New Release Tuesday: YA New Releases September 8th 2026

Young Adult New Releases September 8th 2026

We have a nice varied YA release day today! Check out some amazing seasoned authors and some debuts! Something for everyone today! If anything has caught your eye, and a purchase was needed we work with independent affiliates to bring you anti-billionaire corporate alternatives. Libro.fm for all your audiobooks and Bookshop.org for all your digital or physical editions and the great thing is that local bookshops also earn money each time you shop!

Adam, Mine.

by K. Ancrum
Published by: HarperCollins
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Horror, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
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From acclaimed author K. Ancrum, on the National Book Award longlist for The Corruption of Hollis Brown, and Lambda Literary Award winner for Icarus, comes a queer romantic horror thriller that is a love letter to Frankenstein about the consequences of our decisions, the legacy of family, and the depths we’ll go to be forgiven.

Victor Frankenstein, a 17-year-old brilliant prodigy, wants his fellow university peers to finally take him seriously. After suffering a public humiliation over his wild academic theories, Victor makes a bet with the most popular student: he swears he will find the secret to human reanimation before graduation. Desperate and unwilling to be humiliated again, Victor does the unspeakable: he kidnaps a young man from a small, neighboring village and destroys his body using untried Alchemy instead of science…

Elias Hilfiker awakens, horrified—his voice is gone, his skin is stitched and scarred, and his community has exiled him. Worse, Victor’s clumsy alchemy has unintentionally created a bond between Elias and his tormentor, forcing them to constantly feel each other’s emotions.

Enraged by the desecration of his life, Elias swears before God and Man that he will seek vengeance on Victor at any cost. Meanwhile, Victor embarks on a journey to reverse the horror he’s unleashed. As they cross the European landscape—hunter and hunted—Victor bows before the weight of his sins while Elias uncovers the secrets of his own power in a world where he was once powerless.

Espíritu (Cemetery Boys #2)

by Aiden Thomas
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
on September 8, 2026
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Paranormal, Young Adult
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New York Times-bestselling author Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of Cemetery Boys in Espiritu, this time following Julian, who is dealing with newfound powers, a new relationship with Yadriel, and the return of demons he had hoped were gone forever!

Julian used to be a ghost and now he can’t stop seeing them.

Ever since being sacrificed as part of a forbidden ritual, Julian has been able to see and communicate with the spirits of passed brujx. And that would be okay, if it allowed him to be part of his new boyfriend's community. But Julian’s also seeing other shadows in the corner of his eyes, glowing eyes in the dark, and “dark spots” on people – gaping, black gashes that are somehow wrong. He did ask his new magical boyfriend about it, but Yadriel has never heard of anything like it either, and he’s so busy with his new Brujx responsibilities, trying to figure out where all the new malingos are coming from, that Julian hates for his problems to ruin what little time together they have.

Then, a strange new brujx shows up. Ángel, as a nonbinary brujx, can heal the living and release the dead, but more than that, they can also see the same dark spots as Julian. Despite Yadriel’s reservations, Julian eagerly accepts their help. But, Ángel’s ruthless methods feel wrong to Julian, who wants to move away from hurting others.

With the shadows growing darker, and the discovery of a gaping dark spot on his friend Luca, Julian has to decide who he wants to put his trust in, and just how far he’s willing to go to save what is his.

Pining for You

by Stef Ferrari
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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The classic Hallmark holiday movie gets turned upside down when a teen leaves her small-town Christmas tree farm in pursuit of the city girl who swept her off her feet in this cheeky and cozy rom-com by Food Network competitor Stef Ferrari.

Bennie Bosley has Christmas spirit on lock. Her borderline magical ability to give the perfect gift, encyclopedic knowledge of holiday movies, and skill as a baker working at a literal Christmas tree farm mean she’s the authority on all things merry. So, when Bennie sees sparkles after bumping into the most stunning girl she’s ever seen in her small Connecticut town, her friends are all shocked that Bennie doesn’t seem to realize what this is: real holiday magic at work…and the perfect opportunity for her much-needed first kiss.

