What it’s about: Noah Mitchell gets excited by exactly one thing: gaming, specifically with MagePants69, the boy he’s been playing with (and falling for) for more than a year now. The fact that Mage’s mom’s strict rules mean they can never meet has always thrown a wrench in Noah’s dream of them getting together, but when he realizes he’s decoded just where Mage will be and how to meet him, things get a little more promising. But meeting is just the first step, and Noah’s not ready yet to make his identity known…which quickly spirals into building a relationship on a massive lie. The truth may set him free, but what if it sets him a little too free? Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: If that bright and gorgeous cover makes you want to kick your feet with glee, just wait until you read what’s beneath it: an ode to first love, being seen, and finding your joy. Mahalia didn’t get a sweet 16 party like her wealthier classmates, but she’s determined to be celebrated. So what better way than by throwing a coming out party, especially when she starts to fall for the new girl in town? But between financial issues, relationship messiness, and struggling to hold everything together, it’s starting to look like Mahalia’s dreams might never come true…or will they? Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: What do you get when you cross the closeted Crown Prince of Canada with an out-and-proud Montana cowboy? Well, if they turn out to be long-lost twins as Edward and Billy do, and they happen to run into each other in New York City, and Prince Edward happens to need a break from his royal life, you might find a mess fit for a king…or even a prince (or two). Romps and romance abound in this Parent Trap story about the royal mess of finding yourself in the most unexpected of ways. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: “It’s complicated” doesn’t even begin to cover the relationship status at play in Valdes’s sophomore YA, about three teens whose confusing feelings and even more confusing self-protective lies tie them together and break them apart in unexpected ways. Jonas and Shani have been falling for each other without ever meeting, but when Shani suspects Jonas is lying to her, she sends her best friend, gay trans boy Ash, on a recon mission. Only problem? Jonas and Ash hit it off too. Oh, and Ash and Shani aren’t completely sparkless either… So now what? Fans of books that depict the messiness of loving outside the lines à la Nic Stone’s Odd One Out should grab this one ASAP. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Winters mashes up the teen movie greats in his newest contemporary romance, about a 17-year-old boy named Theo who’s got everything going for him, and hopes landing the perfect promposal will be the cherry on top of it all. But when it doesn’t go according to plan, Theo hides away from the rest of the witnesses and wills the night to come to a quick end…only to find friend after friend coming to keep him company and find their own safe solace away from the public eyes of the party. Over the course of the night, Theo finds that both he and his heart may have more power to rebound than he thought. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: This interdimensional sci-fi debut sends two teens living nearly six decades apart traveling unimaginable distances to save the boy one of them loves. At the height of the AIDS crisis, Tommy can’t imagine telling Renaldo that he’s in love with him, but when Renaldo’s struck by lighting and changes completely, Tommy no longer has that option. In order to rescue Renaldo from a demon, he’ll need the help of a girl named Pris who learns of Tommy from a nightmare about him and a creepy house, and comes to his aid when she finds a guide to interdimensional travel. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Sharpe is best known in YA for her killer thrillers, so it’s a delight to see her take a romantic turn in this unconventional enemies-to-lovers romance. Penny and Tate have never really gotten along, but when Penny’s mom donates a piece of her liver to Tate, forcing them all into a house together, they have no choice but to play nice. And it may all be for show, but Penny and Tate also have a bit of an inexplicable…almost-kissing history. And while they’ve always brushed their encounters off before, it’s a little hard when you’re under the same roof. In fact, it just might be impossible. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: A Mississippi high school’s first Black homecoming queen meets an untimely end in this compelling dual-POV page-turner that pairs up two unlikely girls in the hunt for a murderer. Cop’s daughter Duchess wants to know who killed her best friend, Nova. Privileged white girl Tinsley wants to know the same thing, because a video posted online sure makes her look like the guilty party. But their quest to find the truth uncovers secrets they were never meant to learn, and if they thought heavy lies the head that wears the crown before, they had no idea… Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: It’s been a minute since Girard’s Morris-finalist debut, Girl Mans Up, but she’s definitely consistent in delivering messy, honest realness with this follow-up about a girl named Baylee who’s trying to juggle feelings for two different people at once. She’s always carried a torch for her best friend, Freddie, but when Baylee falls for a bookseller named Alex online just as Freddie turns things physical, it’s impossible to choose. And it gets even harder when the coronavirus hits, shutting the world down entirely. Soon, Baylee gets desperate enough for connection to make some seriously questionable choices… Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Cass is the ultimate Tide Wars fangirl, but while she may be open about loving the books, she keeps her online role-playing under the radar, even from her girlfriend, Taylor. But when Cass starts falling for her online BFF, Taylor knows something’s up. Between her secret life, her tanking grades, and her mom’s abandonment, Cass is one disaster away from falling apart completely. But is coming clean to clear her head worth everything she stands to lose? Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: After the epic summer that was Golden Boys, your fave BFF quartet are back for senior year, and as much as they’ve learned, there’s still no being fully ready for the entrance to adulthood staring them down. For Gabriel, Heath, Reese, and Sal, everything from career path to romance is up in the air. But does that include their friendship? Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Two track-and-field stars who can’t wait to grow up and move on find something worth sticking around for when they meet each other. Bash is a star, but having lost everything that meant anything, he has no idea what he wants anymore, until he meets Sandro. For Sandro, life has always been about staying in the background of his huge, loud family, but when he gets close to Bash, he finds someone who actually sees him. It isn’t the love either of them expected, but it’s the love they hadn’t even realized they needed. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Amateur party planner Felicity is thrilled to have the opportunity to help with her mom’s wedding, especially when she gets to do it with her long-distance friend Nancy. But when Felicity catches feelings, she isn’t sure what to do with them; there aren’t a whole lot of guides to how to date as an ace girl. With the potential for an amazing internship and romance on the line, Felicity’s got a lot to figure out if she’s going to plan her perfect future. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Aaliyah was balancing a difficult life in the closet, until she was outed to a church elder. Since then, it’s taken everything she has to come back stronger, but she’s here, and she’s…struggling. Between her cross-country teammates, exes, and a few too many people in her space (including a crush on the new girl), Aaliyah’s soon hanging by a thread, and she won’t get to make any huge mistakes again. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Trans pianist Miles has two dragons to slay: Shane, the ex-boyfriend who broke his heart by dumping him when Miles came out as trans, and Cameron, his greatest piano competition rival. But when Eric moves to town and steals his heart almost immediately, Miles starts to see himself and his goals in a new light — one that helps him understand what he deserves. Underhill nails every element here, from the wit to the romance to the fun and supportive cast, and you’ll definitely be cheering by The End. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: A queer college-set slasher novel? Yes, please! Dietrich takes a bloody turn in this horror about murder spree–survivor Sam, a freshman who’s trying to cling to a piece of normal life by joining a fraternity, getting closer to one of the brothers, and putting the past behind them. And then the murders begin again, and Sam knows time is running out. He’ll have to figure out who’s behind the killings, or risk once again losing everyone he holds dear. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Being trans in conservative Tennessee is only part of what’s making life so challenging for Gael that he can barely stand to talk about it, but it also leads him to support group Plus…and Declan. Through Declan, Gael finds friends and maybe even love, but is it enough to help him overcome everything at home that’s holding him back? Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Transmasc nonbinary pirate Mar’s got magical powers, but the ability to manipulate fire and ice isn’t the magic they need to save their father’s soul (and the souls of the rest of their ship’s crew) from a poorly considered deal made with el Diablo. They do, however, have the power to return their father’s soul if they make an impossible choice: sacrifice their own soul to save his. Mar knows making a literal deal with the devil is a fool’s errand, so they’re determined to find a way around it with the help of the captain’s hot son, Bas, and genderfluid demonio Dami. And their magic, of course, which Mar is going to have to bust out for the first time in their life, come hell or high water (or both). Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Prepare to be utterly and completely creeped out by this debut horror about a bi girl named Jade who moves to Vietnam for the summer to stay with her estranged father in the French colonial house he’s restoring. Jade just wants to uneventfully ride out the unwanted trip, but that’s a little tricky when your own home insists on paralyzing you in your bed every single night, and no one believes you come morning. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: In 1934 Chicago, Joe Garbe is making some bad decisions in order to make enough money to save his family’s farm. He quickly falls in with a criminal crowd, thanks to his cousin, and finds not one but two guys ready and willing to make him feel at home. But when things inevitably turn dangerous and it’s time for Joe to skip town, he’ll have to consider just how much of his new life he’s ready to leave behind. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Bayron keeps crushing queer YA from all directions, and in this newest, she takes on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Jekyll & Hyde with a queer teen twist. Bayron’s Gabriel Utterson is a Black 17-year-old law clerk returning to London for the first time since the scandal of his relationship with Henry Jekyll upended his life and got them both tossed from the London Medical School, only to find his old friend wants nothing more to do with him. Distraught, Gabriel begins to watch the Jekyll home and meets Henry’s new friend, Hyde, who strikes every jealous bone in Gabriel’s body, especially as Henry continues to act like he cares nothing for Gabriel at all. But there’s more to it than Gabriel knows, and perhaps more than he’s ready to learn. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Inspired by the story of the hanged maids from The Odyssey, Underwood’s debut finds death-sentenced Leto surprised that the afterlife brings with it a powerful girl named Melantho and a plan to stop any more of Ithaca’s maidens from being condemned to Leto’s fate. No big deal — all they have to do is kill the prince of Ithaca. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: When Brynn’s severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts lead her mother to worry she might be suicidal, she’s sent off to live with her father off the grid to hopefully heal. It sounds miserably boring, until Skylar shows up, sexy and fascinating and exactly the companion Brynn needs for the summer. But while Brynn may be stuck in a town she didn’t choose, Skylar’s just plain stuck, trapped in the bayou, waiting for Brynn to find a way to free her. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Cole’s novel-in-verse follows Alicia, whose reputation as the school slut follows her everywhere she goes, a nasty insult to the unforgivable injury of having been sexually assaulted by a teacher. But no one knows that second part, except whoever’s been leaving notes in Alicia’s locker suggesting she’s not the only victim. That and her attraction to a new girl at school combine to bring Alicia out of her protective shell, but it’ll take a lot of work and reconnection to get herself healed. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: This twisted, heartbreaking psychological thriller sees pill-popping perfectionist Chase Ohara devastated when her best friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-ex, Lia Vestiano, goes missing. As Chase tries to put together the pieces of what went wrong, the secrets she uncovers about both Lia and herself both perplex and horrify her. She misses her best friend, her girlfriend, and the happiness they once shared, but if Chase can’t work through the past, she may not get a future. Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: When a vampire attack tore Ava and Kaye’s world apart, it took their friendship with it. Now Ava’s a vampire, and her mother is keeping her at home in order to use her magic to hide that she’s one as well. Ava’s desperate to break free and stop her mother’s destructive plans, but to do that, she’ll need help, both from the other vampires and from Kaye, who lures her into the forest with a plan to turn her in. But the dangers they encounter far exceed anything either one can handle alone, and the feelings between them can’t be denied either… Get it from Bookshop here! What it’s about: Manny and his sister, Elena, had barely been adopted when he was cast out, forced into the Californian wilderness. Now every day is a quest for both survival and a reunion with Elena, though she’s stuck in a world he never wants to revisit. But when a dead body is found and Manny fears he knows whose it is, he’ll have no choice but to venture back to the community that spit him out.
