Young Adult New Releases February 1st 2022

Happy February & Happy Book Birthday to all the YA New Releases today! Check out most of today’s YA releases below and be sure to check our Signed Books & Preorder incentives page for possible upcoming releases!

Remember that if you enjoy these new release lists and plan on purchasing any, please check out our Bookshop page!

Fire Becomes Her

by Rosiee Thor
Published by: Scholastic Press
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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In Rosiee Thor's lavish fantasy novel with a Jazz Age spark, a politically savvy teen must weigh her desire to climb the social ladder against her heart in a world where magic buys votes.

Flare is power.

With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground -- and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.

Ingrid doesn't have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden's father who refuses to acknowledge her.
So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.

Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?

The Iron Sword (The Iron Fey: Evenfall, #2)

by Julie Kagawa
Published by: Inkyard Press
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey.

Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

THE IRON FEY: EVENFALL
The Iron Raven
The Iron Sword
THE IRON FEY:
The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
The Iron Knight
The Iron Prince
The Iron Traitor
The Iron Warrior
Novellas:
Shadow’s Legacy (Evenfall #0.5)

Each of Us a Universe

by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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A heartfelt middle grade from Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo about two girls who go on an adventure to the top of Mt. Meteorite, and learn about each other, themselves, and the magic friendship can bring, perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Barbara O'Connor.

What do you do when you're facing the impossible?

Ever since the day when everything changed, Cal Scott's answer has been to run--run from her mother who's fighting cancer, run from her father whom she can't forgive, and run from classmates who've never seemed to "get" her anyway. The only thing Cal runs toward is nearby Mt. Meteorite, named for the extraterrestrial object some claim crashed there fifty years ago. Cal spends her afternoons plotting to summit the mountain, so she can find the magic she believes will make possible the impossible: to heal her mother. But no one has successfully reached its peak--no one who's lived to tell about it, anyway.

Then Cal meets Rosine Kanambe, a girl who's faced more impossibles than anyone should have to. Rosine has her own secret plan for the mountain and its magic, and she convinces Cal they can summit its peak if they work together. As the girls climb high and dig deep to face the mountain's challenges, Cal learns from Rosine what real courage looks like. She begins to wonder if the magic she's been seeking all this time is really the kind she needs.

Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo's third novel is a glowing story of friendship, inner strength, and what happens when the impossible becomes possible.

This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom, #1)

by Tahereh Mafi
Published by: HarperCollins
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people--bestselling author Tahereh Mafi's first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can't put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom--and the world.

Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.

I Must Betray You

by Ruta Sepetys
Published by: Penguin
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
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Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

by Kristen R. Lee
Published by: Crown Books for Young Readers
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Young Adult
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A striking debut novel about racism on elite college campuses. Fans of Dear White People will embrace this activist-centered contemporary novel about a college freshman grappling with the challenges of attending an elite university with a disturbing racist history--that may not be as distant as it seems.

Savannah Howard sacrificed her high school social life to make sure she got into a top college. Her sites were set on an HBCU, but when she is accepted to the ivy-covered walls of Wooddale University on a full ride, how can she say no?

Wooddale is far from the perfectly manicured community it sells on its brochures, though. Savannah has barely unpacked before she comes face-to-face with microagressions stemming from racism and elitism. Then, Clive Wilmington's statue is vandalized with blackface. The prime suspect? Lucas Cunningham, Wooddale's most popular student and son to a local prominent family. Soon, Savannah is unearthing the hidden secrets of Wooddale's racist history. But what's the price for standing up for what is right? And will telling the truth about Wooddale's past cost Savannah her own future?

A stunning, challenging, and timely debut about racism and privilege on college campuses.

In the Serpent's Wake (Tess of the Road, #2)

by Rachel Hartman
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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From the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of Seraphina comes a piercing new fantasy adventure that champions our resilience and humility.

MIND OF THE WORLD,OPEN YOUR EYES.

At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.Finding the Serpent will change lives.

Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man’s world.Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.

There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.And those who would destroy it.

But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.

Castles in Their Bones (Castles in Their Bones, #1)

by Laura Sebastian
Published by: Delacorte Press
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.

Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.

Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides—because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal—to bring down monarchies— and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother’s grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans—and their mother hasn’t told them all of hers.

Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can’t trust anyone—not even each other?

Murder of Crows (Lethal Lit, #1)

by K. Ancrum
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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Tig Torres investigates Hollow Falls' horrific history in this original novel based on the hit podcast Lethal Lit from Einhorn's Epic Productions and iHeartRadio!

