Today’s post is sponsored by Dana Swift and When Dealing With Dragons!
Meet Dana Swift in person during her book tour! All tour Information can be found on her Instagram @DanaSwiftBooks or her website DanaSwiftBooks.com!
Title When Dealing With Dragons
Author Dana Swift
Intended Target Audience Young Adult
Publication Date June 30th 2026 by Wednesday Books
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Bonding with dragons gave humans magic to craft metal ― now, two school rivals have to work together to protect a priceless secret, all while fighting their growing attraction to each other, from Dana Swift, author of Cast In Firelight.
Copper-crafter Farren Walsh is set on following in her father’s footsteps to become a dragon veterinarian. The only thing more powerful than her love for these magnificent creatures is her hate for those who exploit them for their precious metal. That includes her classmate, an arrogant dragon racer named James Murphy, whose silver-crafting family represents the worst of human greed and dragon abuse ― plus, he’s the biggest competition for the college scholarship she desperately needs.
When James strongarms his way into interning at her family’s dragon sanctuary for the summer, it puts everything at risk. Farren isn’t just the plain copper-crafter she seems. She’s hiding a secret that could not only change her life, but their society as a whole. And James, trying to find refuge from his controlling father, harbors his own secret, years-long crush on Farren. Hating James might be harder than she thought, but Farren can’t risk getting too close: the fate of an endangered species is at stake.
When Dealing With Dragons is a delightful young adult dual-POV romantasy about cross-class romance, finding family, and creating a better world for creatures big and small.
Hot Off The Press is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I share a selection of new books being published in the forthcoming month.
Another new month has begun, and you know what they say: New month, new books! And by ‘they’, I mean me, because it’s time for another edition of Hot Off The Press! With 54 new YA releases in today’s post, there’s no shortage of choices from a variety of different genres, and I sincerely hope you can discover at least one new title that’s right for you! Happy reading!
Did you find this post helpful? Over on Pop! Goes The Reader’s Patreon, I share two additional Hot Off The Press posts detailing over 300 middle grade and adult fiction and non-fiction books being published each month along with other exclusive posts and rewards including downloadable wallpapers for your desktop and devices and book lists on a specific theme for a pledge of $5!
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Simon & Schuster Children’s UK
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Can a dare made at Notting Hill Carnival turn into true love? He’s All That meets How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days in this trope-filled sizzling summer romance, perfect for fans of Joya Goffney and Lynn Painter.
Popular girl Eva Òjó is used to boys falling for her without her even trying. So when her friend dares her to dance with a random guy at Notting Hill Carnival, she meets Saint.
Comic obsessed Saint Rowe-Falade thinks Eva is cute, but he’s not interested in her in that way. He’d rather get lost in stories than look for romance.
When Eva’s birthday party gets out of control and causes damage to her dad’s beloved car, her friends set the ultimate dare: get Saint to take her on one date and they’ll help her pay to fix her dad’s car. Operation fall-in-love-with-Eva is set in motion and Eva makes it her mission to make Saint fall head over heels. But just as Saint starts to warm to Eva, and her own feelings towards him grow, Saint finds out about the dare. Can Eva convince Saint she’s truly into him, or has she lost him for good?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by HarperCollins US
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Perfect for fans of Erin Baldwin and Elise Bryant, this sapphic rom-com — a companion novel to Nav’s Foolproof Guide To Falling In Love — stars a girl determined to reinvent herself, in life and in love.
Hallie loves romance, but it doesn’t seem to love her back. Her six-time broken heart can attest to that. So when Hallie has the chance to attend a prestigious academic summer camp, she sees an opportunity not just to better herself, but to reinvent herself. Into a new Hallie who will succeed where the old one failed — in school, friends, and especially love.
First, a fresh start — which means no romance, all summer. If Hallie’s fortitude is immediately tested by Julia, her gorgeous camp roommate with an uncrackable icy shell, then all the better! Reinvention is never easy!
Yet as Hallie and Julia get closer, Hallie’s heart is in more danger than ever. With the prospect of real love on the line, can Hallie trust that New Hallie won’t make the mistakes that she did? Or is Julia looking for someone else — the unfiltered, unaltered, real Hallie?
Wish You Weren’t Here meets I Think I Love You in this sweet, summer rom-com, where plans go wonderfully astray, the best rules are broken ones, and love might actually be just around the corner.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Flatiron Books
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A heartfelt coming-of-age debut about a girl starting over while keeping secret that she’s spent the last year in juvenile detention. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Leah Johnson.
Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Cooper is back after twelve months at Guiding Hearts Home for Troubled Girls, and nothing is the way it was. Her mom has remarried and now there’s a big new house, a shiny new family, and a fancy new school. Jas feels completely out of place, and things only get more complicated when her mom insists that her “fresh start” include hiding the truth of where she’s been and cutting off people from her past.
As Jas settles into her new life bonding with her seemingly perfect stepsister, making a close-knit group of besties, and maybe even falling for the cute girl in class, it starts to feel like her second chance might actually be real.
But when a friend from the detention center reaches out to reconnect, Jas worries that everything she’s built could fall apart. How long can she keep her past a secret? And how many times can she spin the truth before she forgets who she really is?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Graphix
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Dive into summer fun with the second volume of this graphic novel romance from Webtoon. It’s perfect for fans of True Beauty and Pumpkinheads!
Amidst the chaos of her parents’ bitter divorce, Alaskan teenager Waverly Lyons trades in her textbooks and parka for a summer of suntans and short-shorts with her aunt in Florida. After a few weeks of dipping her toes into these new waters, she’s actually starting to feel like she’s found her people. And now that she’s taken a few swimming lessons with Blake – the super-tan, super-hot, super-arrogant lifeguard next door – their relationship starts to turn into a romantic one. What will Waverly do with summer almost at an end? And what tragic events of his past led Blake to want to teach her?
The second volume of this slice-of-life YA romance is illustrated in an anime-inspired style that readers will love. What are you waiting for? Dive in!
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Balzer + Bray
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A teen criminal hacker turned secret operative must outwit a band of cyberterrorists in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Bone Houses.
I was fifteen when I became a murderer.
After a hack gone tragically wrong, a teen girl is given an ultimatum: accept a harsh prison sentence or leave her old life behind, adopt a new identity, and use her talents in the service of a covert government agency.
Three years later, the newly-named Augusta Pine has become a skilled wraith, one of the Identity Security Division’s secret operatives. She has no home, no family. Her only friends are her coolly professional handler and a snarky sentient AI spybot. So when Augusta is sent to Portland for her next assignment, she seizes the chance to glimpse her beloved grandmother and rents the apartment next door.
