Young Adult New Releases May 20th 2025
May is a big release month, gearing up for summer reading and relaxing…so it is no surprise we have another big day for YA books. Check out most of today’s releases below and if you missed any previous past months, you can see them all on our Bookshop!
Gay the Pray Away
by Natalie NaudusPublished by: Quirk Books
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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“Composed with equal parts sweetness, care, and stubborn queer perseverance.”—Casey McQuiston, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Red, White & Royal Blue
In this gripping queer YA romance perfect for fans of Malinda Lo and Becky Albertalli, an Asian American teen longs to break free of the conservative cult she was raised in.
Valerie Danners is in a cult. She just doesn’t know it yet. But when she stumbles upon a queer romance novel at the library, everything about her life—centered around a fundamentalist Christian homeschooling group —is thrown into question.
And to make things even more complicated, there’s a new girl in town. Riley is rebellious, kindhearted, and impossibly cool. As the two bond over being multiracial teens in their very white and very religious community, Valerie finds herself falling in love.
Soon Valerie and Riley are exchanging notes in secret and stealing kisses behind the church. But even as their romance blooms, Valerie knows that they’re trapped. If Valerie wants a chance at writing her own story, she must choose between staying with a family she fears will never accept her and running away with the girl she loves.
Out of Step, Into You
by Ciera Burchon May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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Out of Step, into You is a sapphic contemporary romance following childhood friends turned cross-country team rivals who are forced to work together to win the state championship – for fans of She Gets the Girl.
You can’t outrun love.
>Taylor and Marianna were each other’s whole world – best friends, running partners, practically sisters – until Marianna moved away and Taylor promptly ghosted her. When the former best friends turned rivals end up on the same cross-country team three years later, everything is a competition… and a reminder of past feelings, as well as blossoming new ones.
Marianna runs because she’s angry. The oldest child of a single mother, she knows all about responsibility – for her siblings, at her part-time job. She just has to stay focused and be faster than the past nipping at her heels if she wants to secure a new, brighter future. With or without Taylor.
Taylor runs to prove herself. The only child of an almost-Olympian, she’s no stranger to high expectations. With enough effort, she knows she can immortalize herself with a state record and make her parents proud. Then, she can figure out her own passion. She definitely doesn’t have time to untangle her feelings towards Mari.
Can this pair figure out a way to work together before their past catches up with them?
Don't Let Me Go
by Kevin Christopher SnipesPublished by: HarperCollins
on May 20, 2025
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Romance, Young Adult
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From acclaimed author Kevin Christopher Snipes comes a moving romance about two star-crossed boys trapped in a millennium-spanning cycle of reincarnation whose only hope of escape may be a price that neither is willing to pay. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Eliot Shrefer!
Out and proud, Riley Iverson knows there’s nothing more cringe than crushing on a straight boy. But from the moment that the handsome and sporty Jackson Haines walks into his life, Riley can’t help but feel an undeniable connection.
Mainly because, as impossible as it seems, Jackson is the spitting image of the boy who’s recently appeared in Riley’s dreams—dreams set in another time and another place where he and Jackson are desperately in love.
Soon these dreams morph into increasingly vivid nightmares. But no matter where or when these visions play out, two things remain constant: Riley and Jackson are always together, and they always die at the end.
Forced to consider the possibility that their burgeoning relationship might be propelling them headfirst into their own tragic ending, the boys have to decide: Is it worth staying apart to save their lives if the price is forsaking a love that has defied not only time and space but death itself?
Let Them Stare
by Jonathan Van Ness, Julie MurphyPublished by: Storytide
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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From Emmy Award winner Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye and #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a bighearted story about friendship, love—and discovering the secrets and beauty of your own hometown.
Sully is ready to get out of Hearst, Pennsylvania. With a fashion internship secured, the gender-nonconforming eighteen-year-old is trading in their stifling small town for the big city. Sully even sells their beloved car, to Bread—er, Brad—the most boring (and maybe only other) gay kid in town.
