Books
15 Brand New YA Books Everyone Will Be Talking About This Summer
Summer is definitely the most whirlwind season. Between your regular work and life responsibilities and trying to fit in as many seasonal activities as humanely possible before the weather turns chilly again, it can be hard to get quite as much summer beach reading in as you thought you would at the beginning of May. It's likely that you've missed more than a few of those books you considered must reads back when you first made your summer TBR, and now that we're nearing the end of July, that "I haven't read enough" panic might be starting to sink in. But, never fear, dear reader! Because there is still plenty of time left to sneak in a handful of really great, buzzworthy summer books before it's curtains on Summer 2017.
All the 15 YA picks below have been released between May and August 2017, and have been hugely talked about for one reason or another. These are the books that you don't want to miss because everyone will be talking about them all summer long (and, probably, long beyond) and you're going to want to be part of the conversation. Plus, they're all really fun, really romantic, or really spooky depending on your preference, and you need them in your life, whether its summertime or not.
'The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue' by Mackenzi Lee
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but the finest boarding schools in England haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions: gambling halls, a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, the life he knows is in danger of coming to an end. His father expects him to take over the family’s estate, and Monty is nursing an impossible crush on his best friend, Percy. Still he vows to make this trip one last hedonistic hurrah. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows.
'The Library Of Fates' by Aditi Khorana
No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride to save her people. But her offer isn't enough. The unthinkable happens, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, alone but for an oracle named Thala, who was kept by Sikander as a slave. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom, Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled Library of All Things, where it is possible for each of them to reverse their fates — where it is possible to go back to before Sikander took everything from them.
'One Of Us Is Lying' by Karen McManus
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
'When Dimple Met Rishi' by Sandhya Menon
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” But if they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
'Aftercare Instructions' by Bonnie Pipkin
“Troubled.” That’s 17-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long-forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history that she’s finally able to take center stage.
'Little & Lion' by Brandy Colbert (August 8, 2017)
When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support. But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself...or worse.
'Bad Romance' by Heather Demetrios
Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her California town, too small to contain her big city dreams. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone. Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it's too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she's unable to escape. Deeply affecting and unflinchingly honest, this is a story about spiraling into darkness — and emerging into the light again.
'Because You Love To Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy' Edited by Ameriie
In this unique YA anthology, 13 acclaimed, bestselling authors (including Marissa Meyer, Victoria Schwab and Cindy Pon) team up with 13 influential BookTubers (including Sasha Alsberg, Whitney Atkinson and Regan Perusse) to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view. These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage — and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!
'What To Say Next' by Julie Buxbaum
When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty — in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?
'Little Monsters' by Kara Thomas
Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls — she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them. Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident. But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all — especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.
'Wonder Woman: Warbringer' by Leigh Bardugo (August 29, 2017)
Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world. Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.
'A Map For Wrecked Girls' by Jessica Taylor (August 15, 2017)
Emma had always orbited Henri, her fierce, magnetic queen bee of an older sister, and the two had always been best friends. Until something happened that wrecked them. Then the unthinkable occurs—a watery nightmare off the dazzling coast. The girls wash up on shore, stranded. Their only companion is Alex, a troubled boy agonizing over his own secrets. Trapped in this gorgeous hell, Emma and Alex fall together as Emma and Henri fall catastrophically apart. To find their way home, the sisters must find their way back to each other. But there’s no map for this—or anything. Can they survive the unearthing of the past and the upheaval of the present?
'Girl Out Of Water' by Laura Silverman
Anise Sawyer plans to spend every minute of summer with her friends: surfing and throwing bonfires that blaze until dawn. But when a serious car wreck leaves her aunt with two broken legs, it forces Anise to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz and fly with her dad to Nebraska for the entire summer. Anise spends her days caring for her three younger cousins in the childhood home of her runaway mom, a wild figure who’s been flickering in and out of her life since birth. Complicating matters is Lincoln, a charismatic skater. As Anise draws closer to Lincoln she loses touch with her friends back home – leading her to one terrifying question: will she turn out just like her mom and spend her life leaving behind the ones she loves?
'Eliza And Her Monsters' by Francesca Zappia
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try. Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity — begins to fall apart.
'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' by Maurene Goo
Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But — she’s never had a boyfriend. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years. Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.
