Young Adult New Releases October 17th 2023
Today is definitely a more manageable New Release Day for YA books, Here are 10 hitting shelves today and you can check out the rest of October’s YA releases on our Bookshop page, or check out the signed books page if that’s more motivating like it is for me – to have a book signed brings me all the smiles.
If You'll Have Me
by EunniePublished by: Viking Books
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA+, New Adult, Young Adult
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“Incredibly charming . . . There’s joy, delight, and absolutely unrestrained romantic sweetness on every page. I love it to bits!” —TRUNG LE NGUYEN, author of the Eisner Award nominee The Magic Fish
Momo Gardner is the kind of friend who’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She’s introverted, sensitive, and maybe a little too trusting, but she likes to believe the best in people. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player. Underneath all that cool mystery, she’s actually quick to smile, and when she falls for someone, she falls hard. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship—but with their drastically different personalities, Momo’s overprotective friend, and PG’s past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG’s romance is put to the test.
All That Consumes Us
by Erica WatersPublished by: Harper Teen
on October 17, 2023
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Thriller, Young Adult
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Ninth House meets The Dead and the Dark in this gothic dark academia novel that delves into the human capacity for great love, great art, and great evil.
Magni animi numquam moriuntur. Great minds never die.
The students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. When first-gen college student Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she doesn’t hesitate.?
Except once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory, something strange starts to happen. She’s finally writing, but her stories are dark and twisted. Her dreams feel as if they could bury her alive. An unseen presence seems to stalk her through the halls.
And a chilling secret awaits Tara at the heart of Magni Viri—one that just might turn her nightmares into reality; one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.
All That Consumes Us will pull readers into a hypnotizing, dark reverie that blurs the lines of reality and shows that the addictive nature of ambition—and its inevitable price—always claims its due.
Unholy Terrors
by Lyndall ClipstonePublished by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
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A bloodstained tale of a girl torn between her vows and her heart, where falling in love may be the deepest sin of all…
Everline Blackthorn has devoted her life to the wardens—a sect of holy warriors who guard against monsters known as the vespertine.
When a series of strange omens occur, Everline disobeys orders to investigate, and uncovers a startling truth in the form of Ravel Severin: a rogue vespertine who reveals the monsters have secrets of their own.
Ravel promises the help she needs— for a price. Vespertine magic requires blood, and if Everline wants Ravel to guide across the dangerous moorland, she will have to allow him to feed from her.
It’s a sin for a warden to feed a vespertine— let alone love one— and as Everline and Ravel travel further across the moorland, she realizes the question isn’t whether she will survive the journey, but if she will return unchanged. Or if she wants to.
Flower and Thorn
by Rati MehrotraPublished by: Wednesday Books
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
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One girl. One boy. A promise broken. A magic stolen.
Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily--said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army--Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life.
Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.
Irinya's fight to recover the priceless flower and to fix what she's done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she's not sure she'll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she's left behind.
A young flower hunter gets embroiled in the succession politics of the Sultanate when she must retrieve the rarest and most powerful magical flower after giving it to the wrong hands, in Rati Mehrotra's Flower and Thorn.
At the End of the World
by Nadia MikailPublished by: Feiwel Friends
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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When the world is ending, what matters most to you?
Seventeen-year-old Aisha hasn't seen her sister June for two years. She has no idea where she is, but that hasn't stopped her from thinking about her every day and hoping she's okay.
But now that a calamity is about to end the world in nine months' time, she and her mother decide that it's time to track her down and mend the hurts of the past. They don't have any time to spare - if they don't resolve their issues now, they never will.
Along with Aisha's boyfriend Walter and his parents (and a stray cat named Fleabag), the group embarks on a roadtrip through Malaysia in a wildly decorated campervan to put the past to rest, to come to terms with the present, and to hope for the future, even with the world about to end.
Our Divine Mischief
by Hanna HowardPublished by: Blink
on October 17th 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
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A sweeping YA fantasy inspired by Scottish history and folklore, Our Divine Mischief takes readers on a journey told in three voices: a determined heroine, an outcast young man, and a wish-granting canine. Their adventure spans an island fishing village to the king's court in a story about identity, belonging, and the love between a human and her dog.
The Goddess Trial is designed to push young people to their edge and mark their coming of age, but Áila LacInis is ready for whatever it brings. She sets sail from her small fishing village to the island of the goddess Yslet, fully expecting a divine encounter, but what she finds is ... nothing at all. The goddess is completely absent, and the only thing on the island is a dirty, mangy dog. Suddenly, everything Áila has ever known and believed is upended and her future becomes shrouded in uncertainty.
Hew already completed the Goddess Trial and received the designation of Unblessed. He is an outcast in the village, until he is tasked with assisting Áila through a series of Ordeals the town elders designed to compensate for her failed Trial. For the first time, he has hope he can make something of his life.
Orail isn't quite sure who or what she is. She remembers little before Áila's arrival on the island, and now all she knows is that she'll never leave Áila's side. But as she begins to realize and remember, she discovers powers--and an identity--she never could have imagined.
Told from three perspectives, Our Divine Mischief is an epic fantasy inspired by Scottish history and mythology that includes political intrigue, a sweeping love story, and an exploration of the powerful bond between dogs and humans.
Our Divine Mischief is:
A YA fantasy adventure for fans of Rebecca Ross's A River Enchanted, Garth Nix's Abhorsen books, and the Outlander series. Told from three points of view, one of which is a fascinating, poetic canine. Perfect for readers 13 and up.
Thin Air
by Kellie M. ParkerPublished by: Razorbill
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult
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Eight hours. Twelve contestants. A flight none of them might survive. A flight to Paris full of teenagers seeking opportunity turns deadly in this suspenseful, locked-door YA thriller. Perfect for fans of Diana Urban, Karen McManus, and Jessica Goodman.
