Young Adult New Releases May 21st 2024
May is a very big release month, and while today is a modest release day, you can expect to still find something for everyone’s taste. Most of today’s YA releases are below and if you want to see last week’s releases or previous 2024 release months check out our bookshop page!
Have You Seen This Girl
by Nita TyndallPublished by: HarperTeen
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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Fans of Courtney Summers and Tess Sharpe will devour this standalone YA thriller following a nonbinary teen investigating a series of copycat murders targeting girls in their small town—murders based on their serial killer dad’s MO.
Another girl has gone missing in Cardinal Creek.
Sid knows their dad didn’t do it—this time. He’s currently serving a life sentence for the five girls he murdered ten years ago. Girls whose bodies he dumped into the lake. The same lake where June Hargrove was just found. And while Sid’s dad couldn’t have done it, suspicion is now directed at Sid. The only person who doesn’t suspect Sid is the new girl, Mavis—as long as Sid doesn’t let her find out about their past.
But Sid has another secret: They’re being haunted by the ghosts of the five girls their father killed. Except now there are six. And unlike the others, June isn’t content to just whisper in Sid’s ear. She wants them to find out who’s killing again, especially as another girl goes missing. If Sid wants any chance of solving the current disappearances, they’re going to have to face what their father did—or risk being haunted forever.
Critically acclaimed author of Who I Was with Her, Nita Tyndall delivers a page-turning thriller that will captivate fans of Sadie and Monday's Not Coming.
The Word
by Mary G. ThompsonPublished by: Peachtree Teen
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult
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Lisa's father kidnapped her to keep her in a cult at age seven. Nine years later, she has the chance to live a new life--but is she ready to leave the cult behind?
After her parents' divorce, seven-year-old Lisa's father convinces her to leave home in the middle of the night. After all, according to their radical religious beliefs, she belongs to him, and it is her duty to obey him. Ever the dutiful daughter--at least outwardly--and confused by the sinful changes in her mother, Lisa complies.
For the next nine years, Lisa and her father go from place to place--hiding out in a rural town populated by the cult, living on the streets, and preaching the Word. She is taught that her mother, who divorced her father and left the cult, is deemed "dead" by the Word's doctrine--a shell without a soul. The only school she's allowed to attend is one run by one of the cult's community leaders. They forbid reading books or watching television. She has to be small, quiet, and modest.
When the police finally catch up with them, Lisa returns to her mom's home in Oregon--a home with freedoms that Lisa has never really known. But her father has a plan to take back what's his--a plan that was set in motion the moment the police arrived at his home. Now Lisa must make a decision: follow the plan and go home with the hope that she'll see her father again, or risk everything to figure out what life could be when she makes her own choices.
In the Shallows
by Tanya ByrnePublished by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
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In this captivating young adult novel, two girls set out to unravel a mystery tied to the sea―and fall in love along the way.
On New Year's Day, three fishermen haul a teenage girl out of the ocean. By the time they bring her to land, it’s clear that she doesn’t know where or who she is. Her story goes viral. The media calls her Nicoletta, after the fishermen’s boat. The rumors take a dark turn the next time the fishermen head out to sea―and fail to return. People say Nicoletta lured them to their deaths―their lives in exchange for hers.
And with that, the mystery becomes a legend.
Eighteen months later, Mara Malakar meets Nicoletta, or Nico, at a café. The two become fast friends, but as Mara realizes she wants more from their relationship, Nico remains oblivious, focused only on remembering. She may not want to, though. Could there be a reason she’s locked everything behind a door? And once she's brave enough to open it, what will happen to her? To them?
I Wish You Would
by Eva Des LauriersPublished by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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In this drama-filled love story, private confessions are scattered on the beach during a senior class overnight and explosive secrets threaten to tear everyone apart, including best friends (or maybe more?), Natalia and Ethan.
