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The Most Anticipated YA Books of December
As dedicated readers 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 via Want to Read shelvings and initial reviews. We use this information to put together a roundup of soon-to-be favorites.
New in December: Teenage investigators crack a London cold case in Maureen Johnson’s Nine Liars. Lisa Maxwell wraps up her ingenious fantasy series with The Shattered City. And Alexandra Overy flips the script on Russian folklore with This Cursed Crown. Also: questing scribes, poisonous lakes, and a daring heist aboard the Titanic.
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!
New in December: Teenage investigators crack a London cold case in Maureen Johnson’s Nine Liars. Lisa Maxwell wraps up her ingenious fantasy series with The Shattered City. And Alexandra Overy flips the script on Russian folklore with This Cursed Crown. Also: questing scribes, poisonous lakes, and a daring heist aboard the Titanic.
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!
This innovative YA fantasy introduces readers to the land of Endla, where a bloodthirsty forest and a poisonous lake keep the local island dwellers isolated from the world beyond. When young Leelo rescues the outsider Jaren from drowning, the two develop a bond that threatens the very fabric of the society. But maybe that society’s fabric needs to be torn up a little? Bonus trivia: Author Mara Rutherford (Crown of Coral and Pearl) began her writing career as a journalist. A noble endeavor!
Nine Liars, the fifth installment in Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious mystery series, finds high school senior and true-crime aficionado Stevie Bell joining a study-abroad program in England. There she confronts a decades-old cold case concerning a double murder, a woodshed, Cambridge University, and a lethal game of hide-and-seek. Nine students went out. Only seven came back. Can Stevie solve the crime before the killer strikes again? We shall see!
Heist stories are always fun and this latest book from Adiba Jaigirdar (The Henna Wars) throws in some ambitious storytelling elements. The twists? There are several. The would-be thieves are a gang of young women, including an acrobat, an actress, and an artist. The target is a jewel-encrusted copy of The Rubaiyat. Sapphic love is involved. Oh, and the scene of the crime is a doomed little ocean liner called Titanic. Pulling off the heist will be a miracle. Surviving the heist will require another.
The Shattered City—the concluding chapter in Lisa Maxwell’s innovative fantasy series, The Last Magician—returns to the city of Manhattan, where all the trouble started. Watch for rogue sorcerers, time travel, mystical barriers, daring thefts, and the looming probability of Armageddon. For the uninitiated, the new book is being hawked as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows meets Alexandra Bracken’s Passenger. Bonus trivia: Author Maxwell is also a veteran English professor. Another noble occupation!
Book two in the These Feathered Flames duology, This Cursed Crown expands author Alexandra Overy’s exploration of classic Russian folk tales and the ancient myth of the Firebird. The quick gist: Two sisters struggle against ancient powers and Time itself to save their family and their kingdom. Early reviews suggest the romance is engaging, the Slavic-themed fantasy is entirely successful, and the ending is an eye-popper.
The follow-up to last year’s Crown of Bones returns readers to the land of Amassia, where lowly scribe Ash continues her astonishing quest. Synopsis is tricky with this one, but you can safely anticipate action, adventure, romance, a remarkably cool magic system, some advanced world-building techniques, and professional-grade YA fantasy. Bonus trivia: Author A.K. Wilder is also Australian SF/F author and swordswoman Kim Falconer. Magic!
Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!
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Samantha
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Dec 02, 2022 10:13AM
I am currently reading Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series and am very excited there is going to be a 5th book! I had no idea and now am more motivated to get through the series quicker!
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So excited for the Shattered City
