Young Adult Cover Reveal Highlights For January 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

• Jan. 20: Marissa Meyer cover for Cursed

• Jan. 21: IREADYA Series of cover reveals (Twitter)

• Jan. 24: Tor revealed the second book in the Lake’s Edge duology (Blog)

• Jan. 27: Ellie Marney revealed the cover to her YA Thriller debut titled THE KILLING CODE through Twitter

• Wedenday Books & Penguin Teen revealed a series of covers for 2022 Releases: 99 Boyfriends, Break This House, & Seton Girls

Which of these 2022 releases are you looking forward to?

Leigh Bardugo reveals ‘Demon In The Wood’ ― a Grishaverse Graphic Novel

On December 16, GMA revealed in an exclusive announcement in which Leigh Bardugo provided a first look into the first-ever Grishaverse graphic novel and prequel releasing in 2022, which illustrates the origin story of the Darkling, titled Demon In The Wood.

According to Bardugo’s exclusive, the graphic novel will tell the story of “a young many burdened by an extraordinary power who will become the Darkling.”

Bardugo ends the announcement with this question “But is this the origin story of a hero, or a villain? That’s for you to decide…”

Original artwork will be done by Dani Pendergast and adapted by Kyla Vanderklugt, slated for a Fall 2022 release.

Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power.

Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves…

Discover the start of a grand and sinister destiny in this must-have graphic novel prequel to the bestselling series and international Netflix sensation Shadow and Bone from spectacular new talent Dani Pendergast and #1 New York Times bestseller Leigh Bardugo.

Demon In The Wood by Leigh Bardugo, with artwork from Dani Pendergast is set to be released September 27, 2022!

‘The Lies We Tell’ by Katie Zhao Cover Reveal

On November 18 Katie Zhao, debut author of How We Fall Apart, revealed the cover to her second dark academia novel through a book trailer. Slated for a 2022 release, it will be titled The Lies We Tell!

According to artwork she posted on her Twitter as of July 22, the novel’s summary pitch is stated as “A Chinese American college freshman investigates an unsolved murder case on campus – putting her life in danger, with a social media stalker determined to stop her, & crimes happening again on campus..”

Zhao also mentioned the novel is fitting for those who enjoy “college campus murder mysteries, rivals-to-lovers, & academic banter.”

Cover designers are the Bloomsbury design team.

From the author of How We Fall Apart comes a tense and thrilling YA about what it means not to feel safe in the places we call home.

Anna Xu moves across town and onto campus to start freshman year at prestigious Brookings University. Her family’s struggling Chinese bakery, Sweetea, isn’t far from campus or mind, but at Brookings Anna wants to keep up her stellar academics and… investigate the unsolved campus murder of her former babysitter. She also finds a familiar face–her middle-school rival, Chris Lu. The Lus are also the Xu’s business rivals, who just opened Sunny’s, a trendy bakery on Sweetea’s block. Chris is cute but still someone to be wary of—until a vandal hits Sunny’s and Anna matches the racist tag with a clue from her investigation. Is there a secret society carrying out hate crimes? She and Chris team up to take on a dangerous search into the attacks. Can they root out the ugly history and take on the current threat?

The Lies We Tell by Katie Zhao is set to be released August 9, 2022!

‘Legend’ To Be Adapted As A TV Series

On November 18, Deadline exclusively reported that Marie Lu’s 2011 NYT Bestselling YA Dystopian novel Legend, has been optioned by Bound Entertainment to bring the novel to television.

Lu is collaborating with Lindsay Sturman (known for projects such as Supergirl and Teen Wolf), alongside Bound Entertainment’s Samuel Yeunju Ha and Jamie Lai who will serve as executive producers.

According to her Instagram post from November 18, she’s been working on the pilot script during “all of this fall” and has been able to get “back in the heads of Day and June, getting to explore their universe from an entirely new angle.”

Lu’s dystopian is set in a futuristic United States where 15-year-old prodigy June has grown up for success in the highest military circles and 15-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. One day when June’s brother Metias is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect, June goes undercover to avenge him. However, when the two race to achieve their own goals and find themselves colliding, they’ll uncover sinister truths about their country.

Legend has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Bound Entertainment, the Korean-based entertainment studio, is focused on sharing stories from and about the Asian diaspora and also optioned Stacy Lee’s ‘The Downstairs Girl‘ earlier this year.

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal.

But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

The Legend Series by Marie Lu is out now!

Cover Reveal Highlights For September & October 2021!

