Archives de catégorie : Young Adult

GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD de Joelle Wellington

Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.

GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD
by Joelle Wellington
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November 2025
(via Park, Fine & Brower)

When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.

Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.

Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than returning: stay.

As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.

Joelle Wellington grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her childhood was spent wandering the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Her love of the written word led her to a BA in creative writing and international studies. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading and when she’s not doing that, she’s attempting to bake bread with varying degrees of success or strengthening her encyclopedia-like pop culture knowledge. She’s the author of Their Vicious Games, The Blonde Dies First, and Girls Who Play Dead.

THE SECRETS WE CARRY de Tiffany Wang

A new YA duology inspired by Chinese folklore: featuring sibling relationships; fickle, feral, and fallible gods; enemies-to lovers-tropes; and good-hearted people doing terrible things in the name of the ones they love.

THE SECRETS WE CARRY
by Tiffany Wang
HarperCollins, Winter 2027
(via KT Literary)

Ailan, immortal goddess of weaving, has many older sisters, but Xifei is the one she loves most—and the one she’s secretly betrayed. When Xifei goes missing, Ailan is wracked with guilt, convinced her sister has disappeared into the mortal realm—and she’ll stop at nothing to get her back.

Kai despises immortals. Ever since his brother died at the hands of a god, Kai and his ba have only one all-consuming desire: vengeance. Kai will seek out a god, lure them to the capital, and deliver them to his ba to enact their revenge. It’s said that immortals cannot be killed, but Kai intends to test that theory for himself.

When Ailan descends from the heavens in search of her sister, Kai seizes his chance. He tells her of an oracle in the city who will be able to locate her sister anywhere in the mortal realm, and Ailan enlists him as her guide. The journey through the Middle Kingdom is a treacherous one, and before long Ailan and Kai are caught in the throes of a political plot that could scorch the mortal realm and topple the heavens. And as they begin to fall for one another, they are forced to grapple with the pain they have caused their loved ones, and whether or not they can live with the consequences if blood truly is thicker than water.

Tiffany Wang hails from a town in North Texas, although she’s currently wandering her way through New York City. She studied communication and international relations at the University of Pennsylvania.

THE LAST LOVE STORY de Katharyn Blair

A tropey, soapy, twist-filled teen romance standalone set in a dystopian world perfect for fans of The Hunger Games films.

THE LAST LOVE STORY
by Katharyn Blair
Avon/HarperCollins Children’s Books, August 2026

ROMANCE IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD: This accessible read with soapy twists, cliffhangers, and love triangles is just in time for the current dystopian renaissance. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent films will love the crackling tension and romance tropes galore!

LONELINESS, AI, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND CENSORSHIP: This book explores questions that matter to teens: the role of AI; friendships and romance during an increasingly isolating digital age; extreme weather; and book banning. It also poses questions about politics and gently critiques extremism, with a message for empathy and finding a middle ground.

LIGHT, SOAPY, AND COMPULSIVELY READABLE: Under 300 pages, with short chapters and accessible writing by Katharyn Blair, television writer for Marvel’s “Loki” and “Daredevil,” this book is a perfect entry point for teen readers. The commercial package will also communicate the romance-forward content.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING: Ripley models social awareness through perspective-taking; relationship skills through teamwork; and responsible decision-making by evaluating ethical responsibility.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: “The Last Love Story is a twisty standalone romance set in a dystopian world, perfect for Divergent and Hunger Games fans who are mostly in it for the swooning. Written by Marvel TV’s Katharyn Blair and edited by Sara Schonfeld, this one will have a commercial package and short cliffhanger chapters, and pubs right on time for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping movie next year.”

Katharyn Blairis the author of The Hushed (A Haunt for Jackals), Unchosen, and The Beckoning Shadow and screenwriter of « Loki » Season 2 and « Daredevil: Born Again. » She’s been a social media coordinator for several films at 20th Century Fox, an intern at her city’s Parks and Recreation Department, a gymnastics coach, and a writing professor at Azusa Pacific University.

CALYPSO’S ODYSSEY d’Anna Ellison

The Summer I Turned Pretty meets Circe in this windswept, emotional retelling of The Odyssey. A stunning story of first love, ancient echoes, and the power of rewriting your own fate.

CALYPSO’S ODYSSEY
by Anna Ellison
Avon/HarperCollins, May 2026

A star-crossed, slow-burn summer romance. A contemporary reimagining with mythological roots. A girl who learns that sometimes, the most epic love story is the one you write for yourself.

Some loves are meant to stay…some are meant to set you free.

Callie Quinn has never left Catalina Island. Her world is a crumbling cliffside inn, a father who’s more prison guard than parent, and a curse she believes she’s doomed to repeat: every summer brings a boy, a spark—and then a goodbye. Until one summer everything changes.

A storm. A shipwreck. A boy washed ashore.

Odie is secretive, wounded, and desperate to disappear. Callie offers him shelter, a place to heal, and slowly, something more. But Odie is no ordinary castaway. He carries secrets that could destroy them both. On Catalina, Callie shows him another way to live. A life of freedom and belonging. An everlasting life where he could be anyone—even himself.

But when Odie’s world crashes back into their paradise, both Odysseus and Calypso must make impossible choices: one between legacy and love. The other, between holding on and setting herself free.

Inspired by the tale of Odysseus and Calypso from Homer’s The Odyssey, this fresh retelling gives star-crossed lovers a chance to defy fate. Full of longing, first love, and impossible choices, it’s a story where, at last, they find their happily ever after.

Anna Ellison is the pen name of a lifelong storyteller. A hopeless romantic at heart, Anna has always been captivated by the magic of first love, late-night conversations, and the bittersweet excitement of growing up. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book, wandering through a local coffee shop, or working on her next story idea. This is her debut novel under the name Anna Ellison.

THE PATH OF ASCENSION de C. Mantis & Karla Diaz

The Wheel Of Time meets Demon Slayer in this bestselling LitRPG Epic Fantasy Action Adventure series– in print and as a Light Novel for the very first time from Aethon & Vault.

THE PATH OF ASCENSION
by C. Mantis & Karla Diaz
Aethon & Vault, May 2025
(via JABberwocky)

Orphaned by monsters, Matt must power-up to save others from the same fate.

Matt plans to delve the rifts responsible for the monsters that destroyed his city and murdered his parents. But his dreams are crushed when his Tier 1 Talent is rated as detrimental and no guild or group will take him.

Working at a nearby inn, he meets a mysterious and powerful couple who give him a chance to join the Path of Ascension, an empire-wide race to ascend the Tiers and become living legends.

With their recommendation and a stolen Skill, Matt begins his journey to the peak of power. Maybe then, he can get vengeance he seeks…

Experience the start of an action-packed fantasy adventure that blends the best of LitRPG and Progression Fantasy with Xianxia (Chinese for “immortal heroes” and is Chinese fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology). With more than 5 million views on Royal Road, this hit web serial is new-and-improved – and now in Light Novel format from Vault!

About the series: This is a mix between LitRPG and Xianxia. It’s like a car that looks like a LitRPG with dungeons and skills, but the interior and engine are all Xianxia. It features a magic system and progression system that are logically and internally consistent, as well as realistic fight scenes and a rational MC.