New Release Tuesday: YA New Releases September 29th 2026

Young Adult New Releases September 22nd 2026

It might still be September but most of us are very excited for October! The fall moods are rolling in with the chillier weather and where I am from – all the rain. Check out some of today’s YA new releases below. Please check out our independent affiliates: Libro.fm for all your audiobooks and Bookshop.org for all your digital or physical editions!

Rainbow Boys

by Alex Sanchez, Maia Kobabe
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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For the first printing only! This paperback features sprayed stenciled edges while the special edition supply lasts. This reissue has a brand-new look, a note from the author, and an introduction by Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer.

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

Navigating through the intolerant world of the early aughts and their own insecurities, three teenage boys find each other and the confidence to come out of the closet in this seminal queer coming-of-age novel.

Jason Carillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend. He’s on track to play ball, marry his high school sweetheart, and get as far away from his abusive dad as possible—but that’s if he can get into college with his shaky math grades…and if he can stop dreaming about having sex with guys.

Kyle Meeks is definitely gay, but he’s not planning on telling anyone, least of all his parents. All he wants is to keep his head down and get through high school without incident—until Jason asks him for help in math and all of a sudden, Kyle is spending long hours with a boy he’s always found cute and it’s getting harder and harder to keep his feelings under wraps.

Nelson Glassman is out and loud about it, but being proud of who you are doesn’t mean things don’t get lonely. He’s got a target on his back for the school bullies to kick, and while his mom supports him, she doesn’t entirely understand him. To make things worse, he and his best friend—and longtime crush—Kyle have been spending more and more time apart, and he doesn’t know how to deal.

Messy, honest, and raw, Rainbow Boys follows these three boys as they come of age and come out of the closet in the early aughts in one of the most revolutionary young adult novels in the last quarter century.

Trust Fall

by Lynn Painter
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter, comes a rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret.

Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor—who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire—leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich.

It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing. Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it.

To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy—and the enemy is falling for him.

As Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?

The House of Gardenias

by Isabel Cañas
Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult
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A debut gothic YA from the USA Today bestselling author of The Hacienda and The Possession of Alba Díaz.

Sixteen-year-old Minerva has spent her whole life in the slums of the capital city of an unnamed country that resembles colonial Mexico. Though she lives in the shadow of constant government turmoil, her empty belly and her father’s brutality don’t leave time for politics—especially since her older brothers ran away. Minerva can’t take another beating or miss another meal, so she steals flees to a wealthy loyalist neighborhood to win a job as a lady’s maid to an elderly widow.

Minerva and Encarnación del Valle—the proud and acerbic widow—form an unlikely duo. They are both survivors in their own ways, stubborn and used to being underestimated. For a time, Minerva is happy. She has food and safety in a house lit and warmed by magical chispa. Why should she care who runs the country or how her employer afford the magic?

But when the viceroy sweeps back into power on a wave of horrific bloodshed that sweeps away any hope Minerva had of seeing her brothers again, Encarnación retreats to the del Valle’s mountainside estate, the Casa de la Gardenias. Minerva finds herself surrounded by dozens of more experienced servants and the cruel, scheming younger del Valles, but the living are the least of anyone’s worries at the Casa de las Gardenias, and soon Minerva discovers that this ancient estate is home to forces far older and more bloodthirsty than the fascist del Valles or the liberal guerrillas amassing in the surrounding wilderness.

The Velvet Knife (Truly Devious, #6)

by Maureen Johnson
Published by: HarperCollins
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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Return to the world of Truly Devious as Stevie Bell and her friends travel to New York to solve a murder in the next standalone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.

Stevie might be the greatest teenage detective Ellingham Academy and the world has ever seen, but even she can’t figure out what happened with her boyfriend, David. What she needs is a distraction: a good old-fashioned murder. Stevie is much happier dealing with dead people. They’re a lot less confusing—they don’t send cryptic texts and make out with other girls in British pubs.

But then Stevie gets exactly what she wanted when a dead body turns up in the middle of a Manhattan apartment complex, and this one is . . . complicated. Caught in a web of messy alive-people feelings, Stevie finds herself questioning all human connection. Is magnetism only manipulation? Can you trust anyone? Does anyone realize that they’re joining a cult—before it’s too late? And are things with David really over?

