Young Adult New Releases July 4th 2023

Happy July! We are kicking off the month with small group of YA New Releases! Check out the few YA books hitting the shelves today below, and if you want to see the rest of July’s upcoming releases, check out our Bookshop page!

Just a reminder, as we are still getting clicks for our Signed Books page, that our old page broke, and is stuck with just early May releases, our fresh new Signed Books page goes through July & more!

Murder on a School Night

by Kate Weston
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Mystery, Young Adult
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A hilarious murder mystery–rom-com from author and comedian Kate Weston investigates the sinister side of social media when bullying turns bloody—and a string of classmate deaths by menstrual cup and sanitary pad sets amateur sleuth Kerry hot on the trail of a menstrual murderer. Perfect for fans of Truly Devious and Fleabag.

There’s never a good time to find a dead body, sure. But what about finding a dead body while you’re trying to kiss your crush? Kerry had different plans for her first high school party—like not going. All she wanted to do was stay home in the safety of retro rom-coms and her strict retainer schedule. Instead her BFF, fiercely outgoing mystery-fanatic Annie, has roped her into going to the party to investigate who’s cyberbullying Heather, the most popular girl in school.

Finding herself getting close with her dreamy crush is odd enough, but when the two of them discover Heather’s second in command, Selena, suffocated with a menstrual cup, things get really weird. And when a second student turns up dead, this time with a sanitary pad across the eyes, Annie and Kerry—no matter how much she resists—are officially on the case to stop the menstrual murderer . . . period.

Love & Resistance

by Kara H.L. Chen
Published by: Quill Tree Books
on July 4, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Seventeen-year-old Olivia Chang is at her fourth school in seven years.

Her self-imposed solitude is lonely, but safe. At Plainstown High, however, Olivia’s usual plan of anonymity fails when the infamous Mitzi Clarke (influencer, queen bee, bully) makes a pointed racist comment in class. Olivia knows what she must do: let it go. But Olivia is tired of ignoring things just so she can survive. This time, she defends herself.
That is the end of her invisible life.

Soon, Olivia discovers, and joins forces with, the Nerd Net: a secret society who has been thwarting Mitzi’s reign of terror for months. Together, they plan to unite the masses and create true change at Plainstown High.

But in order to succeed, Olivia must do something even more terrifying than lead a movement: trust other people. She might even make true friends along the way . . . if Mitzi doesn’t destroy her first.

Mirrorverse: Pure of Heart

by Delilah S. Dawson
Published by: Disney Press
on July 4, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult
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Step into Disney Mirrorverse, a brand-new realm of endless adventure, where mirrored reflections of iconic Disney and Pixar characters are amplified and evolved, becoming battle-ready Guardians that must unite to defeat a powerful evil that threatens their home worlds.

Set in a fantasy land that is familiar but slightly changed, the story begins as Snow White helps a young deer in the forest. This isn’t the Snow White that Disney fans know: this is Snow White as reflected and evolved within the Mirrorverse, with new abilities and items infused with Stellar Magic that she must learn how to wield. Despite her new skills and the strange things happening in her world, Snow White, or “Snow” as her friends often call her, has been carrying on as normal…until now.

As she returns to her cottage, Snow is met with seven dark, angry expressions, and glowing white eyes. They surround her, claiming they need to capture “the heart of Snow White.” Snow desperately tries to reason with who she thought were her friends, but they refuse to listen to her, and she ultimately must use her newly acquired abilities to defeat them.

It is only when Stellar Sorcerer Mickey Mouse, the leader of the Mirrorverse Guardians, arrives and explains that the creatures she defeated were not her friends, but instead a group of evil copies created by Fractured Magic. Snow believes that the evil Queen has taken her friends, and it is up to Snow to retrieve them and the Fractured Stellar Mirror, the source of the evil power, before it can be used to destroy Snow’s home world forever.

