Author: Kelly Jensen

Magic, Greek Retellings, and More YA Books Out This Week: June 2, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date June 1, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

It’s June! June is one of my favorite months of the year, and it’s one where I notice I’m able to read a little more than usual (longer days, more energy, more time outside, etc.). We’ll see if that holds true this year. All I know is I have a big TBR I want to get through and fast.

I am obsessed with these rainbow pressed flower bookmarks. 50% of proceeds from these beautiful pride-themed bookmarks will be donated to TRANSFORM CINCY – an organization in Cincinnati, OH that provides full free wardrobes to trans and non-binary youth with everything they need head to toe. $5 and up.

New Releases

Note: since I had completely forgotten that Monday’s US holiday meant no newsletter, my typical pattern of how I share new releases is a little off kilter. Here you’ll find two hardcover new releases and then below, two paperback. We’ve had a slow news week, so a mega roundup of YA news will hit next Thursday. Sound peachy?

Here’s the full roundup of hardcover YA releases this week and full roundup of paperback YA releases this week.

Deep in Providence by Riss M. Neilsen

Miliani, Inez, Natalie, and Jasmine are best friends who love their town of Providence, Rhode Island. To them, it is all things magic. But when Jasmine is killed by a drunk driver, the friends are shattered. In an effort to work through their grief, they decide to resurrect Jasmine’s spirit using their combined magic. The problem is it does not go anything as they’d planned. If you love friendship stories and stories about magic (with a little Filipine magic), this debut will be up your alley.

Private Label by Kelly Yang

Serene and Lian are two very different teens: Serene is popular, with a hot boyfriend, and she’s the daughter of a famous fashion designer. Lian is a newcomer and his parents push him to take advantage of every studying opportunity possible to ensure he gets top test scores and gets into the best school possible.

So when tragedy strikes Serene’s life and she meets Lian in a very unexpected way, the two of them form a bond that will push both of them to become who they are truly meant to be. This is a tougher read, but it’s one that has a rewarding payoff–content note here for cancer, but this is where I add that no one will die and the very end of the book is feel good.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.

New YA Paperbacks

Blackout by Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nicola Yoon, Nic Stone

This rockstar author list should be enough to indicate how fabulous this interwoven short story collection is. But if you need more: what happens when New York City experiences a major power outage? Follow several teens who are in various areas across the city and get to know their stories–and how their stories all collide on this one unusual day.

Daughter of Sparta by Claire Andrews

A gender-twisted remake of Daphne and Apollo, Andrews’s debut — first in a duology — Daphne, who has been training her mind and body to that of a warrior, has her life completely changed when she’s forced to find the nine items stolen from Mount Olympus. If she’s unsuccessful, not only will the power of the gods dissipate, but so will that of mortals . . . and more importantly to Daphne, her brother’s life may come to an end.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

As always, thanks for hanging out! We’ll see you on Saturday for your new month of awesome book deals. Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.

What's Up in YA

Rival Beauty Businesses, Survival, + More YA Book News and New Books: May 26, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 25, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

I’ve been on a reading streak lately, across a whole bunch of different genres and formats. But an interesting reading coincidence is that I’ve now read two similar-yet-different titles about survival (a favorite of mine) that both published in the first few months of the year.

Survival stories aren’t new, of course, but it got me thinking about whether or not this might be a microtrend for 2022 I had not paid attention to. I wonder if writing a survival story felt good during those early days of the pandemic–both books feature prepping, so there’s a sense of having control over the situation, whether or not it’s more illusory than realistic. I’ll have to dig into this some more and maybe you’ll see some further thoughts on survival stories in the future. (The books are both by white authors, as this is still an arena lacking in books by authors of color. The books are Trigger by N. Griffin and Gone Dark by Amanda Panitch).

The perfect young adult magnetic bookmark for inside your YA book. $4.25.

New Releases

Two of this week’s exciting paperback releases. Note you may need to toggle at the link to get to the paperback edition.

Want more of this week’s YA paperback releases? Here you go!

Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

Looking for a space adventure? Look no further.

Pendt has a genetic mutation that her family–who owns an intersteller freighter–sees as an insurmountable issue for her. She’s taking up important space and food. But on a layover at a space station, Pendt meets the twins who are heir to the station and together, they plan to overthrow the station and remake the lives that have been slated for them.

Made in Korea by Sarah Suk

This one is pitched as Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank and I somehow missed this one in hardcover but will not be missing it now.

