New Release Tuesday: YA New Releases October 15th 2019
Happy New Release Tuesday! There are less YA releases this week so I also highlighted a few Middle Grade books of note! Hope you find something good to read!
Jackpot
by Nic StonePublished by: Crown Books for Young Readers
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
From the author of the
New York Times
bestseller
Dear Martin
--which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of
The Hate U Give,
called "a must read"--comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life.
Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas 'n' Go, who after school and work races home to take care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she--with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan--can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite...or divide?
Nic Stone, the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out, creates two unforgettable characters in one hard-hitting story about class, money--both too little and too much--and how you make your own luck in the world.
Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle, #1)
by Rosaria MundaPublished by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 448
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that's full of rivalry, romance... and dragons.
Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.
Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.
But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.
With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.
From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.
Our Wayward Fate
by Gloria ChaoPublished by: Simon Pulse
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
A teen outcast is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white midwestern town in this remarkable new novel from the critically acclaimed author of American Panda, which The Wall Street Journal called “weepingly funny.”
Seventeen-year-old Ali Chu knows that as the only Asian person at her school in middle-of-nowhere Indiana, she must be bland as white toast to survive. This means swapping her congee lunch for PB&Js, ignoring the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers, and keeping her mouth shut when people wrongly call her Allie instead of her actual name, Ah-lee, after the mountain in Taiwan.
Her autopilot existence is disrupted when she finds out that Chase Yu, the new kid in school, is also Taiwanese. Despite some initial resistance due to the they belong together whispers, Ali and Chase soon spark a chemistry rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face.
But when Ali’s mom finds out about the relationship, she forces Ali to end it. As Ali covertly digs into the why behind her mother’s disapproval, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future.
Snippets of a love story from nineteenth-century China (a retelling of the Chinese folktale The Butterfly Lovers) are interspersed with Ali’s narrative and intertwined with her fate.
The Never Tilting World (The Never Tilting World, #1)
by Rin ChupecoPublished by: HarperTeen
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 496
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.
Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.
While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.
But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.
War Girls (War Girls, #1)
by Tochi OnyebuchiPublished by: Razorbill
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi
Pages: 464
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther–inspired Nigeria.
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.
In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life.
Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.
And they're willing to fight an entire war to get there.
Acclaimed author Tochi Onyebuchi has written an immersive, action-packed, deeply personal novel perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Marie Lu, and Paolo Bacigalupi.
What Makes Us
by Rafi MittlefehldtPublished by: Candlewick Press
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
A viral video reveals a teen’s dark family history, leaving him to reckon with his heritage, legacy, and identity in this fiery, conversation-starting novel.
Eran Sharon knows nothing of his father except that he left when Eran was a baby. Now a senior in high school and living with his protective but tight-lipped mother, Eran is a passionate young man deeply interested in social justice and equality. When he learns that the Houston police have launched a program to increase traffic stops, Eran organizes a peaceful protest.
But a heated moment at the protest goes viral, and a reporter connects the Sharon family to a tragedy fifteen years earlier — and asks if Eran is anything like his father, a supposed terrorist. Soon enough, Eran is wondering the same thing, especially when the people he’s gone to school and temple with for years start to look at him differently.
Timely, powerful, and full of nuance, Rafi Mittlefehldt’s sophomore novel confronts the prejudices, fears, and strengths of family and community, striking right to the heart of what makes us who we are.
Tarnished Are the Stars
by Rosiee ThorPublished by: Scholastic Press
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi
Pages: 384
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
The Lunar Chronicles meets Rook in this queer #OwnVoices science-fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sharon Cameron.
A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws.
Nathaniel Fremont, the Commissioner's son, has never had to fear the law. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all.
Their game of cat and mouse takes an abrupt turn when Eliza, a skilled assassin and spy, arrives. Her mission is to learn the Commissioner's secrets at any cost -- even if it means betraying her own heart.
