Anticipated YA Releases of 2017 (January – June)

Note – Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that I’ll receive a small percentage of any purchase you make using them at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep this blog running. I received some of these books for review from the publisher. I’ll state which books were sent to me in the review–and it’ll be listed in the link to my original review as well. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Dreams, etc.!

Are you ready to fill up your TBR and celebrate some book birthdays in 2017? Every year I put together a list of YA books that will be released that year. Since I primarily write YA, I like to see what’s coming out. So I thought I’d share some of the books on my list with all of you! I included 28 books; six of the books are sequels and can be found at the end of the post. As I did last year, I sorted books by genre to help you find the books you’d be interested in. Within each genre they’re organized by release date.

Please keep in mind that this is the information that I have found online. Release dates can change. And this list only includes books that will be released through June. I already have 14 books for a follow-up to this post in June or July.

Also, let me know if you’d be interested in a list like this for adult books… as in, books about adults, not books about young adults. I don’t think I’d be able to get that up until the beginning of February, but I’ll probably make my own list anyway, so if there’s interest I would definitely share the books I find.

Fantasy/Sci-Fi

RoseBlood, by A.G. Howard  |  January 10th  |  A Phantom of the Opera-retelling, in which a girl has an affliction that’s associated with her great operatic talent and whose mother sends her to a school for the arts in the hopes that some creative direction will help her. I received an advance copy of this book and am so excited to read it, because this sounds fantastic!

Carve the Mark, by Veronica Roth   |   January 17th   |  On a planet ruled by violence, some are favored with special gifts. Usually these gifts will benefit the recipient, but for Akos and Cyra, it makes them vulnerable. This is the first in a duology, I believe, and I was excited when I saw that Roth’s next book after the Divergent trilogy would be set in space. I’ve heard some mixed reviews on this one, but I’ll definitely read it to see what I think.

Caraval, by Stephanie Garber  |  January 31st  |  Sisters Scarlett and Tella have dreamed of Caraval–a week-long performance that takes place once a year where the audience participates in the show–seeing it as a way to escape their abusive father. When their invitations arrive they are ecstatic, but soon Tella goes missing, kidnapped by the mastermind of the show. Everything in the show is part of the performance, but Scarlett still must find her sister before the show is over and her sister disappears forever. This sounds Night Circus-esque and totally intriguing!

Wintersong, by S. Jae-Jones  |  February 7th  |  A retelling of Labyrinth, in which 19-year-old Liesl agrees to become the bride of the Goblin King–the muse for her music–in exchange for her sister, and finds that he still inspires her as she lives in his realm, even though she watches her life fade away. A Labyrinth-retelling! I will be honest with you… the Labyrinth isn’t my favorite movie. I have always loved the premise and used to walk around my backyard reciting the poem/riddle Sarah uses to find the Goblin king (I think, it’s been a long time since I watched the movie). I’m just not a fan of muppets. So, a book with the premise of Labyrinth really excites me. Also, the cover is GORGEOUS!

Hunted, by Meagan Spooner  |  March 14th  |  After father goes missing Yeva tries to hunt down the creature he was tracking in an attempt to find him in this Beauty and the Beast-retelling. It looks like 2017 is the year for retellings! I wasn’t actually going to share this title, since there have been a lot of retellings on this list and I feel like there have been a few Beauty and the Beast-retellings in recent years, but I definitely want to read this, so it’s on the list.

Strange the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor  |  March 28th  |  The blurb doesn’t really give a good feel for plot, but it has left me intrigued and I’m intrigued.

Toward a Secret Sky, by Heather Maclean  |  April 4th  |  Maren is orphaned and sent to live with her grandparents in Scotland, when she receives an encrypted journal from her mother that confirms she and Maren’s father were members of a secret international organization. This information not only puts Maren and all those around her at risk, but the organization now wants to recruit her. There’s a line in the synopsis that talks about “racing against the clock” “palatial estates with twisting labyrinths” and “famous cathedrals with booby-trapped subterranean crypts.” That totally speaks my language and gave this book a spot on this list!

Dreamfall, by Amy Plum  |  May 2nd  |  Cata experiences debilitating insomnia, so she agrees to be part of an experiment. But the procedure goes wrong and now Cata is stuck in a dreamworld with six other teens, where their worst nightmares come to life. I love books that take on dreams as a subject matter and this one sounds really good.

Flame in the Mist, by Renee Ahdieh  |  May 16th  |  The daughter of a prominent samurai goes into hiding after being attacked and seeks to find the people who are after her. Ahdieh is the author of the much-loved The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger, which I haven’t read yet, but I own copies of and am planning to read soon. This book sounds similar to Mulan and it sounds like ti could be a lot of fun!

Mystery/Thriller

To Catch a Killer, by Sheryl Scarborough  |  February 7th  |  Erin has lived a quiet life since she was placed in a new home following the murder of her mother when she was a toddler. As a teenager, she starts to investigate the unsolved crime herself. When her biology teacher is found murdered, she’s convinced she’s on the right track, but all signs point police to her. I love teen sleuths and this one sounds like it has a lot of heart behind it!

A Lie for a Lie, by Robin Merrow MacCready  |  February 28th  |  Kendra Sullivan loves taking photos, until one reveals that her dad has been living a double life and she must decide whether she’s going to share the information and destroy her family or dig deeper to discover the truth. This one sounds so fascinating and like my type of read!

