae Carson, and it’s a fantasy western. It looks like a fun twist on both genres.

I Crawl Through It by AS King: A surrealist novel about four teenagers who find unconventional ways to escape standardized tests and their perilous world, and discover that the only escape from reality is to face it.

Why: AS King is a perennial librarian favorite and readers who love strange, surreal worlds will be eager for it.

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow: A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace – sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals – are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Precepture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Precepture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Precepture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

Why: There has been so much buzz about this book, and I’ve received a couple of review copies of it already. I’ve seen a lot of fantastic reviews, including stars from professional journals.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction–if they don’t kill each other first.

Why: A brand new series by New York Times bestselling and popular author Leigh Bardugo. I believe this is a new series set in the same world of her previous series, too, which should not only bring in new readers, but it’ll be exciting for already-established fans. Again, this has been a buzzy title for a while.

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs: Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. . . . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be?

Why: Well, the first two books in this series haven’t done too shabby. There’s been a lot of buzz and I suspect we’ll see a huge push for this when it publishes, too.

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti: Told from separate viewpoints, teens Scam, Crash, Flicker, Anonymous, Bellwether, and Kelsie, all born in the year 2000 and living in Cambria, California, have superhuman abilities that give them interesting but not heroic lives until they must work as a community to respond to a high stakes crisis.

Why: I’ve actually seen very little said about this new series, but it includes blockbuster name Scott Westerfeld, so it should be on your radar. Margo Lanagan also has some name recognition, at least in the library world.

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler: The story of a town torn apart by the events surrounding the rape of drunk girl at a house party, from the perspective of the partygoers who witnessed it.

Why: This is another book that addresses rape and rape culture, a topic that needs to continue being talked about. But additionally, this is Aaron Hartzler’s debut into fiction, and it’s impressive.