New Release Tuesday: YA New Releases January 20th 2026

Young Adult New Releases January 20th 2026

Happy New Release Tuesday to you all. Beat the winter weather (if your have that…) and cozy up with a new book! Check out most of today’s Young Adult New Releases below and we would be thrilled if you purchased any titles you may be interested in from our Bookshop or Libro.fm affiliates! Support the alternatives to megacorps & your library!

Better the Devil

by Erik J. Brown
Published by: Storytide
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
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A harrowing, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about a queer homeless teen who, in a bid for safety, assumes the identity of a boy who went missing ten years ago...only to find that his new home is anything but a safe haven—from All That's Left in the World author Erik J. Brown!

Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Ryan La Sala.

When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he's desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago—and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate’s identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway.

Before he can run again, Nate’s family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As "Nate" watches and waits for his chance to run, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents.

But soon unsettling things start to happen—vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night—and it becomes clear that someone knows "Nate" isn't who he says he is...and that the real Nate wasn't kidnapped, but murdered.

As he starts to unravel the mystery, he gets ever closer to the devil he may know—and learns he might be their next victim.

Soul of a Gentleman Witch

by David Ferraro
Published by: Page Street YA
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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To win back his soul from the Devil, a cynical witch must decide if his own freedom is worth delivering a selfless boy to damnation.

Perpetually seventeen, Callum the green witch is indebted to the Devil until he fulfills 666 tasks. When Lucifer offers Callum an unusual job that will end Callum’s contract early and return his soul, Callum readily agrees. All Callum must do is ensure Augustus “Auggie” Sanderson makes it from London to New York by the next blood moon.

This proves more difficult than Callum could’ve predicted as power-hungry witch kings and queens, blood witches, and even necromancers are also out to capture Auggie. To deliver Auggie on time and win back his soul, Callum will need the help of his black cat familiar, his human assistant (whom he accidentally turned into a frog), a four-armed, tally undead witch, and Auggie himself—who seems too good to have made a deal with the Devil.

But if Auggie didn’t make a deal with the Devil, what awaits him in New York? And if Auggie doesn’t deserve his fate, is Callum willing to give up his own chance at freedom to save him?

Worst-Case Scenario

by Ray Stoeve
Published by: Amulet Books
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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An enemies-to-lovers romance about nemeses who are forced to share their school's Queer Alliance presidency following a tie in the election, new from beloved author Ray Stoeve

Sidney has one goal for their junior year. Well . . . two, if they're being honest. Number one: become president of their school's Queer Alliance club. And number two: keep their self-diagnosed anxiety in check so their grades don't tank like they did last year.

But when the election results in a tie with none other than Sidney's arch nemesis, the class clown Forrest, the two are forced to share the presidency until a revote at the end of term. Sidney expects Forrest to be insufferable, but it turns out that working together is . . . kind of nice?

As surprising feelings for Forrest emerge, Sidney's techniques for managing their anxiety stop working. With the reelection approaching and assignments starting to pile up, will all this pressure be too much for Sidney to handle on their own?

I Don't Wish You Well

by Jumata Emill
Published by: Delacorte Press
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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A teen investigative podcaster decides to dig into the truth behind a grisly murder spree that rocked his hometown five years ago, but soon discovers that this cold case is still hiding deadly secrets—in this chilling thriller perfect for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Five years ago, the infamous Trojan murders turned the small town of Moss Pointe, Louisiana into a living nightmare. Four teen boys—all star players on Moss Pointe High's football team—were murdered one after the other by a Trojan-mask wearing killer.

Eventually, the murderer was unmasked. But the community has never forgotten—and some folks in town still wonder whether the police got it right.

Eighteen-year-old Pryce Cummings is one of them. An aspiring journalist, Pryce is pretty sure he just stumbled upon evidence that throws the killer's guilt into question. It's the perfect story for his own podcast, and a reason to go back to the hometown he's avoided since coming to terms with his sexuality while at college.

But in Moss Pointe, digging into the past is anything but welcome. There's so much more to what happened there five years ago, and Pryce is ready to crack it all wide open . . . if he lives to tell the tale.

A Wild Radiance

by Maria Ingrande Mora
Published by: Peachtree Teen
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
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A searing and romantic fantasy adventure about an oligarchic state on the verge of a magical industrial revolution—perfect for fans of Arcane, Wicked, and Iron Widow!

Mora captures the diverse and richly developed world around Josephine—a red-haired girl, who’s “pale as bone” and cued neurodivergent— through lush prose. . . . This fast-paced, romantic, abundantly queer, historical fantasy explores the intertwined pain, fear, joy, and beauty of self-discovery in defiance of oppression from an authoritarian society. Alluring and electrifying magic.—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

An exciting story chock-full of world building, character development, and queer romance, executed with the perfect pacing. . . . Every aspect of the narrative and world is the perfect size for this shining self-contained novel.—Booklist (starred review)

Josephine Haven is about to find out exactly where she fits into the march of Progress. Her outbursts are infamous at the House of Industry, the school for children who can wield radiance, an electricity-like magic. She’s tried to follow the rules, but her fiery nature is at odds with the core tenet of the House: Never form attachments. If she is meant to feel nothing, why are her emotions so volatile?

