Young Adult New Releases May 30th 2023

It’s the 5th and final Tuesday in May, and the biggest release day of the month! What a big month of New YA! If you missed any of May’s releases, you can check out most of them on our Bookshop page! I am constantly trying to keep the Signed Books page up to date, so check that out if you are looking for signed books!

Girls Like Girls

by Hayley Kiyoko
Published by: Wednesday Books
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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Trailblazing pop star, actor, and director, Hayley Kiyoko debuts her first novel, a coming-of-age romance based on her breakthrough hit song and viral video, GIRLS LIKE GIRLS.

It’s summertime and 17-year-old Coley has found herself alone, again. Forced to move to rural Oregon after just losing her mother, she is in no position to risk her already fragile heart. But when she meets Sonya, the attraction is immediate.

Coley worries she isn't worthy of love. Up until now, everyone she's loved has left her. And Sonya's never been with a girl before. What if she's too afraid to show up for Coley? What if by opening her heart, Coley's risking it all?

They both realize that when things are pushed down, and feelings are forced to shrivel away, Coley and Sonya will be the ones to shrink. It’s not until they accept the love they fear and deserve most, that suddenly the song makes sense.

Based on the billboard-charting smash hit song and viral music video GIRLS LIKE GIRLS, Hayley Kiyoko's debut novel is about embracing your truth and realizing we are all worthy of being loved back.

No Perfect Places

by Steven Salvatore
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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From lauded author Steven Salvatore comes a YA about twins whose incarcerated father dies and leaves behind a life-changing secret.

When their father was imprisoned for embezzlement, twins Alex and Olly Brucke lost everything except their strong bond with each other. But after their dad dies unexpectedly, the twins start to fracture. Alex is spiraling, skipping classes to get drunk or high. Olly is struggling with a secret his dad ordered him to keep: they have a secret half-brother, Tyler.

So when Tyler shows up in their lakeside town for the summer, hoping to get to know his siblings, Olly hides the truth from Alex. But as Alex and Tyler start to form a friendship, the lies become harder to juggle. If they can’t confront their father’s past and fix their relationship, Olly and Alex each risk losing two siblings forever.

A thought-provoking novel about grief, family secrets, and figuring out how to belong against the odds.

Time Out

by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Carlyn Greenwald
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights in this keenly felt coming-of-age story about a teen hometown hero who must find out who he is outside of basketball when his coming out as gay costs him his popularity and place on the team.

In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.

Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn’t have basketball?

His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.

As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?

The Alchemy of Moonlight

by David Ferraro
Published by: Page Street Kids
on May 30, 2023
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Paranormal, Young Adult
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When Emile’s aunt declares he must marry or be disowned for being gay—he runs away to hide as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion. In their service, Emile tends to the family who all suffer a strange affliction on the full moon. And after overhearing suspicious family arguments, he finds a body on the estate, drawing the attention of a handsome doctor as well as the count’s charismatic nephew, Henri.

Before Emile can sort out his affections or unravel the growing Montoni family mystery, his identity is revealed and his aunt comes to collect him.

When she arrives, Count Montoni forces everyone to depart to the remote Udolpho Castle—where there are no witnesses and no chance for escape. There, Emile realizes that he will have to risk his life to find the love he deserves—and survive the Montoni family.

Cherish (Crave, #6)

by Tracy Wolff
Published by: Entangled Teen
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
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The sensational conclusion to the massive #1 New York Times bestselling series…

It’s been over three months since my friends and I took down Cyrus. Three months where my biggest fear was what paper was due next... But I should have known it was too good to last. Now everything is falling apart.

The Vampire Court has no king, the Dragon Court has no heart, and the Gargoyle Court has me—a teenager in way over her head. And it’s the worst possible timing, because a threat is brewing just as the Circle is collapsing.

I have no choice but to return to the Shadow Realm and face the terrifying queen who nearly ended us…and make a deal with her to save Mekhi. But this time, I’m bringing my powerful friends with me—and Hudson. Except something is wrong with him, too. He’s keeping a secret—even from me.

All I know is that everyone’s life hangs in the balance. And it’s my fault—because I still owe the Crone a favor...and now she’s come to collect.

The Girl Next Door

by Cecilia Vinesse
Published by: Quill Tree Books
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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Film club nerd Cleo Ferrara’s senior year was like a storyboard waiting to be filmed. She knew the scenes, the players, and the eventual happy ending. Attend film school with her boyfriend, Daniel Sheridan. Become a film-making power couple. Take Hollywood by storm. Cut. Print. Fade to black.?

But in a plot twist Cleo never saw coming, Daniel dumps her for Kiki Pearson, the head cheerleader. This would be the point in the movie where the Sad Girl Music plays while the protagonist looks longingly out her window, but when Cleo looks out hers, she sees Marianne Lacerda, her former best friend…and a new storyboard unfolds.

Marianne is also nursing a heartache. When Daniel was dumping Cleo for Kiki, Kiki was dumping Marianne for Daniel. So instead of watching their exes parade around school, Cleo and Marianne start fake dating each other to ignite a little chaos in this bizarre love square. But any movie buff knows that when you introduce fake dating in Act I, it’s going to get real by Act III. With friendship, the future, and love on the line, can Cleo script a happy ending for herself—or will she get her heart broken again?

