52 New YA Books to Keep Teens (and Adults!) Reading All Summer Long

No more pencils, no more books
No more teachers’ dirty looks
School’s out for the summer!
School's out forever!
- Alice Cooper, 1972
The estimable Mr. Cooper, scholar and gentleman, bequeathed us these words in honor of summertime, the best of the seasons.
Of course, for us bookworm types, the suspension of school activities has always meant more time for reading. It was thus when we were kids, and it remains so today. As part of our annual Summer Reading initiative, we’ve gathered 52 young adult books coming out between May and late August that are highly anticipated by your fellow readers. Whether you’re young or young at heart, we’ve got you covered.
You’ll find plenty of genre options to choose from. For a sinister high school murder mystery, try Cindy R.X. He’s Perfect Little Monsters. In the romance aisle, college freshpersons Rowan and Neil try the long-distance thing in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Past Present Future. If you’re in the market for that gothic vibe, check out Castle of the Cursed from author Romina Garber.
Also on tap this summer: math nerds in love, rogue samurai in trouble, sapphic vampires in Jazz Age Harlem, and a new chapter in the popular Inheritance Games saga.
Click on the book covers for more details about each title. If you find any good leads, remember to feed your lonesome Want to Read shelf.
May
Comments Showing 1-17 of 17 (17 new)
date
newest »

message 1:
by
Law
(new)
May 13, 2024 05:19AM

flag


you could try
one of us is lying , killing november , scythe , truly devious

You could try books by Markus Zusak, I remember being in a similar boat as a young adult and liking his books

Non-romantic realistic fiction, historical fiction, sci-fi (hey it's science not magic :D)
Or non-murder mysteries, horror books, those odd books that just don't fit anywhere else...

Thanks so much Haley, Astra and Pragya for your suggestions! Will follow up. Have found an old book of Gary Larson cartoons for the meantime :-)

That leaves science fiction and nonfiction, historical fiction, and biographies. There's much more, just look for it.

yo..."
Like most of those are murder tho?

Sci-Fi, Horror, Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Classics...
The Inheritance Games is pretty popular and has a new book on here. It's just solving puzzles, no murder.
If he's up for a manga, Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen and Delicious in Dungeon are both set in Fantasy worlds, but are largely about cooking. WHAK even has recipes you can make at home.
Ariel Crashes a Train is a good book that's getting some awards buzz about a teen with OCD.
The Weight of Blood is a modern retelling of Carrie, so there is death, but it's not like a murder mystery. It's updated to handle racism in current day and is based on a real situation where a prom was still segregated in 2013 (!!)
Thieves Gambit is FANTASTIC and is about spies who have to compete in order to have a wish granted, but they have to take on a contract with a shady company for a year for that to happen.
There are books for every reader :)