On The Booked Shelf is a new feature called “This Week in YA #Booktok” to highlight the latest buzz surrounding Young Adult titles on the bookish side of TikTok (aka #Booktok).
While the platform is filled with a vast number of creators, this is just a slice of what the algorithm has pushed onto our feed when it comes to new or upcoming titles that’ve had Booktoker’s eager to read, purchase or add the book to their TBR!
Our hope with this new feature is to not only highlight newer YA titles, but also seek out backlist reads that’ve been getting attention from creators on the platform ― consider this also as a resource if you ever find yourself wondering what other titles aside from the “Popular Booktok” are pushed by the algorithm.
With the release of ‘Divine Rivals‘ by Rebecca Ross on April 4, 2023 throughout the month of May there were an average of 25+ videos ranging across the past couple weeks from Booktoker’s praising Ross’s newest YA Fantasy Romance for the “gritty and dark” themes, alongside the reader’s love for the “compelling” main characters of Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt ― who are rival journalists set among a fantastical world of warring gods.
As of May 24, the #DivineRivals hashtag currently has 1 million views.
Shadow and Bone meets Lore in this epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.
To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.
On May 22, Ross revealed through her Instagram the sequel cover to ‘Divine Rivals‘ which has been titled ‘Ruthless Vows’ slated for an April 30, 2024 release!
With the cover reveal of Gabe Cole Novoa’s upcoming YA retelling for Fierce Reads Remixed Classics Series on May 19 via Twitter as well as on TikTok the algorithm highlighted a couple videos with excitement for the Pride & Prejudice retelling. The 9th installment in the Remixed Classics Series will be a retelling in which “Darcy is gay & the second eldest Bennet is a gay trans boy”
With Booktoks garnering over 11k likes and over 53k views, Cole Novoa’s forthcoming novel had climbed up the Barnes & Noble ranks as a pre-order in the Teen & YA Bestsellers top 100 following the reveal.
A trans boy searches for a future—and a romance—in which he can live and love openly as himself in this heart-wrenching YA reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, the ninth book in the Remixed Classics series.
London, 1812. Oliver Bennet feels trapped. Not just by the endless corsets, petticoats, and skirts he’s forced to wear on a daily basis but also by society’s expectations. The world—and the vast majority of his family and friends—think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out and explore the city dressed as a young gentleman.
During one such excursion, Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky, rude young man. But in private, Oliver comes to find that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart. And so Oliver will have to choose: Settle for safety, security, and a life of pretending to be something he’s not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love, and a life that can be truly, honestly his own.
‘Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix’ by Gabe Cole Novoa is set to be released January 16, 2024!
That concludes the round-up for This Week In YA #Booktok! What YA Books have you seen on your Booktok fyp?
As of February 10, NYT Bestselling author Hafsah Faizal revealed the cover to her newest YA Fantasy duology via Instagram with the first novel titled A Tempest Of Tea ― slated for a Winter 2024 release!
According to Publishers Weekly the story is “Set in Ettenia, an amalgamation of 1920s and Victorian London with a dash of ancient Rome, the novel follows a gang of outcasts in a deadly heist led by Arthie Casimir to save her tearoom—which fronts an illegal blood house, where local vampires can purchase fresh blood.”
Cover artist is Valentina Remenar and art director is Aurora Parlagreco.
From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated new fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.
On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.
Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.
A Tempest Of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is set to be released February 20, 2024!
As of April 3 it was revealed via the author’s Twitter, the cover to the 2023 YA sapphic speculative thriller debut Gorgeous Gruesome Faces from Linda Cheng, slated for a Fall release with Fierce Reads!
Following a disgraced teen idol Sunny Lee, she comes face-to-face with the demons of her past and former bandmate in a workshop that brings about more questions than answers as competitors become injured and strangely mutilated, one by one.
Set in the cutthroat world of K-Pop, Cheng’s debut has been pitched as Yellowjackets meets She Is A Haunting, which also has a planned sequel.
Cheng has described her novel featuring elements of “terrible queer girls,” a “blood-soaked pop idol competition,” as well as “maybe the real treasure was the enemies we made along the way.”
