Young Adult New Releases December 2024
All of the December YA New Releases will all be listed in this one post…so you won’t have your weekly post from me for the rest of the year. Mostly because today is the biggest release day for the rest of the year, but there are some more books to hit those shelves (if you are like me you’ll be getting a highly anticipated & long-awaited sequel preorder right around the holiday!!). So if you missed any recent releases, check out the Bookshop page which will have everything in one place (Nov & Dec) including our curated Holiday Reads list that has adult and YA selections!!
If you are like me, you are either frantically reading short books to meet your goal, trying to read the best books of the year, or just getting lost in holiday romances….choose your player!
December 3rd
We Did Nothing Wrong
by Hannah JaynePublished by: SourcebooksFire
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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Lia thought of the dark night, of the broken street light.
Had Diana gone out to meet her? Had she been waiting for her, alone in the park?
Or had someone been waiting for Diana?
Lia and Diana are the "it girls" of Empire Hill High. Their lives are perfect....until Diana disappears and the rumors start flying.
Everyone thinks Diana is a runaway, including the police. Lia is secretly convinced it's all a prank. Then she finds a crushed red rose tied with a candy-cane ribbon where Diana went missing. And next to it, a note:
YOU
It's the same ribbon Lia's received on gifts from a "secret admirer." Did someone come for Diana that night? And will Lia be next?
Chasing Eternity (Stealing Infinity, #3)
by Alyson NoelPublished by: Entangled Publishing LLC (Teen)
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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At Gray Wolf Academy, time is the ultimate weapon...if you know how to use it. Step into the breathtakingly imaginative third book in New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël's incredible Stealing Infinity series
I'm about to break one of the biggest rules of all.
But I need to find my dad. And if that means going back to New York City in 1998 to find him--before I'm even born--then that's what I have to do. Because I need someone I trust to teach me what it means to be a Timekeeper.
Now I'm in the land of post-grunge, low-rise jeans, baby doll tees, chunky boots...and risking my own existence in the process. Awesome.This is no ordinary trip. Just about anything can go wrong, and if I get found out, I'll lose not only my home and school...but Braxton, too. Because there might not be enough forgiveness in the world for what I've done--and what I am about to do.
Because the secrets are more terrible than I thought. The reality is even more horrifying. And I'll do whatever it takes to find out the truth about Gray Wolf Academy, the strange billionaire who runs it, and not only why he's so invested in traveling--or "Tripping"--through time, but what his real plans are.
And time's almost up.
The Stealing Infinity series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Stealing Infinity
Book #2 Ruling Destiny
Book #3 Chasing Eternity
When the Mapou Sings
by Nadine PinedePublished by: Candlewick Press
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Young Adult
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Infused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.
Sixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream--a gift from the Mapou--tells Lucille to go to her village's section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family's at risk.
Forced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society's elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer's son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again--this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille's new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become Their Eyes Were Watching God, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about--and any chance of seeing her best friend again--as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.
My Fairy God Somebody
by Charlene AllenPublished by: HarperCollins
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery, Young Adult
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"A richly drawn story that explores the precarious construction of identity and the pain of complex family dynamics." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Author Charlene Allen blends mystery, romance, and friendship in this contemporary YA novel perfect for fans of We Deserve Monuments and Far from the Tree.
The way Clae's mom tells it, her dad took off when Clae was a baby, end of story. Ever since, it's just been the two of them, living in the coastal city of Gloucester, where Clae is one of the only few Black girls. But when Clae discovers clues about a mysterious person she calls her fairy god somebody, she's determined to know more.
Her chance comes when she's accepted into a summer journalism program in New York City, where her parents lived before she was born. With a couple of leads and a steel resolve, Clae leaves home for the first time to find out about her history.
New York is as full of magic as it is mystery, not to mention romance. From Brooklyn to Broadway, Clae and her new friends, Nze and Joelle, explore neighborhood haunts and hustles, discovering a family trail that someone's tried hard to bury. So who is the fairy god somebody? And can Clae use her sleuthing skills to find out the truth?
Set against one unforgettable NYC summer, this is the story of lies that run deep and patterns that are meant to be broken. Clae, Nze, and Joelle will stick with you and remind you that every girl deserves to write her own story.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection pick!