Lethal Lit follows Tig Torres, a Cuban American teen detective, in her hometown of Hollow Falls. In season one of the hit podcast, Tig used her smarts and fearlessness to track down the infamous "Lit Killer," a serial killer who staged his murders after death scenes from famous books. But there's no rest for courageous, mystery-solving teens in a place like Hollow Falls, and though the Lit Killer is now behind bars, his protégé, Tig's classmate and crush Oly, has disappeared!

And that's not the only game afoot. Tig has caught the attention of the town's local armchair detective group, the Murder of Crows. They're obsessed with Hollow Falls' dark past and fixated on a dangerous search for the missing body of the town's founder. There are rumors about what's buried with the body that could be life-changing for whoever finds it, and with a mission like that underway, it's not long before a member of the Murder of Crows turns up dead.

Tig, along with her friends Max and Wyn, steps in to help, but the stakes are getting higher and the hunt more deadly. Someone's willing to kill to keep the town's secrets buried, and if Tig's not careful, she'll be the Murder of Crows' next victim.

This original Lethal Lit story takes place between Seasons 1 and 2 of the podcast, and features a brand-new, never-before-told story starring Tig Torres and her sleuthing friends!

Midnight Horizon (Star Wars: The High Republic)

by Daniel José Older
Published by: Disney Lucasfilm Press
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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Two hundred years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, in the era of the glorious High Republic, the Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy!

Another exciting young adult adventure featuring Jedi and Jedi Padawans as they fight the nefarious villains known as the Nihil!
The New York Times bestselling series continues....For light and life!

These Deadly Games

by Diana Urban
Published by: Wednesday Books
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
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Let’s play a game.
You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.
Are you ready?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.
But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late.

Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed.

Court (Crave, #4)

by Tracy Wolff
Published by: Entangled Teen
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
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No one survived the last battle unscathed. Flint is angry at the world, Jaxon is turning into something I don’t recognize, and Hudson has put up a wall I’m not sure I’ll ever break through.

Now war is coming, and we’re not ready. We’re going to need an army to have any hope of winning. But first, there are questions about my ancestors that need answers. Answers that might just reveal who the real monster is among us.

And that’s saying something in a world filled with bloodthirsty vampires, immortal gargoyles, and an ancient battle between two gods.
There’s no guarantee that anyone will be left standing when the dust settles, but if we want to save this world, I have no choice. I’ll have to embrace every part of me...even the parts I fear the most.

Me and White Supremacy: How You Can Fight Racism and Change the World Today!

by Layla F. Saad
Published by: Sourcebooks eXplore
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Non-Fiction, Young Adult
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How do we give young people the tools they need to actively dismantle racism and create a better world for everyone?

From the author of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller Me and White Supremacy, Layla Saad’s young readers’ edition is a timely, crucial, and empowering guide for today’s youth on how to be antiracist change makers. Me and White Supremacy has reached so many adults in their journeys to become better ancestors.

This edition aims to teach readers how to explore and understand racism and white supremacy and how young readers can do their part to help change the world. Covering topics such as white privilege, white fragility, racist stereotypes, cultural appropriation, and more, Layla Saad has developed a brilliant introduction and deep dive that is sure to become a standard in antiracist education.

Layla Saad meticulously updated the content for young readers to include:· definitions and history of various topics covered· sections to help readers process complex topics· no time limit—unlike the adult edition, this is not a 28-day challenge so readers can use this content for however long it takes to do the work· content is approachable and applicable for those with and without white privilege

And We Rise

by Erica Martin
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Non-Fiction, Young Adult
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A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.

In stunning verse and vivid use of white space, Erica Martin’s debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—from the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with the “Separate but Equal” ruling—and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation's centuries-long fight for justice and equality.

A poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and much-needed conversation starter in our modern world. Complete with historical photographs, author’s note, chronology of events, research, and sources.

Once More with Chutzpah

by Haley Neil
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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A moving YA debut about a girl who grapples with questions of her Jewish identity, mental health struggles, and sexuality while on a temple exchange trip through Israel.

When high school senior Tally and her twin brother Max head off on an exchange trip to Israel over their winter break, Tally thinks it will be a good distraction for Max; he might be trying to hide it, but she knows he's still struggling in the wake of a car crash that injured him and killed the driver. Maybe this will help him get back on track and apply to college the way he and Tally always planned.