When the Vibe Is Right

by Sarah Dass
Published by: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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From the author of Where the Rhythm Takes You comes a delightful enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance set during Trinidad’s Carnival celebration.

There are two things Tess Crawford knows for sure:
• She’s destined to be a great Trinidadian Carnival costume designer like her renowned uncle, Russell Messina, and will one day inherit leadership of the family’s masquerade band, Grandeur.
• Her classmate, the popular social media influencer, Brandon Richards, is the bane of her existence. Everything about him irks her, from his annoying nickname for Tess (Boop) to his association with David, her awful ex.

But when the future of Grandeur nears the brink of collapse in the face of band rivalry, Tess finds to her chagrin that she must team up with Brandon in a desperate attempt to revive the company.

As Tess and Brandon spend more time together, Tess begins to wonder if everything she thought she knew might not be so certain after all. . . .

Set in lush, gorgeous Trinidad, this is a novel about finding love in the most unexpected places.

Rhythm & Muse

by India Hill Brown
Published by: Quill Tree Books
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Cinderella meets Cyrano in this pitch-perfect YA rom-com that is a celebration of Black joy, first crushes, and putting your heart on the line for love.

Darren Johnson lives in his head. There, he can pine for his crush--total dream girl, Delia Dawson--in peace, away from the unsolicited opinions of his talkative family and showboat friends. When Delia announces a theme song contest for her popular podcast, Dillie D in the Place to Be, Darren's friends--convinced he'll never make a move--submit one of his secret side projects for consideration.

After the anonymous romantic verse catches Dillie's ear, she sets out to uncover the mystery singer behind the track. Now Darren must decide: Is he ready to step out of the shadows and take the lead in his own life?

Her Good Side

by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Published by: Razorbill
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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A swoony, heart-melting YA romance from beloved author Rebekah Weatherspoon about two awkward teens who decide to practice dating in order to be good at the real thing. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han.

Sixteen-year-old Bethany Greene, though confident and self-assured, is what they call a late-bloomer. She's never had a boyfriend, date, or first kiss. She's determined to change that but after her crush turns her down cold for Homecoming--declaring her too inexperienced--and all her back-up ideas fall through, she cautiously agrees to go with her best friend's boyfriend Jacob. A platonic date is better than no date, right? Until Saylor breaks up with said boyfriend.

Dumped twice in just two months, Jacob Yeun wonders if he's the problem. After years hiding behind his camera and a shocking summer glow up, he wasn't quite ready for all the attention or to be someone's boyfriend. There are no guides for his particular circumstances, or for taking your ex's best friend to the dance.

Why not make the best of an awkward situation? Bethany and Jacob decide to fake date for practice, building their confidence in matters of the heart.

And it works--guys are finally noticing Bethany. But things get complicated as their kissing sessions--for research of course!--start to feel real. This arrangement was supposed to help them in dating other people, but what if their perfect match is right in front of them?

The Night in Question (Agathas Mystery, #2)

by Kathleen Glasgow, Liz Lawson
Published by: Delacorte Press
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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How do you solve a murder? Follow the lessons of the master—Agatha Christie!

Iris and Alice find themselves in the middle of another Castle Cove mystery in the sequel to New York Times bestseller The Agathas, by powerhouse authors Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson.

Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams became the talk of Castle Cove when they cracked the biggest case of the fall: the death of Brooke Donovan. Together, the Agathas put Brooke's killer away for good, and since then things around town have been almost back to normal. Quiet, even.

But if Alice and Iris know anything, it's that sometimes quiet is just the calm before the storm. The truth is, Brooke's disappearance wasn't the first mystery to rock Castle Cove, and it won't be the last. So when their school dance at the infamous Levy Castle—the site of film starlet Mona Moody's unsolved death back in the 1940s—is interrupted by a violent assault, Iris and Alice pull out their murder boards and get back to work.

To understand the present, sometimes you need to look into the past. And if the Agathas want a chance at solving their new case, that's exactly where they'll need to start digging. Only, what they uncover might very well kill them.

The Melancholy of Summer

by Louisa Onomé
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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After her parents go on the run, a teenage girl placed in the care of a cousin she barely knows learns to trust and open up in The Melancholy of Summer, a lyrical YA contemporary coming-of-age story by Louisa Onomé

Doesn’t she see? I can do this on my own.

Summer Uzoma is fine. Sure, her parents went on the run after they were accused of committing a crime, leaving her behind. Sure, she’s been alternating stays with her friends’ families. Sure, she sometimes still secretly visits her old home. And sure, she has trouble talking about any of this. But she’s fine. She has her skateboard and her bus pass. She just has to turn eighteen in a few weeks and then she’ll really and truly be free.

So it’s extra annoying when a nosy social worker gets involved. Summer doesn’t expect any relative to be able to take her in, so she’s very surprised to hear that she’ll now be living with her cousin Olu—someone she hasn’t seen in years, who’s a famous singer in Japan last she heard, and who’s not much older than Summer.