Cover designer is Samira Iravani and letterer is David Milan.
After a shocking scandal that abruptly ended her teen popstar career, eighteen-year-old Sunny Lee spends her days longing for her former life and cyberstalking her ex-BFF and groupmate, Candie. The two were once inseparable, but that was then—before the tragedy and heartache they left in their wake.
In the here and now, Sunny is surprised to discover that Candie is attending a new K-pop workshop in her hometown. Candie might be there chasing stardom, but Sunny can’t resist the chance to join her and finally confront their traumatic history. Because she still can’t figure out what happened that horrible night when Mina, the third in their tight-knit trio, jumped to her death. Or if the dark and otherworldly secrets she and Candie were keeping had something to do with it . . .
But the workshop doesn’t bring the answers Sunny had hoped for, nor a happy reunion with Candie. Instead, Sunny finds herself haunted by ghostly visions while strange injuries start happening to her competitors—followed by even stranger mutilations to their bodies. In her race to survive, Sunny will have to expose just who is behind the carnage—and if Candie is out for blood once more!
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng is set to be released November 7, 2023!
On September 30, revealed through Twitter was the cover to #1NYT Bestselling author Marie Lu’s YA action-thriller Stars And Smoke, slated for a Spring 2023 release!
Winter Young is a superstar who soon becomes a secret agent to infiltrate a criminal tycoon’s inner circle, the cunning, charismatic pop star is joined by the youngest spy in the covert ops organization The Panacea Group, Sydney Cossette, who poses as his bodyguard. As the mission brings them both closer together, they may become the biggest heroes the organization’s ever seen, if they can survive each other.
In her initial tweet, Lu confirmed the novel is to be a standalone, along the veins of Mission Impossible and The Hating Game.
Cover illustrator is Jessica Cruickshank and art director is Aurora Parlagreco.
Meet Winter Young—rookie backup dancer turned global pop phenomenon. His star power has smashed records, selling out stadiums from LA to London. Now he’s bringing his swoon worthy assets to a whole new arena…Infamous criminal tycoon Eli Morrison has just one weakness—his daughter, Penelope. And Penelope has just one wish for her nineteenth birthday—a private concert with Winter Young. When covert ops organization The Panacea Group approaches Winter with this once-in-a-lifetime chance to infiltrate Morrison’s inner circle, Winter must use his fame, cunning, and charisma to pull it off—only he won’t be on his own.
Posing as Winter’s bodyguard is the fiery Sydney Cossette, Panacea’s youngest spy. Sydney may be the only person alive impervious to Winter’s charms, but as the mission brings them closer, she’s forced to admit there’s more to this A-lister than slick dance moves and a handsome face. Panacea’s unlikeliest partners just might become its biggest heroes—and maybe even more—if they can survive each other first.
Stars And Smoke by Marie Lu is set to be released April 4, 2023!
While 2022 is not over just yet, here on TheBookedShelf is a new feature where we’ll be spotlighting upcoming releases that based on the intriguing premise, you should add to your to-read list!
There’s a variety of novels across different sub-genres within Young Adult & the sincerest hope is you’ll discover some new reads, adding them to your tbr for the upcoming year!
Today’s Spotlight feature will highlight 10+ novels that don’t have covers yet, but definitely caught our attention based on the spectacular pitch, summary, title or familiarity with the author’s previous work:
We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim
Tara Sim, author of The Scavenge The Stars Duology and the Timekeeper Trilogy, returns to YA in this fantasy duology being published with Penguin Teen! She states it’s a “love letter to Indian mythology, Frankenstein, and gremlin girls vilified for their ambition.” An aesthetic based on the novel can be found on her Twitter here. We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim is slated for a Spring 2023 release!
The full summary reads: a young woman desperate to resurrect her sister escapes accusations of witchcraft by joining a group of rebels on the condition she raises their rightful prince from the dead.