It’s Senior Sunrise, the epic overnight at the beach that kicks off senior year. But for Natalia and Ethan, it’s the first time seeing each other after what happened at junior prom―when they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more and ruined everything. After ghosting each other all summer, Natalia is desperate to pretend she doesn’t care and Ethan is desperate to fix his mistake.
When the senior class carries out their tradition of writing private letters to themselves―what they wish they would do this year if they were braver―Natalia pours her heart out. So does Ethan. So does everyone in their entire class. But in Natalia’s panicked attempt to retrieve her heartfelt confession, the wind scatters seven of the notes across the beach. Now, Ethan and Natalia are forced to work together to find the lost letters before any secrets are revealed―especially their own.
Seven private confessions. Seven time bombs loose for anyone to find. And one last chance before the sun rises for these two to fall in love.
The Lamplighter
by Crystal J. BellPublished by: Flux
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Historical Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult
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It’s an honor to bring light to the dark.
The whaling village of Warbler is famous for its lucky ship figureheads—and infamous for people disappearing into the nightly fog. In this murky locale, the lamplighter position is synonymous with safety and protection, and it’s a position Temperance assumes when her father is found hanging from one of the lampposts. Though Tempe proves competent, the town is still hesitant to let a woman handle this responsibility.
When a girl goes missing after two lamps go out, Tempe’s ability to provide for her mother and younger sister hangs in the balance. She scrambles for answers, hindered at every turn by the village authorities’ call for her removal. As more villagers vanish under her watch, Tempe discovers unsettling truths about the famous Warbler figureheads and her own beloved father. But her warnings of a monster are ignored, even by her own family. Now she must follow the light out of her own fog of despair, as she faces the choice to look the other way or risk speaking out and possibly dooming herself and her sister to be among the lost.
Wild About You
by Kaitlyn HillPublished by: Delacorte Press
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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Two total opposites. One race through the Great Outdoors. In this grumpy-sunshine teen romance from the author of Love from Scratch and Not Here to Stay Friends , the trail to true love doesn't always come with a map.
Natalie Hart has always been loud, unfiltered, and unapologetically herself. But then comes her freshman year of college, when she loses her merit scholarship and gains one pesky little anxiety diagnosis.
Hesitant to take out more student loans, Natalie decides to shoot her shot and applies to Wild Adventures , a popular outdoorsy reality show. Sure, Natalie prefers her twelve-step skincare routine to roughing it on the Appalachian Trail while competing in challenges against other college kids, but that scholarship prize money is calling her name. High risk, high reward, right?
Enter Finn Markum, her randomly assigned, capital- O Outdoorsy teammate whose growl could rival a black bear. These partners have more friction than a pair of new hiking boots. Or is it flirtation? Turns out falling in love might be the wildest adventure of all...
Shooting for Stars
by Christine WebbPublished by: Peachtree Teen
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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A charming romantic dramedy from the author of The Art of Insanity
High schooler Skyler Davidson spends most of her time with her pet rat, Five. The daughter of scientists, she's determined to finish her late mother's research on neutron stars. So she teams up with aspiring videographer, Cooper, to film a submission for a NASA internship--all while keeping it a secret from her dad, who doesn't expect any trouble from his obviously college-bound daughter. As Skyler and Cooper grow closer, it turns out that Skyler's dad has a new love interest as well: a hot makeup influencer who likes to put her nose where it doesn't belong. She'll keep hush on Skyler's NASA plans, if Skyler agrees to get to know her. Now Skyler's tangled up in a budding romance, an unexpected friendship, and the stress of having to retake her SATs. Will Skyler's dream of stars collapse and explode, or can dad and daughter reconcile and change their trajectory?
Liar's Test
by Ambelin KwaymullinaPublished by: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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A gripping YA fantasy with a deadly contest to win a crown, a fierce heroine determined to right the wrongs done to her people, and a smoldering love story that could change everything...
I didn't want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely.
