Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.
It is a very quiet month for new YA comics and nonfiction releases. Chances are you would have gathered as much, given that the volume of YA novels publishing in July has also slowed. In fact, July looks to have only four comics hitting shelves for young adult readers, and there are no new nonfiction books slated.
This isn’t bad news nor representative of either comics or nonfiction in YA more broadly. July is traditionally slow, and it’s your opportunity to get to know all of the new comics coming out, as well as to catch up with the first half of the year’s releases.
Initially, I thought about combining the July releases with the August comics and nonfiction. But it looks as though August is going to be busy for YA comics and nonfiction, so we’ll give those titles their own chance to shine next month.
For now, check out three YA comics you’ll want on your TBR for July, plus a forth that is an adaptation of a beloved YA novel.
Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell
Hawthorne Vandercast has been forever excited to join the Brigade of Shade. They’re excited for a life in a castle and for getting out of their job as a potions barista.
But when Hawthorne joins, they’re confronted with Maple, a girl who is bright and bubbly and everything exactly the opposite of what Hawthorne thought the Brigade would be. So when Hawthorne is thrown into leadership following an accident, they’re prepared–or are they? Suddenly, everything they thought they knew about what it is to be evil has gone out the door and they’re forced to confront the reality of their circumstances.
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Float, Volume 1 by Kate Marchant, illustrated by CJ Joaquin
Waverly Lyons is a teenager in Alaska, where she’s a bit of an outsider. But when her parents are divorcing, she’s decided it’s her opportunity to get out of Alaska and spend the summer in Florida. There, she’ll reinvent herself and come home cool.
The problem is that Waverly wants to spend days in the water but she has no idea how to swim.
Blake is a super cute boy Waverly runs into, but Waverly is convinced he simply hates her. So when he discovers that she can’t swim, Waverly is surprised when he offers to teach her.
This sounds like such a fun summer read and it is being compared to Pumpkinheads. Interestingly, this started out as a traditional YA novel and then made its way into the comic format and into a film.
I Wanna Be Your Girl, Volume 1 by Umi Takase
Earworm much? Not a perfect match but darn close.
Hime has always loved her best friend Akira. Those feelings have gotten stronger as they’ve grown up, and they got stronger when Hime knew she was the first person Akira came out as a girl to. Hime protects Akira as much as possible, and Hime is also really thrilled that Akira has decided to be her true self now that high school is beginning.
Akira begins to get a lot of attention and in her true nature, Hime wants to protect her bestie. But her solution is a little unconventional and one that may not go swimmingly: Hime is going to begin dressing like a boy to get inside the experience of presenting as a different gender.
Also out this week is the graphic novel adaptation of Maggie Stiefvater’s bestselling The Raven Boys, with art by Stephanie Williams and Sas Milledge.
Once you blow through this month’s new YA comics offerings, don’t miss out on even more opportunities to read new YA comics and nonfiction from this summer.
English (US) · 