11 New YA Books to Get Excited About This Season
Whether we’re at the beach, in the park or at the pool this summer, there’s one guarantee: We’ll have our nose in a book. Featuring doomsday preppers, theme-park costume characters and hookups gone wrong, here are 11 YA books to add to your reading list this spring and summer.
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How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom by S.J. Goslee
For fans of Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Goslee’s latest is a comedy of errors about 16-year-old Nolan, who has never had a boyfriend—or been kissed, for that matter. While Nolan plans to ride out his junior year under the radar, his adoptive big sister has other plans—including a prom ticket with Nolan’s name on it.
The Wise and the Wicked by Rebecca Podos
Since she was a child, Ruby has been told stories about how the women in her family, once they come of age, have visions of who they’ll be when they die. Curious, Ruby and her cousin begin to dig into the family’s history to find out if they can change their fates.
Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
In this sweet YA rom-com, a group of teenagers working as costumed characters at an amusement park learn about first loves, first jobs and navigating the very relatable awkwardness of high school.
Finale by Stephanie Garber
The third and final book in Garber’s best-selling Caraval series picks up just after Legendary, as sisters Scarlett and Donatella try to rebuild their relationship with their mother while balancing will-they-won’t-they relationships with their love interests. Make sure to read the previous two novels first to maximize the impact of the series ending.
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Since getting pregnant her freshman year of high school, all of Emoni’s decisions have revolved around the best interests of her family. But on the eve of graduation, she reconsiders whether her dreams of becoming a chef are as far-fetched as she thinks they are.
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
In late ‘90s Brooklyn, three teenagers devise a plan to turn their murdered friend into a rap star by pretending he’s still alive. As the pressure of keeping their secret grows, they’re forced to confront the truth about what happened to him, and decide which is more important: friendship or fame.
All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick (June 4)
Seventeen-year-old Amanda and Rosalie are opposites. Amanda is wealthy, popular and straight. Rosalie is from a working-class family, from whom she’s hiding her queerness. The two are unexpectedly linked, however, when they’re both faced with an anonymous texter who threatens to expose their darkest secrets.
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (June 4)
Set in New York City in 1989, Nazemian’s third novel follows three teenagers as they navigate friendship and growing up in and around NYC’s late-‘80s queer movement. The result is a love letter to self-expression, friendship and Madonna.
This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura (June 4)
CJ has never lived up to her type-A mom’s impossible standards. Instead, the 17-year-old is content to help her aunt at their family’s flower shop. Then her mom decides to sell the shop, and the repercussions of the deal threaten to tear apart CJ’s family, friends and their entire Northern California community.
Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman (August 6)
Alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan uses a dating app to hook up with an older man. After a nap, he wakes up to find the man dead. Unexpectedly whisked into the dark world of a domestic terrorist network targeting anti-gay groups and politicians, Aidan is forced to go on the run—from the authorities, the people who are trying to kill him and his own troubled past.
Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry (August 6)
Ellis believes the world is coming to an end. No one understands, until she meets Hannah in her therapist’s waiting room. Hannah says she knows when and how the world is going to end. The two then embark on a journey to spread the word and convert skeptics.
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