When Sully’s internship goes up in smoke, they’re trapped in Hearst with no cash—and no car. Desperate, they go to the thrift store, their personal sanctuary. There, they discover a vintage bag—like "put this baby in an airtight case at the MET" vintage. If Sully can authenticate it, the resale value would be enough for a new life in the city.
But when they begin to investigate, Sully finds themself haunted. Literally. With the ghost of Rufus, a drag performer from the fifties with no memory of how he died standing—no, floating—in their bedroom, Sully’s summer has a new purpose: 1) help this ghostly honey unlock his past and move on and 2) make bank—after all, the Real Real doesn’t take poltergeist purses.
With Rufus in tow, and Brad—who’s looking pretty scrumptious these days—playing chauffeur, Sully delves into the history of the town they’re so desperate to escape. Only to discover that there might be more to Hearst than they ever knew.
This Could Be Forever
by Ebony LaDellePublished by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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This compelling and complex romance about love across cultures follows a Black girl and Brown boy who find themselves—and each other—while pursuing their passions the summer before college.
Deja’s got a plan. The first in her large family to go to college, she wants to study chemistry and sell natural skin care products, like the ones she already creates from plants grown on her family’s North Carolina farm. It all starts with the Onward Bound summer program at the University of Maryland, the summer before school officially starts.
Raja’s got a dream. His traditional Nepali parents want him to study engineering and settle down in an arranged marriage, but his passion is art, and he wants to open his own tattoo parlor one day. In the meantime, he’s apprenticing at a tattoo shop in College Park, Maryland.
When Deja walks into the shop where Raja’s working, they both start crushing hard—over the course of the summer, they fall more and more deeply for one another. But the closer they get and the more their lives entwine, the more they find that dating someone who doesn’t match your parents’ expectations is harder than they ever imagined.
Can they bridge the divide between the vision their families have for their futures and the lives—and love—that are starting to feel like destiny?
Salvación
by Sandra ProudmanPublished by: Wednesday Books
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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In this Latinx YA fantasy inspired by El Zorro, Lola de La Peña becomes the masked heroine Salvación in order to save her family and town from a man who would destroy it for the magic it contains...if she doesn't fall in love with one of his men first.
Lola de La Peña yearns to be free from the societal expectations of a young Mexican lady of her station. She spends her days pretending to be delicate and proper while watching her mamá cure the sick and injured with sal negra (black salt), a recently discovered magic that heals even the most mortal of sicknesses and wounds. But by night, she is Salvación, the free-spirit lady vigilante protecting the town of Coloma from those who threaten its peace and safety among the rising tension in Alta California after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
But one night, a woman races into Coloma, barely alive, to tell the horrifying tale of how her town was obliterated by sal roja, a potent, deadly magic capable of obliterating anything it comes into contact with and the man who wields it: Damien Hernández. And when Hernández arrives the next day with a party of fifty strong and promises of returning Alta California to México, Lola knows it’s only a matter of time before he brings the region under his rule—all Hernández needs is the next full moon and the stolen, ancient amulet he carries to mine enough sal roja to conquer the land. Determined to protect everything she loves, Lola races against time as Salvación to stop his plans. What she didn’t count on was the distracting and infuriating Alejandro, who travels with Hernández but doesn't seem to share his ambitions. With the stakes higher than ever and Hernández getting closer to his goals, Lola will do anything to foil his plans, even teaming up with Alejandro—who she doesn’t fully trust, but can’t help but fall in love with.
Cruel Is the Light
by Sophie ClarkPublished by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
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An epic new fantasy about a demon hunter and a foot soldier thrown together in a centuries-old war… and the forbidden love that could change the course of history.
A bloody war between demons and the Vatican has waged for more than a century, with two elite soldiers now at its center: Selene Alleva, a high-ranking exorcist running from a dark family legacy, and orphan Jules Lacroix, recruited by the Vatican and unrivalled on the battlefield.