But what begins as a little nostalgic stalking quickly turns into a fight for survival. With her quick wit, tech savvy ― and help from an unexpected ally ― Augusta must race against the clock to stay one step ahead of a band of deadly cyberterrorists.
Unfolding through a suspenseful narrative interspersed with case-file excerpts, this is a pulse-pounding novel about identity, connection, and justice.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by First Second
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In her solo graphic novel debut, Megan Kearney weaves a fresh tale of dark academia and brutal competition. This psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Black Swan!
Arriving at Saint Anselmus in the middle of the year, Rosamund Hammond is ready to practice hard and prove she deserves to be there. But something at this boarding school doesn’t feel right.
It turns out that just before Rosamund enrolled, a student disappeared without telling anyone. Was it really a leave of absence ― or something more sinister? Together with her new roommate, Rosamund spirals deeper and deeper into an obsession with the truth. As the school prepares for its showcase performance of Coppélia, can she commit to her hard-earned ballet dreams while solving the mystery that’s haunting her ― or will she lose herself in the process?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Graphix
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A charming and vibrant true story about an unforgettable summer in Japan!
Abby lives in the United States and loves comics, zines, and punk music. Yuuko lives in Japan and loves manga, American movies, and creating art. When Yuuko visits New York City and sees a comic that Abby made, she writes a letter to Abby and they become pen pals. Later, Abby takes the opportunity to enroll in a summer university program in Japan, and the two girls get the chance to meet in person. What follows are charming and funny adventures in Tokyo as Abby and Yuuko explore the city together. Things get even more exciting when they decide to combine their talents and make a comic to sell at Comiket, one of the largest comics conventions in the world. This will be an extraordinary summer of life-changing friendship!
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel about one girl’s journey through grief and the family, first love, and shocking truths she finds on the other side. Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Every Last Word.
All her life, it’s just been sixteen-year-old Skylar and her rockstar dad against the world. But this year, a horrible accident cuts the summer short and upends her life.
As Skylar grieves her dad, she discovers a huge secret: her mother is still alive. Now, Skylar is uprooted from her home and thrust into a family of strangers on the other side of the country. Furious with the mother who deserted her, she seeks comfort in her baking and decides to enter a local competition with a dazzling prize of a trip to a Parisian pastry school. As she gains her footing in the contest and her new town, she befriends a girl who seems just as lost as her, and she also finds more than friendship in the frustratingly irresistible boy next door. But as Skylar bakes her way to a brighter future, she’ll uncover truths about the past in the last place she expected.
Filled with heaps of emotion, a spoonful of hope, and an unexpected twist of fate, this is a powerful story about the true meaning of home.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Graphix
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From Ignatz-nominated cartoonist Richard Mercado comes a refreshingly honest and moving YA graphic novel perfect for fans of queer coming-of-age stories like Heartstopper.
When Kevin’s parents ignore his attempts to come out of the closet, he devises a plan to become more like Raymond, the popular gay kid at his high school. After all, if Kevin can do everything perfectly, too, then people will have to pay attention to him.
But life under Raymond’s wing isn’t easy: a dress code, new things Kevin can and can’t do, and even abandoning his old “uncool” friends. Perfection comes at a cost, and Kevin must decide whether it’s worth the sacrifice.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Delacorte Romance
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When a San Francisco treasure hunt ropes two ex-besties back together, they’ll end up digging into their own complicated, buried feelings in this queer YA rom com!
Cam was the one who discovered the hunt. He brought it to Ivy like an offering, took her hand as they combed through San Francisco, searching for treasure and conspiring against the heteronormative agenda. But that was back then.
Now juniors, they’re both out and proud — Cam as a trans man and Ivy as gay — but their friendship isn’t as assured. Problem is, Ivy can’t reveal Cam’s past betrayal without airing closely guarded secrets of her own.
As Ivy comes across the missing link in the treasure hunt from their childhood, she’s certain she can put the clues together and finally come out on top in the cat-and-mouse game Cam’s been playing with her ever since their friendship ended.
Once Cam gets wind of Ivy’s renewed interest in the hunt, the ex-best friends will go head-to-head in their search for gold. But as they get digging, they’ll uncover more things buried between them than they bargained for.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Random House/Disney
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Follow Sally to a dark realm called Shadow Town — where a powerful foe awaits her — in the #1 New York Times bestselling series inspired by Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas!
Can Sally save Jack from the shadows?
Sally should be at ease now that she has proven herself as Pumpkin Queen by saving Halloween Town from destructive spells twice. But the villain behind the town’s most recent troubles — a mysterious figure cloaked in darkness — is still at large, and Sally refuses to rest until she and her king, Jack Skellington, can find their enemy and stop them forever.
Then, strange storm clouds and directionless wind begin to haunt Halloween Town, and soon, citizens start to go missing. It becomes clear that the dark foe has decided to make the first move, and Sally will need allies from across the Hinterlands to stop him. But as Sally and Jack gather their friends to fight back against this attack, the unthinkable happens: the mysterious force takes Jack, too.
After learning that her nemesis is a dark prince who lives in a lost realm called Shadow Town, Sally embarks on another cross-realms quest to find a solution, one that will connect her to new locales like Chance Town and the Hinterlands Maze. With the prince tracking her at every turn, seemingly bent on revenge, Sally will need to fight with every fiber of her being to prevent Halloween Town from utter destruction. But what secrets is the prince hiding — and could the truth undo everything?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Soho Teen
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From the author of Orpheus Girl and finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Poetry, this lyrical YA novel follows a teen who unravels a personal mystery as she tries to understand her older sister’s death.
A discovery of authentic self and sapphic love. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Lily Braun-Arnold.
Seventeen-year-old Isadora is reeling after the sudden loss of her older sister, Eleni, to a pulmonary embolism. Her grieving parents can’t offer much support — her only reprieve is her close friend Ani, but lately the intensity of her feelings for Ani have been more confusing than comforting. Then Isadora discovers secret letters in Eleni’s belongings that suggest her artist sister was hiding more from her family than Isadora ever expected.
Isadora travels to her uncle’s apartment in New York City, where Eleni lived, determined to unravel the threads of her sister’s life. As she searches for clues, Isadora embraces her own sexuality and begins to fall in love. But can she learn to live when Eleni will never have the same chance?
Heartbreaking and healing, this gut punch of a novel is an essential read for anyone who’s ever lost—and loved.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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From Farah Heron, the critically acclaimed author of adult rom-com Accidentally Engaged, comes a story about a goody-two-shoes teen who concocts a brilliant plan to fake-date the local bad boy to rebel against her mom.
