Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
While sorting through this week’s new releases to decide which books to feature, I had a blast from the past. I saw that not only did Philip Pullman have another book coming out (The Book of Dust: The Rose Field), but it was set in the same world as his The Golden Compass. It even follows the same main character. I had read Lyra’s story much closer to when it was first published, way back when I was actually within the target age range for the story.
And it had rocked my little world.
The fantastical world, the adventure, and the unique-to-me “dæmons” all left such an impression on me that I remember scenes from it even now. I hope that the new books below—with their high school drama, family murder mystery, and journey through the world of the Aztec gods—leave a similar sort of impression on the readers who encounter them.
New Hardcover YA Releases This Week
Balancing Act by Paula Chase
If you’re into hot goss and high school drama, Balancing Act promises to be the new generation’s Sweet Valley High—with a touch of dark academia flavorings. It follows Chyna, who’s gotten a scholarship to the most prestigious sports school in the city, where she’ll be able to participate in the sport she loves: gymnastics. Thing is, she doesn’t feel that welcomed on the school’s team, with its elitist teammates. Then there’s Jamaal, who is still dealing with the passing of his brother (who was Chyna’s secret boyfriend). He joins the Power Panthers basketball team to honor his brother’s memory, but his health may have other plans for him.
Whats Up in YA
Sign up for What’s Up In YA? to receive all things young adult literature.
A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford
I fully believe in reading cozy romantasies all year round, but there is a special kind of magic that happens when you bundle up with one in the fall—bonus points if it’s one that is being compared to Howl’s Moving Castle…but like for scammers. Who are the scammers in question? Well, there’s just one: Willow Stokes, the charlatan who runs a mostly fake magical curiosity shop. The shop has barely sold any of its (fake) dragon’s teeth or any of its other items in quite a while, then something curious happens. Outlander Brianna Hargrave shows up and turns all of the fakes in Willow’s shop into what they are supposed to be. Willow sees this as an opportunity, but Bri is desperate to rid herself of the curse that gives her such power, so the two strike a deal. The two of them, along with an annoyingly handsome printer’s assistance, will set out to find a very rare magical object that will hopefully reverse Bri’s curse, but little do they know the grave stakes that await them.
The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder by Kate Emery
From the title alone, you know that this is going to be a good, campy time. In it, 14-year-old Ruth has read just enough murder mysteries and Agatha Christie to feel qualified to solve the murder of her step-grandmother, GG, who died by typewriter. But, like all of her family had reasons to help GG meet her demise…which includes, to be fair, herself and her cousin Dylan. On top of all that, tensions are rising the longer everyone is stuck in the house, and she may not be able to solve the mystery before someone else gets hurt.
Fall of the Fireflies by Guadalupe García McCall
This retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone is set in the world of García McCall’s bestselling book Summer of the Mariposas. It follows 15-year-old twins Delia and Velia, who are planning to start off their Magic-Twin tour alongside their father’s Tejano band. But then their father becomes overtaken with a susto, a scare so severe that a supernatural entity is able to start slowly sucking out his life force. To save their dad, the twins hunt for his attacker, which opens them up to a world of borderland monsters. They have to each make their own decisions, but they won’t do so completely alone: the girls have guides from the Aztec pantheon. Veila has Quetzalcoatl and Delia Xolotl. The gods want them for their own reasons, which means that they may not be able to save their dad after all.
New Hardcover Series Releases:
- Star Wars: The Last Order by Kwame Mbalia
- The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh
- Our Vicious Descent by Hayley Dennings
More Hardcover YA Releases This Week:
- K-Jane by Lydia Kang
- Can Posters Kill? by Jerry Faivish, Kathryn Cole (With)
New Paperback YA Releases This Week
New Paperback Series Releases:
- Amid Stars and Darkness by Chani Lynn Feener
- Between Frost and Fury by Chani Lynn Feener
- Within Ash and Stardust by Chani Lynn Feener
More Paperback YA Releases This Week:
- Reel Love by Addie Woolridge
- Take All of Us by Natalie Leif
If you’re a seasonal reader and want spooky YA books to read from now until the last day of the month, here are some new horror books. An isolated livestreamer goes on a retreat where something waits for her in the nearby woods; a Victorian teen finds her father’s notes on how to bring a dead body back to life; and a teen is attacked by something and starts to change.