2023’s MOST ANTICIPATED YA BOOKS LIST IS UP!
Hellloooo I’m back with my most anticipated releases of 2018 (the first half anyways) — this time talking about all the YA I’m super excited about. If you missed my adult fiction anticipated release list, check that out!
It was so so soooo hard to narrow it down…this list was like 60 originally and I wept every time I had to cut them to keep my very most anticipated books.
If you are interested in any of these, check the pre-order price on Amazon — sometimes they are like way cheaper to pre-order than buy them when they come out! So much of a better deal if you are on a budget like I am!!
So let’s talk about all these!! I’d love to hear what you are most excited about and what you’ve already read. New baby = haven’t read 2018 books ahead of time this year!
From some of my all time favorite authors whose books I would read no matter what they are about:
Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli — Out April 24
I loved Becky Albertalli’s first two novels (Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda & The Upside of Unrequited) and I am SOOOOOO excited for a new one from her! I LOVE LOVE LOVED Leah, Simon’s bff, in Simon Vs and I am so excited that Leah gets her own book!!
Save The Date by Morgan Matson — Out June 5
Morgan Matson is one of my all time favorite authors of contemporary YA so it’s no surprise to anybody that I’m over-the-moon excited for this one! This looks like a fun drama-filled family novel when the main character’s family is all coming together under the same roof for her older sister’s wedding and everything seems to be going awry.
I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman — Out March 27
GAAAAAAYLE. Top 5 fave author of all time! So literally don’t care what this is about. I’m excited it’s set in one day because she is AWESOME at that sort of storytelling plus it seems to have a strong friendship thread and I’m here for that!
9 Days & 9 Nights by Katie Cotugno — Out May 1
Katie’s books are among my favorites and always seem to tackle messy subjects incredibly. I LOVED 99 Days and I’m so excited for this sequel!! Check out my review of 99 Days and why I loved it so much!
The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold — Out May 22
David’s a newcomer to this list after his debut Mosquitoland and Kids of Appetite and I just really love his books so much!! He writes incredible characters and I can’t wait to meet these ones!
From authors whose debuts I really loved and I’m excited to read their sophomore novels:
The Price Guide To The Occult by Leslye Walton — Out March 13
I LOVED Leslye’s magical debut (The Strange & Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender) and I am so here for this one! This one is about witches!!
From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon — Out June 5
I absolutely loved Sandhya’s debut (When Dimple Met Rishi — perfect YA romcom!!) so I am delighted for a new one from her! This one is about an aspiring filmmaker who gets asked to help direct a movie for a competition with her crush’s twin brother and the romance that ensues as she develops a crush on him but also is getting mysterious letters from an admirer. I love that it is told in letter format to all her favorite female filmmakers! This is going to be so great, I know it!
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson — Out June 5
I really enjoyed Tiffany D. Jackson’s Allegedly so I’m excited to see what she has up for us next with this story about a girl whose best friend disappears and nobody seems to notice!
All the awesome sounding fantasy
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert — Out January 30
This sounds like an incredible new YA fantasy in which the main character gets caught up in the dark & cruel world her grandmother, an author who just passed away, created in her book of fairytales. She must enter this world to find her mother who was stolen by a supernatural creature who claims to be from the world. This is definitely on the TOP of my list!!
The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross — Out February 6
Ooooh a high fantasy inspired by Renaissance France! HERE FOR IT. It’s about an outcast who finds herself bound to a disgraced lord and entangled in his plot to overthrow the current king.
Tess Of The Road by Rachel Hartman — Out February 27
Dragons! Gender-bending! Medieval type setting! A stubborn lady protag! I’m heeeeeere for it!
You may also like: Books Like Fourth Wing
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi — Out March 6
I’ve been waiting for this book since the deal was announced!! I’m just going to leave the official summary because every time I try to suck it up it doesn’t sound nearly as appealing as this does.
“Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy”
To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo — Out March 6
RETELLING OF THE LITTLE MERMAID. That is all I needed to know, literally.