Meera Noorani has spent her whole life playing it safe.
Raised by her single mom, she’s had to — especially in love. After all, it has been proven, generation after generation, that all Noorani women are cursed to have partners who ruin their lives.
And though she tried her best to avoid it, Meera’s fate comes a-calling, and within the span of a week, she’s broken up with, arrested, and then shipped to small-town Canada, where she’ll be completing her community service under the watchful eye of her mom and her new stepdad.
Meera’s spent her whole life being good, and this is the thanks she gets?
If she can pose a threat to Mom’s perfect new life, though, maybe she can get back to the city. And there’s no better way to do that than date one of her fellow teen delinquents. Noah has got the piercings, tattoos, and rumors to prove that he’s the town’s most infamous bad boy…but when the bad boy isn’t actually bad, what’s a girl meant to do?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Graphix
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Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The final installment in the bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel series about life, love, and everything that happens in between.
Everyone in school knows Nick and Charlie. Everyone knows they’re going to be together forever. But Charlie’s busy with his bid to become Head Boy. And while Nick is preparing to leave for college, he’s starting to wonder who he’ll be…without Charlie.
Contains discussions around mental health and eating disorders, and sexual references.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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Eli and his found family must go back to the time when magic first arrived in London to uncover his lost past in this scintillating sequel to King of Dead Things, a young adult urban fantasy steeped in Afro-Caribbean folklore. Perfect for fans of Legendborn and Leigh Bardugo.
Gods and secrets don’t stay buried forever.
The magical underbelly of London is no longer under threat from the malevolent daughter of Death after she was vanquished during an epic nine-night. But in her wake, certain truths have been unearthed that have left Malcolm, Eli, Sunny, and their friends fractured and desperate to lay the past to rest.
For Malcolm — a boy grappling with his inherited death magic — confronting his past means facing heartbreak, realities he isn’t yet ready to acknowledge, and perhaps even first love. On the other hand, Eli, a silver-tongued thief with no memories of his past, is more determined than ever to uncover his lost identity and find out once and for all where he came from, unless his past catches up with him first…
Something is lurking in Eli’s dreams, giving teeth to his nightmares. And when Malcolm finds a mysterious letter in the ruins of a former magical sanctuary full of its own secret histories, he and their friends set out to find a hidden key that may just be the answer to all their problems. If they want a chance against the shadow that’s been hunting Eli, they’ll need to learn the magic of their ancestors and go back to the very beginning: when magic first arrived in London.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Scholastic Press
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From New York Times bestselling author Kody Keplinger comes an addicting read that’s The Girls by Emma Cline meets The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson.
There are many reasons why five girls have ended up living with Sol in a cabin in the Kentucky mountains. But the girls don’t talk about what has brought them each here or who they were before. They have become sisters and are grateful to have a place to call home.
Iris knows she owes everything to Sol. He has promised to keep them safe from their pasts. All he asks in return is for their loyalty, which Iris freely gives. With her sisters and Sol as her family, she feels happier than she has in a long time.
Until a new girl arrives and everything changes.
Sol christens her Rose and the sisters are quick to welcome her. Iris is drawn to Rose, but as they grow closer, Rose has Iris questioning things about this life in the woods. When Sol notices, he challenges Iris to prove her commitment to their family. Her sisters tell her that she should be willing to do anything for the man who saved her. But with each new ask, Iris realizes there is more to Sol ― and her sisters ― than she knows and some secrets should stay buried deep.
New York Times bestselling author Kody Keplinger weaves a stunning story about girlhood, power, and desperation that asks just how far we’ll go to save ourselves ― and those we love.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by HarperCollins
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How does one kill the unkillable?
Sparrow and her companions have been left with an impossible task: slay the immortal Deathless King, whose magic siphons the very life of the world to sustain himself.
The answer may lie deep in the past, when those who would become Deathless Kings stormed the sanctuary of the goddess of Fate, in an attempt to remove their threads from the Weave and become immortal. They broke off a piece of the goddess’s loom and hurled it to the earth, where it still lies at the center of a dangerous wasteland called the World Scar.
For any chance against the Deathless King, Sparrow and her companions must brave the World Scar and reach the loom, which would grant the power of a goddess. But the journey is fraught with danger, and the powerful Deathless King determined to find them.
And if the loom is reached — what will the power of a goddess do to a mere mortal? Sparrow has no choice but to find out.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Simon & Schuster Children’s UK
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Two secrets, an unbreakable bond…a powerful and heartbreaking love letter to a life-changing friendship, from award-winning author, Stewart Foster.
I wish you were here, because maybe this isn’t a story, or a diary. Perhaps it’s just the longest thank you letter a friend could ever write.
As the summer before college begins, Jonas is hiding a secret. He suffers with bulimia, but no one knows. Not even he knows how bad it really is. Until he meets Louis, a confident dreamer who believes in a better future for Jonas and together they enjoy a sun-kissed summer filled with music, memories and life-changing moments. But when tragedy strikes, Jonas must decide if he has the strength to face things alone…
Writing from personal experience, an award-winning author shines an important light on difficult themes of illness, mental health, and grief in a redemptive story of friendship, for readers of Meg Rosoff and Sarah Crossan.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Union Square & Co.
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Persephone Green doesn’t have a heartbeat. In a country where the dead has eerily lurked among the living for nearly two decades, even she knows its absence is not normal.
In place of her heart, something inhuman stirs, an ancient ocean she discovers twinned in the chest of Sebastian, the charmingly bizarre new student. When they’re together, they attract ghosts like a beacon, and when they kiss, white flowers bloom in the dead, autumn ground.
To exhume the truth, Persephone and Bas travel across the Midwest to the deserted facility where it all began. Pursued across state lines by writhing swarms of ghosts, militant government agents, and—maybe worst of all — her mother, they unspool a tangled web of conspiracies. At its center: a divine and devastating truth.
Forced to choose between an imperfect life that’s wholly hers or an otherworldly responsibility older than time, the echoes of Persephone’s decision will alter the fates of all souls — living and dead — forever.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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In an insular small town steeped in Norse traditions, a local teen grapples with dark secrets from the past rising to the surface in this “spine-tingling thrill ride” (School Library Journal, starred review) by New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline West.
Lucia Sorenson holds on hard to the things she loves. Her tiny hometown clings to the bluffs above the Mississippi River, threatened by weather and time. Unlike most people her age, Lucia plans to stay after graduation and help her grandfather run the Viking Museum of Black Point. Maybe then she can keep everything her ancestors built from washing away.
