New Release Tuesday: YA New Releases January 27th 2026

Young Adult New Releases January 27th 2026

Well January is ending, and for half of the USA we are covered in an epic snowstorm, so grab some new books, get cozy, and read! We share most of the new YA books hitting the shelves today below, even included some rebranded books and a 15th anniversary box set (that can also be purchased individually) – so if you see something you are interested in, check your library, or maybe purchase from our Bookshop or Libro.fm affiliates! Support the alternatives to megacorps!

Freddie and Stella Got Hot

by Maggie Horne
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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Jenny Han meets Mean Girls in Freddie and Stella Got Hot, Maggie Horne's YA rom-com about getting revenge and falling in love.

By the time the Beaumont-Gardiner Award is announced, everyone's going to hate Levi Preston. And they're going to love us.

Freddie and Stella are on a mission: take down their former best friend turned queen bee Levi Preston by depriving her of the one thing she wants more than anything: The Beaumont-Gardiner Award. Only the coolest, smartest, and - let’s face it - hottest girls win . . . so Freddie and Stella are going to have to get a whole lot cooler, smarter, and hotter.

At first, it seems to work – Freddie and Stella slowly manage to worm their way in with the cool girls. With every shopping date, agonizing salon appointment, and hot yoga class, the girls get closer to the in-crowd and Levi fades more and more into the background. The higher they rise, though, the more uneasy Freddie starts to feel. Stella’s gone from her lovable, goofy best friend to someone she barely recognizes, using her newfound power for evil at every opportunity. Soon, Freddie realizes she’s created a monster – and she needs Levi’s help to put a stop to it.

Sparking Fire Out of Fate (Forging Silver into Stars, #3)

by Brigid Kemmerer
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Broken loyalties. Uncertain fates. Two kingdoms hanging in the balance. . . The exhilarating finale in bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's Forging Silver series will leave readers breathless!

Callyn has grown closer to Queen Lia Mara in Syhl Shallow, bonded by the secret magic they share. But their magic can stay hidden only so long, especially when a dangerous plot on the Queen's life forces Callyn to work with the man who betrayed her.

In Emberfall, Tycho and Jax are struggling to rebuild their connection after months apart, complicated when they learn of Truthbringers causing trouble at the borders. Sent to investigate together, Jax and Tycho soon discover that the rebellious faction has formed a devil's bargain with the magical scravers to destroy human magic once and for all.

When their missions bring them together, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn find themselves facing threats from all sides. With one last chance to save their magic and their kingdoms, they must work together, or lose everything.

War has erupted. Love is tested. And without sacrifice, magic could destroy everyone . . .

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake

by Rebekah Faubion
Published by: Delacorte Press
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
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After a group of teens visit a dangerous island where three are left behind, the surviving girls realize they must return to confront the sinister force hunting them. This dark YA thriller is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

Eight were lost. Five were found. None will ever be free.

For Evie Williams, life is about to get a lot more complicated. Haunted by the events of a school trip to Hollow Lake National Park that went disastrously wrong, Evie and her friends returned changed, their lives forever marked by the mysterious Island they encountered—and the three girls they left behind.

Now, someone is picking off those who were involved, one by one. Their families, friends, and even online investigators are all caught in a deadly game. The stakes are raised when Evie receives a chilling message: to save her loved ones, she must return to the Island.

As Evie and the other "Lost Girls" navigate the treacherous terrain of the Island once more, they must confront the secrets they’ve buried, the horrors they witnessed, and the person—or thing—that’s hunting them. But some secrets refuse to stay hidden, and the Island demands a price for freedom.

Sundown Girls

by L.S. Stratton
Published by: Nancy Paulsen Books
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
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In the tradition of Jordan Peele and Tiffany Jackson’s The Weight of Blood, a YA thriller about a Black teen whose fight for survival forces a small southern vacation town to face its dark history of racial violence.

When sixteen-year-old Naomi Ward and her family head to a secluded cabin in the Shenandoah Valley for summer vacation they don’t know the small, mountain town of Sparksburg, Virginia has a dark and twisted past. But when they arrive, Naomi can’t shake the feeling that something about Sparksburg just isn’t right—and it smells god awful, but for some reason Naomi is the only who can smell the town’s stench. When she learns Sparksburg had once been a Sundown Town—a town where Black people weren’t allowed after sunset lest they be murdered—Naomi’s unease starts to make sense.

As Naomi digs more into Sparksburg’s violent origins, she finds herself haunted by the ghost of a girl, appearing nightly outside her window. Then she learns of two girls who’ve recently gone missing and suspects the past may still be present in Sparksburg and beneath the quaint façade of this tourist town is a palpable danger.

When Naomi decides to track the disappearance of the two girls herself, she becomes suspicious of a local man who has kindled fear in Naomi more than once. She soon learns he has a connection to one of the missing girls, and Naomi is certain he’s responsible for the disappearances.

When no one believes her, Naomi takes matters into her own hands. But to save the missing girls, she’ll have to finally face her own past trauma as a “missing girl” as she finds herself in a fight for survival.