Isle of Blood & Stone by Makaii Lucier — Out April 10
This sounds amaaazing. An explorer and a mapmaker goes on a journey to uncharted territory to solve the mystery of two kidnapped princes from many years ago who were presumed dead when a riddle is found on two maps that appear to have been drawn by his father who disappeared on that same day the princes went missing.
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian — Out April 24
I love books set in brutal worlds for some reason and I heard someone say this is a great one if you love Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones which YES I love Sansa’s arc soooo much. It’s about a girl who has to live under the brutal rule of the Kaiser and his court who brutally killed her mother when they were invaded. She doesn’t let on how smart she is and just survives as she joins the resistance to get her kingdom back. I also hear that the main character is not very likeable which is like my favorite soooo.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand — Out May 22
I really loved Claire’s book Some Kind of Happiness and I am SO anticipating this awesome sounding fantasy! It honestly might be my MOST anticipated fantasy book of the year. It sounds super original with the stories of two young women (a Queen and a bounty hunter) whose lives intersect as they fight a war 1,000 years apart.
All the awesome sounding contemporary books
Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke — Out January 9
This looks like a funny contemporary YA about a girl who gets kicked out of high school and agrees to go to a high school completion school on the condition that she can move out of the house so, to fix her living situation, she signs up to go on a student-run reality show that is Big Brother but with teens. As a reality fan lover (especially Big Brother) I’m excited for this storyline!
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena — Out February 27
I love books pieced together through multiple perspectives so this one sounds up my alley! It’s about a girl who gets labeled as “that girl” as in “you don’t want to associate with a girl like that” but when she and a classmate who crushed on her are found dead in a car together that crashed on the side of the road in Saudia Arabia they learn more about her as all the pieces fall together.
In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira — Out March 6
I looove multi-generational stories and this one spans a young mother and daughter’s story in which a girl sets out to find her father, who she previously thought was dead, and learns a lot about herself and some hard truths about her mother and father.
Twelve Steps To Normal by Farrah Penn — Out March 13
Full disclosure: I’ve known Farrah from the book world, when she was also a blogger, for like 6 years?? I am genuinely so excited to see someone I know who worked so hard and (who has such similar taste to me) have a book published!! This looks like an emotional novel about a girl trying to put her life back together after her dad’s alcoholism completely changes it.
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles — Out March 20
This one is going to break my heart and I’ve heard as much from reviewers I trust. It’s about a boy whose twin brother gets shot, unprovoked, by a police officer at a party and how he and his mother must deal with the aftermath of such a brutal act.
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake — Out May 15
This sounds like a hard-hitting book about a girl whose twin brother is accused of rape by her friend and she’s trying to reconcile the accusations with the brother she knows so well. Super timely when so many accusations are coming out of prominent men and people are having to reconcile these things.
Your Destination Is On The Left by Lauren Spieller — Out June 26
This sounds fun! Modern day nomad family? I’m in!
All about that paranormal this year!!
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw — Out March 6
WITCHES! All I saw was Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch Trials and I was in. Three witches were sentenced to death for witchery and every summer they return to steal the bodies of 3 weak-hearted girls who lure boys into the harbor to their death.
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland — Out April 4
I looooove anything historical fiction with a paranormal twist — in this case ZOMBIES!!! The Civil War is derailed when the dead start rising and changes the course of America forever. A Native and Negro Reeducation Act is passed to train certain children to fight the dead and protect the rest of society. The main character is training in both weaponry and etiquette to protect rich families — not at all what she wants to do with her life — and suddenly she finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy/up against powerful enemies when families in wealthy areas start to go missing.
Some sci-fi goodness for good measure
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl — Out June 5
I will be honest I haven’t read her adult book (Night Film) yet but plan to do so before I read this one because it’s been on my to-read list since it came out! I must find out what the Neverworld Wake is but I like the setting and the reunion of friends after another friend dies plotline.
Always love a good mystery or thriller!
Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson — Out January 16
A new mystery series from Maureen Johnson about a true crime lover who sets out to solve the cold case that happened at her private school after it opened.