When the Black Point Hotel, a supposedly haunted local landmark, is bought by an outsider, the town is shaken — and for Lucia, fresh changes arrive in the form of the owner’s nephew, Max. As Lucia gets to know Max, she begins to question her role in the town’s rituals and to see the place, and herself, with new eyes.
But the town is flooding, and old secrets are rising to the surface. Soon Lucia will have to choose between the home she thought she knew and the hideous truths hidden underneath.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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One sister offers her life in exchange for the other’s in this dark, Irish lore–inspired romantasy and “sizzling, high-stakes debut launching a series that readers will greedily devour” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, buying magic comes with a price.
But when her beloved older sister is gravely injured, Maeve risks everything to buy the forbidden magic that might save her. In exchange, Maeve trades her life to a ruthless and dangerously alluring rebel leader. Bound to do his bidding, Maeve finds herself thrown into a deadly competition to become the next queen and stand beside a prince rumored to be more brutal than his tyrannical father.
With the isle on the brink of war, trust and survival come at a terrible cost — one that will tear Maeve’s world, and her heart, in two.
What would you sacrifice to survive?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Delacorte Press
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From the author of Escape Room comes a thrilling whodunnit. Three people all confess to murdering the same person, they all have motives, but only one is the true killer.
Guess who?
Maria’s life spirals into chaos after she provides testimony that puts her brother behind bars, a decision that has fractured her family and left Maria isolated from her friends. And not long after, Maria is found dead.
Three of her peers — Cody, Norah, and Pip — all confess to the murder. And they all have a motive…but only one is guilty.
When it comes to light that Maria was being tormented by a mysterious, masked figure known only as the “Mystery Guest,” the search for answers becomes even more complicated.
Who is behind that mysterious mask? Who is the mystery guest? Maren Stoffels masterfully plays with perspectives and motives, as only she can — resulting in a murderously exciting page-turner.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Candlewick
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Regan has two rules: Don’t fall in love. Don’t have hope.
In a world where everyone knows the date they will die, wild-child Regan works at a luxury resort as a “Juliet” for the Romeo & Juliet Service, promising to provide the illusion of star-crossed romance to rich boys on end-of-life retreats. She gets to live life on the edge — skydiving, partying, and doing a host of other people’s bucket-list thrills — then moves on to her next client. But when world-famous Death Date researchers the Dalys arrive, she’s tasked with her hardest client yet, their overachieving, stone-faced son.
Jude Daly sees right through the setup — he thinks she’s a parasite, and, frankly, she thinks he’s an entitled jerk. They agree to fake romance for the sake of Jude’s parents and Regan’s job, but as contempt turns into something else, will Regan ignore her ironclad rules so she and Jude can take on Fate together? Or will his impending Death Date catch up with them first? A compelling and heartbreaking twist on Romeo and Juliet, in which Regan realizes she might have to stop living like today is her last — and start living like it isn’t.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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The daughter of a sinister magical family who made a deal with the devil must stop the man killing them off, one by one, in this deliciously dark fantasy thriller that’s House of Hollow meets Succession, laced with a kiss-or-kill romance.
Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely’s loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.
Once overlooked for her lowly gift of discovering secrets, Cicely is now her family’s only chance at survival, tasked with finding the killer before he takes out every last Winter. With time running out, Cicely narrows her sights on Soren, who she suspects is back for vengeance.
Yet the more Cicely investigates Soren – and gets to know him – the more she begins to question how much family loyalty is worth. After all, when it comes to being a Winter, one can have love or power, but rarely both…
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Delacorte Press
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A teen girl is swept into an opulent world of love, lies, and ghosts after she moves in with the wealthy, mysterious family she never knew she had in book one of the Grove Hollow series.
The year is 1985, and seventeen-year-old Jade Whitney is about to discover that her family holds a dark secret that will change her life forever. Sent to live with her great-aunt Ruth, Jade moves into Blythe House, her family’s sprawling, gilded mansion — but picturesque Grove Hollow, New York, is anything but welcoming.
At Jade’s new private school she’s shunned by everyone except the Misfits, the school’s outcasts, who spend their weekends exploring abandoned haunted mansions and listening to The Cure. But Jade’s eye keeps wandering back to Brad, the charming, handsome rugby captain — and the only other kid at school to welcome her.
Everything changes when Jade finds a cursed locket in a derelict estate. The locket is connected to a Victorian ghost named William, who desperately needs Jade’s help, and who Jade feels an undeniable attraction to. The closer they grow, the more urgent it becomes for Jade to decide where her heart truly lies — and if she’s willing to let Will go.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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A deliciously dark standalone set in the same world as the YA romantic fantasy Of Flame and Fury, where star-crossed enemies gamble with their hearts, empires, and the fate of a lost god.
On an island marred by pageantry and pain, power comes at an impossible price.
Inna is the perfect heiress to the Pallo crime family: poised, cunning, untouchable. Behind this glamorous facade, she hunts for the sinister truth of her sister’s death. Despite the cover-up she’s been led to believe, Inna can feel an enemy lurking in the shadows.
Rylan has sculpted himself into a talented thief for one reason: retribution for his family, who were murdered by Inna’s mother. Armed with illusion magic, Rylan plans to steal an ancient riddle from the Pallo vault, one that leads to a sleeping god. Whoever wakes the Serpent King will be granted any wish they desire. Rylan means to claim this power, and with it, Inna’s ruin.
But when Inna catches Rylan sneaking past her family’s security, they enter into a perilous alliance that neither intends to keep ― even as bitter attraction unravels into something more.
Though some hearts aren’t meant to be stolen, and love knows nothing of blood-red revenge…
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Rocky Pond Books
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Their love is destined, but can it survive her compulsion for beauty? Haunting and steamy, this spellbinding fantasy romance will enthrall you with its alluring concoction of traditional Grimm’s and modern thrills.
Sylvie has taken a summer job at a remote and alluring prairie preserve in the middle of the Great Plains. It’s a much-needed escape — from her sadness, from her cruelly distant father, and maybe even from herself: She longs to be free of the intrusive, obsessive thoughts that are her constant burden.
Soon, she finds herself drawn to a stunning shepherd boy and can’t stop herself from going to him at night, even though she’s been warned to keep away. During the day, though, she begins to develop a friendship with another boy, a strange-looking and strangely gentle coworker named Jack…and gradually to uncover the mysteries of this place that feels more like home than anyplace has before it.