Gripping and triumphant, L.S. Stratton tells an important and unforgettable story of racial reckoning inspired by historical events.

The QB, Summer and Me (The QB Bad Boy series)

by Tay Marley
Published by: Wattpad Books
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Readers who loved The QB Bad Boy and Me, and books like The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams and Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning.

Eleven whole weeks. Summer vacation.

Camping trips, lakehouse getaways, and late-night motorcycle rides--the best summer of their lives is finally here. Dallas and Drayton are ready to celebrate their last official summer before heading off to college. Making the most of their time together before the inevitable . . .

Eleven weeks. Until they're off to separate colleges.

Dallas is excited about her new start at CalArts, but knowing she has to leave everything behind--especially her boyfriend--hurts more than any dance injury. In just a few weeks, she'll be on a plane to California while Drayton begins college in Texas. The future of their entire relationship is called into question--a question Drayton refuses to answer.

In fact, Drayton's nonchalant attitude towards their soon-to-be long distance relationship has Dallas questioning his feelings for her. However, Drayton's been carrying a secret that will change the course of their entire love story . . . he's just waiting for the perfect moment to tell her.

But with the chaos (and excitement) of watching Josh and Gabby prepare for parenthood, planning a baby shower, finding Dallas' older brother Nathan a girlfriend, and coming to terms with what it means to grow up--the "perfect moment" might be harder to find than Drayton realizes.

Tay Marley, the author of the hit Wattpad sensation The QB Bad Boy and Me, captures the sizzling heat of summer love in this new novel, offering a peek into that fateful summer before Dallas and Drayton's lives are forever changed.

The Roommate Arrangement

by Samantha Markum
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Young Adult
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When Blair accidentally becomes college roommates with her brother’s best friend, sparks fly in this hilarious rom-com from bestselling author Samantha Markum, perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Emma Lord.

Blair might be a little type-A, but she never thought of herself as completely overbearing…that is, until her two best friends drop her from their housing arrangement a week before her pre-college summer coding program is about to start.

Blair knows if she switches to an on-campus dorm, her parents will make her give up her expensive sculpture class with her dream mentor in order to pay for it. Desperate, she agrees to be the fifth roommate to four off-campus sophomores who are also in a last-minute bind. But things get complicated when one of her new roommates turns out to be her brother’s best friend, Jamie Atwater.

Blair begs Jamie not to tell her brother about the new living arrangement. Her brother would go straight to their parents, who would definitely not approve, and all her plans would fall apart. So they strike a deal: she’ll help him finish coding the app he’s building if he promises to keep her secret.

Spending more time together shouldn’t be a problem. Sure, Jamie has a new haircut, a mysterious tattoo, and a year’s worth of earned muscle, but it’s not like Blair is noticing. After all, they’re only roommates, right?

The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay

by Ryan Douglass
Published by: HarperCollins
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA+, Retellings, Young Adult
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From New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass comes a gripping and tender reimagining of The Great Gatsby about the pursuit of happiness—and love—in a society built on cruelty and secrets.

Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world.

But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.— who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease—only add more complications.

When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again?

Tell Me in Secret

by Mercedes Ron
Published by: Bloom Books
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the second in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life.

Kamila Hamilton has her two best friends back in her life. The problem is that Taylor and Thiago Di Bianco aren't just friends anymore. They're so much more.

Thiago takes her breath away.

Taylor will never let her down.

The brothers have grown up, and with them, what Kamila feels for them. And now that her life is falling apart, her family is disintegrating, and her friends are turning their backs on her, she'll need them more than ever... both of them.

But when Thiago kisses someone else, desire turns to devastation.

Taylor is falling for her, and she isn't sure she can protect him from her feelings.

And the past is a ticking time bomb, ready to shatter everything.

Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

by Anahita Karthik
Published by: HarperCollins
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, New Adult, Young Adult
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"Come for the road trip of a lifetime. Stay for the kissing!”— Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries series

Buckle up for a wild ride with this cheeky and charming rom-com where one girl’s quest across India to seal her first kiss turns into finding first love in the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of Axie Oh, Ann Liang, and Jenny Han!

Eighteen-year-old Krishna Kumar may have gotten into her dream college, but that doesn’t mean she’s stopped being a bi disaster. Even after spending her whole summer in India flirting with her gorgeous neighbor Amrit, she has nothing to show for it. And now, her fate is sealed: she’s destined to be the only freshman who’s never been kissed.

Then her flight home is delayed right as a distinctly flirty text from Amrit lights up her phone. Krishna is determined to seize her last chance at a perfect first kiss with her summer crush, even if it means asking her cousin-turned-nemesis, Priti, for help. Because Amrit is miles away at a family wedding—and Priti’s best friend, Rudra Desai, is the only one with a car.

The unlikely trio set off on a road trip to crash a wedding and save Krishna’s summer. But as she starts to fall for the quiet but irresistibly hot and charming Rudra, who everyone knows is unrequitedly in love with Priti, Krishna’s heart better catch up to her head before she skips right past her first kiss and falls directly into her first heartbreak.

