A Cozy Sapphic Fantasy, a Murderer in the House, and More New YA Books for April 29, 2026

Ambrosia Lee was at the peak of her Hollywood acting career when she was 11, but she lost her next big gig because of the size of her body. Now in high school, she’s working through the grief, shame, and anger that accompanied being The It Child Star before falling out of the limelight.

Ambrosia’s figured out amid the rejection and pain that maybe her next stop is stand-up. She’s able to speak her truth and talk about the realities of living through parental divorce, racial stereotypes, and more.

But between the cute boy helping her build this career and the reality that stand-up is as toxic as Hollywood, will Ambrosia break into a new field as a teen, or will she choose to give it up instead?

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A year and a half ago, Sutter’s brother, Lawson, went missing from Meddlehart Academy, their school. It seems everyone has moved on and let it go. That is, except for Sutter. Sutter believes his brother is out there, desperate to get home.

But Sutter and his friends soon discover that Lawson was working with a secret society on campus, the Order of the Vipers, trying to track down rumored treasure buried somewhere on site. Sutter and his friends decide they’re going to join the Vipers to try to discover what happened to Lawson, but they quickly learn there’s a series of initiation rituals they have to pass first. None of them is easy. In fact, they’re downright dangerous.

Sutter is desperate, though, and he knows that each step in the initiation is but one step closer to finding Lawson. But will it be too late?

This one is pitched as Caraval meets Flowerheart, meaning it’s a cozy fantasy with a Sapphic storyline at the center.

The court of the Night King comes to life only after dark. Seven years ago, Ida’s father disappeared after visiting, and he’s never been heard from again. But Ida wants to know what happened, so when an opportunity to become a Luminaire in the court opens up, she jumps. She’s got the gift of enchantments, thanks to her father, and now she can use it to help find him again.

Being part of the magical beings on the court is everything she could dream of. It’s magical, whimsical, and illuminating. But despite all of the beauty and fun, Ida feels something sinister pulling at her. Something is going on with the castle, and Ida herself cannot leave the confines of the court. With the help of the king’s daughter, Lenore, Ida is going to find out what’s happening and how it might be connected to her father’s disappearance.

Clarity’s first kiss was with Hannah at Christian summer camp. That was never the plan, but Clarity realizing who she is was a massive awakening. It was freeing. The problem, though? Clarity and Hannah were caught kissing, and that quickly turned their relationship–and reputations–upside down.

Now Clarity’s home and has to do everything she can to keep her identity a secret. She’s got her Baptist parents to worry about, as well as her friends. But as it becomes harder and harder to hide who she truly is, Clarity has to decide whether the secret and its weight is more important than being honest–even and especially if it means losing people who she thought cared about her.

Sam Tombs is a 17-year-old content creator focused on raising awareness of crimes committed against LGBTQ+ teens. They’ve been invited to a content creator event and think it’s the perfect chance to better their skills and grow their work. But then they and their fellow creators find themselves stranded in a mansion, and one of them ends up dead.

Sam’s being accused of the crime, but they have an alibi. That alibi is their internet nemesis, Dylan. But the two are going to have to put their rivalry on hold to help clear one another’s name of the crime and find out who among the small group of them is a killer.

It’s the summer before college in 1994, and all Trevor wants is to enjoy this free time before things change forever. It’s a summer of saying yes to adventure and a summer that he hopes will be one where Sarah, his longtime crush, finally says yes to them.

Sarah’s proposed that they spend this summer swimming in every pool that they can in town. It’s a great mission, and one that Trevor hopes will bring them closer. He’s hopeful, even though he knows she has a boyfriend and she’s not necessarily interested in a relationship with him.

Then they find the pool. It’s one in the woods, and neither can seem to help themselves from being attracted to it. Will this be the pool that also changes their relationship status?

Set over three different time periods, the story centers on the Bridegroom’s Oak, which, legend has it, will send you a letter from the love of your life if you write to it. In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to find a message in the Oak from a mysterious suitor. At the same time, her best friend Hanna is finding that the Bridegroom’s Oak plays a crucial role in resisting the Nazis.

Fast forward to 1980s West Germany, where American teen Jenny finds herself feeling cut off and suffocated in her new home. Then she meets Lena, and not only is Jenny falling hard for her, but she’s also learning how to tap into her punk rock spirit and her desire to help tear down the Berlin Wall.

Then we get to 2020, and COVID hits New York. Miles and Chloe are dealing with virtual school when a mysterious package arrives from Chloe’s grandmother. That package leads them to the legend of Bridegroom’s Oak and the disappearance of two teenagers 80 years earlier.

Aiz grew up in the Kegari slums. She’s seen terrible things, and that’s part of why an old trauma has filled her with enough stamina to seek revenge. But her temper gets the best of her, and she finds herself in prison before she’s sought that revenge.

Sirsha was banished from her own community because of a crime she committed. It’s not nice being an outcast, but she’s turned her luck into tracking and working with the elements of Earth. She’s desperate enough, though, to take on a job that requires hunting down a killer who has murdered children. She can do it, as she’s got the skills, but she keeps getting distracted by someone else. Someone charismatic. Cute. Deeply inconvenient.

Quil is to become the prince of the empire the moment his aunt steps down. He’s not especially excited, in part because he knows power is not good and in part because he’s the son of the most hated person in the empire. But with an enemy threatening the survival of the empire, he is in a position to use his power for good.

This book weaves together the stories of these three very different teens as they navigate power, survival, and, of course, love. This will scratch the itch of readers who’ve been sucked into the world of romantasy but who want it to lean more heavily in the fantasy direction.