But those mysteries include a powerful curse, and when she uncovers the truth of it, she becomes recklessly determined to break it — to free the one trapped in its spell. She fails to consider the possibility that her actions could break much more than just the curse, and that some burdens demand to be borne.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Quill Tree Books
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A touch of magic meets a romantic mystery in this delightful YA rom-com, where a love-cynical teen with the ability to manipulate emotions gets in over her head when she accidentally curses the school bad boy into falling in love with her.
Of all her sisters, only Riya inherited the full powers of their peri ancestor, a fey creature specializing in emotion magic…especially the sacred power of love.
Riya has never been interested in love — much to the disappointment of her best friend, Mel, who really, really wants Riya to get Mel and her crush together before senior year’s over. The only thing Riya cares about, truthfully, is forgetting the last, disastrous time she used her powers.
So, when Mel finally convinces her to give her crush a tiny push, she’s horrified when the peri magic lashes out of control yet again. Instead of a casual love spell, she’s placed an accidental love curse on the school bad boy, Kian Kho. Riya doesn’t like Kian one bit — but if the curse isn’t reversed by the next full moon, his unrequited love could leave him literally heartbroken.
As the letters, public declarations, flowers, and songs pile up, there’s only one way out: master her peri magic and break the curse — before they’re both love – stuck forever.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
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A criminal and a royal guard are drawn into the hunt for a dangerous witch—and an unexpected romance—in this YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy, the first in a duology. Perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter.
In Gadore, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield that magic with a single thought.
So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned — and no one will be safe until she’s killed.
Toran is the Prince’s Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King’s Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.
As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they’d never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light — secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Gadore itself.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Delacorte Press
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The future of Blackwood Academy — and the entire afterlife — is at stake in the must-read sequel to the viral dark fantasy sensation Immortal Consequences.
The Decennial is over, but for the students of Blackwood Academy, the fight for the afterlife has just begun.
The infamous school was hiding more secrets — and lies — than any of the Decennial’s participants could have imagined. And there’s still so much that remains buried beneath its ancient foundations. Now the future of the academy, and all the souls within it, rests in the hands of six former pupils:
The charmer and the golden boy…
The traitor and the girl desperate to save her…
The Chosen One and the one who would choose her over and over again…Any of them could be the hero the afterlife needs…or the villain who will destroy it for good. Because the truth is, Blackwood’s biggest secret has yet to come to light — and when it does, it will shake the institution to its core.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Joy Revolution
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In a kingdom where dance is forbidden, a future high priestess must bend the rules to stop an ancient evil from destroying everything and everyone she loves — including the crown prince — in this sweeping romantasy graphic novel.
Eighteen-year-old Myra has spent her entire life training to succeed her grandmother as high priestess. But with her ascension rapidly approaching, she’s worried about the path ahead. How can she become the herald of the god Alrun when he forbids the thing she loves most: dancing?
Her people can’t afford her self-doubt, though. A peace treaty is dependent on Myra receiving Alrun’s wisdom, and the forces of darkness are seeping through the barrier between worlds. The only source of light Myra has is her childhood best friend, the crown prince. Without his support and…love, she may not be able to stop what’s coming.
Myra must dig deep into her kingdom’s forgotten history for answers, even if it means defying the law. But the key to saving her people may require her to make the biggest sacrifice of all.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Delacorte Press
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Two best friends set out to find a missing socialite in the hopes of claiming a hefty reward – but what happens when their investigation forces them to question both their morals and their friendship in this twisty mystery?
It girl Estella Aubergine is everything Pippa and Bidi are not: wealthy, popular, influential, missing. Finding her and collecting the reward money Estella’s reclusive mother is offering could turn their lives around. They’d be able to pay off the overdue bills on Pippa’s family’s store, and all the media attention would only help Bidi’s chances of becoming the youngest elected official in San Francisco.
But to uncover what happened to Estella, they’ll have to enter her wealthy world. Namely, the prestigious Beaumont Academy, where Estella’s classmates and teachers all seem to have dark secrets and enough money to hide them.
The deeper Pippa and Bidi dig, the more questions come up about Estella’s disappearance. Worse, someone seems to be clocking their every step. And as cracks form in the girls’ friendship, they begin to see that maybe the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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A deliciously twisted, fast-paced YA horror, where debutante dreams become bloody nightmares. Perfect for fans of House of Hollow and Their Vicious Games.
It’s 1921, and Mrs. Caroline Reginald Kane, the last surviving descendant of a family of oil barons, has invited four young debutantes to visit her at Greystone Manor. There, they’ll compete for the ultimate prize: to become heir to her unspeakably vast fortune.
But only one girl can win.
And the manor is watching.
Dorothea is a thief, and the best liar in the American Northeast. Her mother vanished at Greystone years ago, and she’s determined to find out why — so long as no one uncovers her secrets first.
Vaughn isn’t crazy. She was born for this life — and she won’t let anyone come between her and the fortune she deserves.
Birdie doesn’t know why she’s been invited, but she believes everything happens for a reason…and that reason just might be divine.
Elspeth is called “pretty as a peach, dim as a doorknob.” But she sees things that the others can’t: whispering birds, shifting doors, and a language that should never be spoken.
And there’s something else hidden behind these walls. Something sinister.
It doesn’t plan to let them leave alive.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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In the stunning finale to the global phenomenon of the Inheritance Games Saga (over 6 million copies sold!), discover danger, riches, romance — and the staggering answers to long-brewing mysteries.
Everyone is a player.
In the grandest of games, there is everything to win — money, love, power, revenge — and even more to lose. From Texas to Prague to London and beyond, the Hawthorne family, the players from the Grandest Game, and allies old and new are drawn into a web of centuries-old secrets and mind-bending puzzles. Every clue pulls them deeper; every answer demands a price.
To survive, they must unravel the mysteries that bind them together…but some truths are deadly.
Discover danger, riches, romance — and the long-awaited revelations at the heart of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s most intricate and explosive puzzle yet.
All games must come to an end.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Candlewick
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Tru and Lila confront shadowy new enemies, dangerous powers and maybe even their first date in this high-octane sequel.
At the secretive Underhill agency for those with superhuman abilities, Tru and Lila — a virtually indestructible bastion and an explosive bombshell, respectively — are trying to navigate their talents, careers, and budding relationship. But the perception of bombshells like Lila has soured — their actions, and even their heart rates, are now heavily monitored, and no one trusts a bombshell not to go off.
All this scrutiny is hindering not just Lila’s missions but also her attempts to finally go on a real date with Tru. After all, romance can quicken a pulse just as much as danger! As Lila’s bitterness escalates, she meets Ryan, a talented young man from an organization with a lawless reputation who tells her to call him if she gets tired of following the rules. But who is Lila, if not someone who follows all the rules? Is she the person feared by the community stifling her, or the person seen by the ruthless stranger promising freedom and power?