Bell Silverleaf is a liar.It's how she's survived. It's how all Treesingers have survived, after they were invaded by the Risen and their gods. But now--thanks to some political maneuvering--Bell is in the Queen's Test. She's one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who rules for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she'll use the power to help her people and get her revenge on the Risen.
But Bell doesn't know how much she's been lied to. She's part of a conspiracy stretching back generations, and she's facing much bigger dangers than the Queen's Test. She's up against the gods themselves.
Getting hold of that crown might just be the least of her problems.Aboriginal writer Ambelin Kwaymullina has created a fast-paced, twisty narrative and an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.
Keepers of the Stones and Stars
by Michael Barakivaon May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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Keepers of the Stones and Stars is a witty, young adult contemporary epic fantasy about a cheeky quintet of teens chosen by magical gems to save the world.
Save the world.
Get the guy.Reed is leading his best he’s just kissed the boy of his dreams, his band is finally taking off, and he’s a shoo-in to getting elected as next year’s Student Council president. But he’s ready to give it all up when his suspiciously aristocratic guidance counselor tells him he has been chosen to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
Because Reed is the first of five Stone Bearers to be chosen by magical gems and granted their powers. All he has to do is unite all five and lead them to seal a portal that will release an onslaught of uncontrollable chaotic magical energies, and destroy the world as we know it. It’s up to the Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, Emerald, and Amethyst Bearers to save the world, fulfilling their roles in a centuries-old cycle that dates back to 17th century Mughal India and the first Keepers of the Stones and Stars.
Summer Nights and Meteorites
by Hannah ReynoldsPublished by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Young Adult
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From the two-time Sydney Taylor Honor author comes another sweet Nantucket-set summer romance, perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and K.L. Walther.
Jordan Edelman’s messy dating days are over. After a few too many broken hearts, and a father who worries a bit too much, she’s sworn off boys—at least for the summer. And since she’ll be tagging along on her father’s research trip to Nantucket, she doesn’t think it’ll be too hard to stick to her resolution.
But hooking up with the cute boy on the ferry doesn’t count, right? At least, not until that cute boy turns out to be Ethan Barbanel. As in, her father’s longtime research assistant Ethan Barbanel, the boy Jordan has hated from afar for years. And to make matters worse, Jordan might actually be falling for him.
As if that didn’t complicate her life enough, Jordan’s new summer job with a local astronomer turns up a centuries-old mystery surrounding Gibson’s Comet—and as she dives into her research, what she learns just might put her growing relationship with Ethan in jeopardy.
The Worst Ronin
by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Faith SchafferPublished by: Harper Alley
on May 21, 2024
Genres: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
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When an unlikely pair of female samurai join forces, what begins as your run-of-the-mill quest for glory and revenge evolves into something much more complicated. Turns out fighting actual demons doesn’t mean you’re not running from your own internal ones. Nimona meets Attack on Titan in this edgy, unexpectedly hilarious, genre-defying young adult graphic novel.
Being a samurai isn’t easy. Sixteen-year-old Chihiro Ito knows that more than anyone. Her father is renowned among the samurai, but the only thing Chihiro is known for is spending way too much time on her phone obsessing over Tatsuo Nakano, Chihiro’s idol and the first woman to be accepted into Kesi Academy, a prestigious samurai school.
So, when Chihiro’s father is conscripted for service and the opportunity arises to work with Tatsuo in his stead, Chihiro jumps at the chance to prove that she’s worthy of a spot at Kesi Academy and the samurai title. Their mission: kill the yamauba demon terrorizing a village. With a legendary samurai like Tatsuo by her side, Chihiro is convinced victory is inevitable. But Tatsuo isn’t at all like the hero Chihiro imagined. Foulmouthed, quick tempered, and a terrible drunk, Tatsuo completely turned her back on the samurai way and is now a ronin working for hire as a means of escaping the grief that haunts her. Forced to work together, the two are thrust on a treacherous journey filled with epic battles and twisted conspiracies as they must put aside their differences to save the village and face the demons of the past.