Read all the Stevie Bell Books:
Truly Devious
The Vanishing Stair
The Hand on the Wall
The Box in the Woods (standalone)
Nine Liars (standalone)

Escape Me (Shatter Me: Series Two #3)

by Tahereh Mafi
Published by: HarperCollins
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
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The scorching third volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson needs a new plan. He’s ready to make real moves to destroy the looming threats against their world, but no one is taking him seriously. James is tired of being underestimated by his own family. He wants five uninterrupted minutes alone with Rosabelle. He wants to kill Sebastian.

And he’s done waiting for permission.

Rosabelle Wolff needs to stick to the plan. Which means she needs to stay away from James and the dangerous feelings he brings out in her. When she’s near him she loses control, and she’ll need absolute control if she has any hope of convincing Sebastian—and through him, Klaus—that she’s still carrying out the original plan to destroy the rebel regime.

In the meantime, Warner needs to stay out of her business.

Aaron Warner Anderson is trying not to kill Rosabelle. They might be reluctant allies, but that doesn’t mean they get along. Every day is a new kind of hell for Warner. He’s worried about his wife; he’s worried about his world. He can’t decide what to do about James until he understands Rosabelle’s true motives—and when he’s finally delivered the answers he needs, the stakes prove astronomical. All roads lead to heartbreak and destruction, no matter what choice he makes.

Gut-wrenching discoveries, blistering romance, non-stop explosive action, and a world determined to control their thoughts and actions:
When the eyes of the world are upon you, who do you hope is watching?

The False Vow: Book 2 (The Weaver Bride)

by Lydia Gregovic
Published by: Delacorte Press
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult
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Love will be tested in this high-stakes, spellbinding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Weaver Bride, hailed as “your next romantic fantasy obsession” (I. V. Marie, #1 bestselling author of Immortal Consequences).

The gorgeous first edition of The False Vow will feature stunning, stenciled edges and printed endpapers!

Lovett Tamerlane is engaged.

A silkwitch whose magic can only be harnessed through marriage to a Weaver, Lovett was facing life in the cloisters when Eliot Lear offered the deal of a lifetime: an invitation to the Vainglory to compete for wealthy Weaver heir Noé Alaire’s hand in marriage, in exchange for her solving his sister’s murder.

While they both got what they wanted, the competition was full of surprises. Lovett never expected to fall in love . . . and Eliot never anticipated that she’d betray him.

Now Lovett has one goal: to take down her fiancé's father—Bastian Alaire—and end his corrupt Weaver reign at any cost. But though the Vainglory may be over, danger still lurks at Fortblanche. And when Bastian presents Lovett with one last challenge—solve a murder that occurred within his walls, before the day of her wedding—she realizes the tests aren’t over. To pass this one, she’ll have to partner with the only person she hates more than her future father-in-law: his son, Noé.

But as Lovett will learn . . . sometimes love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

Night of Madness

by Ryan Douglass
Published by: Simon Pulse
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Young Adult
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For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed stenciled edges while the special edition supply lasts.

Teen influencers compete in a horror movie–themed overnight competition, only to realize the real test is staying alive in this chilling, blood-soaked horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Taking of Jake Livingston and the production company behind Clown in a Cornfield.

Mara is a horror buff whose only fond memories of her dad are bonding over movies by Jack Stanley—the producer of the eighties. Stanley’s campy slasher movies may have kept Mara’s fraught parental relationship on life support and gained a cult following, but the man himself has faded from the public eye…until he announces a contest centered around Asylum, his most terrifying film. Five teen influencers will be invited to spend the night on the fully constructed set; whoever sticks it out until morning wins a hundred thousand dollars.

Stuck in a dead-end job, Mara seriously needs that cash. She may not be a famous influencer, but there has to be a way to manufacture an online presence that will capture Stanley’s attention. With the help of her brother and best friend, Mara finds some creative solutions to her dilemma and lands herself onto the roster of the lucky chosen few by way of her engaging authenticity.

When Mara and the other contestants arrive on set, it’s a horror fan’s dream being immersed in the asylum setting, but as the night wears on, they realize the danger is more than movie magic… They’re not there to win or lose but to live or die. As Mara fights to survive, she discovers an inner ruthlessness she didn’t know she had. Just how far will she go to see the sunrise—and will she still recognize herself by the end?