When these uneasy allies discover the most dangerous secret of all, they must work together despite their differences and put an end to a deadly epidemic -- before the Commissioner ends them first.
Shades of Magic Vol. 2: Night of Knives
by V.E. Schwab, Andrea Olimpierion October 16, 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Pages: 112
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab and torn from the universe of the Shades of Magic sequence, this all-original comic book adventure continues the story begun in The Steel Prince - perfect for fans of bloody, swashbuckling adventure and gritty fantasy!
The young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, having faced the terror of the Pirate Queen, now aims to capture the respect of the combative port town of Verose - by taking the impossible challenges of the Night of Knives... and surviving, where none has survived before!
These are the hidden, secret adventures of Maxim, from long before he became the king of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic!
Collects Shades of Magic #5-8: Night of Knives
Truckus Maximus
by Scott Peterson, José GarciaPublished by: First Second
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Graphic Novel
Pages: 288
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
From Scott Peterson and José García comes Truckus Maximus, YA dystopian graphic novel about modern-day gladiators who race monster trucks on reality TV.
In a near-future world where the Roman Empire never fell, only two things matter: honor and the Game.
“The Game” is Truckus Maximus, a competition where drivers race against one another—to the death.The best of the best is a young driver named Axl. The leader of Team Apollo, Axl drives hard and lives by a strict moral code. That code will be tested to its limits by the Caesar—the cunning ruler of the Roman Empire—and the Dominus, the absolute master of the Truckus Maximus games who can change its rules at will.
But Axl can't survive this race on his own. To do that, he'll have to embrace his team, including a defiant new racer named Piston. Will he learn that family is more important than honor or the Game? Or will he go down in flames?
Allies
by Alan GratzPublished by: Scholastic Press
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Alan Gratz, bestselling author of Refugee, weaves a stunning array of voices and stories into an epic tale of teamwork in the face of tyranny -- and how just one day can change the world.June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil quest to conquer the world. The only way to stop them? The biggest, most top-secret operation ever, with the Allied nations coming together to storm German-occupied France.
Welcome to D-Day.
Dee, a young U.S. soldier, is on a boat racing toward the French coast. And Dee -- along with his brothers-in-arms -- is terrified. He feels the weight of World War II on his shoulders.
But Dee is not alone. Behind enemy lines in France, a girl named Samira works as a spy, trying to sabotage the German army. Meanwhile, paratrooper James leaps from his plane to join a daring midnight raid. And in the thick of battle, Henry, a medic, searches for lives to save.
In a breathtaking race against time, they all must fight to complete their high-stakes missions. But with betrayals and deadly risks at every turn, can the Allies do what it takes to win?
Naked Mole Rat Saves the World
by Karen RiversPublished by: Algonquin Young Readers
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Pages: 304
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Can Kit’s super-weird superpower save her world?
Kit-with-a-small-k is navigating middle school with a really big, really strange secret: When she’s stressed, she turns into a naked mole rat.
It first happened after kit watched her best friend, Clem, fall and get hurt during an acrobatic performance on TV. Since then, the transformations keep happening—whether kit wants them to or not. Kit can’t tell Clem about it, because after the fall, Clem just hasn’t been herself. She’s sad and mad and gloomy, and keeping a secret of her own: the real reason she fell.
A year after the accident, kit and Clem still haven’t figured out how to deal with all the ways they have transformed—both inside and out. When their secrets come between them, the best friends get into a big fight. Somehow, kit has to save the day, but she doesn’t believe she can be that kind of hero. Turning into a naked mole rat isn’t really a superpower. Or is it?
Mooncakes
by Suzanne Walker, Wendy XuPublished by: Lion Forge
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Graphic Novel
Pages: 256
IndieBound
Goodreads
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
The Maple Murders (Riverdale, #3)
by Micol OstowPublished by: Scholastic Inc.
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 304
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
During the Riverdale Revels festival, Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica find out that the dark roots of the Town with Pep go even deeper than they could have imagined. . .Riverdale is clamoring with excitement over news that an old town tradition is suddenly being revived: the Riverdale Revels.