I HAVE MORE YA COMING
WE SHALL BE MONSTERS is my love letter to Indian mythology, Frankenstein, and gremlin girls vilified for their ambition 💀👑🦋✨ pic.twitter.com/QuZWNx6m3B
In this coming-of-age YA gothic horror debut from Trang Thanh Tran, Jade Nguyen stays with her estranged father in Vietnam in a “quietly” scheming house, being published with Bloomsbury! Character art and additional elements to be found within the novel can be seen on the author’s Twitter here. She Is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran is slated for a January 2023 release with Bloomsbury!
The full summary reads: When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised. But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat. Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.
A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero
Author of fairytales both for children and Young Adults, this will be Romero’s second Young Adult novel with Peachtree Teen, slated for 2023!
Not much is known about the novel yet, but based on the author’s Instagram, the novel will be in verse and most likely touch up historical & fairy tale elements as with her previous books.
Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni
Debut author Aleema Omotoni presents a reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in her debut the story has been pitched as being set “an elite boarding school in the English countryside [were] Nigerian cousins Iyanu and Kitan are thrown into the middle of a schoolwide conspiracy when everyone’s juicy relationship secrets are released, Burn Book style, the week before the annual Valentine’s Day Ball.”
The author has also pitched her novel through Twitter as being about “Black girls, desirability, joy & family, with messy boarding school kids keeping secrets & being obliviously in love.”
Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni is slated for a Spring 2023 release with Balzer + Bray.
The Summer I Ate The Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
From author duo Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, The Summer I Ate The Rich is their newest YA, this time Contemporary Fantasy about zombies! According to Maritza Moulite’s Twitter the novel is “a whip smart YA fantasy defying economic + racial inequity & / inspired by Haitian Zombie lore.”
The initial summary follows a “teen zombie who uses her skills in the kitchen—and taste for human flesh—to get revenge on the wealthy elite responsible for her family’s pain.”
The Summer I Ate The Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite is slated for a Fall 2023 with Fierce Reads and FSG.
THE SUMMER I ATE THE RICH (fall 2023):
🧟♀️whip smart YA fantasy defying economic + racial inequity
🇭🇹 inspired by Haitian zombie lore
📚 attn fans of MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER + PARASITE + @trishadeg
From writer and editor Ella Cerón comes her debut novel Viva Lola Espinoza set for a Spring 2023 release with Kokila. In this coming-of-age romance with a dash of magical realism, the story follows “a booksmart teen whose summer plans are derailed when she is sent to live with her grandmother in Mexico City and learns a family secret that changes her life forever.”
Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz
From debut author Zeba Shahnaz comes a twisted, time loop adventure following “lowborn Anaïs, whose attendance at the royal ball is disrupted by an explosion that rips through the palace at the stroke of midnight, killing everyone—again and again and again. To escape this nightmarish time loop, Anaïs must figure out who’s targeting the royal family with the help of the charming prince Leo, and hope they can survive past midnight.” Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz is slated for a Spring 2023 release with Delacorte.
According to Shahnaz initial deal post on Twitter, the novel will contain “thrilling action, deadly court intrigue, and swoony romance.” A cover reveal for Midnight Strikes will also take place on July 6, 2022!
If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranda Sun
In this contemporary fantasy debut from Miranda Sun, it follows a “Chinese American teen reluctantly embraces her ghost-speaking heritage to resurrect her nemesis, the local golden boy, from an otherworldly snake bite, rekindling a multi-generational feud—and maybe falling in love with him—in the process.” The novel is slated for a Summer 2023 release with HarperCollins.
As of May, Sun shared promotional art on Twitter alongside other elements to be expected in the novel!
The Witch And The Vampire by Francesca Flores
Coming March 2023 with Wednesday Books is YA Fantasy author Francesca Flores’s newest fantasy project, this time a Sapphic Rapunzel retelling where a witch and a vampire who trust no one, must journey together through a cursed forest.
The full summary for The Witch And The Vampire reads:
Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava has been trapped in her house. Her mother needs her: Ava still has her witch powers, and Eugenia must take them in order hide that she’s a vampire as well. Desperate to escape her confinement, Ava needs to reach the vampires that live in the forest and to stop her mother’s plans for the town. When there is another attack, she sees her opportunity and escapes.