Too Hot to Tango: A Graphic Novel

by E. E. Salo, Megan Kearney
Published by: Abrams/Amulet Books
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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High School Musical meets Dirty Dancing in this feel-good queer romance with high stakes, hot tango, and camp hijinks delivered by two-time Emmy-nominated writer E.E. Salo and acclaimed cartoonist Megan Kearney

This summer, soccer superstar Honey is the coach at an elite sports camp. Soccer is Honey's whole world--after all, it got her a full ride to Stanford. Life is a game, that game is about winning, and Honey knows the rules by heart--that is, until she meets Teddi, the brusque Australian dance coach at the arts camp across the lake. Suddenly, Honey's heart has her forgetting all the rules . . .

When an inter-camp competition gone awry accidentally lands Teddi's dance partner with a broken arm, Honey volunteers to step in. With a crucial audition coming up, Teddi has no choice but to accept the offer.

As Teddi teaches Honey the steps, they start to match each other's rhythm on and off the dance floor . . . but do these opposites have what it takes to tango their way to the top? With steamy routines, camp shenanigans, and a high-stakes competition coming up fast, these girls will have to show the whole world just how in step with each other they really are.

Mischief Girls

by Aashna Avachat
Published by: Delacorte Press
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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Every school has its secrets—but at the exclusive Ellison College, the past might prove deadly—in this twisty puzzlebox mystery perfect for fans of Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series.

THIRTY YEARS AGO: three students walked into the woods surrounding Ellison College, and only one came out. They became known as the Mischief Girls, and their case was never solved.

HALLOWEEN WEEK, MODERN DAY: Ellison freshman Raina isn’t interested in digging into the past. To combat her personal demons, she volunteers at Night Walk, a campus program dedicated to helping students get home safely. Until one night, Raina escorts a fellow freshman to her dorm...only to learn that the girl disappeared before she ever made it through the door.

NOW: With the help of the missing girl’s stepbrother, Raina begins to investigate. But when the pair of them discover that she’d been looking into the Mischief Girls murders prior to her vanishing, the case suddenly becomes much more complicated.

From professors’ offices to state penitentiaries, Raina relentlessly hunts down the truth. But if she wants to find it, she’ll have to accept that maybe what happened to the missing girl didn’t begin the night she disappeared.
Maybe it all started thirty years ago, in the woods.

It's Christmas Crime!: An Advent Romance

by Anouk Filippini
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on September 29, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
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A teen working at a Parisian bakery witnesses a murder in this cozy holiday mystery with a dreamy romance at its center that’s a festive entry in the New York Times bestselling Advent Romance series, told in a perfectly paced advent calendar format with chapter-a-day reading.

When Suzanne Sécretant arrives in Paris for her apprenticeship at the prestigious Rivoli bakery, nothing goes according to plan—starting with her being stuck rolling croissants instead of learning from the whimsical head pastry chef and ending with her witnessing an actual murder. This was definitely not how she had intended to spend her holidays.

But after meeting the charming Léo and mysterious Sofiane, and armed with the victim’s last words, Suzanne realizes she might be the key to solving this case. And she could even find a little love along the way.

With this book’s unique advent calendar format, each of the twenty-four chapters is sealed by its own perforated enclosure that readers can gently tear open—by hand or with the help of a ruler—to read a chapter a day in the weeks leading to Christmas!

The Long-Lived King

by Dana Terrace, Mikki Crisostomo, Daun Han
Published by: Hyperion Avenue
Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA+, Media Tie-In, Young Adult
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In an all-new adventure set in the world of Disney’s The Owl House, Luz, Eda, King, and the gang return in The Long-Lived King, an original graphic novel cowritten by series creator Dana Terrace.

Set after the events of the series finale, dive deeper into the Boiling Isles than ever before.

King has never fully considered what it means to be a Titan—until now. Burdened by the knowledge that he will outlive his beloved Owl House family, he’s still determined to enjoy every moment he can with them. Even if that means using one of the Collector’s devices to wipe away his sad memories.

But when King accidentally erases Luz’s memories, he must enlist the Collector and Eda to help him recover Luz’s memories and confront their deepest fears along the way. Packed with humor, action, and stunning black-and-white illustrations in a fresh, manga-inspired style, this graphic novel welcomes readers back to The Owl House with an unforgettable adventure.