The festival supposedly has a long history, dating back to the town's settlers' first successful maple tapping. But there's no record of the Revels anywhere. Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead think there must be more to the story. And when a skeleton is uncovered in a 75-year-old time capsule on the first night of the festival, they know they're right.
But a dead body in a maple barrel isn't the only drama surrounding the Revels. The Royal Maple pageant (open to all Riverdale teens) is in full swing, but "accidents" keep befalling the contestants, including the gang's friends.
Someone is clearly trying to put an end to the Revels once and for all -- but who? And more importantly, why? Can Archie and his friends put a stop to the sabotage before someone puts a stop to them?
This original novel features a story not seen on the show!
Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas
by William LashnerPublished by: Disney-Hyperion
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery
Pages: 320
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Welcome to Elizabeth Webster's world, where the common laws of middle school torment her days . . . and the uncommon laws of an even weirder realm govern her nights.
Elizabeth Webster is happy to stay under the radar (and under her bangs) until middle school is dead and gone. But when star swimmer Henry Harrison asks Elizabeth to tutor him in math, it's not linear equations Henry really needs help with-it's a flower-scented, poodle-skirt-wearing, head-tossing ghost who's calling out Elizabeth's name.
But why Elizabeth? Could it have something to do with her missing lawyer father? Maybe. Probably. If only she could find him. In her search, Elizabeth discovers more than she is looking for: a grandfather she never knew, a startling legacy, and the secret family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned.
Elizabeth and her friends soon land in court, where demons and ghosts take the witness stand and a red-eyed judge with a ratty white wig hands out sentences like sandwiches. Will Elizabeth's father arrive in time to save Henry Harrison-and is Henry the one who really needs saving?
Set in the historic streets of Philadelphia, this riveting middle-grade mystery from New York Times best-selling author William Lashner will have readers banging their gavels and calling for more from the incomparable Elizabeth Webster.
Give and Take
by Elly Swartzon October 15, 2019
Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Twelve-year-old Maggie knows her new baby sister who smells like powder isn’t her sister for keeps. Izzie is a foster baby awaiting adoption. So in a day or a week, she’ll go to her forever family and all that sweetness will be gone. Except for those things Maggie’s secretly saving in the cardboard boxes in her closet and under her bed. Baby socks, binkies, and a button from Bud the Bear. Rocks, sticks, and candy wrappers. Maggie holds on tight. To her things. Her pet turtle. Her memories of Nana. And her friends. But when Maggie has to say goodbye to Izzie, and her friend gets bumped from their all-girl trapshooting squad to make room for a boy, Maggie’s hoarding grows far beyond her control and she needs to find the courage to let go.
The Dragon Warrior
by Katie ZhaoPublished by: Bloomsbury Children's Books
on October 15, 2019
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Pages: 352
Bookshop, IndieBound
Goodreads
Inspired by Chinese mythology, this high-action middle-grade fantasy follows an outcast as she embarks on a quest to prove herself--perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent's Secret.
As a member of the Jade Society, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu dreams of honoring her family and the gods by becoming a warrior. But the Society has shunned Faryn and her brother Alex ever since their father disappeared years ago, forcing them to train in secret.
Then, during an errand into San Francisco, Faryn stumbles into a battle with a demon--and helps defeat it. She just might be the fabled Heaven Breaker, a powerful warrior meant to work for the all-mighty deity, the Jade Emperor, by commanding an army of dragons to defeat the demons. That is, if she can prove her worth and find the island of the immortals before the Lunar New Year.
With Alex and other unlikely allies at her side, Faryn sets off on a daring quest across Chinatowns. But becoming the Heaven Breaker will require more sacrifices than she first realized . . . What will Faryn be willing to give up to claim her destiny?
This richly woven contemporary middle-grade fantasy, full of humor, magic, and heart, will appeal to readers who love Roshani Chokshi and Sayantani DasGupta.