Over here at The Booked Shelf we’re highlighting some of the phenomenal covers revealed during the month of September and October! From new releases from your favorite authors, to debuts and more, there’s 10+ covers to feast your eyes on!

1. Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

As of September 7, The NOVL revealed the cover to NYT Bestselling Author Samira Ahmed’s upcoming “found footage” story following journalist Safiya Mirza who investigates the disappearance of a boy inventor (pitch credit: Twitter).

Cover illustrator is Dana Ledl and designer is Karina Granda. Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed is set to be released in May 10, 2022!

Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.

Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.

Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.

2. This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

On September 9, Emily Thiede revealed through Twitter, the cover to her forthcoming YA Fantasy, which follows a divine savior who is “blessed” with the ability to magnify the magic of her partners, instead it leaves them dead from her touch. Facing assassination, she hires a cynical outcast marked a killer who has secrets of his own.

Cover illustrator is Kemi Mai alongside designers Kerri Resnick and Olga Grlic. This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede is set to be released June 8, 2022!

Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.

Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.

Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?

3.The Charmed List by Julie Abe

On September 10, Wednesday Books revealed through Twitter the cover to Julie Abe’s YA magical rom-com debut pitched as Sabrina The Teenage Witch meets Jenny Han. following two enemies forced together on a road trip!

Cover designer is Kerri Resnick and illustrator is Vi-An Nguyen. The Charmed List by Julie Abe is set to be released July 5, 2022!

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

4. A Girl’s Guide To Love And Magic by Debbie Rigaud

We Need Diverse Books revealed the cover to Debbie Rigaud’s forthcoming YA novel on September 12 which focuses on celebrating Haitian culture, first love in addition to being set during the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.

Cover illustrator is Erick Davila and designer is Yaffa Jaskoll. A Girl’s Guide To Love & Magic by Debbie Rigaud is set to be released July 26, 2022!

Cicely Destin, a Haitian American teen living in Brooklyn, loves the annual West Indian Day Parade that takes place in her neighborhood. The colors, clothes, tastes, sights, and sounds all celebrating Caribbean culture fill her with pride and joy. This year, the parade will be extra special: it falls on Cicely’s birthday, AND Cicely will get to hang out with her awesome aunt, Mimose, a social media influencer known for dabbling in Haitian vodou. But when Mimose’s dabbling becomes a little too real, and she seems to be possessed by a rogue spirit right before the parade, it’s up to Cicely, plus her best friend, Renee, and her crush (!), Kwame, to try to set things right.

Cicely and her friends set off on a winding, thrilling scavenger hunt through Brooklyn to find the items that will undo the possession. But can Cicely help her aunt if she doesn’t fully realize her own powers just yet?

5 Meet Me In Mumbai by Sabina Khan

During IREDYA’s week of cover reveals, on September 21 through Twitter the publisher shared the cover to Sabina Khan’s upcoming YA Contemporary pitched as “a novel in two acts” and “told eighteen years apart—gives voice to both mother (Ayesha) and daughter (Mira) after an unplanned teen pregnancy led Ayesha to place Mira up for adoption.”

Cover artist is Muhammed Sajid. Meet Me In Mumbai by Sabina Khan is set to be released June 7, 2022!

Seventeen-year-old Mira Fuller-Jensen was adopted by her moms at birth. All she knows about her biological mother is that she was a high-school student from India who returned to India after giving birth. Although Mira loves her moms, she’s always felt out of place in her mostly white community.

So when Mira finds an old box with letters addressed to her from her birth mother, she sees a way to finally capture that feeling of belonging. Her mother writes that if Mira can forgive her for having to give her up, she should find a way to travel to India for her eighteenth birthday and meet her. Mira knows she’ll always regret it if she doesn’t go. But is she actually ready for what she will learn?

6. Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho

On September 24, Kat Cho revealed through Twitter the cover to her upcoming rom-com following a Korean-American girl whose childhood friend turned K-Pop star returns to their hometown to take her to prom.

Cover artist is Xiao Tong and designer is Marci Senders. Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho is set to be released May 17, 2022!

Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing – she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that’s always made her feel like she belonged.

So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven year ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.

Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants – even if she can’t stop thinking about Robbie’s smile…right?

7. Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen

Culturess exclusively revealed the cover to Jennifer Yen’s sophomore YA Contemporary on October 1, following Gigi Wong who is eager to win an exclusive tech internship and in order to win, she decides to make a friend matching app to help a new transfer student. But when the app goes viral, Gigi finds herself in the middle of a scandal.

In addition to Love, Decoded‘s cover, a new cover for Yen’s 2021 debut ‘A Taste For Love’ was also revealed. Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen is set to be released March 8, 2022!