Valerie runs a successful beauty business in her high school with her cousin. She loves making money and has big plans for a trip to Paris. But when Wes, the new kid, shows up to school and begins selling K-pop branded products, he, too, sees that he can make the money he needs to attend music school after graduation.

Now Valerie and Wes are rival businesses in the same school…and mayyyyy be falling for each other, despite being competition for the limited market.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

YA Book News

This year’s Bram Stoker awards for horror have been announced and the YA category–including its winner–is excellent.
Heartstopper will get a season 2 and 3.
Here’s the trailer for season 3 of Love, Victor.
Nonfiction writer Jim Murphy, who penned a number of middle grade/YA titles, died earlier this month.
The Hunt A Killer franchise is growing. If you aren’t familiar with it, there are a number of YA books under the label, which is a mystery-solving series.
Fictionz is a new podcast/storytelling app focused on female stories and one of their initial projects is an adaptation of a YA novel.
Here’s what Canadian teens voted their favorite YA book of last year.
And finally, though Catherine Called Birdy is not a YA novel despite how many outlets insist on calling it that, here’s some information about the upcoming adaptation since it’s likely that YA readers are familiar with this middle grade book.

As always, thanks for hanging out and we’ll see you on Saturday for some great YA book deals to keep you reading over the long weekend (and if you don’t have one, they’ll keep you reading over the new season ahead!).

Happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.

What's Up in YA

Queer Vampires! That, Plus Your YA Book Releases This Week: May 23, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 23, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

I hope you are enjoying some good reads right now, whether or not the weather is allowing you to do so outside. Here in the upper midwest, we have seen snow, record-breaking heat, and below-average temperatures all within the span of a few days. I would love some consistency, as my hammock has been calling.

Let’s dive into this week’s new books and book talk.

I may need to restock my writing utensil collection with these bright and fun book nerd pencils! $8.50 for five and if you want different colors, you can pick different ones.

New Releases

For the mega list of new YA books out this week, you can slide over here, but here are two to know about right here and right now. On Thursday, I’ll highlight two paperback releases out this week.

I Guess I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn

Even though she’s always been curious about her Korean heritage, Melody was not prepared to be uprooted from her NYC home following a small school transgression. She and her mom are moving to Seoul to join her father and Melody doesn’t get the chance to say her goodbyes.

The good news is once she arrives in Seoul, it’s amazing. That is…until it isn’t. Now Melody has to figure out how to make the best of her situation, how to understand the challenges her family is dealing with, and what she wants from that relationship with a cute boy she’s met.

Only On Weekends by Dean Atta

Atta’s debut The Black Flamingo was such a great read so I’m eager to see what his sophomore effort brings.

15-year-old Mack is a romantic and he’s had a crush on the gorgeous Karim for forever. Now Karim is into him, too . . . just in time for Mack’s father to announce he has a job in Scotland so they’ll be moving. The long distance thing is hard, and it’s made even harder both because Karim is hard to read and because of the cute guy Mack has met at his father’s job.

This is a book in verse about first love, about the challenges of long-distance romance, and what happens when the perfect person comes along when you aren’t looking.

Riot Recommendations

Instead of book recommendations today, how about a look at two recent trailers that dropped for YA adaptations hitting screens this summer? I am not a huge TV or movie person, but I am going to make some time to sink my teeth into both of these (heh).

First up: First Kill. This is the adaptation of a Victoria Schwab story in the Vampires Never Get Old anthology. Queer vampires? Yes, please! This hits Netflix June 10.

And, of course, The Summer I Turned Pretty, based on the Jenny Han book of the same title. It’s been so long since I read these books but know I’ll be returning to them this summer. This hits Amazon Prime June 17.

As always, thanks for hanging out. I hope you are taking some time for you during these on-going days of tough news and that you’re finding some comfort in reading good books.

Until Thursday, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.

What's Up in YA

The Hunger Games Prequel Casting News + More YA Book News and Paperback Releases: May 19, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 18, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

Let’s dive into this week’s new paperback releases, as well as this week’s (very adaptation heavy) YA news.

Say it loud and proud with this neon bibliophile sticker. $3.

New Releases

Two of this week’s exciting paperback releases. Note you may need to toggle at the link to get to the paperback edition.

Want more of this week’s YA paperback releases? Here you go!