This is a fast-paced thriller with high romantic stakes and unforgettable characters.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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A brilliant girl risking it all to infiltrate a secret society of enchanters gets unexpected help from one of their victims — now a vengeful spirit — in this “cunning, high-stakes” (Publishers Weekly) historical dark academia novel by New York Times bestselling author S. E. Grove.
In a world where magic is drawn from the realm of the dead, enchanters — always men — go to great lengths to steal it. Voyaging to the spirit realm, an enchanter will claim a dead woman’s spirit as his own and make her a servant, a tool for his own magical ends. Enchanters maintain great secrecy around their practices, so only a wealthy elite have access to this power: members of a secret society shrouded within Commonwealth University, the nation’s premiere institution for the study of enchantment.
When Sam — the son of islander immigrants of modest means — dared to use magic to blend into the blueblood world of Commonwealth, it cost him his life. Now a spirit, he’s determined to avenge his murder and uncover the secrets of the Cisneros Society from beyond the grave.
When Sam encounters Clementine Quinn, a young woman disguised as a male student at Commonwealth, he quickly sees that Clem is putting herself in grave danger at the school. But as he tries to warn her of the peril, it becomes clear that his past and her fate are inextricably entwined. To avenge his murder and prevent hers, they’ll need to help one another and thereby prove, ultimately, that friendship and love can transcend everything, even death.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Random House/Star Wars
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A charming young adult romance featuring all-new characters (plus cameos!), a magnetic attraction, a mysterious artifact, and the fearsome First Order from New York Times bestseller, Ashley Poston.
When eighteen-year-old Ardent Quay saves the life of a fast-talking Wild Spacer on Coruscant, she doesn’t expect a thank you — and she certainly doesn’t expect him to stowaway on her father’s star tour ship. Yet here he is, taking up residence in the ship’s pantry and eating all her favorite snacks. He’s mysterious and coy and strange, with silver hair and eyes speckled with stars, and no matter how much she tries to pull away, she can’t. She should report him to her father, but the stowaway soon convinces her that there’s a nefarious plot at play on this ship, one that has the lives of everyone onboard at stake. With the galaxy on the brink of war and the First Order breathing down their necks, Ardent and her stowaway must ferry a precious artifact to its homeworld without getting caught — or worse, killed.
This is, actually, a terrible time to take a tour of the galaxy. And an even worse time to fall in love.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Delacorte Romance
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In this spooky, small-town Summerween romance, an amateur ghost hunter and a supernatural skeptic team up for a haunted home renovation project. But is their relationship the real fixer upper?
Amity Callaway is sick of being known as the weird girl. As annoyed as she is that her recently divorced mom just moved them across the country to the tiny, quirky town of Harlow’s Rest, Massachusetts, it could be the fresh start she needs.
Until Amity discovers their absolute disaster of a new house is supposedly haunted.
Theo Hargrave, amateur ghost hunter and son of the local general contractor, is a true believer. When he shows up on their property with his EMF reader in hand, Amity is ready to debunk all his theories. She’s definitely not staring at the small scar through his eyebrow or his ridiculously soft lips.
But even Amity can admit their home renovation is doomed. Nothing is going right, from the paint that refuses to dry to the fixtures that keep coming loose. So Amity and Theo strike a deal — his family’s construction expertise for her help investigating the house’s supernatural secrets. Even scarier than ghosts, though? Amity’s growing feelings for Theo.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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In this deliciously twisty YA novel, two girls (read: enemies) at a boarding school must team up to take down the boy who hurt them. Perfect for fans of Ace of Spades and Do Revenge.
Uyai and Fiyin may be roommates at Blue Waters Secondary School, but they are not friends. Uyai is popular and fierce — she dominates every room she walks into. Fiyin is nerdy and quiet — she’s easy to miss. Anyone who knows them (assuming they know who Fiyin is at all) would argue that, besides that shared dorm room, the two girls have absolutely nothing in common.
But they do.
Because both girls have been hurt. Humiliated. Taken advantage of. And both girls have just one boy to blame for it.
Fiyin thinks Uyai is an irresponsible mean girl. Uyai thinks Fiyin is an uptight loser. They both think the boy that hurt them deserves to suffer. But taking down one of the most popular guys in school isn’t a one-woman task. If they want to get their revenge before graduation, Uyai and Fiyin will need each other’s help — regardless of how they feel about each other.
After all, you don’t need to be friends to be teammates.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Bloomsbury YA
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I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Counselors in this YA thriller about the daughter of a killer who must prove her innocence after a night of fun turns deadly.
Dina Soto is used to laying low. Ever since her father confessed to murdering two of his students, Dina’s mom has kept the family on a short leash to avoid drawing any more attention. But when cute, popular, and incredibly sweet Kai Thompson invites Dina to spend the weekend with him and his friends at his cabin, Dina thinks maybe being noticed wouldn’t be so bad.
But once at the cabin, Dina realizes one night won’t change her reputation as the daughter of a killer – especially not when people start turning up dead. Told in part through police evidence, the truth of what happened that night unravels alongside long-held secrets. But one thing remains true: Dina is adamant she didn’t do it. Now, she just has to prove it.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Godwin Books
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Maximiliano Rafael Guerrero Lopez “Max” has been dead for 30 years. He’s stuck as a sixteen-year-old in his childhood bedroom with no memory of how he died, and no company aside from rotting floor boards and mildew-ridden guitars.
Joaquín Felix Ladrón “Joaquín” is a high schooler who’s desperate to experience something paranormal ― he’d do anything to even catch a glimpse of a ghost, even if it means sacrificing his relationship with his boyfriend.
When Joaquín goes on a ghost hunt at an abandoned house that’s rumored to be haunted, he and Max find their fates becoming intertwined in ways neither of them expected. But, as Max’s powers begin to grow stronger, it becomes clear that their tentative friendship may just prove to be fatal…
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Ten Speed Graphic
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In this heartwarming graphic novel romance from the adaptor and illustrator of The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel, two young artists’ paths intertwine as they navigate the complexities of love in a world where sea levels have risen and society is sharply divided.
Paolo lives in the Flats, a dangerous, water-logged community where families survive by salvaging materials from skyscrapers hidden just beneath the ocean’s surface—remnants of a world before sea levels rose. Scavenging the depths comes with its risks, but when Paolo discovers a suitcase of designer clothes, he decides to fulfill his dream: To spend one night in the Uplands, a place of privilege, excess, and freedom. There he meets Jules and her friends, and what begins as a single night of reckless adventure turns into a secret double life—and a seemingly impossible romance that forces Paolo to reckon with who he is, where he belongs, and the importance of being true to himself.