Kaye, now at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing any vampires that threaten the town, including Ava. On the night that Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces her to travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in. Ava agrees, hoping to rekindle their old friendship, and the romantic feelings she’d started to have for Kaye before that terrible night.
But with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other’s greatest threat—and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed.
Which 2023 Young Adult Books are you looking forward to? What’s already on your TBR?
On June 28, Aiden Thomas, NYT Bestselling author of Cemetery Boys and Lost In The Never Woods, revealed through Twitter that he will be releasing a sequel to his beloved trans YA paranormal romance slated for a Fall 2024 release with Feiwel & Friends.
In the first novel, Yadriel, a trans gay boy, is trying to prove himself to his family as a true brujo, but summons a ghost on accident, who also happens to be bad boy Julian Diaz. As Julian’s looking to tie up some loose ends before he leaves, Yadriel isn’t expecting to fall in love with him during their adventures.
According to the announcement thread the currently untitled “Cemetery Boys 2” will be told from Julian’s POV, centering around a monster who starts creating “malingo spirits” in East L.A.
Longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, is a YALSA 2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten pick and has been described by Entertainment Weekly as “groundbreaking.” Cemetery Boys was originally published in September of 2020 under the Swoon Reads imprint (with Fierce Reads).
Thomas commissioned art celebrating the announcement which was created by @/mmarsloud on Twitter.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
The Booked Shelf Chronicle is a monthly feature on the blog to wrap-up the fantastic YA book news of the month!
Each issue will highlight bookish news from around the Young Adult book community that may not have been covered in the previous month by The Booked Shelf.
Today’s topic is all about book-to-screen adaptations, from first looks, teasers to trailers, upcoming releases and everything else you need to know about the slate of summer projects!
Issue #3 of The Booked Shelf Chronicle is fresh off the press and is wrapping up all the book adaptation news from May 2022!
The Summer I Turned Pretty teaser & full trailer revealed for the upcoming Amazon Prime series
On May 5, the official Amazon Prime and TSITP Twitters revealed the 47-second teaser introducing Belly and the main cast, stating “I though this summer was going to be like all the other summers, but its not…because I won’t let it be.”
The teaser also unveiled a re-released song from Taylor Swift “This Love (Taylor’s version).”
Amazon Prime debuted the full trailer to the upcoming YA romance on May 31. A full summary for the series reads: Every summer, Belly and her family head to the Fishers’ beach house in Cousins. Every summer is the same… until Belly turns sixteen. Relationships will be tested, painful truths will be revealed, and Belly will be forever changed. It’s a summer of first love, first heartbreak and growing up — it’s the summer she turns pretty.
Showrunner is Gabrielle Stanton and co-showrunner includes author Jenny Han. Lola Tung stars as Belly, alongside Christopher Briney (Conrad), Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah) and Sean Kaufman as Belly’s older brother (Steven).
The Summer I Turned Pretty is set to have eight episodes for the first season and is premiering June 17!
First Kill 1st Look & Official trailer premiered for upcoming series releasing with Netflix
On May 5, Netflix unveiled the first look to the 8-episode series First Kill. Then on May 12, Netflix revealed the first official trailer. Inspired by a Victoria Schwab short story of the same name, First Kill was originally published in the 2020 Young Adult vampire anthology edited by Zoraida Córdova titled “Vampires Never Get Old: Tales With Fresh Bite.”
The series has been pitched by Netflix as follows: Falling in love is tricky for teens Juliette and Calliope: One’s a vampire, the other’s a vampire hunter — and both are ready to make their first kill.
Imani Lewis stars as Calliope, who comes from a lineage of monster hunters and Sarah Catherine Hook as Juliette, a vampire. The two girls, who attend the same high school, soon find themselves drawn to one another and will decide what they’re willing to risk for their first love. Felicia D. Henderson is the showrunner, executive producer and screenwriter.
First Kill is set to stream with Netflix on June 10!