But as the group travels across the country, Tally realizes her plan might not be working, and that her brother might not be the only one with a lot on his mind. When a new relationship gets complicated in the face of her own anxiety-about her future, her sexual and romantic identity, and her place within the Jewish diaspora-Tally must grapple not only with the past, but also with what life will be like when they get back home.

Debut author Haley Neil offers a relatable and deeply felt story about identity on the cusp of adulthood.

We Were Kings

by Court Stevens
Published by: Thomas Nelson
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
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Twenty years ago, eighteen-year-old Francis Quick was convicted of murdering her best friend Cora King and sentenced to death. Now the highly debated Accelerated Death Penalty Act passes and gives Frankie thirty final days to live. From the Kings’ own family rises up the one who will challenge the woefully inadequate evidence and potential innocence of Francis Quick.

The at-first reluctant and soon-fiery Nyla and her sidekick (and handsome country island boy), Sam Stack, bring Frankie’s case to the international stage through her YouTube channel Death Daze. They step into fame and a hometown battle that someone’s still willing to kill over. The senator? The philanthropist? The pawn shop owner? Nyla’s own mother?

Best advice: Don’t go to family dinner with the Kings. More people will leave the dining room in body bags than on their own two feet. And as for Francis Quick, she’s a gem . . . even if she’s guilty.

The New Girl

by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire, SourcebooksFire
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
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Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. And when she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she's determined to make it work even though she's never felt more out of place.

But on her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security. Her new schoolmates and teachers seem unphased, but it leaves her unsure of what she's gotten herself into.

And as she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn't what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she's not sure if she can trust anyone...especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn.

Omar Rising

by Aisha Saeed
Published by: Nancy Paulsen Books
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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"Irresistibly appealing and genuinely inspiring--a story that helps us to see the world more clearly, and to see ourselves as powerful enough to change it." --Rebecca Stead, author of Newbery Award Winner When You Reach Me

In this compelling companion to New York Times bestseller Amal Unbound, Amal's friend Omar must contend with being treated like a second-class citizen when he gets a scholarship to an elite boarding school.

Omar knows his scholarship to Ghalib Academy Boarding School is a game changer, providing him--the son of a servant--with an opportunity to improve his station in life. He can't wait to experience all the school has to offer, especially science club and hopefully the soccer team; but when he arrives, his hopes are dashed. First-year scholarship students aren't allowed to join clubs or teams--and not only that, they have to earn their keep doing menial chores. At first Omar is dejected--but then he gets angry when he learns something even worse--the school deliberately weeds out kids like him by requiring them to get significantly higher grades than kids who can pay tuition, making it nearly impossible for scholarship students to graduate. It's a good thing that in his favorite class, he's learned the importance of being stubbornly optimistic. So with the help of his tightknit new group of friends--and with the threat of expulsion looming over him--he sets out to do what seems impossible: change a rigged system.

Respect the Mic: Celebrating 20 Years of Poetry from a Chicagoland High School

by Hanif Abdurraqib, Peter Kahn, Dan Sully Sullivan, Franny Choi, Tyehimba Jess
Published by: Penguin Workshop
on February 1, 2022
Genres: Poetry, Young Adult
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An expansive, moving poetry anthology, representing 20 years of poetry from students and alumni of Chicago's Oak Park River Forest High School Spoken Word Club.

Poets I know sometimes joke that the poetry club at Oak Park River Forest High School is the best MFA program in the Chicagoland area. Like all great jokes, this one is dead serious. -Eve L. Ewing, award-winning poet, playwright, scholar, and sociologist

For Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School's Spoken Word Club, there is one phrase that reigns supreme: Respect the Mic. It's been the club's call to arms since its inception in 1999. As its founder Peter Kahn says, It's a call of pride and history and tradition and hope.
This vivid new collection of poetry and prose -- curated by award-winning and bestselling poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Franny Choi, Peter Kahn, and Dan Sully Sullivan -- illuminates just that, uplifting the incredible legacy this community has cultivated. Among the dozens of current students and alumni, Respect the Mic features work by NBA star Iman Shumpert, National Youth Poet Laureates Kara Jackson and Natalie Richardson, comedian Langston Kerman, and more.

In its pages, you hear the sprawling echoes of students, siblings, lovers, new parents, athletes, entertainers, scientists, and more --all sharing a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling. A celebration of the past, a balm for the present, and a blueprint for the future, Respect the Mic offers a tender, intimate portrait of American life, and conveys how in a world increasingly defined by separation, poetry has the capacity to bind us together.