There are plenty of new reads to mark the second half of summer.
Jordan Ifueko will triumphantly return in August with Redemptor, the sequel to 2020’s highly-acclaimed fantasy novel Raybearer. Fans will be able to continue the story of Tarisai come August 17.
Margot Wood’s Fresh, Romina Garber’s Cazadora (the sequel to Lobizona) and How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland are among the other highly-anticipated novels arriving in the coming weeks. Readers might also want to keep an eye on The Upper World by Femi Fadugba and the upcoming anthology, Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America from Penguin Random House.
There’s a lot more to discover! Your August 2021 YA book guide is below.
August 3
Fresh by Margot Wood
A hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experience–and missteps–of a girl’s freshman year of college
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
A dark, twisty thriller about a centuries-old, ivy-covered boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past. The dangerous romance and atmospheric setting makes it a perfect read for fans of dark academia.
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Courtney Gould’s thrilling YA debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places–and people–you didn’t expect.
The Perfect Place to Die by Bryce Moore
Stalking Jack the Ripper meets Devil in the White City in this terrifying historical fiction debut about one of the world’s most notorious serial killers.
Dangerous Play by Emma Kress
A fierce team of girls takes back the night in this propulsive, electrifying, and high-stakes YA debut from Emma Kress
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin
“What if I played football?” I ask. As soon as it’s out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I’ve overstepped some kind of invisible line we’ve all agreed not to discuss. We don’t talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don’t talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what’s right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. “What do you think?””I think it’s frickin’ genius,” he says.
Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins
This debut paperback original romance follows a Latina teen pop star whose image takes a dive after a messy public breakup, until she’s set up with a swoon-worthy fake boyfriend.
Mercury Boys by Chandra Prasad
History and the speculative collide with the modern world when a group of high school girls form a secret society after discovering they can communicate with boys from the past, in this powerful look at female desire, jealousy, and the shifting lines between friendship and rivalry.
August 10
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
The Hating Game meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in this irresistible romance starring a Mexican American teen who discovers love and profound truths about the universe when she spends her summer on a road trip across the country.
Rise Up from the Embers by Sara Raasch
Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Gladiator in this epic duology conclusion about two elemental gladiators swept up in an ancient war between immortals and humans–from Sara Raasch, the New York Times bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes series, and Kristen Simmons, acclaimed author of Pacifica and The Deceivers. Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes, And I Darken, and The Winner’s Curse.
Mark of the Wicked by Georgia Bowers
A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers’ creepy YA debut fantasy, Mark of the Wicked.
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
From the award-winning author of The Serpent King comes a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.
The Sisters of Reckoning by Charlotte Nicole Davis
The Sisters of Reckoning is the blockbuster sequel to Charlotte Nicole Davis’s alternate Old West-set fantasy adventure.
August 17
Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko
The hotly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling YA fantasy about Tarisai’s quest to change her fate
Cazadora by Romina Garber
In Cazadora, Romina Garber weaves together Argentine folklore and what it means to be illegal in a timely, intimate, and emotionally powerful narrative.
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
In a YA thriller that is Crazy Rich Asians meets One of Us is Lying, students at an elite prep school are forced to confront their secrets when their ex-best friend turns up dead.
The Endless Skies by Shannon Price
Shannon Price’s The Endless Skies is a breakout standalone epic fantasy about shapeshifting warriors perfect for fans of Adrienne Young and Wonder Woman.
Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore
Pittacus Lore finished telling the story of the Lorien Nine in the New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four and Lorien Legacies Reborn series. Now he’s back to recount an all-new adventure rooted in the real mysteries surrounding Roswell, New Mexico, that will enthrall fans of Brandon Sanderson, Jay Kristoff, and Amie Kaufman.
(Me) Moth by Amber McBride
A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path.
Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh
A steamy YA romance inspired by Gaston Leroux’s classic The Phantom of the Opera.
The Upper World by Femi Fadugba
If you had the chance to change your future, would you take it? Perfect for fans of Neal Shusterman and Jason Reynolds, this powerhouse, mind-bending YA debut follows two teens, a generation apart, whose fates collide across time–and outside of it. Soon to be a major Netflix movie starring Oscar-nominated Daniel Kaluuya! (Get Out, Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah).
Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America edited by Margarita Longoria
Twenty stand-alone short stories, essays, poems, and more from celebrated and award-winning authors make up this YA anthology that explores the Mexican American experience. With works by Francisco X. Stork, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, David Bowles, Rubén Degollado, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Diana López, Xavier Garza, Trinidad Gonzales, Alex Temblador, Aida Salazar, Guadalupe Ruiz-Flores, Sylvia Sánchez Garza, Dominic Carrillo, Angela Cervantes, Carolyn Dee Flores, René Saldaña Jr., Justine Narro, Daniel García Ordáz, and Anna Meriano.
August 24
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis
For fans of Lovecraft Country and Candyman comes a witchy story full of Black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future.
Vampires, Hearts, & Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston
In this heart-wrenching debut YA novel that’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown meets They Both Die at the End, a teen girl takes a trip to New Orleans with her estranged best friend to find a vampire to save her dying father.
Beyond the Mapped Stars by Rosalyn Eves
A sweeping adventure, set in the late 19th century, about science, love, and finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys and Julie Berry.
Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas
A witty and warm-hearted novel about a trans teen finding his place in the world perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue.
Eyes of the Forest by April Henry
After a bestselling fantasy writer disappears, only his biggest fan believes he’s in danger. Instead of re-reading his books, she must venture into the real world to uncover the truth in this fast-paced mystery by New York Times-bestselling author April Henry. For readers of Courtney Summers and Karen McManus.
Devil in the Device by Lora Beth Johnson
Lora Beth Johnson delivers a stunning conclusion to the Goddess in the Machine duology with this brilliant novel. Part political conspiracy, part technological thriller, its deeply emotional core deftly explores what it means to be human, and how to hold on when everything seems lost.
August 31
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith
The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards.
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is back! Nancy Springer’s nationally bestselling series and breakout Netflix sensation returns to beguile readers young and old in Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche.
Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker
A young, orphaned shapeshifter in a world that fears magic must risk everything if she hopes to save her only friend in Elayne Audrey Becker’s Forestborn, first in a new fantasy series with a timeless feel.
The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins
New from bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, and the perfect companion to her New York Times bestseller There’s Someone Inside Your House, soon to be a Netflix feature.
The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier
All the Bright Places meets If I Stay in this heart-wrenching, romantic novel about a tight-knit group of teen girls coping with a devastating loss and what happens when your best friend is also your first love…and your first heartbreak.
Purchase
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.
Which of these releases do you plan to pick up?
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