No one is surprised when, upon graduation, Josephine is banished from the city to a remote Mission. In Frostbrook, she must work under standoffish Julian, the former golden boy of the House of Industry who seems determined to watch her fail. And then there’s Ezra, the flirtatious stranger who’s a little too curious about how the Mission operates.

But there are bigger problems than Julian and Ezra’s secrets. A deadly disease is spreading across the countryside, and in Frostbrook, not everyone is eager to embrace Progress. As Josephine questions the system that raised her—and gives in to desire she’s been taught to suppress—she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to expose not just corruption within the House, but the devastating truth about the radiance in her core.

An epic and romantic fantasy that reimagines the War of the Currents, A Wild Radiance explodes with the same queer chaotic tension, magical industrialization, and class revolution themes that made Arcane a #1 Netflix sensation.
Perfect for readers who love Queerplatonic and Poly Relationships, Anti-Capitalism, Hurt/Comfort, Sunshine/Grump/Gremlin Dynamics, Messy Exes, and Fantasy Road Trips!

If All the Stars Go Dark

by S.G. Prince
Published by: Godwin Books
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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An intergalactic enemies to lovers romance where tensions are high but the stakes are higher.

When eighteen-year-old Keller Hartman is recruited into the Legion’s most prestigious galactic unit, it’s a dream come true. He's worked hard for this. He’s ready to prove himself. The problem? His new partner—the beautiful, no-nonsense pilot Lament Bringer—wants nothing to do with him.

Forced to work together under Legion orders, Keller and Lament team up with a motley crew of specialists to investigate a mysterious visionary who can predict catastrophes. As they begin to peel back layers, however, they realize there's more to the story than meets the eye. With threats mounting and secrets unfolding, Keller and Lament will need to trust one another in order to stop the dangers at play. But with trust comes other feelings—ones neither of them is prepared for.

With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the only thing worse than failing their mission might just be losing each other.

When You Come Back to Me (Lost Boys, 2)

by Emma Scott
Published by: Bloom Books
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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From USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott comes the second in an emotional series of interconnected, coming-of-age YA romances.

At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys...

Holden Parish survived his parents' horrific attempts to make him "the perfect son." After a year's stint in a Swiss sanitarium to recover, he has vowed to never let anything—or anyone—trap him again. Brilliant but broken, he seeks refuge behind alcohol, meaningless sex, and uses his wicked sense of humor to keep people away. He only has to ride out one year in the coastal town of Santa Cruz with his aunt and uncle before he inherits his billions and can make his escape. Disappear. Falling in love is not in the plans.

River Whitmore. Star quarterback of the Central High football team, Prom King, Mr. Popular, ladies' man. He leads the perfect life...except it's all a lie. His father has River's future in the NFL all planned out, while River's dream is to run the family business in the town that he loves. But his mother's illness is tearing the family apart and River is becoming the glue that holds them together. How can he break his father's heart when it's already shattering?

River's carefully-crafted façade explodes when he meets Holden Parish. A guy who dresses in coats and scarves year-round, drinks expensive vodka, and spends his free time breaking into houses for the fun of it. They're complete opposites. River seeks a quiet life, away from the spotlight. Holden would rather have dental surgery than settle down. Holden's demons and River's responsibilities threaten to keep them apart, while their undeniable attraction crashes them together again and again, growing into something deep and real no matter how they resist. Until one terrible night changes everything.

*Please note, this book contains spoilers for The Girl in the Love Song.

Fustuk: A Graphic Novel

by Robert Mgrdich Apelian
Published by: Penguin Workshop
on January 20, 2026
Genres: Graphic Novel, Mythology, Young Adult
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Inspired by Armenian and Persian mythology, this delectable YA graphic novel debut follows the youngest of three dysfunctional siblings who strike a magical deal to save their mother's life—perfect for fans of The Magic Fish!

Seventeen-year-old Katah Fustukian has always felt like the odd one out in his family of chefs. Unlike his older siblings, he is useless in the kitchen, and too young to have known their late father—a legendary Hye chef who’d made a name for himself in the Pars Empire.

But with his mom’s illness worsening, Katah hopes that his vision-like dreams are a sign of magic stirring within him—especially after they lead him to Az, a powerful div with some mysterious connection to his family. In an attempt to save their mom’s life, he and his siblings strike a Az’s help in exchange for a dish that rivals their father’s.

But after the siblings clash over what to cook, Katah will have to make sense of his magic and family history—and wager far more than a single meal to meet Az’s demands...

Creator Robert Mgrdich Apelian weaves together multiple timelines in an inventive, fantastical story of Armenian family and food, speaking to diasporic culture and how those within it relate to their different worlds.