10 New YA Books to Read This Summer
by Iva-Marie Palmer
Oh, summer … Is there a more wonderful season to settle in with a great book? If you weren’t already excited about the prospect of reading on warm and sunny days, you’re in for a treat because we rounded up the best teen books to snag in the upcoming months. These ten new young adult books will make excellent companions on the beach, at camp, and for nights reading under the stars.
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Two Summers
The only thing better than one summer is, of course, two. In this frothily magical tale, Summer Everett is trying to choose between a summer in familiar upstate New York and another among the lavender fields of the French countryside, when suddenly her summer splits into two parallel seasons. She’ll fall in love and make new discoveries in both lives, but still has to face the same terrible family secret no matter where she is.
(Available April 26)Preorder from: -
The Square Root of Summer
People say teens think they’ll live forever, but math whiz Gottie H. Oppenheimer is quite sure she’s literally losing time. A romance and a family drama unfold via wormholes, quantum physics, and the collision of past, present, and future. Hapgood’s debut is as smart and enchanting as its protagonist.
(Available May 3)Preorder from: -
Highly Illogical Behavior
Available from:When highly ambitious Lisa decides to “fix” agoraphobic Sol, she thinks he’s just a project. However, when she and her charming boyfriend Clark begin spending more and more time at Sol’s (he hasn’t left the house in three years), they all start revealing more to each other than they ever thought they would. This coming-of-age tale is being recommended for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Matthew Quick, and serves as an excellent reminder that a life without real connections hardly counts as living at all.
(Available May 10)Also available from: -
Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories
Summer lovin’ happens so fast, and these 12 romance-in-bloom tales are just the ticket for reading on a family vacation or just a lazy day in the backyard. YA favorites like Libba Bray, Leigh Bardugo, Nina LaCour, Veronica Roth, and Tim Federle are among the authors who contribute day-dreamy stories to warm, already-sunkissed days.
(Available May 17)Preorder from: -
Beware That Girl
Available from:If there’s a summer teen read most likely to become a crossover hit with adult readers, it is Beware That Girl. This psychological thriller links multiple mysteries against the backdrop of New York’s most vaunted and wealthy social circles as Kate O’Brien — a definite have-not and a gifted liar — decides to ascend through the ranks at her elite new school. She befriends the rich, damaged Olivia as both girls form ties to the charismatic teacher, Mark Redkin. Fans of Gone Girl and the Pretty Little Liars series will devour this story.
(Available May 17)Also available from: -
Places No One Knows
This dark contemporary has a burst of magic, in the form of an overachiever who finds her way into the class loser’s dreams. Waverly Camdenmar is in a different social strata from Marshall Holt, but in dreams all the rules change; what the couple finds is a connection unlike anything they could share in the daytime. This is a novel that teens will stay up late to read (and, yes, dream about).
(Available May 17)Preorder from: -
Cure for the Common Universe
Jaxon, 16, has a video game problem. He also has a girl problem — as in, he’s never been on a date. So, when he’s sent to video game rehab just days before his first date with Serena, a girl who actually gets him, he’ll do whatever it takes to get out and avoid standing her up. By turns funny and poignant, this read has enough heart to connect with gamers and non-gamers alike.
(Available June 14)Preorder from: -
The Savage Song
A gritty, monster-ridden metropolis throbs at the center of this urban fantasy from an acclaimed author. Kate Harker and August Flynn, heirs to a divided city where violence has begun to breed actual monsters, have different hopes for themselves. Kate wants to rule in the same ruthless way her father has. August, now a monster who can steal souls with music, wants to protect the innocent the way his own kindhearted father does. The pair finds each other after an assassination attempt forces them to flee — together they have to fend for their city, as well as their souls.
(Available July 5)Preorder from: -
How to Hang a Witch
Available from:Mather, whose family roots extend back to the first Thanksgiving, the Salem Witch Trials and the Titanic, has funneled her penchant for early American history into this modern-day Salem witch hunt. The story centers on Samantha, a Salem transplant by way of New York City, who — because her ancestor aided the Salem Witch Trials — becomes the target of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. A paranormal “Mean Girls,” this fast, gripping read contains plenty to haunt your summer.
(Available July 26)Also available from: -
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)
In this fifth entry in Maas’s bestselling series, the brave and bold Aelin (a female protagonist who could reckon with any male fantasy hero) is faced with the daunting task of making her enemies her allies. Yes, the world depends on it — and yes, teens who haven’t devoured the first books in the series have time to play catch-up before this new installment arrives.
(Available September 6)Preorder from:
Are there any YA books your teenager is (or you are) looking forward to reading this summer? Share your top picks in the comments below!