After the Fall
by Ellen Parenton December 3, 2024
Genres: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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So much is forgotten in the Republic: the way the seasons used to turn like pages in a book, the technology that once made life easy for everyone, even the art of reading. For fifteen-year-old June, the forgetting goes even deeper, ever since a mysterious accident six years ago stole her mother and her memory. When a strange circus with ties to her family comes through town, she follows them without a second thought. In the outside world, June has to navigate a landscape and society pushed to the edge by the powerful forces of climate change, and to decide who she can trust in a world where everyone seems to have secrets. Can she believe the grizzled deputy who somehow knows more about her past than she does? What about the circus performers, who push her away even as they beguile her best friend? Only when she finally uncovers a truth that threatens to change the Republic forever, will she know who her true family is-- and whose life is worth saving.
The Only Way Out: The Rebellion Has Begun
by Sarah DanielsPublished by: SourcebooksFire
on December 03, 2024
Genres: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Young Adult
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The exciting conclusion to The Stranded duology!
Trust no one.
It's been six months since the Arcadia set sail. But this wasn't the freedom the inhabitants were hoping for. Esther did what she had to do, but she left a trail of destruction in her wake. Now the wrecked ship is abandoned, and its inhabitants are in exile, trapped in makeshift shelters.
Esther and Nik, architects of the rebellion, are on the run. Esther is in hiding and Nik seems to have abandoned all hope. But neither of them wants to face up to their true feelings for each other. And there's a new villain in town: ruthless Admiral Janek who wants to deal with the traitors while outrunning her own shady past.
When the shaky ceasefire negotiated by Nik's mom, General Lall, falls apart, Nik and Esther find themselves in a world of betrayals and double crossings--a game of power with no one to trust but themselves.
To Shatter the Night (Mistlands, #2)
by Katherine QuinnPublished by: Entangled Publishing LLC (Teen)
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Don't miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the U.S. and Canada only, a must-have for any book lover.
Welcome back into the Mist...in the astonishing sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller To Kill a Shadow...
Some fear the darkness. It's the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that's overtaken the kingdom...and its brave--and ultimately doomed-- soldiers.Except for Kiara Frey.
She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.
Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers--and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox--begin with the realm's most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia's dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.
As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple--a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares--Kiara's newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.
Because here in these cursed lands, it's not the darkness that destroys the soul...it's love.
The Mistlands Duology is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 To Kill a Shadow
Book #2 To Shatter the Night
The Party
by Natasha PrestonPublished by: Delacorte Press
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Young Adult
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#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Preston is back with another pulse-pounding, twisty read!
Are you invited?
In the heart of the English countryside, Bessie and her closest friends gather at a remote castle for a secret party destined to make this the best spring break ever. But when the first of them dies, the party takes a lethal turn.
As the body count continues to rise, Bessie and her friends must contend with a deadly storm and growing internal suspicion, all while trapped inside with a killer.Set against the backdrop of a sprawling English estate, Natasha Preston's latest thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the party's over...
Dust
by Alison StinePublished by: Wednesday Books
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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In this haunting, speculative coming-of-age novel about finding your place in an unforgiving environment, a partially deaf teen questions everything she knows about family, love, and her future.
After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends―all due to her parents’ fear of the outside world’s dangerous influence.
But to make ends meet, Thea is allowed to work at the café in town. There, she meets Ray, who is deaf. Thea, who was born hard of hearing, has always been pushed by her parents to pass as someone who can hear. Now, with Ray secretly teaching Thea how to sign, she begins to learn what she’s been missing―not just a new language but a whole community and maybe even a chance at love.
Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños
by Alex SeguraPublished by: Disney Press
on December 3, 2024
Genres: Magical Realism, Media Tie-In, Young Adult
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Return to Casita where we find seventeen-year-old Bruno from Disney's hit animated film Encanto, where readers will finally learn what happened to make people never want to talk about him.
Fans will love this dark and mysterious young adult novel by Alex Segura, a NYT bestselling author who also wrote Poe Dameron: Free Fall and Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow.
Seventeen-year-old Bruno has never really fit in with his family—why can’t he be as outgoing as his sister Pepa, or as friendly as his sister Julieta? Does he like being the awkward loaner who never seems to find where he can fit in? But it’s hard to be popular when you have the power to tell the future and people don’t always like what you are telling them. So Bruno devises an act, and begins to model the behavior he feels the town wants to see in a hero.
But is being dishonest to himself and others the right path to walk down in order to make friends, or is Bruno just kidding himself as he hides from his own destiny that threatens to destroy all he holds dear?