Love & Gelato gets first teaser and full trailer for upcoming film with Netflix
While around late May the first teaser was officially published to the Love & Gelato Netflix title page, afull trailer was finally revealed on June 3.
On May 26, author Jenna Evans Welch revealed the official movie poster through Instagram. Cast includes Susanna Skaggs (Lina), Anjelika Washington (Lina’s best friend Addie), Valentina Lodovini, Owen McDonnell, Alex Boniello andTobia De Angelis.
The full summary reads: To fulfill her mother’s final wish, Lina spends the summer before college in Rome, where she discovers romance, adventure — and a passion for gelato.
Love & Gelato is coming to Netflix on June 22!
Which upcoming YA adaptations are you looking forward to? 📚🎥
When we love an author’s work, naturally, us readers wait in anticipation for what they will write next. Today’s book list features 8 Young Adult sequels (and a companion) releasing during the first half of 2022 you should definitely add to your TBR.
To celebrate the forthcoming release of TOKYO DREAMING, the anticipated sequel to Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, The Booked Shelf is participating in the Blog Tour, courtesy of Flatiron Books!
One True Loves by Elise Bryant (Happily Ever Afters #2) Release Date: January 4, 2022
Summary: Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a . . . well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure.
She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go—they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet.
When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen in real life. At least not to girls like her.
Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.
But as they get to know each other during the picturesque stops across Europe, he may be able to help her find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love.
Ashes Of Gold by J. Elle (Wings Of Ebony #2) Release Date: January 11, 2022
Summary: In the heart-pounding conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology, Rue makes her final stand to reclaim her people’s stolen magic.
Rue has no memory of how she ended up locked in a basement prison without her magic or her allies. But she’s a girl from the East Row. And girls from the East Row don’t give up. Girls from the East Row pick themselves back up when they fall. Girls from the East Row break themselves out.
But reuniting with her friends is only half the battle. When she finds them again, Rue makes a vow: she will find a way to return the magic that the Chancellor has stolen from her father’s people. Yet even on Yiyo Peak, Rue is a misfit—with half a foot back in Houston and half a heart that is human as well as god, she’s not sure she’s the right person to lead the fight to reclaim a glorious past.
When a betrayal sends her into a tailspin, Rue must decide who to trust and how to be the leader that her people deserve…because if she doesn’t, it isn’t just Yiyo that will be destroyed—it will be Rue herself.
Loveboat, Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen (Loveboat, Taipei #2) Release Date: January 25, 2022
Summary: Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some would call a tumultuous past.
Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted—but at least they’re friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.
Now that fall is here, they’re focusing on what really matters. Sophie is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy.
But the world doesn’t seem to want either to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.” Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.
Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together . . . or are they destined to combust?
Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean (Tokyo Ever After #2) Release Date: May 31, 2022
Summary: Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After
When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.
Only…Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.
But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna (The Gilded Ones #2) Release Date: May 31, 2022
Summary: It’s been six months since Deka has freed the goddesses and discovered who she really is. There are now wars waging across the kingdom. Otereans now think jatu are traitors to the nation. Deka is called a monster.
But the real battle has only just begun and Deka must lead the charge. Deka is tasked with freeing the rest of the goddesses. Only as she begins to free them, she begins to see a strange symbol everywhere in places of worship and worn on armor. There’s something unnatural about that symbol; just looking at it makes Deka lose her senses. Even worse, it seems to repel her powers. She can’t command or communicate with the new deathshrieks. In fact, she can’t even understand them when they speak.
Deka knows freeing the goddesses is just the beginning. She can tell whatever dark force out is powerful and there is something sinister out there threatening the kingdom connected to that symbol–something merciless–that her army will need to stop before humanity crumbles. But Deka’s powers are only getting stronger…and her strongest weapon could be herself.
Empress Crowned In Red by Ciannon Smart (Witches Steeped In Gold #2) Release Date: June 7, 2022
Summary: The Doyenne is dead, and the throne is empty.
Iraya, her revenge taken and magic unfettered, turns her sights on a bigger goal: freeing Aiyca for the Obeah. But first she must shed the guise of the rogue warrior and become the Lost Empress her people need.