White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig — Out April 24
A mystery/thriller about a boy who gets a call from his sister, on the same night his ex-boyfriend appears back in his life needing to talk, begging for help and when they reach her she’s drenched in blood and her boyfriend is dead on the floor. She swears she didn’t do it, though he knows there’s more to the story, so he and his ex try to help solve the mystery to prove she is innocent.
A Little Taste Of The Past
The Unbinding Of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamera — Out March 6
Based on the true story about a girl who disguised herself as a boy to be a sailor on a ship until the ship is attacked by a group of pirates, one with a girl pirate, and she decides to turn on her crew and join the pirate gang.
A Little Reality Mixed With Some Supernatural-y Goodness
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson — Out February 6
This one sounds really cool! It’s about a girl who is the product of a virgin birth (scientifically explain in the story) but why can’t be explained is how she is able to perform miracles or why some weird stuff is happening– like how she healed her crush from a gunshot wound from a boy who minutes later disappeared up into the clouds
What YA books are you most looking forward to??
[Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and purchase something I’ve talked about or recommended, I’ll receive a very small percentage of the sale. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.
Sam@WLABB says
Hey look! It’s my Amazon order (I wish)! I actually have a few of these (Hazel Wood, Jane Sinner, In Search Of, Furyborn, Wicked Deep, Truly Devious, White Rabbit), and I am really excited to read them all. I so desperately want I Have Lost My Way, Noah Hypnotik, 9 Days, Twinkle, and 12 Steps. So many fabulous books to look forward to.
Evelynne says
Oh, The Queen’s Rising sounds pretty cool – I’ll check it out. Thanks!
Emily says
I’m so excited for a ton of these books! But especially Leah on the Offbeat and Children of Blood and Bone. It’s gonna be an epic reading year I think!
Annemieke says
There are just too many good ones coming out soon. I really enjoyed Tess of the Road and Furyborn. I hope you had amazing holidays and a good end to 2017!
Susan (Bloggin' 'bout Books) says
Great list! I put a bunch of these titles on my Goodreads TBR list. Thanks for putting this together!
Ericka says
Such a great list! I’m quite excited about everything YA/YA contemporary has to bring in the next year. Can’t wait to see what you’re anticipating for the second half!
Tori says
Love your lists that you put out, but it would be soooooo nice if you could also put a link to them on goodreads so it’s super easy to add to the to read list! 🙂
Darque Dreamer says
Great list! The Wicked Deep is on my list too!
Jessica @ Just Another Teen Reading Books says
I’m really looking forward to reading save the Date, The Queen’s Rising, and Your Destination is on the Left! I think 2018 is going to be a great year for books! 🙂
Zoë says
What a great list – you are so into your books! I really like the idea of The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold and I love dragons so I’m sure I’ll love a few books you’ve listed including Tess Of The Road by Rachel Hartman. Thanks so much for the mega list!
Jaime says
I’m adding a lot of these to my reading list! I’m just finishing up THE POWER at the moment, but once I’m done with that, I’ll definitely move on to one of your recommendations!
xo Jaime
Angloyankophile
Katie says
I almost forgot just how many ace YA books are out there. Need to pick me up a few of these! Thanks heaps for sharing x
Michelle says
But why did you have to cut any? (I don’t even try to pretend to be realistic about how many books I want to read.) Some of these sound REALLY good and I’m pinning your list to be sure I can find it again later.
Lacy Ngo says
Oh I love a good book list. Thanks for sharing!
Christina | From Under a Palm Tree says
This is suuuuch a great list! It makes me excited about reading again. There are so many great titles! I just started the Throne of Glass Series which is a little more fantasy than YA I think but I’m so in love with it right now. But I can’t wait to read some of these books!
Shawn says
Great List! I can’t wait to pass it along to my daughter who loves a good book. Keep the recommendations coming!
Mishael @ Why Wellness Now says
So many of these sound completely awesome. I love the idea of the Civil War zombie one!
Jamie says
Right?? I read both adult fiction and YA but I have to say YA ideas feel so much more fresh and fun to me when it comes to genres other than contemporary!
Karen says
this is a great list! I have been wanting to read something new and had no idea where to start!