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August's Top New Young Adult Books
Hey, YA readers! Heads up! We’ve found the hottest and most popular new book titles of the month!
As dedicated Goodreaders already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of young adult fiction. Every month our team looks at the books being published and how they're resonating with early readers. We use this information to put together a roundup of soon-to-be favorites.
New in August: Katharine McGee concludes her popular American Royals series with Reign. Adalyn Grace returns with more Gothic fantasy romance in Foxglove. And Mazey Eddings presents a neurodiverse love story with Tilly in Technicolor. Also on tap this month: dark academia, psycho death cults, and another installment of The Inheritance Games.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!
As dedicated Goodreaders already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of young adult fiction. Every month our team looks at the books being published and how they're resonating with early readers. We use this information to put together a roundup of soon-to-be favorites.
New in August: Katharine McGee concludes her popular American Royals series with Reign. Adalyn Grace returns with more Gothic fantasy romance in Foxglove. And Mazey Eddings presents a neurodiverse love story with Tilly in Technicolor. Also on tap this month: dark academia, psycho death cults, and another installment of The Inheritance Games.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!
Prolific author Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to her acclaimed Inheritance Games series with The Brothers Hawthorne, which details the further adventures of Grayson, Jameson, assorted siblings, and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune. Jameson, for instance, finds himself in the unenviable position of wagering his life in London’s elite underground gambling community. The games never end, really.
In this highly anticipated sequel to last year’s Goodreads Choice Award nominee Belladonna, author Adalyn Grace returns readers to her unique world of Gothic fantasy romance. Cousins Blythe and Signa find themselves navigating high society as they try to unknot the deadly tangles of their family legacy. Meanwhile, it seems that Fate – the mysterious brother of Death – has taken up residence in a nearby estate. Fate, as you may be aware, likes to play games, too.
If you like your academia dark, your romance slightly sinister, and your characters morally gray, consider a stay at the House of Marionne. This YA fantasy from author J. Elle (the Wings of Ebony series) chronicles the adventures of Quell, a young woman with dangerous magical powers. Hunted by a deadly assassin, Quell infiltrates the secret society known as The Order. Bonus trivia: Author Elle won a 2022 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth and Teens.
From the author of The Nature of Witches, this intriguing fantasy romance features an island coven of benevolent witches who have struck an uneasy alliance with the nearby mainlanders. The catch: Young witch Tana Fairchild must agree to an arranged marriage to Landon, the governor’s son. But when Tana meets the handsome loner Wolfe – a practitioner of forbidden magic – she must choose between loyalty to her people and the tidal pull of love. Early readers are digging the book’s atmospheric setting and lyrical prose.
The first installment in the new Guardians of Dawn series from author S. Jae-Jones (Wintersong), Zhara is being billed as a cross between Cinder and Sailor Moon. Our heroine Jin Zhara has some familiar problems – cruel stepmother, uncontrolled magic within – but also some perplexing new dilemmas. For one thing, a plague is sweeping the land and turning magicians into monsters. Bonus trivia: Author S. Jae-Jones has at least one black belt in taekwondo, possibly a second by the time you read this.
Australian author Vanessa Lem made a lot of new friends last year with her debut novel Only a Monster, an innovative contemporary fantasy that scrambles all the usual rules concerning heroes and monsters. In this sequel, young Joan must grapple with the consequences of resetting reality’s timeline. See, Joan destroyed the hero of the last book – Nick, the boy she loved – but that’s okay because they’re together again and on the run from her other boyfriend Aaron, who’s trying to kill her. It’s complicated.
Young love is confusing enough as it is. But Wil Greene has a hall-of-fame situation developing. The boy she’s starting to love – Elwood Clarke – is on the run from his own family, who happen to be neck-deep in a psychotic death cult. It’s also extremely likely that the same cult has abducted Wil’s mom, missing for more than a year now. Debut author Skyla Arndt finds the sweet spot between horror, romance, and interesting metaphors concerning the eternal plight of the adolescent.
Philadelphia author (and dentist!) Mazey Eddings specializes in romance stories featuring neurodiverse characters and themes. Her debut YA romance pairs up Tilly Twomley and Oliver Clark, two young people who share a European summer that neither will ever forget. Oliver’s proficiency with color theory opens up new spectrums of light for Tilly. In turn, Tilly helps Oliver to see that, sometimes, the best parts of life are improvised entirely. Young love! It’s the best!
The wildly popular YA romance series American Royals reaches its concluding chapter with Reign, author Katharine McGee’s highly anticipated summer release. For the uninitiated, McGee’s series proceeds from a deceptively simple premise: What if America had its own royal family? Quick recap: Queen Beatrice is in a coma. Princess Samantha is missing. And Prince Jefferson currently sits on the throne. Secrets! Scandals! Weird rich people! America!
Veteran author Elizabeth Lim (the Six Crimson Cranes series) is a kind of fantasy alchemist, blending elements of various traditions in folklore and world mythology. Her new adventure features two sisters in a sprawling quest over land, sea, and air. Vanna, beautiful and kind, is to be married off to a cruel suitor. Her sister Channi – blessed with martial skills but cursed with the face of a serpent – is having none of that nonsense. You don’t mess with sisterhood.
Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!
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Aug 02, 2023 01:52AM
The two books I'm most excited for are for sure House of Marionne and Brothers Hawthorne which come out on the same day!
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Zhara was honestly so enjoyable! Im excited to check out Her radiant curse and Never A hero
I'm so excited to get my hands on Her Radiant Curse!
Ridiculously excited for The Brothers Hawthorne. Might just read the entire series again.
So excited for The Brothers Hawthorn, Zhara and House of Marionne
CANNOT wait for The Brothers Hawthorne!! I think I am going to actually die while waiting for it, might as well read the first three books again while I wait!
Omg so excited for The Brothers Hawthorne! I’ve loved that series to bits and was frankly disappointed when it ended 🥲
OMG I just look at all the books on this list and laugh because I have already added them ALL to my want to read.
i'm soo excited for "The Brothers Hawthorne" !!