Jazmyne has crowned herself the doyenne and is prepared to go to extreme lengths—and court ruthless danger—to prove to her people she deserves the throne.
But there is more at stake than Jazmyne or Iraya know: a new threat is awakening on the other side of the island that could destroy everything they’ve been fighting for.
Trust is scarce, and betrayal a breath away. But Iraya and Jazmine once again find themselves turning to each other—after all, better the witch you know than the nightmare you don’t.
Iraya and Jazmyne’s deadly game continues in this electric finale to the hit Witches Steeped in Gold, where eldritch terrors lurk in the shadows, unnatural magic reigns, and the fate of Obeah relies on a fraying alliance between sworn enemies.
This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron (This Poison Heart #2) Release Date: June 21, 2022
Summary: How much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?
Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she’ll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she’s never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?
Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Gearbreakers #2) Release Date: June 28, 2022
Summary: The only way to kill a god is from the inside…
The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who’ve managed to escape the tyrannical empire’s bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith–Godolia’s only surviving leader.
Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona–the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for–also survived, only to be captured and Corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris’ mortal enemy.
With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war…
Which 2022 YA Sequels are you looking forward to? 🎊📚
On April 26, NYT & Indie Bestselling author Joan He revealed through Twitter the cover to her forthcoming 2022 Chinese YA Fantasy titled, Strike The Zither, which is slated for a Fall release with Fierce Reads.
According to her initial book deal from 2021, He’s novel is a “reimagining of the Chinese military epic ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ in which a strategist must help her warlordess to victory against the rival kingdoms to the north and the south while overcoming her fate as written by the gods.”
Her Twitter thread continues to state that the novel contains: “[her] most manipulative characters yet / backstabbing / real stabbing & war / rivals to lovers to 💔” and more.
Cover artist is Kuri Huang and designer is Aurora Parlagreco.
Strike The Zither is planned to be a duology. The full summary reads:
The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves.
But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.
Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.
Strike The Zither by Joan He is set to be released October 25, 2022!
Here at The Booked Shelf we’ll be highlighting some covers that’ve been revealed during the first few months of 2022, in case you’ve missed them starting with January!
1. The Blood Of Troy by Claire M. Andrews
On January 4, TheNOVL revealed the sequel cover to Daughter Of Sparta. The first novel is a Greek myth reimagining of Daphne and Apollo, where the sequel, The Blood Of Troy, will delve into the Trojan War continuing Daphne’s story.
Cover artist is Amanda Hudson. The Blood Of Troy is set to be released September 6, 2022!
The Sparta you know will be gone forever on the bloody fields of Troy.
A year after Daphne saved the powers of Olympus by defeating Nyx, the Goddess of Darkness, she’s haunted by still-looming threats, her complicated feelings for the god Apollo, and the promise she made to the Olympian gods that she would help them again when they called upon her. When their command comes, it is deceptively simple: secure herself a spot as one of Queen Helen’s guards.
A war is coming, and all of Sparta must be prepared.
In the midst of a treaty summit among the monarchs of Greece, Daphne and Helen uncover a plot of betrayal—and soon, a battle begins. As the kingdoms of Greece clash on the shores of Troy and the gods choose sides, Daphne must use her wits, her training, and her precarious relationship with Apollo to find a way to keep her queen safe, stop the war, and uncover the true reason the gods led her to Troy in this thrilling sequel to Daughter of Sparta.
2. Princess Of Souls by Alexandra Christo
Revealed through Twitter on January 15 via FierceReads, was the cover to Alexandra Christo’s forthcoming release pitched as a “Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied.”
Cover artist is Goñi Montes and designers are Liz Dresner + Aurora Parlegreco. Princess Of Souls by Alexandra Christo is set to be released October 11, 2022!
For sixteen years, Selestra Somniatis has been trapped in a castle on the Floating Mountain, preparing to take her mother’s place as King Seryth’s right hand. Tied by blood to steal souls for the immortal King of the Six Isles, the Somniatis Witch foretells the deaths of participants in the Festival of Predictions. To outrun your fate is to save your soul and steal the King’s immortality. But if you die, your soul is forfeit. And though thousands have tried, nobody has ever beaten death.