A Psalm for Lost Girls, by Katie Bayerl  |  March 14th  |  Tess is thought of as a saint–literally–in her hometown and after her death, the town sends a petition to the pope to make her sainthood official. Tess’s mom is ecstatic, but her little sister Callie feels like she’s losing her sister all over again and sets out to prove that Tess wasn’t a saint, she was something much more important: Callie’s sister. Stories about sisterhood always appeal to me and my heart already goes out to Callie! This book sounds really fascinating and I am excited to read it.

Missing, by Kelley Armstrong  |  April 18th  |  The only thing Winter likes about Reeve’s End is that she’ll leave it, just like her sister did and her best friend did. But when another friend leaves, Winter starts to wonder if everyone is actually leaving, or if they’re going missing. I’ve enjoyed books that I’ve already read by Kelley Armstrong and this one sounds fantastic! It’s definitely on my TBR for the year!

One of Us Is Lying, by Karen M. McManus  |  May 30th  |  The synopsis started out with “The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars” and I was immediately sold! I finished the synopsis and I’m even more sold. On Monday, five students have detention, but one of them doesn’t make it out alive. On Tuesday, the one who died was planning to release juicy information on the other four who were in detention with him, so when police determine there was foul play, the other four are suspects.

Historical

The Valiant, by Lesley Livingston  |  February 14th  |  When Fallon is old enough to follow in her sister’s footsteps and go off to war, she’s kidnapped and sent to a school for female gladiators, where she must train to survive and become one of The Valiant. I’m really intrigued by a story about a female gladiator and I’d love to see what happens at gladiator school. My plans for Valentine’s Day involve my couch, lots of tea, a cute puppy and this book!

Contemporary

After the Fall, by Kate Hart  |  January 24th  |  I really can’t describe this one, so go read the synopsis, but it sounds like a book that I’ll want to read ASAP. I’ve been looking for a good contemporary and, while this one doesn’t sound like it’ll be the easiest of reads, it sounds like it’ll be a good one. And the cover is gorgeous!

By Your Side, by Kasie West  |  January 31st  |  When Autumn finds herself accidentally locked into a library with Dax–a loner who had a stint in juvie–she waits for her almost-boyfriend to rescue her. But as they spend the weekend together, she starts to learn more about Dax. I’ve heard great things about Kasie West’s contemporaries and this one sounds like a cute romance that digs a little deeper.

It Started with Goodbye, by Christina June  |  May 9th  |  Tatum is stuck under house arrest–imposed by her stepmom–after being falsely accused of a crime, but she soon discovers that she’s not the only one who’s keeping secrets and realizes that she might be able to make amends with her family. Apparently this is a take on the Cinderella story arc and it sounds like it would be a fun, contemporary read.

In a Perfect World, by Trish Doller  |  May 23rd  |  Caroline is excited for a summer filled with time with her boyfriend and soccer camp… until her mom is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo and Caroline has to go along. I love books that take the reader to different countries and this one already has good reviews, so I’m excited to read it.

Once and for All, by Sarah Dessen  |  June 6th  |  Louna, the daughter of a wedding planner feels pretty cynical about love. When she meets a serial-dater Ambrose, she holds him at arms length, but Ambrose isn’t discouraged because he has now found the one girl he really wants to be with. I love Sarah Dessen’s books, so anytime I see a new book from her I’m ready to read it.

Soldier Boy, by Keely Hutton  |  June 13th  |  Hutton tells the story of Ricky Richard Anwar who was abducted in his early teens to fight in Joseph Kony’s army in the Uganda civil war, as well as the fictional story of Samuel, who is inspired by the thousands of child soldiers that Anwar worked with and rehabilitated twenty years later. I recognized Hutton’s name immediately as someone that I’ve seen in the online writing community. (I sometimes tune in to Twitter pitches and have seen her pitch this book.) It’s so cool to see that it’ll be out this summer!

Graphic Novels

Wires and Nerve, Vol. 1, by Marissa Meyer  |  January 31st  |  A graphic novel following Iko, one of the characters from the Lunar Chronicles series. I haven’t read that series yet, but I’m really intrigued that she’s following up with a graphic novel series about one of the characters.

Next in a Series

Windwitch, by Susan Denard  |  January 10th  |  The second book in The Witchland’s series, about a world on the brink of war and the two witches who hold its fate in their hands. (Follows: Truthwitch)

Guardian of Secrets, by Brenda Drake  |  February 7th  |  The second book in the Library Jumpers series about a teenage girl who discovers she’s connected to sentinals–magical knights who protect humans from magical creatures and travel the world by jumping into photos of different libraries. (Follows: Thief of Lies. See my review of Thief of Lies.)

King’s Cage, by Victoria Aveyard   |   February 7th   |   Third book in the Red Queen series, about a world divided by blood, where the silvers have god-like powers and the reds are commoners. (Follows: Red Queen & Glass Sword)

Seeker, by Veronica Rossi  |  May 16th  |  The second book in the Riders duology that involves the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The first book was one of my most anticipated books from 2016 and I have it, but I haven’t read it yet. Don’t ask why… last year was such a strange reading year for me. But I’ll read it this year, in time for Seeker to come out! (Follows: Riders.)

The Crown’s Fate, by Evelyn Skye  |  May 16th  |  The second book in The Crown’s Game series about two enchanters living in Imperial Russia who are fighting to become the Tsar’s most respected advisor. (Follows: The Crown’s Game)

Our Dark Duet, by Victoria Schwab  |  June 13th  |  The second book in the Monsters of Verity series about a monster hunter and a monster. (Follows: This Savage Song)

Do any of these look interesting to you?

[Tweet “Fill up your TBR with this list of over 20 YA new releases for 2017! #bookworm #amreading”]