Rendered in vibrant watercolor illustrations that bring every scene to vivid life, Salvage is as much a visual masterpiece as it is a moving tale of love and self-discovery. Renée Nault’s atmospheric and luminous hand-painted art draws readers into Paolo and Jules’ world, promising an unforgettable coming of age story.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Holiday House
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A Munchausen by proxy victim reveals his deepest secrets on a true-crime podcast — but will his audience believe him, let alone his loved ones?
Harrowing new details in ‘Monster Mommy’ case…Shocking information surfaces as ‘Monster Mommy’ case heads to trial…How could a mother poison her son?
Welcome to sixteen-year-old Alex’s life, ripped straight from the headlines.
Alex is a victim of Munchausen by proxy, but he’s also a witty, sarcastic kid with unusually good crossword skills and a penchant for astronomy. At least he used to be. Now that he’s recovered from years of illness induced by his mother, he sort of has to figure out who he is all over again…And most importantly, he’ll have to decide if he can testify against the woman who gave birth to him.
As Alex awaits the trial, his friends convince him to start a podcast as a way to tell his story. Together, they create “Lethal Lullaby.” The podcast brings Alex closer to his old life — hanging out with friends, cracking jokes, having fun…At the same time, new memories surface and disturbing revelations come out, forcing Alex to acknowledge that the podcast could be making things worse. It seems like he’s got deeper issues than he’d like to admit – and this time, he can’t blame them on his mom.
Day by day, Alex’s mental health crumbles, until he can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction. Should he trust himself to testify? And if he gets up there, what version of the truth will he share?
This breathtaking YA debut is perfect for fans of Sadie and The Act. Come for the can’t-look-away take on true crime, stay for the honest portrayal of mental illness.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Roaring Brook Press
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Return to the spellbinding world of Heir of Storms in the explosive second installment to the Storm Weaver series, perfect for fans of Red Queen, Throne of Glass, and The Rose Bargain.
Having survived three treacherous trials to win her crown, Blaze is soon to become Queen of the Aquatori. However, before she can take the throne, she must set out to find the Eye of the Soul, one of the realm’s most powerful weapons, lest another claims it for themself.
Her journey will take her deep into the forests of Ostacre and into a temporary alliance with the infuriating yet undeniably compelling Fox. She can’t resist feeling drawn to him, even as she questions if she can truly trust him. Fortune favors the brave, but will it protect the Storm Weaver on her most dangerous mission yet?
Narrated not just by Blaze, but her brother, Flint, and the newly-discovered Shadow Mage, Elva, the epic journey that began in Heir of Storms continues in this sweeping and swoon-worthy second installment of the Storm Weaver series.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Union Square & Co.
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From Bram Stoker Award-winning author Lora Senf comes a fast-paced YA filled with cosmic horror and existential dread — four teens fight for survival on an impossible island against a creature who might spell the end of the world. Perfect for fans of Kate Alice Marshall and Claire Legrand.
Reckless, depressed, impulsive and sixteen, Harrow Lane is going to an island that shouldn’t exist to look for answers about the death of her father — the father who accidentally cursed her shortly after she was born. Things immediately go very wrong — beginning with the sinking of the boat that brought them to the island and an ominous chuckle from something that shouldn’t be there — and keep getting worse in ways they couldn’t possibly imagine. Harrow and friends came without being invited and whatever lives there doesn’t like visitors.
With no way to reach the outside world and no understanding of the rules of the island, Harrow and her friends are in mortal danger, and knowing who can and can’t be trusted is a thing they left back on shore. Matters are only complicated by Harrow’s emotions — she’s given her biggest feelings human faces and personalities and does her best to keep them locked away in a seedy motel she built in her mind. But emotions are sneaky, and she’s having to face them at the worst possible time. It’s creating sort of an “Inside Out in hell” situation as they fight for survival against a creature that seems to be made entirely of terror and who very well might spell the end of the world.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Amulet Books
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New from the author of Dead Girls Walking comes a YA horror about a girl kidnapped by a racist cult after investigating the supernatural happenings at her sister’s gravesite.
A month ago, Junie Daniels was in a car crash that left her with a dead sister, fragmented memories of the accident, and a mother too checked-out to plan a funeral.
The cheapest grave plot Junie can find is in the next town over. Sure, Williamsville is still proudly named after a slave master who was rumored to dabble in dark magic―but this is North Carolina, after all.
When unexplained occurrences start happening at the graveyard, though, Junie and her best friend, Omari, investigate. And it’s not long before Junie and Omari are taken…
Williamsville wants both Daniels girls. But Junie will do anything to protect her sister ― even if it’s only her corpse.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Delacorte Press
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An addictive killer-thriller following an aspiring crime journalist’s investigation into a case that blurs the line between art and life. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder.
When aspiring crime journalist Fliss Keller attends an estate sale and uncovers a disturbing painting by a mysterious artist, she wants nothing to do with it. Unfortunately for her, her Art History professor dad buys it immediately. The portrait has been lost for decades and completes a set of four existing paintings of women by the same artist already hanging in the town’s gallery.
But when a series of gruesome crimes rock the community and her father’s gallery becomes the epicenter of a deadly game, Fliss discovers that the paintings may hold the key to a killer’s identity.
Haunted by the specter of a serial killer, Fliss races against time to solve the mystery before it claims another victim. In a world where every brushstroke hides a sinister secret, can she unravel the clues before she becomes a killer’s muse?
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
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Oceans Eight meets Six of Crows in this YA fantasy heist novel about a teenage con artist and her ragtag crew teaming up for their toughest job yet: stealing a soul from the Afterlife.
Elle Fields comes from a long line of thieves who specialize in breaking into the Afterlife to steal secrets — and magic — from the dead. But after her parents’ disappearance and her brother’s death, Elle is left adrift, without even her crew to rely on.
Until a mysterious stranger offers her a job she can’t refuse: stealing a soul from the Afterlife. If Elle can get it done, it could be the key to restoring the life she lost.
The only problem is getting her crew back together. Oh, and the fact that the job’s impossible — but Elle is confident that she’ll be able to work it all out.
After all, how hard could it be to raise the dead?
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Cliques clash and sparks fly in this delightfully fast-paced read that’s part fluffy rom-com, part murder mystery with a (literal) witch hunt. The perfect pick for Wednesday fans.
Pretty, popular, and a total witch, Embry Woodcross is queen bee at Raven’s Head School for the Magically Gifted. Entering senior year as head prefect, Embry is a celebrated fashionista and unrivaled solver of problems big, small, and unattractive. (She’s quite generous with her handcrafted magical beauty products.)