As a soldier in King Seryth’s army, Nox Laederic is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but he has no plans to die at the hands of the King or his witches. His plan is more akin to violent revenge: steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra herself.
But when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, she sees her own death alongside his–their fates are unmistakably intertwined, and Selestra is no longer safe in the only home she’s ever known. Nox and Selestra will have to enter a turbulent alliance in order to survive long enough to free the Six Isles from King Seryth’s clutches and escape the new fate that hunts them.
3. Night Of The Raven, Dawn Of The Dove by Rati Mehrotra
On January 17, Rati Mehotra revealed the cover to her forthcoming fantasy debut through Twitter, which has been pitched as a “medieval Indian YA Fantasy about a sassy guardswoman, a handsome monk, and a plethora of monsters.”
Cover artist is Bunty Pundir and designer is Olga Grlic. Night Of The Raven, Dawn Of The Dove is set to be released October 18, 2022!
To learn what she can become, she must first discover who she is.
Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul.
But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.
4. As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
Revealed through TheNOVL on January 17, was Katouh’s speculative YA debut following Salama Kassab, a pharmacy student who volunteers in a hospital in Syria during the revolution. However, she soon finds her grief has manifested into the form of a companion.
Alongside the cover reveal was a sneak peek. Cover artist is David Curtis. As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Kaouh is set to be released September 13, 2022!
Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.
5. At Midnight: 15 Beloved Fairy Tales Reimagined edited by Dahlia Adler
As of January 20, Dahlia Adler revealed the cover to her forthcoming fairy tale anthology of which she is the editor, At Midnight through Twitter. Authors will include: Tracy Deonn, Darcie Little Badger, Stacey Lee, Anna-Marie McLemore, Grita Trelease, Hafsah Faizal, Roselle Lim, Malinda Lo, H.E. Edgmon, Alex London, Rebecca Podos and Rory Power.
Cover artist is Jon Contino and designer is Keith Hayes. At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler is set to be released November 22, 2022!
Fairy tales have been spun for thousands of years and remain among our most treasured stories. Weaving fresh tales with unexpected reimaginings, At Midnight brings together a diverse group of acclaimed YA writers to breathe new life into a storied tradition.
Fifteen celebrated authors reclaim classic fairy tales for a new generation:
Dahlia Adler, “Rumplestiltskin” Tracy Deonn, “The Nightingale” H.E. Edgmon, “Snow White” Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood” Stacey Lee, “The Little Matchstick Girl” Roselle Lim, “Hansel and Gretel” Darcie Little Badger, “Puss in Boots” Malinda Lo, “Frau Trude” Alex London, “Cinderella” Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Nutcracker” Rebecca Podos, “The Robber Bridegroom” Rory Power, “Sleeping Beauty” Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid” Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird” and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert
Once upon a time . . .
7. If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So
Revealed through Twitter on January 21, was the cover to Cynthia So’s forthcoming f/f debut which is about “a summer of longing and searching, and finding things you thought you lost…” Following Elise, she’s always had a crush on Ada and not only have they never met in real life, but she lives an ocean away.
Cover illustrator is Nadia So and designer is Kimberly Chen. If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So is set to be released June 9, 2022!
Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life.
In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make…
A lyrical contemporary story about falling in love and finding yourself in the process, for fans of THE BLACK FLAMINGO, THE FALLING IN LOVE MONTAGE and Alice Oseman.
8. Jazmine Zumideh Needs A Win by Susan Azim Boyer
On January 27, debut author Susan Azim Boyer revealed the cover to her forthcoming Historical Fiction novel through Twitter. Set in 1979, the novel will follow Susan whose running for class president who dreams of attending NYU, she decides to downplay her Iranian-American heritage during her campaign when an international incident dominates the news.
Cover artist is Petra Braun. Jazmine Zumideh Needs A Win by Susan Azim Boyer is set to be released November 1, 2022!
