Young Adult New Releases August 31st 2021

Happy Book Birthday to all the new releases today, and especially the young adult books! Check out most of today’s YA releases below, or if you missed any, you can see all of August’s YA books on our Bookshop page. Don’t forget to check out the Signed Books page to see about preordering upcoming titles signed!

The Witch Haven

by Sasha Peyton Smith
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult
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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.

In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.

Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.

Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined?

Forestborn (Forestborn, #1)

by Elayne Audrey Becker
Published by: Tor Teen
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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TO BE BORN OF THE FOREST IS A GIFT AND A CURSE.Rora is a shifter, as magical as all those born in the wilderness--and as feared. She uses her abilities to spy for the king, traveling under different guises and listening for signs of trouble.

When a magical illness surfaces across the kingdom, Rora uncovers a devastating truth: Finley, the young prince and her best friend, has caught it, too. His only hope is stardust, the rarest of magical elements, found deep in the wilderness where Rora grew up--and to which she swore never to return.

But for her only friend, Rora will face her past and brave the dark, magical wood, journeying with her brother and the obstinate, older prince who insists on coming. Together, they must survive sentient forests and creatures unknown, battling an ever-changing landscape while escaping human pursuers who want them dead. With illness gripping the kingdom and war on the horizon, Finley's is not the only life that hangs in the balance.

The Woods Are Always Watching

by Stephanie Perkins
Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
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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.

Bears aren't the only predators in these woods.

Best friends Neena and Josie spent high school as outsiders, but at least they had each other. Now, with college and a two-thousand-mile separation looming on the horizon, they have one last chance to be together—a three-day hike deep into the woods of the Pisgah National Forest.

Simmering tensions lead to a detour off the trail and straight into a waking nightmare … and then into something far worse. Something that will test them in horrifying ways.

Stephanie Perkins, the bestselling author of There's Someone Inside Your House, returns with a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching novel about friendship, survival, and navigating unmarked paths even as evil watches from the shadows.

Tobyn: The It Girl #4

by Ashley Woodfolk
Published by: Penguin Workshop
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Meet the Flyy Girls. The group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem high-schoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and love.

Tobyn Wolfe knows she's destined to be a rock star. She sings, she dances, and she's got that It factor. Her dreams are even closer within her reach when she meets Maybe Someday--an incredible all-female band--during a night out with her older sister, Devyn. Joining their band would be the perfect way to show off her amazing vocals. It's too bad her mom can't see this. She wants Tobyn to go to college and become a serious musician, not follow in Devyn's footsteps and wind up a struggling artist. Can Tobyn prove to her mom that she knows what's best, or will her dreams end up becoming a horrible nightmare?

With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that's perfect for readers of any level.

The Last Words We Said

by Leah Scheier
Published by: Simon Pulse
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Nine months ago, Danny disappeared and everything changed for his friends. Rae’s pouring herself into rage-baking. Deenie's deepening her commitment to Orthodox Judaism. And Ellie—Danny’s best friend and girlfriend—is the only one who doesn’t believe he’s dead.

Because she still sees him.

Moving back and forth between past and present, the story of Ellie and Danny unspools, from their serendipitous meeting to Danny and Ellie falling for each other. In the past, they were the perfect couple—until it all went wrong. In the present, Ellie’s looking for answers. Her friends are worried about her mental health, but Ellie’s certain that the tragedy that’s rocked their modern Orthodox community isn’t as simple as they all believe. She’s determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the love of her life. But to do that, she’ll have to be more honest with herself.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (Enola Holmes #7)

by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult
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Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. At fifteen, she's an independent young woman--after all, her name spelled backwards reads 'alone'--and living on her own in London. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock's doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn't the truth, that she'd know--she'd feel--if her twin had died.

The Earl's note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover--or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl's wives to die suddenly and vaguely--and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl's home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl's hall, Enola is going to require help--from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!

Last Witnesses (Adapted for Young Adults)

by Svetlana Alexievich
Published by: Delacorte Press
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Non-Fiction, Young Adult
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A powerful portrait of the personal consequences of war as seen through the innocent eyes of children, from a Nobel Prize-winning writer.

Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich delves into the traumatic memories of children who were separated from their parents during World War II--most of them never to be reunited--in this this young adult adaptation of her acclaimed nonfiction masterpiece (The Guardian), Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of WWII.

The personal narratives told by those who were children during WWII and survived harrowing experiences, are astounding. So many children were separated from their loved ones in the midst of the terror and chaos. As a result, some grew up in orphanages or were raised by grandparents or extended family; others were taken in and cared for by strangers who risked punishment for such acts. Still others lived on their own or became underage soldiers. Forthright and riveting, these bravely told oral histories of survival reveal the heart-rending details of life during wartime while reminding us that resilience is possible, no matter the circumstances.

Divergent Anniversary 4-Book Box Set: Divergetn, Insurgent, Allegiant, Four

by Veronica Roth
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
on August 31, 2021
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
Audible
Goodreads

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of the publication of Divergent with a special edition four-book boxed set of the #1 New York Times bestselling series that captured the hearts of millions of readers and inspired a series of major motion pictures starring Shailene Woodley. Each book in the set includes exclusive content from Veronica Roth and beautiful reimagined cover art from award-winning illustrator Victo Ngai.

Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice could transform her. Her choice could destroy her. Her choice will define her.
Containing anniversary editions of Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and Four, all featuring gorgeous panoramic cover art by Victo Ngai and extra content from Veronica Roth. A beautiful gift set for collectors and fans new and old.

EXCLUSIVE EXTRAS
The Histories of the Factions: Dauntless, Amity, Abnegation, Candor, and Erudite
What's in a Name? Essay
Deleted Scenes: Tris and Tobias Break Up; The Roots of Amity; Marking the Divergent; Tris's Erudite Hallucination
In-depth Q&A with Veronica Roth about the characters of Caleb, Johanna, the Amity faction, and The Factionless
Free Four: Tobias Tells the Divergent Story
We Can Be Mended