December 10th
What the Woods Took
by Courtney GouldPublished by: Wednesday Books
on December 10, 2024
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Thriller, Young Adult
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Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.
Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for.
She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they've all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.
Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn't be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.
Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new.
The Rules of Royalty: A Novel
by Cale DietrichPublished by: Wednesday Books
on December 10, 2024
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Romance, Young Adult
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Two princes from neighboring countries fall into a whirlwind royal romance in this sparkling spin on The Princess Diaries by Cale Dietrich.
Jamie Johnson has never been the centre of attention, and he’s perfectly okay with that. His entire world unravels as a hidden truth emerges: he's the heir to the throne of Mitanor, a sun-drenched southern European country, and the press is ready to expose this secret to the world. An invitation to spend the summer in his father's palace arrives, giving Jamie a chance to get to know the man he never thought he’d meet.
Meanwhile, in a northern European kingdom known for its cold climate and stoic royals, Erik Von Rosenborg, the spare prince, grapples with the upcoming marriage of his golden-boy elder brother. With the country’s spotlight trained on his family more than ever, Erik feels sidelined and tightly controlled. So when he receives an offer to tutor the newly found American prince in the ways of royalty, he accepts without hesitation.
At a magnificent summer palace, Erik guides Jamie through the intricacies of royal etiquette, politics, and history. What neither prince anticipates is the connection that sparks between them—one that challenges both of their futures. Now each must make a choice: follow their hearts, or the time-honored royal path where crown and country reigns supreme, no matter the personal cost.
You're Dead to Me
by Amy Christine ParkerPublished by: Delacorte Press
on December 10, 2024
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Young Adult
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Gossip Girl meets Happy Death Day in this YA horror novel following high school outcast and anonymous social media gossip Ruby, who comes face-to-face with her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress. With less than a week until the dance, Ruby must unmask her killer—or die trying.
Ruby is a scholarship senior at elite Oleander High School with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude to match—which she puts to good use as the infamous local anonymous gossip blogger ReputationKiller. When she’s outed as the voice behind the account, the entire town turns against her.
But after she’s scared witless by a vision of her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress, she is faced with an awful truth. Someone out there doesn’t just hate her—they want her dead.
With less than a week until the prom, Ruby starts investigating. Turns out Oleander Bay isn’t the picture-perfect resort town it purports to be. With so many secrets, scandals, and people hell-bent on covering them up at all costs, the murderer could be anyone. Can Ruby beat the clock counting down to prom—and her death—and survive the night?
We Are the Beasts
by Gigi GriffisPublished by: Delacorte
on December 10, 2024
Genres: Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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When a series of brutal, mysterious deaths start plaguing the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the quiet French hamlet of Mende, most people believe it’s a curse—God’s punishment for their sins.
But to sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend, Clara, the beast isn’t a curse. It’s an opportunity.
For years, the girls of Mende have been living in a nightmare—fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons—and this is a chance to get them out.
Using the creature’s attacks as cover, Joséphine and Clara set out to fake their friends’ deaths and hide them away until it’s safe to run. But escape is harder than they thought. If they can’t brave a harsh winter with little food… If the villagers discover what they’re doing… If the beast finds them first...
Those fake deaths might just become real ones.
December 17th
A Cruel Thirst
by Angela MontoyaPublished by: Joy Revolution
on December 17, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together--against their better judgment—to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.
Carolina Fuentes has always wanted to join her family in hunting down the bloodthirsty monsters that plague her pueblo. But these days, her father wants her out of town with a husband of his choosing. That’s not happening. Carolina plans to show everyone that she’d make a better vampire slayer than wife. But when she runs into a sediento that is not only handsome but kind, she questions everything.
Lalo Villalobos doesn’t act on impulses. As the eldest of two, his duties were to carry on the family business, marry, and have children. But then he is turned into a sediento and must flee the city, taking lives as he goes north, where he believes the first vampire was made. Surely, the pueblo there will have the answers to reverse this curse or end sedientos altogether. Another unexpected turn? Lalo runs right into a beautiful young woman who’d gladly stake him.
Fortunately, mostly for him, they share a common enemy. They can stop these evil beasts. Together. And if along the way, Lalo and Fernanda discover what it is to truly live and love, then they’ll have won anyway.