It’s 1979, and Jasmine Zumideh is ready to get the heck out of California and immerse herself in New York City’s exploding music scene. With NYU her dream school and journalism her intended major, she’s been obsessed with the East Coast the past four years.
There’s just one teeny problem: Due to a deadline snafu, she’s maaaaaaybe said she’s Senior Class President-Elect on her application—before the election takes place. But honestly, she’s running against Gerald Thomas, a rigid rule follower whose platform includes reinstating a dress code—so there’s no way she can lose. And she better not, or NYU will rescind her application.
But then, a group of students in Iran, fed up with the U.S.’s interference in Iranian politics, takes the American Embassy in Tehran—and the people within it—hostage. The Iran Hostage Crisis dominates the news, and suddenly, as an Iranian-American, Jasmine’s life becomes about a lot more than typical high school drama.
Fixated on her goals, Jasmine decides to downplay her heritage to win the election. But her brother, Ali, has become increasingly vocal about the U.S.’s toxic relationship with Iran. And Gerald’s empty campaign promise to “help” bring the hostages home (sure, good luck with that) has students suddenly sympathetic to his campaign. Now Jasmine is stuck between claiming her heritage or hiding it, standing by her brother or turning her back, winning the election or abandoning her dreams for good.
9. Beasts Of Ruin by Ayana Gray
Revealed through a People exclusive on January 27, was the sequel cover to NYT Bestselling Author Ayana Gray’s Beasts Of Prey which is titled Beasts Of Ruin. In addition, a new cover was revealed for Gray’s first novel which follows two teens who enter a magical jungle to find a monster, but get more than they bargained for.
Cover artist is Elena Masci. Beasts Of Ruin by Ayana Gray is set to be released July 26, 2022!
In this much anticipated follow up to New York Times bestselling Beasts of Prey, Koffi’s powers grow stronger and Ekon’s secrets turn darker as they face the god of death.
Koffi has saved her city and the boy she loves, but at a terrible price. Now a servant to the cunning god of death, she must use her newfound power to further his continental conquest, or risk the safety of her home and loved ones. As she reluctantly learns to survive amidst unexpected friends and foes, she will also have to choose between the life—and love—she once had, or the one she could have, if she truly embraces her dangerous gifts.
Cast out from the only home he’s ever known, Ekon is forced to strike new and unconventional alliances to find and rescue Koffi before it’s too late. But as he gets closer to the realm of death each day, so too does he draw nearer to a terrible truth—one that could cost everything.
Koffi and Ekon—separated by land, sea, and gods—will have to risk everything to reunite again. But the longer they’re kept apart, the more each of their loyalties are tested. Soon, both may have to reckon with changing hearts—and maybe, changing destinies.
10. The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew
As of January 31, Teen Vogue exclusively revealed the cover to Andrew’s debut urban fantasy novel following a Deaf college student with a peculiar connection to the afterlife. Written in dual POV, Delany will team up Colton Price, an upperclassmen with secrets of his own. Yet, the two will have to team up when a student turns up dead.
Cover artist is Sasha Vinogradova. The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew is set to be released November 1, 2022!
Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she’s Deaf. So when she’s accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she’s excited for the chance to prove herself. But her semester gets off to a rocky start as she faces professors who won’t accommodate her disability, and a pretentious upperclassman fascinated by Delaney’s unusual talents.
Colton Price died when he was nine years old. Quite impossibly, he woke several weeks later at the feet of a green-eyed little girl. Now, twelve years later, Delaney Meyers-Petrov has stumbled back into his orbit, but Colton’s been ordered to keep far away from the new girl… and the voices she hears calling to her from the shadows.
Delaney wants to keep her distance from Colton — she seems to be the only person on campus who finds him more arrogant than charming — yet after a Godbole student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit-hole of deeply buried university secrets. But Delaney and Colton discover the cost of opening the doors between worlds when they find themselves up against something old and nameless, an enemy they need to destroy before it tears them — and their forbidden partnership — apart.
Additional Cover Reveals ↷
• Jan. 12:I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman revealed through Twitter
The Booked Shelf 