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Happy April, bookish friends! April may bring showers and cold blustery days, but it is also bringing us some amazing new YA releases that are making me think of SUMMER. This month’s round up includes some summery reads that are jumping straight to my summer reading list, along with some big name releases, new series, exciting anthologies, and some promising sophomore novels. Whether you’re game for a summer romcom, a high fantasy novel, or something queer, April has got you covered!
As always, I couldn’t possibly begin to cover all of the great new YA books hitting shelves this month, so this is just a choice selection of what you will find. For this month’s round up, I didn’t include some books that I figured were already on your radar — the new Alexandra Bracken novel Silver in the Bone, for example, as well as the new Wibbroka book, Never Vacation With Your Ex. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t miss the latest installment in Charlie Jane Anders’s Unstoppable series, Promises Stronger Than Darkness. But the rest of these books are going to be amazing, so open up your wishlist and library accounts and get ready explode your TBR!
Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa (April 4)
Ander is an aspiring muralist living in San Antonio, wrapped up in their life in their familiar neighborhood where they work at their family’s taquería. But when Ander is “fired” from the taquería to prepare for the transition to college, they find themself falling for Santi, a new waiter. As their love for each other deepens, they see a future opening up before them…but one that is threatened by the arrival of ICE.
Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (April 4)
Stevie and Nora are secretly in love, and they have a plan to leave their small town for good. But then Stevie falls and hits her head, and as she recovers, her memories from the last three years are gone — including the ones of Nora and their plan. As Stevie recovers, she finds herself in a life that doesn’t quite fit, and Nora is left on the outside. Can they figure out a way back to each other once more?
Spell bound by F.T. Lukens (April 4)
When Rook enters into an apprenticeship with Antonia Hex, he’s hoping that he can somehow get back the magic he lost when his grandmother died. His main job? Keep his very illegal Spill Binder hidden. Rook finds himself in direct contact with Sun, the apprentice of Antonia’s rival, far more often than he’d like. But when the Spell Binder is discovered and Antonia pays the price, it’s Sun that Rook turns to in his time of need.
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Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti (April 4)
In this fast-paced mystery told via police interview transcripts, five friends go camping in the woods near Salvation Creek for a little bit of alone time to let off steam. But when one of them vanishes, the remaining four return and they all have a different story to tell authorities about what really happened.
Ab(solutlely) Normal: Short Stories that Smash Mental Health Stereotypes edited by Rocky Callan and Nora Shalway Carpenter (April 11)
In this collection of short stories, plays, and graphic shorts, 15 well-known and new YA authors tell various stories of what it’s like living with mental illness, smashing stereotypes along the way. This collection defies genres, and includes entries from Mercedes Acosta, Karen Jialu Bao, James Bird, Rocky Callen, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Anna Drury, Nikki Grimes, Val Howlett, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Isabel Quintero, Ebony Stewart, and Francisco X. Stork.
Throwback by Maurene Goo (April 11)
Samantha and her mom Priscilla do not get along, and Sam can’t help but feel like her mom’s expectations of her as a daughter of a first-generation immigrant are totally unrealistic. But after an epic fight, Sam finds herself slipping back in time to the ’90s, when her mom is her age. As she struggles to acclimate to this strange time and the weirdness of being friends with her mom as a teen, she becomes determined to help her mom in the hopes of getting back to her own time.
No Boy Summer by Amy Spalding (April 18)
Lydia and Penny have had a rough year full of drama and feel like they’ve gotten off track. The root cause? Boys. When Penny proposes a no-boy summer during their time spent staying with their aunt in L.A., Lydia agrees and soon finds that she loves this new reality and finds herself happier and closer than ever to her sister. But when she starts falling for a very cute girl, she can’t help but wonder if this new romance will ruin everything she and Penny have built this summer.
That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams (April 25)
Set in Shakespeare’s England, Joan is Orisha-blessed and has a job keeping stage blades for Shakespeare’s acting troupe…but her secret mission is to keep tabs on the underground world of the Fae. After a particularly brutal attack, Joan finds herself drawn into a political web that could cost her everything.
The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst (April 25)
Claire is an overly cautious person whose worst nightmares come to light when she arrives at her off-the-grid summer camp a day late…and finds a burned down lodge and no survivors. Now, with two other latecomers, she has to figure out what happened and how to escape before they’re next.
This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham (April 25)
In a world where a pathogen makes humans crave human flesh — turning them into “ghouls” — scientists have managed to control the chaos by producing synthetic flesh. Zoey, Celeste, Valeria, and Jasmine are all ghouls who decide to take a trip to celebrate graduation, but when Val abruptly goes ghoul and kills a boy, they discover that someone is enacting a sick plot to make those infected turn on humanity, and it’s up to them to stop it.
Need more great new YA releases? Check out March’s round up of new YA books! And, as always, you can find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index, carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.