Love Makes Mochi (Love in Translation, #3)

by Stefany Valentine
Published by: Joy Revolution
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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A teen goth fashion designer travels to Tokyo, Japan, where she meets a tattoo artist apprentice who may just be the one to change her mind about love—part of the international Love in Translation series of standalone YA romances.

Lilyn Jeong is living her best life—in Tokyo! She gets to learn from the legendary yet notoriously terrifying tailor Mrs. Matsumoto. Getting a glowing recommendation from her could be Lilyn’s ticket into her dream fashion school.

So when Lilyn is tasked with designing an entire collection, panic sets in. She has only weeks to figure out how to mix her goth aesthetic with traditional Japanese style. Thankfully, Mrs. Matsumoto’s rebellious, tattooed, rainbow-haired daughter Yua offers to help.

But going on cozy dates with this cute girl is way easier than sewing yukatas. Can Lilyn find a path forward in fashion and love? Or will she watch as everything falls apart at the seams?

The swoony Love in Translation romances can be read together or separately:
LOVE REQUIRES CHOCOLATE • LOVE CRAVES CARDAMOM • LOVE MAKES MOCHI

Queen Kodiak

by Christopher Greenslate, Dearbhla Kelly, Justin Birch, Riccardo Faccini
Published by: Maverick
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Graphic Novel, Thriller, Young Adult
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After the death of her mother, an embattled 17 year old moves in with her father on Alaska’s Kodiak island where she befriends a legendary 3000 lb. bear. Unfortunately, the bear’s inevitable capture upsets a millenia-old kaiju grizzly named Queen Kodiak, who will destroy everything in her path to collect her cub.

Following in the massive footsteps of legends like Godzilla and King Kong, comes QUEEN KODIAK, a colossal, super-charged Kodiak grizzly bear... one who survived from the ice-age and who's been irreversibly enhanced by a mysterious geo-thermal energy pulsing in the unknown depths of an Alaskan ice cave. And although QUEEN KODIAK’s been asleep for thousands of years, melting ice and subsequent tectonic activity has disturbed her hibernation. And in her debut graphic novel, she wakes up to find her only cub missing.

But as much as we want to meet her and watch her wreck shop on the pacific northwest (sorry Seattle), our story actually centers on JOEY FOX, an embattled 17-year-old girl, and natural empath, who befriends Queen Kodiak’s cub after a tectonic shift in her own life -- the recent passing of her mother. As a result, Joey’s been sent to Alaska’s Kodiak island to live with the man who left them ten years ago, her state trooper father. In many ways it’s a story about how families survive overwhelming odds.

Winter White: A Modern Retelling of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale

by Annie Cardi
Published by: Union Square and Co
on January 27, 2026
Genres: Retellings, Young Adult
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A bold and authentic reimagining of The Winter's Tale full of tragedy, triumph, and forbidden romance--perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Kathleen Glasgow, and Sarah Dessen.

Pia and her brother, Max, live on an isolated farm in rural Maine, and it's the only life they remember. Their father says the only way for them to stay protected is to stay on the farm. Pia doesn't question it. Pia's entire world turns upside down when her father breaks his leg, and she must be the one to venture into town to make farm deliveries. And then she sees him. Felix, a boy who is both a stranger and somehow familiar, makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself, her past, and her family. But no matter how she feels about Felix, she must always obey her father, above all else.

But Pia's feelings are too big to ignore, and the more she engages with Felix, the more she begins to see that there's promise for her beyond the isolated world to which she's grown accustomed. And the more she dreams about a better life, the more she wonders if her father is telling the truth about their family's past. Pia knows her father and his friend Anthony are hiding something, and soon Pia must reckon with the damage her father is doing to their community and the damage he has done to their own lives.

Winter White is an astonishingly told and searingly authentic reimagining of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Kathleen Glasgow, and Sarah Dessen.

The Chemical Garden Collection (Boxed Set): Wither; Fever; Sever (The Chemical Garden Trilogy)

by Lauren DeStefano
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on November 6, 2014
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
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For the first printing only! These books feature sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.

A teen fights to survive in a hostile world where girls are kidnapped and forced to produce heirs for the wealthy in the riveting, New York Times bestselling dystopian young adult trilogy reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale. All three books feature a brand-new look and are available together in one collectible 15th anniversary boxed set!

Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect humanity has left all males with a lifespan of twenty-five years, and all females with one of twenty—and the world has fallen into a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and girls are kidnapped off the streets and forced to serve as wives and bear children for the scions of the rich and powerful.

Despite her every precaution, Rhine is kidnapped and forced to become a bride. Kept under tight guard, and tossed into a glittering world of illusion, Rhine is given wealth and luxury beyond anything she’s ever dreamed. Her every need is met…every need except freedom. With the help of sweet, caring Gabriel—a servant in the manor—Rhine will do anything it takes to escape, go home, and reunite with her twin brother. But the outside world is no safer, and betrayal, danger, and an underground resistance movement force Rhine to consider the true meaning of freedom and how she wants to spend her last years.

This riveting paperback boxed set includes:
Wither
Fever
Sever