In The Ravenous Dark by A. M. Strickland

In this standalone fantasy, a Rovan–who is pansexual and a bloodmage–is forced to team up with an undead spirit in an alliance that will cause a huge rebellion between the living and the dead. This is a dark read, but as one reviewer put it, “This book is not here to play when it comes to The Gay Agenda.”

Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi

Though they exist, it can be tricky to find books that are tailor-made for younger teen readers. This is one of them. Fourteen-year-old Parvin is an Iranian-American set on capturing the attention of the cute guy named Matty. Too bad her last relationship was an utter disaster and she herself is far too nerdy for him. Her plan? Mirror the kinds of leads in the rom-coms she loves.

YA Book News

The Hunger Games prequel film has cast its President Snow.
Tom Ryan’s queer mystery Keep This To Yourself has been optioned for adaptation.
What a great slate of Locus Award finalists in YA.
This is an interesting read about YA adaptations and how they can be a good investment . . . only thing is, a number of these upcoming films they talk about as YA are not YA books.
Fantasy author Patricia A. McKillip died. Much of her work was for younger readers, including teens.

And that’s all she wrote!

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday for some YA book deals. Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter. I just finished up reading Private Label by Kelly Yang this week and wasn’t disappointed.

What's Up in YA

Arcade YA, Twin Crowns, and More YA Book News and New Books: May 16, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 13, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

Happy Monday. Let’s talk about all things YA lit to kick off a brand new week.

YA author Crystal Maldonado and her partner opened a super cute digital print shop on Etsy. I’m keen on this simple but bright print. Snag it for $3.99 and print it to your own size preference.

New Releases

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Yamilet Flores isn’t thrilled about standing out as a new kid in a mostly white Catholic school. But it’s a fresh start after being outed by her former best friend and crush. Here, she can at least keep her sexuality quiet and just get through the day. She wants to make her mother proud and avoid falling in love. Too bad the only openly queer girl at the school is annoying(ly) easy for Yamilet to fall for.

This sounds like an awesome next read for fans of Erika L. Sánchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

Twin sisters separated at birth? Check.

Witches? Check.

A plan for kidnapping and avenging parental death? Check.

This fun, high-stakes fantasy read follows one sister who was raised outside the palace with a goal of kidnapping and revenge and one who was raised to be the next royal, preparing for marriage into a brutal kingdom. But what happens when everything in both of their worlds is turned upside down? It’s the first in a series.

On Thursdays, I’ll highlight two paperback new releases for this week. For the mega list of new YA books out this week, you can slide over here.

Riot Recommendations

How about two books set in arcades? One of these you can pick up and read right now and one you’ll have to pop on that TBR as tall as you, as it hits shelves in August.

You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith

To use Eric’s own phrase, this is a hug in a book.

This is an enemies-to-lovers, only-one-blanket rom-com about being snowed into your family’s failing arcade with the girl who used to be your best friend but is the daughter of a competing esports empire trying to purchase your family’s business. But more than that, it’s about friendship, about grief, and about family and pursing your dreams for yourself.

It’s also a love letter to all things Philadelphia. Adam and Whitney have great, distinct voices. If you loved Verona Comics, this will be your jam.

Dead Flip by Sara Farizan (August 30)

This one will be for fans of Farizan’s trademark humor and heart, as well as fans of horror like that in Stranger Things.

Cori, Maz, and Sam were best friends when they were younger, obsessed with arcades and Halloween. Now, in 1992, Sam has been missing for five years. So when he mysteriously shows back up, still 12 years old while Cori and Maz are now 17, they’ve all got to work together to figure out what happened. Was a vengeful and supernatural pinball machine to blame?

This sounds DELIGHTFUL and wonderfully queer (in all senses of the word).

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you again on Thursday for more YA book news and new releases.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter, who just finished the fabulous YA graphic memoir Messy Roots by Laura Gao.

What's Up in YA

Netflix Announces YA Vampire Adaptation Release + More YA Book News and New Books: May 12, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 11, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

Let’s dive into some of this week’s YA paperback releases, alongside some YA book news.

How adorable is this bookmark pouch? You could use this for practical reasons, like pencils, pens, makeup, those annoying dongles for devices….or you could get meta and use it for all of your bookmarks. $10 and up.

New Paperback Releases

Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America edited by Margarita Longoria

Packed with a star-studded list of authors, this anthology is a collection of short stories about what it is to grow up Mexican American. This would be an excellent read alongside the Black Enough anthology.