When their paths cross over a series of unprecedented demon attacks, the distrust–and unwelcome attraction–they have for each other is immediate. But to get to the bottom of the breaches they strike an uneasy alliance to avoid suspicion. With Jules posing as Selene’s estranged fiance, they head to the Vatican in search of answers. But even as Selene questions who her most dangerous enemy is, Jules has begun to suspect that it’s him.
Now Jules’ very existence challenges every truth Selene thought she knew, and suggests a terrible conspiracy at the heart of the Vatican. Unable to ignore their growing feelings, the two must make an impossible choice between love and duty.
They say love conquers all – but can it win in a war between demons and exorcists? Or will it tear them apart…
You Started It
by Jackie KhaliliehPublished by: Tundra Books (NY)
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Better Than the Movies meets Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR, a new YA romcom from acclaimed Something More author, Jackie Khalilieh.
Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has big plans for Senior Year. She's made a list of things and places in Toronto she and her boyfriend of three years, Ben Cameron, need to check off before graduating. And the biggest plan of all: a very special night for the two of them at the upcoming Winter Formal. But then Ben arrives back home after a summer away with an unthinkable announcement: he wants to break up.
And when Jamie discovers him with Olivia Chen the next day, she is determined to get him back. Even if that means fake dating the younger, curly-haired, TikTok dancer, Axel Dahini, whose bicycle she accidentally ran over.
Though she and Axel have nothing in common aside from their shared Arab heritage—she’s a messy, type A with anxiety, he’s carefree but meticulous—their forced time together brings them to better understand one another. And for Jamie, it just might mean learning that not all experiences or people need to be crossed off a list.
Thirsty Ground
by Kimber St. LawrencePublished by: Union Square and Co
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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They call it Tsimmaon. Thirsty Ground.
It's been thirteen decades since Tsimmaon left the Arid Planet in search of water, carrying only 1 percent of the human race in a bid to keep the species alive. There's no one thirstier on that space ark than the young recruits eager to earn their spot on the elite Hydroseeker League and find the next water source. Seventeen-year-old Conway 12-1, the strongest moto-rover rider among his cadre, is just weeks from Hydroseeker initiation. Until one failed mission changes everything.
Left for dead on the fabled Arid Planet with a life-altering injury, Conway is taken in by the citizens of Mayanah, a community no one knew had survived the Dry Death. But these people have a secret: Their water is deadly if you don't follow its rules. Mayanah's beautiful young sovereign Selah is the key to safe water and, Conway realizes, to the survival of his spacenation. If he can bring this revelation back home, he might still have a shot at being a Hydroseeker. He just needs to convince himself that betraying Selah is worth it, which gets harder the closer they become . . . and the more he learns about his own people.
Kimber St. Lawrence conjures an exhilarating world in this moving postapocalyptic sci-fi novel. Featuring cinematic action and a love against all odds, Thirsty Ground will leave readers breathless.
Everyone Sux But You
by K. WrotenPublished by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
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A bold and singular young adult graphic novel about the highs and lows of adolescence, queer love, and learning to accept yourself for who you are—unflattering Tripp pants, choppy mullets, dirty Docs and all—perfect for fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Daria and Ladybird.
High school senior Carson Flynn doesn't give a damn—about you, about school, or about her future. The only thing she cares about is jumping into mosh pits at punk shows with her best friend Ash.
But when Ash and Carson's friendship becomes something more, a lot of complicated feelings enter the pit swinging: the unresolved grief they share over the loss of Carson's mother, the realities of growing up queer in small-town America, and the biggest bruiser of all: what does it mean to love and be loved?
As Carson discovers new corners of her heart, she sees that her too-cool approach to life may have been keeping her closed off from her potential. Maybe there is something greater out there, a bright future full of promise . . . if only she could convince Ash to see it too.
Everyone Sux But You, the first young adult graphic novel from award-winning comics creator K. Wroten, defines what being a teen feels like while redefining what a graphic novel for teens can be.
