Hey YA Readers!
Big thanks to Erica for holding down the YA newsletter while I was out last week. In addition to a few big events related to school for me (I am working on a second master’s program!), I had the chance to get quite a bit of reading done. It was exactly what I needed to do between assignments and dodging record-breaking heat.
Let’s dive into what this week has to offer us for new paperback books and YA book news.
Continuing the theme of fabulous pride-themed goods, this sticker is outstanding. $4.
New Releases
These are just two of the YA paperbacks hitting shelves this week. Grab the master list of YA paperback releases here (and keep an eye out on site for the summer YA paperback release list in the coming weeks!).
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
If you loved Dear Martin, this’ll be one you need to pick up. 16-year-old Alex tries to be the best person he can be. He’s got a steady part time job, has a girlfriend he adores, and he’s the best big brother he can be to Isaiah. The problem is when Alex touches something, he can see the future. When he sees his little brother’s untimely death coming, it’s up to Alex to do something. Morris’s novel grapples with what it is to be a Black boy in America.
The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee
This book originally released quite a while ago (in YA years, that would mean 2016) but now that Lee’s name is even more well known, it’s nice to see it being re-released in a new and gorgeous paperback.
16-year-old Mimosa–Mim–is one of the few remaining aromateurs left in the world, and her ability to mix scents for magical perfume will be useless if she lets herself fall in love. She doesn’t want to miss out on being an ordinary teenager, though, but when she makes a huge mistake and must recruit the help of a (cute, of course) boy to help her fix it, Mim may no longer have the ability to choose what happens to her future.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
YA Book News
- The trailer for Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between dropped. It’s another YA romance adaptation hitting Netflix (newer YA readers may be less familiar with Jennifer E. Smith’s work, but fans of Jenny Han will definitely love it!). I think I mentioned before I think it’s weird how “teens” in YA adaptations don’t look like teens, and while these look much closer than is often the case, where’s the acne and oily skin?
- Speaking of Jenny Han, a look at the changes she made to The Summer I Turned Pretty to make it more inclusive. This is such a good window into how much YA has evolved in the last decade.
- A look at the relaunch of MTV books and what titles are coming in spring 2023.
- Agree or disagree with what Cosmopolitan calls the best of YA this year so far?
- CW’s reboot of Sweet Valley High is no longer happening.
Thanks for hanging out, y’all, and we’ll see you on Saturday for some excellent book deals.
Until then, happy reading!
— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.