The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Looking for pirate YA? Look no further. This story follows an orphan-turned-pirate who falls in love with Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, a high-born imperial daughter, aboard the Dove. The problem, besides their differing classes? Evelyn is being sent to the Floating Islands in an arranged marriage . . . at least, she was until the ship’s captain decides to take all of the wealthy passengers captive. If you love magic, the high seas, and characters who refuse to live by the rules of their social class, this one’s for you.

Note, as always, you may need to toggle at the link to get to the paperback edition.

Want more of this week’s YA paperback releases? Here you go!

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

This Week’s YA News

Check out the first teaser for The Summer I Turned Pretty adaptation (June 17!).
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated YA Book Prize announced both their winner and honor titles.
The Assembly On Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) has named their finalists for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden book award and it’s a GREAT list.
MTV books launched in the mid-90s, right when I was starting to read at that level. Here’s a look at the imprint’s history AND its reemergence now. (If you know The Perks of Being a Wallflower, you know the imprint).
Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer will see their cowritten book hit off Broadway.
Meg Cabot and Alexandra Monir on bringing Black Canary to YA readers.
Iron Widow won this year’s Barnes and Noble YA book award.
All 8 episodes of the adaptation of VE Schwab’s short story “First Kill” will hit Netflix June 10. I cannot wait to watch this one.

Thanks for hanging out, YA friends. We’ll see you on Saturday with your deals.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.

What's Up in YA

Country Music in YA, A Kristy-Approved Hat, and More YA Goods This Week

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 9, 2022

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Hey YA Readers!

This week kicks off a new design for this newsletter (and several others across Book Riot) and I hope you dig it. We’ll still cover everything as before but it might look a little different than before.

Let’s dive in!

I was working on a roundup of great bookish caps and found this hat that I am extremely tempted to buy. Who doesn’t want a very Kristy-like Baby-Sitters Club hat? $17 and available in several colors.

New Releases

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

Safiya Mirza is a budding journalist and she’s committed to following the path of being truthful without being biased. But when she finds a boy who has been murdered–one who had been labeled a a threat before–she’s set on finding out what happened and that may mean putting the idea of being objective behind.

I’ve not yet read this one, but it’s comped to Sadie and Dear Martin, and Ahmed is an excellent storyteller.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Somehow, despite how much I loved this book, I missed highlighting it in last week’s mega roundup. So know this book came out last week but I’m including it here because it’s still a new release.

This is a very queer and at times very funny book about a girl named Chloe who attends an elite, religious private school in the south. She and Shara Wheeler have been competitive since the beginning of high school but then Shara disappears on prom night. She leaves behind several clues about her whereabouts to a handful of people at the school . . . all of whom had shared a kiss with her.

McQuiston explores all of the YA tropes you know and either love or hate. It is extremely clever.

On Thursdays, I’ll highlight two paperback new releases for this week. For the mega list of new YA books out this week, you can slide over here.

Riot Recommendations

I keep a list of topics I want to highlight and sometimes I realize there are too few books or collected thoughts to cover a whole newsletter’s worth of insight. One beauty of our new format? I can do it anyway.

Today, let’s look at two YA books where country music is central to the story. Note that both of these books are by white authors. Know of a YA book with country music by an author of color? I’d love to know.

A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

Emmett wants to be a big, gay country music star but that’s a tough sell in Illinois and when you’re only 17. To at least get moving on his dream, he decides to spend the summer with his aunt in Tennessee, where he’ll work as talent at an amusement park owned by his idol Wanda Jean Stubbs (if you’re thinking Dollywood, know I am, too).

Luke hates country music because of a falling out between his grandma Verna Rose’s famous falling out with Wanda Jean. This summer, Luke has to take a job at Wanda World, though, and you can probably guess what happens when he and Emmett meet.

It’s love, it’s fun, it’s a potential disaster when a secret about Verna and Wanda emerges that could put their country love song romance in jeopardy.

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

Annie Mathers is heir to a country music legacy and has been called America’s sweetheart. It’s little wonder why Clay Coolidge’s label wants her to join him on his latest music tour this summer–she’s good for his reputation and they want to land her and her band. She’s hesitant, as she knows from family history how bad the spotlight can be, but Annie agrees. It’s not exactly love at first sight between Annie and Clay but fans are making her convinced that maybe it’s worth the chance.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Thanks for hanging out and we’ll see you on Thursday. You’ll get your paperback new releases, as well as your regular roundup of bookish news from around the web.