Seventeen-year-old boarding school student Emily Walters is selected for an opportunity of a lifetime—she’ll compete abroad for a cash prize that will cover not only tuition to the college of her choice, but will lift her mother and her out of poverty.
But almost from the moment she and 11 other contestants board a private jet to Europe, Emily realizes somebody is willing to do anything to win. Between keeping an eye on her best friend’s flirty boyfriend and hiding her own dark secrets, she’s not sure how she’ll survive the contest, much less the flight. Especially when people start dying…
As loyalties shift and secrets are revealed, Emily must figure out who to trust, and who’s trying to kill them all, before she becomes the next victim.
A Bright Heart
by Kate ChenliPublished by: Union Square and Co
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
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What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.
Mingshin outsmarted three princes to help the man she loved become king. But she doesn’t see Ren’s betrayal coming, not until she’s lying in a pool of her own blood on the palace steps.
As she’s dying, Mingshin makes a desperate plea to the gods to turn back time and give her a chance to make things right.
Mingshin wakes up two years earlier, her prayer granted, and swears two things: Ren will never become king, and she will never fall in love again.
But the timeline in this life has changed: a dignitary gifted with dark magic is threatening her kingdom’s peace, and Ren’s thirst for power runs deeper than Mingshin could have imagined.
She finds herself allying with Jieh, another contender for the throne. Mingshin knows better than anyone not to give her heart to a prince. But in the viper’s nest of the royal court, she and Jieh prove a phenomenal team. Can Mingshin avert the catastrophe of her past by once again learning to trust…and maybe even love?
All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology
by Circe Moskowitz, Kalynn BayronPublished by: Amberjack
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Anthology, Horror, Thriller, Young Adult
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Welcome to the Dark.
We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren't sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love--and a lot of what they fear--through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.
From haunted, hungry Victorian mansions, temporal monster-infested asylums, and ravaging zombie apocalypses, to southern gothic hoodoo practitioners and cursed patriarchs in search of Black Excellence, All These Sunken Souls features the chilling creations of acclaimed bestsellers and hot new talents.
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Contributors
Kalynn Bayron @KalynnBayron
Ashia Monet @AshiaMonet
Liselle Sambury @LiselleSambury
Sami Ellis @themoosef
Joel Rochester @fictionalfates
Joelle Wellington @joelle_welling
Brent C. Lambert @BrentCLambert
Donyae Coles @okokno
Ryan Douglass @ryandouglassw
Circe Moskowitz @circemoskowitz
Layers: A Memoir
by Pénélope Bagieu, Montana KanePublished by: First Second
Genres: Graphic Novel, Non-Fiction, Young Adult
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Following the Eisner-award winning Brazen, Pénélope Bagieu pens her first autobiographical work in this hilarious and bitter sweet graphic memoir.
Pénélope Bagieu never thought she'd publish a graphic memoir. But when she dusted off her old diaries (no, really--this book is based on her actual diaries), she found cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories begging to be drawn.
In Layers, Bagieu reflects on her childhood and teen years with her characteristic wit and unflinching honesty. The result is fifteen short stories about friendship, love, grief, and those awkward first steps toward adulthood.
Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi Omnibus
by Cavan Scott, Charles Soule, Daniel José OlderPublished by: Marvel
on October 17, 2023
Genres: Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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A new era of Star Wars storytelling! Centuries before the Empire and the Skywalker Saga, the Jedi of Starlight Beacon - including Masters Avar Kriss and Sskeer, and young Padawan Keeve Trennis - protect the galaxy as republic pioneers push out into new territories. But soon they must join forces with their deadliest enemy to face the onslaught of the unstoppable Drengir horde! But who - or what - is the Great Progenitor? And what nameless terror will be unleashed by the dreaded Nihil?
Plus: Marchion Ro - the Eye of the Nihil - reveals the source of the Jedi's greatest fear! And Jedi Investigator Emerick Caphtor uncovers a mystery that will change the golden era of the High Republic forever!
Collecting STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC (2021) #1-15, STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC - EYE OF THE STORM #1-2 and STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC - TRAIL OF SHADOWS #1-5.
He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters
by Schuyler BailarPublished by: Hachette Books
on Oct 17, 2023
Genres: Non-Fiction
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Go-to expert on gender identity, Schuyler Bailar, offers an essential, urgent guide that changes the conversation.
Anti-transgender legislation is being introduced in state governments around the United States in record-breaking numbers. Trans people are under attack in sports, healthcare, school curriculum, bathrooms, bars, and nearly every walk of life. He/She/They clearly and compassionately addresses fundamental topics, from why being transgender is not a choice and why pronouns are important, to more complex issues including how gender-affirming healthcare can be lifesaving and why allowing trans youth to play sports is good for all kids. With a relatable narrative rooted in facts, science, and history, Schuyler helps restore common sense and humanity to a discussion that continues to be divisively coopted and deceptively politicized.
Schuyler Bailar didn't set out to be an activist, but his very public transition to the Harvard men's swim team put him in the spotlight. His choice to be open about his transition and share his experience has touched people around the world. His plain-spoken education has evolved into tireless advocacy for inclusion and collective liberation. In He/She/They, Schuyler uses storytelling and the art of conversation to give us the essential language and context of gender, meeting everyone where they are and paving the way for understanding, acceptance, and, most importantly: connection. He/She/They is more than a book on allyship; it also speaks to trans folks directly, answering the question, "does it get better?" with a resounding yes, celebrating radical trans joy. Myth-busting, affirming, compassionate, and fierce, He/She/They is a crucial, urgent--and lifesaving--book that forever changes the conversation about gender.