When she meets Oakley Riddle, clueless transfer student and ultrarare vampire, Embry’s mission is clear: take the new girl under her wing and make sure she’s not thrown to the (were)wolves. Coven mate Rye Knighton may scoff at Embry’s aggressive benevolence, but Raven’s Head students reward her with love and appreciation…
Until one good deed too many makes Embry the lead suspect in a murder investigation.
Suddenly, the same people who begged Embry for enchanted acne potions are convinced she’s a cold-blooded killer. Apparently, everyone loves a witch until something bad happens, and then it’s all pitchforks and anecdotal evidence. As everything she’s ever done is used against her, Embry teams up with Rye to find the real murderer, clear her name, and maybe fall in love along the way.
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Feiwel & Friends
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Bring It On, but with murder, this heart-pounding YA thriller follows Jonty, a star cheerleader forced to track down a killer and achieve her dream ― before it’s too late.
With competition this fierce, bodies are bound to hit the mat…
All Jonty has ever wanted is to lead her cheerleading team, The Exalted Ones, to win a NCA championship. Cheer is not just a sport, it’s her legacy. Her mother cheered for T.E.O. before she died, and Jonty would do anything to snatch the crown and honor her mother’s memory. This year she has a real shot, finally beating her rival Tommie and becoming the team captain.
But Jonty’s perfect season is shattered when Tommie shows up dead on the first day of practice. Now the team is down a flyer and everyone is convinced that Jonty killed her. Everyone except Adam, her co-captain, who was with her the night that Tommie died.
As the season progresses, girls keep dropping like flies, and one thing becomes clear: Someone is sabotaging The Exalted Ones, and they’re willing to commit murder to get their way. But with the police still convinced it’s her, will Jonty be able to save herself, her team, and her perfect season?
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Kokila
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An unforgettable, heartwarming, hilarious coming-of-age story about faith, family, all kinds of love, and a Black Muslim teen pursuing an ordinary goal in an extraordinary time.
Barely one week into senior year of high school, Boston native Zakiyyah is making her 2012-2013 Get Free Plan.
Step one: Quit high school. (PSA: There are other ways to get to college!)
Step two: Live like it’s Ramadan year-round.
As she gets deeper into her Plan, she starts to wonder if there’s someone out there who would be a good companion. To everyone’s surprise, Zakiyyah decides she wants to get married. But there are some complications.
Problem one: She’s never met a guy she liked. Zakiyyah’s family (reluctantly) and friends (eagerly) agree to support the search.
Problem two: What’s the secret to choosing a good life partner?
Enter Musa, by way of mutual friends. With marriage in mind, Zakiyyah and Musa get to know each other, progressing from email to instant messaging to phone calls. Things are going well…thrillingly well…until tragedy strikes Boston. In a moment of heightened emotion and stress, Zakiyyah and Musa have their first major disagreement.
Zakiyyah can call the whole thing off. But with or without Musa, what does it mean to live on her own terms?
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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The remaining members of a ghost hunting show return to the haunted manor that may have killed their friend in this atmospheric, contemporary gothic debut perfect for fans of She Is A Haunting and Delicious Monsters.
Four teens went into the manor, three came out.
In July, Georgia Perry and Jules Park — secret girlfriends, covert art thieves, and cohosts of a popular YouTube ghost hunting show — step into a haunted house to steal a priceless painting. A few short hours later, there’s a knife in Jules’s chest and Georgia is waking up in a pool of blood with no painting and no memory of how she got there.
Now it’s October, and Georgia is underwater. She hasn’t been to class in weeks, and she’s avoiding her old crew — and only friends — like the plague. But when the three remaining thieves get a call from the man who paid a hefty sum to keep them out of jail, demanding that they return to finish the job, Georgia has no choice but to return to her old life.
As the estranged friends scramble to steal the painting with no cover story and no leader, they quickly realize that something is very, very wrong, and it’s not just the suffocating memory of Jules or the prying eyes of their viewers. Between the strange shadows that begin to trail them and the nightmares plaguing Georgia’s sleep, only one thing is certain: something followed them home from De Lys manor, and it will do anything to keep them from going back.
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Random House/Disney
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Revisit Rapunzel and Eugene from Disney’s Tangled as they race to protect a neighboring kingdom in this thrilling fantasy adventure penned by the New York Times bestselling author of Little Thieves.
A cunning king. A devious princess. Best. Week. Ever.
Rapunzel knows nothing about her neighboring kingdom, Astera – and not just because she only left her tower a month ago. The famously reclusive island has limited its contact with outsiders for decades. So when a suspicious invitation arrives welcoming Rapunzel to the Asteran princess’s coming of age ceremony, and offering her a chance to be useful for the first time since she lost her healing powers, Rapunzel accepts – and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets.
Eugene is just happy to get one last adventure with Rapunzel before his criminal background catches up with him and prevents their happy ending. Yet as they’re drawn further into the country’s problems, they uncover truths about Eugene’s parentage that point to deeper unrest in Astera, and suddenly the fate of their own kingdom, not just their personal dreams, is at stake.
Thrust into a power struggle between Astera’s beloved princess, Verette, its domineering king, Enver, and a mysterious secret society, Rapunzel and Eugene race to protect their home from an unsettlingly familiar threat and discover that the past can either hold them back, or help them blossom.
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Sourcebooks Fire
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When a Black teen decides to run for prom queen at her predominantly white high school, the competition takes a deadly turn when the fight for the crown becomes a matter of life or death. A gripping YA thriller for readers of Jumata Emill’s The Black Queen and Tiffany D. Jackson’s The Weight of Blood.
Ida and JJ could have been the ultimate power couple of Banneker High. As the VP and president of their Black Student Union, the two seemed destined to be yearbook legends. But that was before JJ learned Ida was equally attracted to girls. JJ is already deep in a new relationship, which infuriates Ida ― almost as much as when a sexist “hot list’ starts circulating the school. It’s bad enough anyone rated the girls on their looks, but the list has only white students. Seriously?
There has never been any racial diversity among the prom queen candidates at Banneker, so the BSU decides to make their own statement on beauty and run a candidate. Now Ida and JJ’s new girlfriend are both competing for the title. Ida wants to make a point more than win the crown, but having smart, savvy Amayah as her campaign manager might just help her do both. She’s already winning Ida’s heart.
Competition is fierce. Suddenly the prom queen candidates start getting picked off one by one…dropping out and dropping dead. Forget winning a tiara. Who will live to see prom?