Zarina Divided
by Reem FaruqiPublished by: HarperCollins
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
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From the award-winning author Reem Faruqi, comes a coming-of-age story about a Muslim girl who, during the Partition of India, must learn to cope with loss, guilt, and change in order to grow.
You can notice differences
if you look really close,
which lately everyone
seems to be doing.Zarina loves her life in Poona, India. She spends her days happily hanging out with her best friends, Geeta and Jahana, and playing with her three brothers. However, Zarina and her family are given unsettling Muslims and Hindus are to separate by religion. Hindus are expected to stay in India, while Muslims are expected to move to a new land, Pakistan.
Zarina is heartbroken at having to move away from all she knows and loves, and after the frightening journey to Pakistan, she feels unsure that the unfamiliar country will ever feel like home. When an accident happens that leaves Zarina grappling with extreme guilt, she decides it’s best to attend boarding school far away, much to the protest of her mom. Will a fresh start at a new school give Zarina the chance to thrive in Pakistan, or will the divisions within herself and her family continue to widen?
Just Another Meet Cute
by Jenn P. NguyenPublished by: Scholastic Inc.
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Boy saves girl stuck on a disastrous hike. What could go wrong? So. Much.
Just Another Meet Cute is the joyful and funny story about what happens when you realize you're dating the wrong twin.
When seventeen-year-old Nina Riley gets saved by a super cute Knight-in-Faded-Khakis just as she lands in an embarrassingly sticky situation during the most disastrous hike known to man, she wasn’t exactly looking for a meet cute. She really just needed some peace and quiet from her complicated family. Unfortunately, he disappears before she can properly thank him or get his number. All she has is his name (Ian Nguyen) and a navy jacket with a dog keychain, a gym card, and laundromat receipt. But a meet cute is a meet cute. And armed with years of watching Veronica Mars and a techy cousin, it should be simple enough for Nina to find the boy of her dreams, right? But when she finally tracks him down, he's different than she thought —right down to his name. Ryan is just as cute as she remembers, but the chemistry isn't there like it was before. After a few dates, she meets Ryan's family: his sweet grandma, his enthusiastic sisters, and his twin brother ——Ian.
In Case You Read This
by Edward UnderhillPublished by: HarperCollins
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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From acclaimed author Edward Underhill comes a trans rom-com about serendipity, chance encounter, and the ultimate missed connection. This joyful celebration of queer love and found family is perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Emery Lee, and Julian Winters.
Arden isn’t excited about moving. Los Angeles was an easy place to fit in and find a supportive queer community. But Winifred, Michigan? That sounds like a much more difficult place to exist.
Pasadena, California, is the perfect city for Gabe’s reinvention. Everyone knew everything about him in small-town Shelby, Illinois. Gabe, who wants to be out and proud, can’t wait to relocate.
When Arden and Gabe randomly meet in the lobby of a motel in Nebraska, it feels like fate. Both are trans, but more importantly, both are huge fans of the band Damaged Pixie Dream Boi. Clearly, the universe is trying to tell them something. Right?
But after an incredible evening of hanging out, the pair part ways only knowing the other’s first name. And as both boys struggle to adjust to their new homes, their thoughts keep being drawn back to their time together. Is one perfect night enough to bring Arden and Gabe back to each other, or will the boys need some help to find each other again?
Love Craves Cardamom (Love in Translation, #2)
by Aashna AvachatPublished by: Random House Children's Books
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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This second, swoony romance in the Love in Translation series follows art enthusiast and recently single Archi Dhawan to India, where she discovers that the first boy to give her butterflies again is secretly a prince.
Archana Dhawan’s fall semester of senior year is a boy-free zone. Hot off a break-up, she’s determined to find herself in her parents’ homeland of Rajasthan, India. More importantly, she must complete her capstone project by interning at one of the most prestigious art galleries in the country. There’s no room for distractions if she wants to make her mark on the art world as a museum curator.