Life with Olu is awkward for many reasons—not least of all because Olu has her own drama to deal with. But with her cousin and friends’ efforts, maybe Summer can learn to trust people enough to let them in again?

You Bet Your Heart (Joy Revolution)

by Danielle Parker
Published by: Joy Revolution
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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A riveting, swoon-worthy teen romance centered on two high achievers fighting for the title of high school valedictorian and falling in love along the way, from debut author Danielle Parker.

Sasha Johnson-Sun might not know everything--like how to fully heal after her dad's passing or how many more Saturdays her mom can spend cleaning houses. But the one thing Sasha is certain of? She will graduate this year as Skyline High's class valedictorian.

At least, she was sure before the principal calls Sasha and her cute, effortlessly gifted ex-best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg, into his office to deliver earth-shattering news: they're tied for valedictorian and the scholarship attached...

This outcome can't be left to chance. So, Sasha and Ezra agree on a best-of-three, winner-take-all academic bet. As they go head-to-head, they are forced not only to reexamine why they drifted apart but also to figure out who they've become since. With her future hanging in the balance, Sasha must choose: honor her family's sacrifices by winning (at all costs) or give her heart a shot at finding happiness?

Four Months Past Florence

by Emily Paige Wilson
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
on 5-30-2023
Genres: Contemporary, In Verse, Young Adult
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Emily Paige Wilson's inspiring YA novel in verse is at times gripping and dripping with teenage angst, but always heartwarming and inspiring. Told in captivating lyrical verse, Four Months Past Florence follows an aspiring high school journalist's journey through friendship breakups, a moral dilemma that threatens her family, and the realization that life, like the weather, doesn't always unfold as predicted.

Four Months Past Florence is the story of Millie Willard, a high school junior from a small, coastal town in South Carolina with dreams of becoming a hard-hitting journalist, despite feeling sidelined in her current position as the weatherwoman for her school's newspaper, The Bloom. Little does she know, Hurricane Florence is brewing off the coast with plans to change everything. Four Months Past Florence is a thunderous page turner that will leave you believing that, just maybe, the kids are all right.

The Books of Clash Volume 1: Legendary Legends of Legendarious Achievery (Books of Clash, 1)

by Gene Luen Yang, Les McClaine, Alison Acton
Published by: First Second
Genres: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Young Adult
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Based on Clash of Clans and Clash Royale and penned by superstar graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, this first volume of this action-packed eight-volume series brings the characters from everyone's favorite mobile gaming sensation to life!

SEE! The illustrated exploits of one young Hog Rider and his trusted companion in an unpredictable tale of fantasy and adventure!

READ! Their journey from no-good warriors on the battlefield to true heroes of the Royal Arena!

BATTLE! When danger strikes the village of JazzyPickles and its colorful cast of characters in this heartwarming and hilarious graphic novel based on two of the world's most popular video games.

In this epic new series set in the world of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, experience a laugh-out-loud tale of friendship and fun!

Tegan and Sara: Junior High (Tegan and Sara, 1)

by Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, Tillie Walden
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA+, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction
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Based on the young lives of Grammy-nominated indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara, who have sold well over a million records, with artwork from Eisner Award-winner Tillie Walden, this opening book of a middle-grade graphic novel duology explores growing up, coming out, and finding yourself through music and sisterhood.

A prequel of sorts to their bestselling adult memoir High School, now an 8-episode Freevee television series! When growing up gets messy, find someone to hold on to.

Before the indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara took the world by storm, Tegan and Sara Quin were identical twins trying to find their place in a new home and new school. Tegan and Sara: Junior High tells their story. From first crushes to the perils of puberty, surviving junior high is something the sisters plan to face side by side, just like they've always faced things. But growing up also means growing apart, as Tegan and Sara make different friends and take separate paths to understanding their queerness. For the first time ever, they ask who one sister is without the other.

Set in the present day, this inspiring, lightly fictionalized autobiography offers a glimpse at Tegan and Sara before they became icons, exploring their shifting sisterhood, their own experiences coming out, and the first steps of their musical journey.

Threads That Bind

by Kika Hatzopoulou
Published by: Razorbill
on May 30, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Mythology, Young Adult
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In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.

But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.

But the investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.

Rebel Girls Celebrate Pride: 25 Tales of Self-Love and Community

by Rebel Girls, Elena Favilli
Published by: Rebel Girls
on 5-30-2023
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Non-Fiction
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TRUE STORIES OF PRIDE AND POWER!

This collection features 25 inspiring tales of proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Read about how these women, girls, and nonbinary people broke down barriers, honored their identities, and lived authentically no matter what anyone else said.

Find your voice with Janelle Monae. Play for equality with Billie Jean King. Protect your community with Marcia P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. And organize joyful celebrations with Dr. Lady Phyll and Molly Pinta.

With a foreword by Elena Favilli, this book pairs inspiring, easy-to-read text with colorful full-page portraits created by female and nonbinary artists from all around the world. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls app!