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| Unraveller by Frances HardingeStarring: Kellen, who can unravel anything, including clothing and curses. He saved Nettle, who was trapped in bird form, and now she's his closest ally.
What happens: When Kellen finds himself cursed, he and Nettle endeavor to find what's really behind all this evil magic. They must remove Kellen's curse before he unravels literally everything.
Author alert: Check this book out if you've enjoyed author Frances Hardinge's other lyrical dark fantasies like The Lie Tree, A Skinful of Shadows, or Deeplight. |
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| Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia HibbertMeet: Celine Bangura. Her conspiracy theory TikTok account is thriving, but her former best friend Bradley Graeme left her for the cool kids years ago.
Survival of the fittest: When a scholarship program requires Celine to complete a wilderness survival course, she and Bradley are teamed up. If they can re-establish trust, they just might win it all.
What sets it apart: Author Talia Hibbert's YA debut overflows with sincere emotion and witty banter, just like her popular adult romances. |
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| Nine Liars by Maureen JohnsonIn 1995: Nine Cambridge students staying at a country house were playing drunken hide-and-seek. Two ended up dead in a woodshed, and one survivor saw something she can't explain.
Enter: Stevie Bell, sleuth extraordinaire, visiting her boyfriend for a week as he studies abroad in London. Can she solve the cold case before the murderer finds her?
Series alert: This is the 5th entry in author Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series, though it can be read on its own. |
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| We Are All So Good At Smiling by Amber McBrideWhat it is: an intense, hopeful novel in verse following a girl named Whimsy's journey with grief and clinical depression.
What happens: While hospitalized, Whimsy bonds with Faerry, a Fae boy. After she's discharged, the two team up to investigate their inexplicable fear of the forest at the end of their street.
Read it for: a dark adventure exploring trauma, racism, and thoughts of suicide, lightened by Whimsy and Faerry's encounters with characters from classic fairy tales and folk stories. |
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| City of Nightmares by Rebecca SchaefferYour worst nightmare: might come true in Newham. Ness' sister turned into a giant spider and ate their father, for example. Now Ness works for an organization -- or is it a cult? -- helping those affected by Nightmares.
Enter: Cy, a living Nightmare. Despite Ness' fear, she and Cy must uncover the conspiracy behind the targeted attack that only they survived.
Why you might like it: Original worldbuilding and snappy dialogue make this dark fantasy as fun as it is frightening. |
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Blackout
by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
What it is: a collection of six compelling, joyful love stories, each starring Black characters and written by a big-name Black author.
What happens: After a blackout darkens all of New York City, a pair of exes reconnects on an hours-long walk home, their path intersecting with five other couples along the way.
You might also like: Color Outside the Lines (edited by Sangu Mandanna) for another inclusive romance anthology; or Black Enough (edited by Ibi Zoboi) for further short stories centering Black teens.
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| I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuistonThe search: for Shara Wheeler begins shortly before graduation, after she kisses Chloe Green and vanishes. Chloe needs her rival for valedictorian back so she can win fair and square.
The search party: Chloe plus two other students Shara kissed, who collect cryptic notes and untangle the mystery of Shara's disappearance and Shara herself.
Author alert: I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the YA debut from author Casey McQuiston, whose adult romcom Red, White & Royal Blue found a wide audience. |
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| Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya MenonThe Beauty: Jaya Rao, princess of an Indian imperial house. She and her sister are attending an elite boarding school in Colorado to stay out of the public eye.
The Beast: Fellow student Grey Emerson, whose family has been feuding with Jaya's over a cursed ruby. But Grey and Jaya might discover that love is even sweeter than revenge.
Tale as old as time: This delightful romance kicks off a series of fairy tale retellings set at St. Rosetta's Academy. |
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| Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF VenableKisses 1-7: were with boys, and Amanda found them way less exciting than kissing a girl. This realization, and Amanda's deepening feelings for her best friend Cat, upend her life.
What happens: Amanda shakes things up in a relatable, messy way, confronting her deeply religious family about a long-held secret and making new, accepting friends.
Try these next: For more queer coming-of-age graphic novels, try Maggie Thrash's Honor Girl or Mariko Tamaki's Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. |
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Loveless by Alice OsemanCollege: Might be the place that Georgia is finally able to find herself, as she realizes the narrative that Dating + Sex = Love might not be true for her. The Reveal: Georgia doesn't feel sexual or romantic feelings for everyone - but she learns she might be asexual and aromantic - and there are more ways to find love and connection! Powerhouse Author: If you, like us, loved Heartstopper, or are new to Alice Oseman's work - you are certain to have a great time with her wondrous words. |
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