Alas, the universe is clearly trying to tempt her. On day one, she meets the most attractive boy she’s seen ever on the train to her new school. Then she runs into him again at work. As it turns out, not only is the museum connected to a palace, but the cute boy, Shiv, is a royal gardener!
He offers to show her the real city of Jaipur, from fresh food that he cooks to local spots tourists never visit. Their chemistry is undeniable, and just as she begins to open up to the idea of romance, she gets shocking news: Shiv is actually a prince. Thrust into the spotlight, is Archi prepared to be the one on display?
The Song (Verse #3)
by Sam Beck, Adrian F. WasselPublished by: Wonderbound
Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Young Adult
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Nimona meets Mooncakes in VERSE Book 3: The Song where magic, monsters, and hard choices weave a final, dangerous destiny!
THE VERSE IS FAILING.
As the monstrous Vel step up their attacks, the last encampments of people find themselves defenseless as their only connection to magic falters. Their sole hope lies in Neitya, the young girl with horns and a mystical gift from the past. Torn between wanting to be free of the burden of destiny and wanting to protect her friends, Neitya is faced with a final, terrible choice: does she destroy magic—both good and bad—once and for all? And what if saving everyone means saying goodbye?
The much-acclaimed, YA epic fantasy adventure series concludes!
Read the entire VERSE saga!
Verse Book 1: The Broken Half
Verse Book 2: The Second Gate
Verse Book 3: The Song
Run Like a Girl
by Amaka EgbePublished by: HarperCollins
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Dera Edwards knows her life is over when she's shipped off to live with her estranged father in the middle of White Suburbia. To make matters worse, Dera learns that her new school doesn’t have a girls’ track team, shattering her dreams of getting a track scholarship and, one day, competing in the Olympics.
Not one to give up easily, Dera joins the boys’ team instead. But while she has the school administration’s blessing, her new teammates and classmates are less than welcoming. Between that and her frustratingly distant father, Dera is positive her junior year is ruined.
Just as she starts to accept her status as an outsider, Dera’s approached by her classmate Rosalyn, who wants to feature Dera’s story in her blog. Eager to change the narrative and spend more time with Rosalyn's gorgeous cousin Gael—also known as one of the few teammates who will talk to her—Dera agrees.But when she goes viral and gains attention across the state, Dera’s new notoriety opens the door for trolls both online and at school. Paired with her deteriorating relationship with her father, she soon finds everything to be too much. Will Dera be able to keep outrunning her problems, or will her dream be the very thing that derails her?
Nimona: 10th Anniversary Edition
by N.D. StevensonPublished by: HarperCollins
on May 20, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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The genre-defining graphic novel from ND Stevenson celebrates its tenth anniversary with a special edition, featuring dazzling special effects and bonus content.
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: Prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! After a decade, everyone's favorite shapeshifter continues to capture hearts.
Nimona has taken many forms: a beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, a staple in comic bookshelves everywhere, and an award-winning Netflix film. This celebratory edition includes a letter from the author and behind-the-scenes art.
Sanskari Sweetheart
by Ananya DevarajanPublished by: Harlequin Teen
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Raina needs to win the National Bollywood Dance Circuit Scholarship. That will show her mother that dance can be a financially stable career and prove to her boyfriend and co-captain, Aditya, that they’re still the perfect couple, even if all they seem to do these days is fight. There’s only one problem—Aditya breaks up with her, their Nationals choreography crumbles on stage, and Raina, as well as her hopes of winning the scholarship, is taken right down with it.
All Raina wants is a do-over, so when she wakes up the next morning to a miracle—another chance at Nationals with Aditya by her side—she couldn’t be happier. But as the events of the day start repeating, Raina realizes she’s stuck in a time loop, cursed to humiliate herself at Nationals and then get dumped—over and over again.
Raina is certain that if she follows all the right steps, she can break out of the time loop, win Nationals, and earn back the heart of her one true love in the process. But what if perfection isn’t enough?
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