High school junior Gigi Wong strives to be the best: the top student, the perfect friend, and the ideal daughter. But it’s tough when there’s always someone who is just a little bit better. With college applications looming, she can’t help but worry that she won’t make the cut. Thankfully, her best friend Kyle never fails to find the right words–and the perfect bowl of ramen–to cheer her up.

After her teacher, Ms. Harris, announces she’ll be nominating students for an app writing contest, Gigi is determined to be picked. After all, first prize is an exclusive tech internship, sure to make her application stand out. There’s only one problem: she doesn’t have a winning program. It isn’t until transfer student Etta admits she’s struggling to fit in at Superbia that Gigi stumbles on an idea. She’ll use her coding skills–and the matchmaking experience she’s gotten from weekends with Auntie Rose–to create a friend matching app! Etta will meet new people, and Gigi will guarantee her acceptance into college. It’s foolproof.

What Gigi doesn’t expect is for her app to go viral around school. Soon, she finds herself at the center of a scandal—and at odds with both Etta and Kyle. Can Gigi fix what went wrong, or will her desire to be perfect cost her the people she cares about most?

8. No Filter And Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado

On October 4, Crystal Maldonado revealed the cover to her forthcoming YA with Buzzfeed Books which follows “IG-obsessed, charmingly messy, fat brown bi photographer” Kat Sanchez who also goes by Max Monroe, a social media influencer alter-ego who share advice, networks and shares beautiful photos, but when a viral post leads all of it to come crashing down, Max has to find a solution.

Cover artist is Ericka Lugo and designers include Amy Toth, Chelsea Hunter and Kerry Martin. No Filter And Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado is set to be released February 1, 2022!

You should know, right now, that I’m a liar.

They’re usually little lies. Tiny lies. Baby lies. Not so much lies as lie adjacent.

But they’re still lies.

Twenty one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and a glittering life filled with adventure. With tons of followers on Instagram, her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.

Except it’s all fake.

Max is actually 16-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic teenager living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous in her existence–just sprawl, bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with her best friend Hari’s unrequited love. But while Kat’s life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. The closer Elena and “Max” get–texting, Snapping, and even calling–the more Kat feels she has to keep up the facade.

But when one of Max’s posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she’s been stealing photos from, her entire world – real and fake — comes crashing down around her. She has to figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she’s created without hurting the people she loves.

But it might already be too late.

9. Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda

On October 7, Andrea Mosqueda revealed the cover to her 2022 YA romcom / debut through Twitter following “self-described romantic disaster Maggie Gonzalez, a bisexual Chicana living in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, as she tries to figure out whom to ask to be her escort at her little sister’s upcoming quinceañera: her charming ex-boyfriend twice over; her first crush and gorgeous best friend; or the mysterious new girl with the romantic baggage?”

Cover artist is Zeke Peña. Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda is set to be released May 24, 2022!

Growing up in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, Maggie Gonzalez has always been a little messy, but she’s okay with that. After all, she has a great family, a goofy group of friends, a rocky romantic history, and dreams of being a music photographer. Tasked with picking an escort for her little sister’s quinceañera, Maggie has to face the truth: that her feelings about her friends—and her future—aren’t as simple as she’d once believed.

As Maggie’s search for the perfect escort continues, she’s forced to confront new (and old) feelings for three of her friends: Amanda, her best friend and first-ever crush; Matthew, her ex-boyfriend twice-over who refuses to stop flirting with her, and Dani, the new girl who has romantic baggage of her own. On top of this romantic disaster, she can’t stop thinking about the uncertainty of her own plans for the future and what that means for the people she loves.

As the weeks wind down and the boundaries between friendship and love become hazy, Maggie finds herself more and more confused with each photo. When her tried-and-true medium causes more chaos than calm, Maggie needs to figure out how to avoid certain disaster—or be brave enough to dive right into it.

Additional cover reveals ↷

➣ Wednesday Books revealed a series of upcoming YA Covers for 2022 (September 10, 2021)

➣ CW from The Quiet Pond revealed the cover to Emery Lee’s Foodie YA enemies-to-lovers romcom titled Café Con Lychee (October 6, 2021)

➣ Wattpad Books revealed the cover to ‘How To Be The Best Third Wheel,’ an upcoming YA Contemporary debut by Loridee De Villa (October 8, 2021)

➣The NOVL revealed the cover to Belladona from Adalyn Grace, a gothic ghost story with romance (October 11, 2021)

Keep an eye on the blog for even more cover reveal wrap-ups & highlights coming this week!