Spell of the Sinister: A Fairy Godmother Novel
by Danielle PaigePublished by: Bloomsbury YA
on December 17, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Mythology/Folklore, Retellings, Young Adult
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In New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige's wickedly fresh take on beloved tales, the fairy godmothers make the rules. Be careful what you wish for . . .
Two magical sisters. One more chance at revenge. . . .
Ever since Cinderella disappeared with Prince Mather the queendoms have been in disarray. Now with her magical power completely unchecked, Galatea intends to exact revenge on humans for using the Entente. Her plan? Send Bari off to find a new prince and take over one queendom at a time. But Bari's mission is complicated when South joins her and sparks begin to fly . . .
Meanwhile, Farrow is on her own journey to reunite with Cinderella and Prince Mather in the first Queendom. Amid brewing conflict, Farrow grapples with her feelings for Mather, her friendship with Cinderella, and her loyalty to the Entente's original purpose--to influence with helpful magic, never take total control.
Once as close as sisters, Bari and Farrow now find themselves on opposing sides. Will malice win out, or will the next generation of Entente chart a new path to "happily ever after" for their magical coven of fairy godmothers?
Visitations
by Corey Egberton December 17, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Graphic Novel, Young Adult
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Inspired by true events, this haunting yet hopeful young adult graphic novel weaves together family dynamics, mental illness, and religion―perfect for fans of Hey, Kiddo.
Corey’s mom has always made him feel safe. Especially after his parents’ divorce, and the dreaded visitations with his dad begin. But as Corey grows older, he can’t ignore his mother’s increasingly wild accusations. Her insistence that God has appointed Corey as his sister’s protector. Her declaration that Corey’s father is the devil.
Soon, she whisks Corey and his sister away from their home and into the boiling Nevada desert. There, they struggle to survive with little food and the police on the trail. Meanwhile, under the night sky, Corey is visited by a flickering ghost, a girl who urges him to fight for a different world―one outside of his mother’s spoon-fed tales, one Corey must find before it’s too late.
Drawing inspiration from his own upbringing in the Mormon church, Corey Egbert welcomes readers on an emotionally stirring, nuanced journey into the liminal spaces between imagination and memory, faith and truth.
December 24th
Heavenly Tyrant (Iron Widow, #2)
by Xiran Jay ZhaoPublished by: Tundra Books (NY)
on December 24, 2024
Genres: Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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Zetian must balance dangerous politics with a new quest for vengeance in the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Iron Widow.
Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.
After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself on the seat of power in Huaxia, but she has also learned that her world is not as it seems. Revelations about an enemy who dangles one of her loved ones as a hostage force Zetian to share power with a dangerous man she cannot simply depose. Despite their mutual dislike and distrust, the two must work together to take down their common enemy and stoke a revolution against the systems of exploitation that plague their world.
However, power is not so easy to wield once seized, and a revolution is not so easy to control once unleashed. As Huaxia's former elites strike back and the common people's fervor for justice turns bloody and paranoid, can Zetian remain a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance and liberation?
December 31st
The Losting Fountain
by Lora SenfPublished by: Union Square Kids
on December 31, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Ember, Miles, and Sam have been called home--only home is a place none of them have ever been before. The choices they make will not only determine their own futures but will also have vast and permanent consequences--they will either restore a cosmic balance or destroy the dams that separate two worlds, ending them both. Ember was called because she belonged, Miles because his mother belonged, and Sam . . . well, Sam arranged his own invitation.
The Fountain itself is beautiful and alluring--yet so is the light of an anglerfish. Hidden below the surface, the world of the Fountain is vast: unexplored and unmapped and full of wild things--leviathan and tiny, scuttling things and all manner of creature in between. There are other entities as well, entities that haunt and hunt in the Fountain, because it rewards nearly as often as it punishes, and it has been punishing the greedy and merciless and cruel for a very long time. For those, the Fountain becomes a prison.
The borders between our world and the world of the Fountain are already porous. If the balance between them is upset and control of the Fountain is lost, the consequences will be rapid, merciless, and world-ending. In every timeline that has been or will be, everywhere that water stands in our world will become a passageway for the violent damned to enter ours from the Fountain. For Ember, Miles, and Sam, all from different times, what starts as a journey to take control of their lives quickly becomes a quest to save--or destroy--both worlds, depending on whom you ask.
Rising star and Bram Stoker Award-winning author, Lora Senf has created a gorgeously written, pitch-black fantasy that will transport readers to a world that is as beautiful as it is horrifying and will keep readers on their toes as they devour it page by page.
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