In the mean time, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

What's Up in YA

YA Romance Adaptations Galore, Witchy Paperbacks, and More YA Book News and New Books: May 5, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 4, 2022

Sponsored by

Hey YA Readers!

Let’s dive into this week’s YA book news and new books. I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time believing it’s May, especially as here in the upper midwest, it still feels like March weather-wise. Give me sun and heat for outdoor reading, please!

YA Book News

Jenny Han has signed an overall deal with Amazon Prime, meaning we will likely see more of her stories coming to screen.
Speaking of Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty will drop on Prime June 17.
Netflix acquired the rights to The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.
Emma Pasarow, who plays Auden in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Sarah Dessen’s Along for the Ride, talks about the film and doing good by Dessen’s fans.
Sweet Valley Twins is getting a graphic novel adaptation.
A queer YA graphic novel from one of the co-creators of Lumberjanes? Yes, please!

New YA Books

Please note that with supply chain issues, paper supply challenges, and the pandemic more broadly, publication dates are changing at a pace I can’t keep up with. Some release dates may be pushed back. If a book catches your attention, the smartest thing to do right now is to preorder it or request it from your library. It’ll be a fun surprise when it arrives.

Hardcover

An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco (series)

Ballad and Dagger by Daniel José Older (series)

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney

The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsely

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

If You Change Your Mind by Robby Weber

Inheritance by Elizabeth Acevedo, illustrated by Andrea Pippins

Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye

The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Waiting Place by Dina Nayeri, illustrated by Anna Bosch Miralpeix (nonfiction)

When You Call My Name by Tucker Shaw

Paperback

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue (series)

Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Moke (series)

Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout (series)

Misfit in Love by S. K. Ali (series)

Between the Bliss and Me by Lizzy Mason

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

The Castle School for Troubled Girls by Alyssa Sheinmel

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Girl Overboard by Sandra Block

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

The Lost Coast by A. R. Capetta

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

One Great Lie by Deb Caletti

Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai

This Is My America by Kim Johnson

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon

When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

YA at Book Riot

Go on a scavenger hunt and find your next queer YA read.
AudioSync is here. Go get your free weekly audiobooks!
Here are 10 of the most popular YA books on TikTok.
Love Sabaa Tahir? You’ll love these goods.
Can’t get enough Heartstopper? Here are some more feel-good queer YA reads.
Why sex ed books protect kids–not harm them.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Enjoy your favorite iced beverage out of this fun fantasy-themed tall glass. $15 and up, and you can add a bamboo lid and straw.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday with a fresh batch of book deals.

I hope you’re reading something great in the mean time.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

What's Up in YA

What Manga Are Teens Reading Right Now?

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 2, 2022

Sponsored by

Hey YA Readers!

Back in my time as a librarian, I was pretty on top of manga. I wasn’t reading it much, but I had dedicated teen readers who were great about telling me what was popular, what I should buy more of, and what they didn’t like. It was super helpful as I navigated the format.

It’s been a long time since, though, and manga is even more popular now than it was then. This deep dive into the history of manga in America highlights the huge uptick in readership during the 2020 COVID lockdowns and the market has continued to grow in the years since.

Because I know YA readers love knowing a wide range of formats and that many subscribers here work with teens directly, I wanted to talk about manga right now and specifically, the manga that is popular with teens right now. I asked around and got some great answers and insight and hope this helps you find some new reading like it did me. (It also made me feel good knowing how many of these are perennial favorites so I am not entirely out of the loop and note, too, it’s still a male-creator dominated landscape).

What Teens Are Reading

Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui

Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama

Boruto by Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto, and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto

Beastars by Paru Itagaki

Black Butler by Yana Toboso

Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato

Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku

Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge

Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Handa-Kun by Satsuki Yoshino

Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami

My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

One-Punch Man by ONE and Yusuke Murata

Rising of the Shield Hero by Aneko Yusagi.

Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Ōima

Soul Eater by Atsushi Okubo

Spy X Family by Tatsuya Endo

Sweetness & Lightning by Gido Amagakure

Tegami Bachi by Hiroyuki Asada

Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Yamazaki

Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi

Trends in Manga Over the Last Couple of Years

“Teeens are really interested in finding the books of new popular series they are watching (example: SpyXFamily).”