But Snow doesn’t need to face the Queen alone. Mickey assigns her a team of fellow Guardians, powerful beings from many different worlds who have committed to thwarting the Fractured and protecting the Mirrorverse from harm. Snow meets Tiana—an expert potion-maker—Rapunzel—a fighter who knows how to wield a frying pan—Stitch—a chaotic blue alien who can change forms—Sulley— a monster with a big heart—and Hades—the lord of the Underworld, who has offered to join the mission to see what this whole “Guardian gig” is about.

This unlikely crew ventures into Snow’s world, where they find growing Fractured hordes, a determined Huntsman, and a newly poisoned dark forest. On the way to the palace, each character faces a challenge seemingly created just for them.

After Death (Blue Bloods, #9)

by Melissa de la Cruz
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
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She may be down . . . but her fangs are out.

After defeating Lucifer and saving the world, Schuyler Van Allen woke up in an entirely different reality and learned she had to do it all over again. Find the villain, take him down, save the world. But after losing her only allies, Jack Force--who ran off to protect her--and Kingsley Martin--who was captured and killed by the enemy, Schuyler has to face facts. She's going to have to do this alone . . . or is she?

When a mysterious new girl named Eoife shows up at Duchesne Academy, Schuyler at first thinks she must be yet another enemy, but she soon finds out that Eoife could be the answer Schuyler's been looking for. A member of an ages old secret society of heroes called the Palladins, Eoife is here to help--and she has friends--lots of them. United with another unlikely ally in Max Force, the group might just have a fighting chance--if they can find and rescue Jack, get Max's Blue Blood powers back, solve the theory of chaos magic and take down a friend turned foe. Oh, and fight off an army of Silver Bloods and otherworldly monsters led by the devil himself.

Can Schuyler finally put an end to the war between heaven and hell? Or will she have another world to save each time she opens her eyes?

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

by Megan Shepherd
Published by: Disney Press
on July 4, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the holiday classic Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas with this stunning collectible novelization, adapted by New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd.

Jack Skellington is the beloved Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, but he has grown tired of leading the usual scares every year. Then he stumbles upon a mysterious tree-shaped door deep in the Hinterlands and falls straight into Christmas Town--an enchanting place like no other, full of sparkling snow, merry elves, and twinkling lights.

Reinvigorated, Jack returns to Halloween Town and recruits the citizens into his new plan: to organize Christmas themselves! But even with aid from his loyal dog Zero and the resourceful rag doll Sally, challenges lurk around every corner. Sally sees a terrible vision of Jack falling into danger, and the mysterious Oogie Boogie hides in the shadows. Will Jack's dream of creating the perfect Christmas come true . . . or is it destined to become an utter nightmare?

Cursed Princess Club Volume Two (Cursed Princess Club, #2)

by LambCat
Published by: Webtoon Unscrolled
on July 4, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Young Adult
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Just because you’re cursed doesn’t mean you’re not special.

Gwendolyn, the youngest of the King’s three daughters, is living proof that princesses don’t always have it all. She isn’t like a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, isn’t particularly attractive. Unlike her sisters who have woodland creatures do their hair and makeup, or have flowers blossom wherever they sleep, Gwendolyn is a bit…different. So when her father proposes marriage for her and her sisters to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom, it breaks Gwendolyn’s heart to hear that Prince Frederick thinks she’s “really ugly.” Overwhelmed and ashamed, she runs away into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

The Cursed Princess Club are a ragtag band of outcasts, misfits and cursed princesses who have created an incredible friendship circle. It is among these friends where Gwendolyn learns to embrace her uniqueness and find her people.

In this second book of the series, we learn low self esteem isn’t just for girls! Meet the Princels—princes who have shunned society not because of curses (although one has to wonder…) but because of their own insecurities about their physical appearance and their inability to find romantic partners. And then we have Prince Frederick, who starts to worry if he even deserves Gwen. Plus, you too can learn to be as pretty as a Cursed Princess!