Hey, YA Readers!
Mid-May is a wild time of year. If you’ve got kids or work with kids, you know that it’s a season of wrapping up a ton of things while also preparing for a host of new things. If you don’t have kids or work with kids, you’re likely in the midst of mom/dad/grad/summer-is-around-the-corner chaos, too. Here’s your reminder to enjoy a few minutes this busy season with a book outside if you can (and if you’re thinking reading outside sounds terrible, how about by a window or your favorite local coffee shop).
Make this your most bookish summer yet with personalized reading recommendations from Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists (aka professional book nerds) are standing by to help you find your next favorite read. Get your recommendations via email, or opt to receive hardcovers or paperbacks delivered right to your door. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Get started today from just $18!
This week, I’ve got a veritable bounty of excellent YA books for your busy season break time.
Bookish Goods
Less Working, More Reading T-Shirt by CurseyWordStuff
Speaking of reading outdoors and cutting back on working (can any of us, though?), maybe wearing the message of less working, more reading will be a reminder to do just that. Starting at $21 in various colors, up to size 4XL.
New Releases
We once again have a boatload of excellent new YA releases this week. As always, the full rundown is available here, and I’ve elected to talk about not the usual two, but three new ones you’ll want to TBR.
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
In 1506 Joseon, it was a dictatorship. King Yeonsan is a tyrant, stealing land, burning books, and abusing women. Iseul, 17, has mostly been sheltered from the effects of the King’s reign thanks to her privilege, but now, her older sister Suyeon is the King’s next target. Iseul needs to save her.
Prince Daehyun is the half-brother of King Yeonsan and has so much hate and disgust for his brother’s behavior. Daehyun wants to end the reign but he knows a failed coup would mean certain death.
So when Prince Daehyun and Iseul find themselves in one another’s paths, they are tempted to hate each other—and, really, they do. But their hate for the King and desire to overthrow him pulls them together.
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe
Nora O’Malley is finished with high school, and she’s going to enjoy this summer because she’s sure her end is near (her murderous stepfather is now out of jail). Nora’s joining her friends Iris and Wes for a 10-day backpacking trip. Wes’s girlfriend Amanda is joining too.
But when Amanda is mistaken for Nora, she’s kidnapped. Neither Nora, nor Wes, nor Iris have a lot of tools with them, but they need to come up with a way to free Amanda and put an end to the terror being wrought by Raymond.
This is a companion to The Girls I’ve Been but you can read it as a standalone.
It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass
Selina DaSilva might be the only person on the Caribbean island of St. Virgil who does not believe in magic. She’s looking forward to leaving the small island to study Pharmacology, but those plans are out the window when an attack kills her father and severely hurts her mom. Selina is staying home to help care for her mom, but she’s far from enjoying the work of selling talismans and protective spells to tourists.
So when a tourist is blamed for a series of murders, Selina can’t hide behind not believing in magic anymore. There’s something dark going on in the forests. Selina’s going to investigate with the help of—whoops—her ex-boyfriend, a local journalist. Together, they’ll find justice for the tourist and get answers to what happened to Selina’s mom and dad.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
2024 Writing Duos
Writing teams in YA come and go. It’s likely you can name a few off the top of your head—Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli (Here’s To Us), Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han (Burn for Burn), and the three-person team of Jodi Meadows, Brody Aston, and Cynthia Hand (My Lady Jane). You might also be familiar with the writing teams of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (If I’m Being Honest) or Maika and Maritza Moulite (One of the Good Ones).
There’s something kind of fun in the water in 2024 in that even more authors are teaming up to publish exciting new YA. These partnerships are a new way to experience two voices at once, and they certainly make me consider how exciting—and challenging—it has to be doing such a huge project together. Here are a few new writing duo books you’ll want on your radar.
Note that this is not a complete list, and I’ve left off at least one of the above-named teams.
American Wings by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein
Get to know the real world of Black aviation that grew between World War I and World War II. This follows the hard work of several Black folks on the south side of Chicago who worked to make their dreams of flying come true.
Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
While this book came out in 2023, the sequel, Blood & Fury, hits shelves this week.
Darling Seabreak lost her family to House Dragon, but she’s forever grateful to Chaos Boon and House Kraken who saved her from a life in the sewers. But now her Kraken father has been captured in battle, and she vows to take down everyone in House Dragon to save him.
War prince Talon Goldhoard has been a brave secondhand to his brother, helping House Dragon continue to be vicious, feared leaders. But Talon’s brother has gotten off course, and parts of House Dragon want Talon to take over. But when a fierce girl attacks Talon, and it’s the same girl who looks like the one that Talon’s brother has been obsessing over in art, Talon recognizes his opportunity.
Talon and Darling are unlikely allies…or are they?
Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar (June 4)
Said is away at boarding school, but he’s coming back to New Crosshaven following the death of a favorite librarian. He’s there for the funeral and throughout the summer. His goal is to avoid running into his ex-best friend Tiwa and to put off telling his Bangladeshi parents that he wants to become an artist.
Tiwa doesn’t want to see Said all summer, in part because she thinks he’s gotten a little snobby from boarding school and because, well, she doesn’t understand why he began to ignore her at all. She’s got a lot to keep her occupied, fortunately, including helping her mom with the Eid celebration at her beloved Islamic Center.
When a fire breaks out at the Islamic Center and unravels the mayor’s plans to get rid of the Center altogether, Said and Tiwa have to talk. They have to work together to save their beloved Islamic Center and ensure a successful Eid, and…well, you know sparks might just be flying.
Furious by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos (June 11)
Looking for a race-themed queer YA romance? You’re going to be burning rubber over this one (ha).
Jojo is ready for a successful racing career, but it’s been sidelined following the tragic death of her NASCAR legendary mother in a racing accident. Now, she’s back in the tiny town of Dell’s Hollow, working at her grandma’s auto repair shop.
In walks Eliana “El” Blum. El is tough and she loves her motorcycle. El grew up idolizing Maxine, the older sister of a friend who tore it up on the motocross scene. But Maxine suddenly disappeared and El is determined to find out what happened.
With adventure boiling in both of their blood, Jojo and El team up to find out what happened to Maxine. Of course, they’re going to develop a Lot Of Feelings…and enjoy a lot of time in cars and on bikes.
Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall (June 11)
This contemporary fantasy is a reimagining of Aztec legend and is being billed as perfect for fans of These Violent Delights. The story follows Blanca Montes, who wants to make a difference in the world but is being held back by her family, who doesn’t believe in her. Greg Chen is the new kid at her Nevada school, and as soon as Blanca sets her eyes on him, something cracks open.
That’s because their fates entwined centuries ago. Greg was Captain Popoc and Blanca, Princess Iztac. The Princess took her own life upon hearing that her love was killed in battle, and now, as Greg, Captain Popoc might finally reconnect with his long-lost love again.
Louder Than Words by Ashley Woodfolk and Lexi Underwood (June 4)
Jordyn Jones is new to Edgewood High School and is eager to have a fresh start where her reputation does not precede her. No one here knows what she and her friends did at her old school.
She quickly starts to make friends despite Jordyn’s feeling that people all seem to know her story. She even gets close with Izaiah, a school soccer star who shares a deep love of art with her.
But an anonymous podcaster called Tomcat Tea plans to spill the secrets of people at Edgewood High School. Jordyn is scared everything she’s found here will fall apart so now, she’s teaming up with classmates to take down the podcast before it can damage anyone else.
Lucy, Uncensored by Mel Hammond and Teghan Hammond (October 8)
Lucy is ready for college since she’ll finally be able to introduce herself as Lucy without the transphobic comments rife at her high school. She’ll get to be roommates with her best friend Callie and be close enough to a prestigious theater program to follow her dreams.
But when she goes for a campus tour and runs into two high school classmates who continue to hurl insults at Lucy, she begins to wonder if she needs to go elsewhere. She can’t relive her small-town life at what she thought was her dream college.
Lucy finds a new school on the list of most LGBTQ+-friendly colleges and realizes this is her chance. THIS might be the dream school. The problem? It’s so far from home…and it’s a woman’s college that, as far as she can tell, has never admitted a trans student.
Seasick by Kristin Cast and Pintip Dunn (June 11)
Naya Morgan and Yana Bunpraserit are ex-best friends and outsiders in their small town. But they’ve been invited to be part of their high school’s exclusive society for recent graduates. It promises fun, connection, and more, starting with a yacht trip to Bermuda.
Naya and Yana are not excited to deal with [waves hands at their high school experience], and they’re skeptical of spending time together, but…it’s an epic trip. They’re going to take it.
Then on the trip, a classmate is killed. The body count is rising, and it’s clear there’s a murderer aboard. Yana and Naya don’t want to be friends again but they might need to do it in order to save their lives.
Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro (July 9)
If you like stories set over a short period of time and/or with limits placed on them that raise the stakes, this’ll be your jam. Set at Sunrise Night, a sleep-away art camp; it follows photography-loving Jude and dancer Florence as they spend three magic nights together with one rule: no contact for a year after these nights.
Each is struggling with their place in the world and their lives—Jude and his anxiety and parents’ divorce and Florence and the degenerative eye disease that will end her dancing life before she’s ready—but perhaps these three nights will let them become their truest selves..and experience true love, too.
As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Thursday for your YA paperback releases and YA book news.
Until then, happy reading!
–Kelly Jensen, currently reading another of this week’s new releases, Thirsty by Jas Hammonds