“Waaaaay more students are asking for manga than ever before. Basically anything I can get they want.”

“Huge increase in interest for manga books.”

“There has been an increase of students checking out manga versions of famous English novels.”

“They’re coming from streaming anime first so there’s less knowledge of how manga works or even what it’s called (heard a lot of teens call it anime). Also an increasing number of teens wanting queer manga.”

“More students are becoming interested in manga. It is hard to find manga that is “appropriate” for a school setting. These need to be read in order–so it can take awhile to get through holds for the books.”

“They are reading so much more this year because we were virtual all last year and 1. They wanted shorter books and 2. Many watched the shows online and wanted to read the books.”

“It has picked back up in popularity.”

“The trend is towards more heavy action manga.”

“It’s become more mainstream and if it has a popular anime or new seasons are coming, better stock up!”

Essential YA Manga Reads for Newcomers

I picked from the responses a mix of titles, as some suggested going with newer, shorter series to dig into everything all at once. Others suggested going back for classics, even if they’re lengthy, to get a sense of the scope of the stories.

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi

My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

Orange by Ichigo Takano

Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani

Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Ōima

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa

Manga Insights and Pro-Tips

“I would recommend when purchasing any series to own multiple copies of vol 1 & 2 (more than your normal), because they always go missing.”

“It is still difficult to figure out if manga is “appropriate” for my young teens – much of what students want is labeled “adult” in our vendor’s lists, but I have no idea why they qualify it that way.”

“We have seen so many more students willing to read and come to our library now that we have a decent amount of manga volumes for them to check out!”

“This has been a fantastic way to grab some of my self proclaimed non readers. They think manga is fantastic and they analyze it which is something we want all readers to do. I am so happy to have been able to feed this need. I only wish I could buy them all!”

“Manga hasn’t really made it to library ebook vendors yet, which is a shame. My hope is that manga starts becoming available for librarians to purchase via OverDrive, cloudLibrary, etc. because I think teens would respond well to being able to read manga on their phones. Physical copies of manga aren’t bound very well and they tend to fall apart fast, and manga is also stolen from the library quite a bit, so it can be hard to keep it on the shelf.”

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Big thank you to everyone who responded to share their insights into teens and manga right now. I hope this helps everyone find not only good titles for their schools or libraries but for themselves as well.

Until later this week, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

What's Up in YA

YA Book Award News, Along for the Ride’s Drop Date, and More YA Book News and New Books: April 28, 2022

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date April 27, 2022

Sponsored by

Hey YA Readers!

It’s kind of hard to believe we’re at the end of April already and that [insert Justin Timberlake GIF here]. I hope when YA authors write their historical fiction set in the early aughts that there are lengthy descriptions of the frosted hair trend.

Enough about my teen years. Let’s dive into this week’s YA news and new books.

YA Book News

The Ignyte Awards, which celebrate diversity in science fiction and fantasy, just named their shortlists. Check out that incredible YA slate.
On the subject of awards, A Sitting in St James took home the LA Times Book Prize this past weekend. Finally, this book is getting the kind of awards I imagined it seeing.
One more award list, this time for Canadian crime writing. The YA list is a nice one!
Along for the Ride hits Netflix May 6. I’m so excited for this one.
Survival thriller Ski Weekend has been optioned for adaptation.
This one is for the folks who work with teens in schools and libraries, but I wrote a piece over at School Library Journal about how summer library programs have changed and adapted.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

New YA Books

Hardcover

Arden Grey by Ray Stoeve

Chasing After Knight by Heather Buchta

Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen

Jagged Little Pill by Eric Smith, Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard

Someday We’ll Find It by Jennifer Wilson

Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer

The Code Breaker (Young Reader Edition) by Walter Isaacson, adapted by Sarah Durand

Veil by Dylan Farrow (series)

Paperback

Anna K Away by Jenny Lee (series)

Chaos on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (series)

Muse by Brittany Cavallaro

What I Want You To See by Catherine Linka

YA on Book Riot

Movie novelizations you may have forgotten existed.
New YA books about debate.
Badass female heroines in YA fantasy.

There are so many cute Heartstopper goods on Etsy right now that picking one to share was tough. But…how about a Nick and Charlie kiss sticker? $7 and up, depending on size.

Thanks for hanging out, pals, and we’ll see you again on Saturday with your rad ebook deals.

Until then, happy reading.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.