There’s just one problem: her mystery girl, Eve, lives in Brooklyn and Bennie never got her number or her last name. But showing up unexpectedly to make a big romantic gesture is a classic holiday trope for a reason, right? And her friends aren’t about to miss the fireworks.

But what was supposed to be a quick Christmas adventure turns into a scramble across Brooklyn when the biggest snowstorm of the decade hits. Will Bennie and crew be able to track Eve down for a merrily ever after and still make it back for their last Cooper Farm Christmas Eve party, or is their holiday movie moment destined for the cutting room floor?

A Thousand Nights

by Nafiza Azad, Intisar Khanani
Published by: Candlewick Press
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Mythology/Folklore, Retellings, Young Adult
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"A folkloric tour de force." —School Library Journal (starred review)

In the mold of Arabian Nights, this groundbreaking YA anthology—featuring sixteen Muslim women writers—links together fantastical stories that a group of refugees tell one another within a riveting frame story.

On her way across the desert, fleeing the soldiers who have destroyed all she knows, one refugee meets another. And another and another. As they travel together, on a journey in search of safety, they take turns telling one another stories—stories woven in the imagination; tales with echoes of the reality they face now. Tales of young people stolen away by jinn and tales of siblings rescuing one another; tales of lands encroached on by settlers and abandoned by rain; tales of magic found in caves, deserts, mountains, lakes, and, above all, in people, community, and faith. With a frame story written by Nafiza Azad and Intisar Khanani interwoven with stories from fifteen additional authors of various backgrounds, drawing on the mythologies and legends of their cultures, this extraordinary collection will appeal to lovers of fantasy and to those looking for books that center refugees and diverse narratives.

Stories contributed by:
Hanna Alkaf
Sara Sharaf Beg
Loretta Chefchaouni
Heba Helmy
Zeyneb Holdridge
Ausma Zehanat Khan
Diana Ma
Ardo Omer
Haneen Oriqat
Sarah Mughal Rana
Farah Naz Rishi
Laila Sabreen
Zeba Shahnaz
Ream Shukairy
Zaynah Qutubuddin

Wicked Endeavors

by Kamilah Cole
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
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Perfect for fans of The Shadows Between Us and Powerless, this high stakes romantasy follows a vengeful teen who cons her way into an elite society of tyrannical witches. But her warring feelings for two people—an enemy prince and her childhood friend—could ruin everything.

Caya was once the ward of Coventry’s royal family…until they were killed by the three witch Houses that now rule the peninsula.

Now eighteen, Caya plans to infiltrate the witches' glittering world to enact justice. With the help of a mysterious benefactor, she adopts the persona of Marisol Vinyet, a disarmingly beautiful aristocrat. As Marisol, she'll attend the annual Coronet, a cutthroat social season during which witches increase their power by binding new members to their Houses. The Coronet will draw even the prince of neighboring Domingo—Tomás Castellan—to the peninsula just in time for “Marisol” to kill him. After all, his family set the witches upon Coventry in the first place.

But Tomás is more charming than Caya ever anticipated. Worse, her estranged childhood friend, Bas Arroyo, is the prince’s protector, and she struggles to control her complicated feelings for him.

To take down the witches from within, Caya will have to keep both her identity and her desperate heart under Although she’s made herself a weapon, she might be the one to bleed.

My Own Kind of Person

by Tim Manley
Published by: Rocky Pond Books
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult
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In this heartfelt and hilarious coming-of-age romance, Sean discovers his bisexuality and his true voice while chasing his dream as a stand-up comedian.

Sean O’Brien copes with anxiety by being the funny guy—at school, in his relationships, and onstage at local open mics. But when his stand-up act starts feeling like a performance of someone he’s not, everything changes. As Sean struggles with awkward girlfriend encounters and rising panic, he meets Elijah, a new guy with quiet confidence and an honesty Sean has never allowed himself. Suddenly, Sean’s life, his comedy, and his self-awareness come into sharper focus.

With wit and emotional depth, My Own Kind of Person explores the courage it takes to speak your truth—even when your voice shakes.

