Fresh Fall Reads—YA Edition

20 Highly Anticipated Titles for Teens and Young Adults

Fall is always an exciting time when it comes to new books. Cooler weather means more time indoors curled up with a good read. From winsome rom-coms to paranormal fantasies to thrilling mysteries, here are twenty hotly anticipated titles for teens and YA readers.

September

Each Night Was Illuminated (Sept. 20)
Bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson tells a story of saints and floods, secrets and truths, rage and love—and the bravery it takes to bet your whole life on a new kind of hope. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson!

Seoulmates (Sept. 20)
Hannah's relationship status? It's complicated. Plus, her former best friend is in town and wants to talk. This charming debut from Susan Lee centers on a Korean-American teen navigating romance, while grappling with her own identity.

Kingdom of the Feared (Sept. 27)
From bestselling author Kerri Maniscalo comes the steamy conclusion to her Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy about witchy sisters Emilia and Vittoria. After Vittoria's brutal murder in book one, Emilia seeks vengeance.

Mere Mortals (Sept. 27)
Erin Jade Lange's hilarious, fresh take on a classic vampire tale follows a pair of hundred-year-old teenage vampires who have turned mortal and must face the greatest nightmare of all—high school.

October

The Empress of Time (Oct. 4)
From Kylie Lee Baker, the riveting sequel to The Keeper of Night continues the story of Ren Scarborough. As she fights to defend her title as Japan's Death Goddess, Ren will have to learn who she can trust.

A Scatter of Light (Oct. 4)
Last Night at the Telegraph Club author Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful coming-of-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage.

Pretty Dead Queens (Oct. 4)
Seaview High's homecoming queen is dead . . . and she's not the first. From Alexa Donne, this nonstop thriller features a decades-old mystery, a copycat killing, and a tenacious teen who won't stop until she discovers the truth.

Dark Room Etiquette (Oct. 11)
After being kidnapped, a privileged teen contemplates what he must do to survive. Combining edge-of-your-seat suspense with powerful writing, Robin Roe's taut psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Black Ice and Hatchet.

If You Could See the Sun (Oct. 11)
In this genre-bending YA debut by Anne Liang, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates' most scandalous secrets. Thought-provoking and thrilling.

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken (Oct. 18)
This historical YA romance by Nita Tyndall is set in Berlin on the eve of WWII. Charlie is a young woman caught up in the revolutionary Swing Youth Movement. But the tyranny of war will test how much she is willing to risk—and to lose.

Somebody That I Used to Know (Oct. 18)
In this novel from Dana L. Davis, an aspiring musician reconnects with her ex-best friend, now a successful R & B artist. After Langston moved to Hollywood and ghosted her, Dylan has moved on, but then he surprises her with a visit.

November

How To Excavate a Heart (Nov. 1)
It all starts when Shani runs into May. Like, literally. With her mom's Subaru. Author Jake Maia Arlow delivers a sapphic Jewish twist on the classic Christmas rom-com in a read perfect for fans of Kelly Quindlen and Casey McQuiston.

The Luminaries (Nov. 1)
From bestselling author Susan Dennard, comes the story of sixteen-year-old Winnie, a girl determined to restore her family's name by joining the Luminaries, an ancient order defending her town, and all of humanity, from monsters.

Salt and Sugar (Nov. 1)
The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families' feud in this delicious debut rom-com by Rebecca Carvalho. If you like Nicola Yoon and Gloria Chao, this is for you.

Love in the Age of Dragons (Nov. 1)
Earth has been invaded by vicious dragons in Fatima R. Henson's debut novel. Ayanna is a seventeen-year-old girl eking out a hardscrabble survival in an abandoned subway system as she navigates love and loss.

Whiteout (Nov. 8)
From the same team of authors who wrote Blackout comes another magical novel centering on Black teen love. As Atlanta is blanketed in snow just before Christmas, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off an epic apology.

Bloodmarked (Nov. 8)
This is part two of Tracy Deonn's award-winning Legendborn Series. Ideal for fans of Cassandra Clare and Margaret Rogerson, this is the story of Bree, a girl who must channel her mystical powers to save the people she loves.

Children of Ragnarok (Nov. 8)
Sixteen-year-old Eiric Halvorsen stands to lose everything when he's wrongly convicted of murdering his parents. Readers get high-octane fantasy and breathtaking twists in part one of Cinda Williams Chima's Runestone Saga.

Belittled Women (Nov. 29)
This sharp, subversive rom-com by Amanda Sellet gives a sly wink to a beloved classic. Jo Porter, along with her siblings, Meg and Bethamy (yes, that's two March sisters in one), feel tortured by their mother's literary obsession.

We Deserve Monuments (Nov. 29)
Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in this YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations.

There are so many exciting books out this time of year that we had a hard time narrowing down our choices to twenty! Let us know if you have any to add to the list.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon