10 YA Novels To Look Forward to in 2016
Olivia Handscom ‘18/ Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
This is going to be a big year for young adult readers. Whether readers are in the mood for magic, fantasy, historical fiction, or a contemporary story, there is a book out there for everyone. With so many amazing upcoming releases, here is a list of a ten books to mark the calendar for.
1) Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Lady Midnight will be the first book in The Dark Artifices, a new series that will take place in the world of the Shadowhunters. In the Shadowhunter Institute of Los Angeles, Emma Carstairs and parabatai Julian Blackthorn have to investigate a string of strange murders, eerily similar to the murders of Emma’s parents. This series will be filled with the same snarky humor, action, and romance as Clare’s two previous installments in the Shadowhunter Chronicles. Lady Midnight is set to be released on March 8th, by Margaret K. McElderry Books.
2) Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Marissa Meyer is becoming famous for her unique fairy tale retellings, which she will be continuing this year. Heartless will serve as an origin story for the famous Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Before she was ordering the removal of Alice’s head, the Queen of Hearts was just a girl named Catherine. She was favored by the King of Hearts, but Catherine wanted control of her own destiny and heart. Everyone knows how this story ends, but Meyer is going to show how the story began. Heartless will be available on November 8th, by Feiwel and Friends.
3) The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Morgan Matson has become well known on the contemporary YA front in recent years, so this new release is highly anticipated. The Unexpected Everything is about a girl named Andie, who is a politician’s daughter. Andie has is all figured out, until a scandal rocks her entire family and throws her life plans off course. Now Andie finds herself walking dogs and spending a lot of time with a boy named Clarke. Like Matson’s other novels, this is most likely filled with cute romance and life lessons that stick with the audience. The Unexpected Everything is hitting shelves May 3rd, by Simon & Schuster.
4) Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
After the incredible success of Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray, she is returning to WWII in her latest novel. Salt to the Sea follows Joana, Emilia, and Florian, who cross paths on their way to salvation after they fled East Prussia. The three form a bond and unite to get each other to safety. In usual Sepetys style, it will most likely be heart wrenching and beautiful. Look for it on shelves February 2nd, by Philomel Books.
5) Kill the Boyband by Goldy Moldavsky
This debut novel by Goldy Moldavsky will give everyone a sneak peak into the mind of four super-fans of of a popular boy band, The Ruperts. These young fans accidentally kidnap one of the members of The Ruperts—and even worse than that, it’s the dorky one. Now they have to figure out how to deal with the consequences of their impulsive kidnapping. This hilarious dark comedy will give a little insight into the crazy mind of the new breed of super-fans, and the lengths they will go to for their favorite band. Kill the Boyband will be available February 23rd, by Point.
6) This Is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang
Amy Zhang created quite a bit of literary buzz with her debut novel, Falling Into Place, which was published in 2014 when she was only sixteen years old.. This year she will release her second novel, This is Where the World Ends. The novel will follow two best friends, Janie and Micah. After Janie is date-raped by the most popular guy in school, she is turned into a social pariah. Even Micah begins to question if she was “asking for it.” Things get worse after Janie goes missing. Zhang uses her signature nonlinear writing style and dual narratives to unravel the mystery behind Janie’s disappearance. This Is Where the World Ends can be found on shelves March 22nd, by Greenwillow Books.
7) A World Without You by Beth Revis
Beth Revis is most famous for her sci-fi trilogy Across the Universe, but in A World Without You she dips into the contemporary genre. A mentally ill boy named Bo meets a girl and falls in love while he is at a school for troubled youth. After his girlfriend commits suicide, Bo believes she is not dead, but actually lost in time, and that he is the only one who can save her. Revis offers a new and interesting perspective on young people dealing with mental illness. A World Without You will be here in July 19th, by Razorbill.
8) Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick
Matthew Quick has written some noteworthy novels in his career, like Silver Linings Playbook and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. In his latest YA novel, Every Exquisite Thing, a young girl named Nanette finds her inner rebel after she reads an out of print, cult-classic novel. She befriends the strange, hermit author, falls in love with a poet, and throws herself into a life of recklessness abandon. Quick’s quirky style of writing will be put to perfect use with this story. Every Exquisite Thing is to be released on May 10th, by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
9) The Last Star by Rick Yancey
The Fifth Wave series has been met with much praise and acclaim since the first book was released. The Last Star is the third book in Rick Yancey’s sci-fi series about aliens who invaded Earth and managed to wipe out most of the population. While the second installment had mixed reactions from readers, everybody is still hanging on to see how this crazy, action-packed saga is going to end. Look for The Last Star on May 24th, by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.
10) The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven King is the fourth and final installment in Maggie Stiefvater’s popular series The Raven Cycle. Fans are waiting to see what will happen with Blue and her Raven Boys as they go on their last adventure. This is sure to be filled with humor, heartbreak, and magic. The Raven King is available on April 26th, by Scholastic Press.