Of Sorcery and Science

by Mike Chen
Published by: Running Press Kids
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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A teen who is The Chosen One in a fantasy realms finds himself a nobody back home—that is, until magic appears in the real world and he must re-enter the portal to save a doomed realm.

Months after entering a portal, becoming a powerful mage, and saving a distant realm, disgruntled Asian American high schooler Andy Lao returns home to find that absolutely no one believes what happened to him. In fact, things are worse than ever before as his subpar science and math grades make him a target of his parents' disappointment. But how do you think about tests and college applications when you’re The Chosen One of a magical land?

One day, at the portal's location, Andy sees a glowing bit of mana on the ground. And with that, magic is possible again. But when a mysterious, surly teen girl comes through the portal, she claims to be the Chosen One . . . and that Andy’s the one who doomed the realm. Together, they’ll save magic—because the answer lies in modern science.

Capsized

by Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Published by: Delacorte Press
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery, Young Adult
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A mystery and coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of an elite all-girls rowing club as they navigate first loves, first heartbreaks, and the bonds that form when winning isn’t the only thing on the line.

For high-achieving Margaret Douglas, rowing is everything—her friends, her family, and her way into college. As a senior and varsity captain, she’s sacrificed everything to get where she is. But after mysteriously disappearing over the summer, rumors swirl: Was Margaret at Olympic training? Rehab? House arrest?

Whatever happened, it haunts her...and when she returns at the beginning of the season, Margaret discovers that the sisterhood she once knew has moved on without her.

Meanwhile, spunky freshman and new girl Jo Bryant is being forced to row by her a former Olympian, a Boston legend, and the person Jo blames for her parents’ divorce. Jo knows nothing about the sport, or why Margaret’s return has everyone at the boathouse whispering, but she does know Margaret is the only person who doesn’t treat her like a joke.

For both girls, the varsity team is a fierce, messy found family; a sisterhood earned in five a.m. wake-ups and blistered hands. But there are secrets and scandals waiting to surface—and with the biggest race of the year on the horizon, Margaret, Jo, and their teammates are about to find out just how deep they go.

Traitors' Nest

by Frances Hardinge
Published by: Amulet Books
on September 08, 2026
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Lovely War meets Howl's Moving Castle in this new YA fantasy from acclaimed author Frances Hardinge, about the people caught in a game played by the gods where castles are moved around the world like chess pieces

★★★★★ 5 starred reviews! "Fast-paced and original fantasy . . . refreshing and entertaining." (School Library Journal starred review)

Far above the valleys and villages of the Kingdom of Thaletal, a Great Game is played. Players move castles around the realm like chess pieces--and the ordinary villagers are mere pawns at the whim of their tactics.

When fifteen-year-old Burr's peaceful village is disrupted by the arrival of an ominous new castle, he decides he's had enough. But what starts as a plucky coup soon escalates--and then the castle is wrenched away to a far-flung corner of the kingdom, where whispers mount of a mysterious ancient maiden whose magpies collect her debts at dangerous prices.

Here, the stakes are higher than the tallest turrets, and every move counts. Burr must work with his sisters and friends--and rely on the unexpected help of an intriguing heiress--to unravel the secrets of the Magpie Maiden and the origins of the Great Game before he becomes just another casualty of the Players' deadly contest.

All the Jingle Ladies: A Countdown to Christmas Advent Novel

by Beth Garrod
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
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From the author of Blame It on the Mistletoe comes another cozy holiday romcom, perfect for fans of Dash & Lily and To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

Molly hates Christmas. Ever since her parents released a cheesy Christmas song ten years ago--complete with a video of Molly dressed as the cutest little elf--December has gone from Ho! Ho! Ho! to Hu-Hu-Humiliating! This year takes a turn for the worse when the song of Molly's nightmares is included on the soundtrack for the hottest new holiday film. This mortifying tune is everywhere--again!

As Molly tries to hide her true elf, a Christmas connection with a cute guy at the movie's premiere may make this holiday season one to remember. All she has to do is keep him from finding out the truth about the ghost of elf-mas past. But Molly isn't the only one hiding her real identity. Will her Christmas romance have a Hollywood ending...or will it be one big mistletoe mess?

WELCOME TO A UNIQUE, ROMANTIC ADVENT ADVENTURE!

Each day's installment is inside a simple pocket that's easy and fun to open, for a delightful read every day leading up to Christmas.

Our Dark Unraveling

by Margot McGovern
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult
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Two roommates are left reeling when a classmate dies in a freak accident. But when the boy’s ghost appears on campus, it becomes clear the dead has unfinished business—and this ghost is just as controlling in death as he was in life. A sinister Practical Magic for the YA reader, this wickedly twisted contemporary horror will keep readers up all night.

At the ultra-elite boarding school of Milford, students sacrifice their phones, relationships, and contact with the outside world for the chance at a top-notch education...except scholarship student Lyssa didn't. She risked a romance with wine-heir Jude Sinclair because who could resist his charms even if they tried?

But when Jude dies in a freak accident, Lyssa's world is upended. She can't imagine her life without him--and when she starts seeing his ghost on campus, maybe she doesn't have to. The only person Lyssa confides in is her outcast roommate George who hated Jude, or so Lyssa thought. It appears the past--and present--of the two girls might be more intertwined than they ever imagined, and when Jude continues to exert his control from beyond the grave, a battle for the girls' futures is on the line.

Evamar

by Margarita Engle
Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
on September 8, 2026
Genres: In Verse, Mythology, Young Adult
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Three starred reviews!

From award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a “spellbinding” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) novel in verse about first love, hidden cultures, and ancestral connections that follows a teen’s journey to uncover her late grandmother’s roots in Cuba.

Just before she was transformed
into an invisible spirit
my grandmother whispered her last wishes
into my ear:

Sprinkle my ashes in a patch of girasoles,
wait patiently, harvest the seeds,
fly to la isla, find el jardín,
plant las semillas.
Then and only then—
read my diaries.

Evamar has arrived in Cuba with her abuela’s ashes and her mother’s warnings: Don’t talk politics, boil the tap water before you drink, y por favor absolutamente, don’t fall in love. But then she meets Río, a captivating drummer whose music and presence she can’t ignore.

Río bears his own scars, separated from his family in the United States. As their bond deepens, Evamar discovers an ancestral treasure that could change her future—and the lives of millions of Caribbeans.

A Taste of Somewhere Else

by Michael Ruhlman
Published by: Penguin Workshop
on September 8, 2026
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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For fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay comes an escapist and emotional YA coming-of-age novel following a father-son road trip across Spain, with a dash of mystery, from James Beard Award–winning author Michael Ruhlman.

Miles is known as the guy whose mom died. Uprooted from his life in NYC, he’s starting junior year in Cleveland with a dad he barely knows. His father, Jake, runs a movie theater that scrapes by playing old black-and-white and foreign films.

Luckily, a renowned Spanish director’s latest film is set to make its North American debut at the theater's spring festival—until the director unexpectedly pulls out, throwing the fate of the theater and Jake’s livelihood into a tailspin. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Jake brings Miles along on a wild goose chase across the cobblestone streets of Spain to find the filmmaker.

What starts as a shot-in-the-dark attempt to change the director’s mind turns into an unexpected journey toward connection as Miles and his father must navigate their grief over losing his mom. James Beard Award–winning author Michael Ruhlman pens a powerful tale about moving through grief and into the broader world.

Sisters Alone

by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
on September 8, 2026
Genres: In Verse, Middle Grade
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From the National Book Award–winning author of Kareem Between comes a powerful novel in verse about two sisters trapped in a blizzard in a heart-wrenching story of sisterhood and survival.

Two sisters. One storm. A fight for their lives.

Rama is all fire—fierce, quick to anger, and trying to hold her family together while battling the monster of intrusive thoughts. Leena is all ice—quiet, numbed to the vibrancy of the world, as she silently blames herself for their mother’s death.

When their father must travel for work, a sudden blizzard traps the sisters alone at their rural home. As the storm tears through their house, they’re left without power, without food, without shelter—and with no one to rely on but each other.

Told in powerful, poetic verse, Sisters Alone is a heart-stopping story of sisterhood, survival, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going, even when the world feels like it's falling apart.