Anticipated YA Releases in 2016 (July – December)

At the start of 2016 I shared a list of YA book releases scheduled for January through June that looked like they’d be good reads. I always love to lists like this so that I know what book birthdays to keep an eye out for and that post was well-received, so I wanted to follow it up with one for the last half of 2016. As with the first list, I organized this post by genre and then by release date within each genre so that it’s easy to find books within the genre(s) you like best. And if you’re a big fan of mysteries and thrillers (like me!) and think that genre is looking a little scarce on this list, keep an eye out! I’ll read a good mystery any time of year, but fall always seems like the perfect season to have a stack on hand, so I’ll share more recommendations as summer comes to an end!

CONTEMPORARY

1 // ANY WORLD WITHOUT YOU by Beth Revis. Release Date: 7/19. Bo has always believed he can travel through time, so when his parents send him to a school for troubled youth, he believes he knows the truth: that he’s been sent to a school for teens with superpowers. Bo falls in love with Sofia, whose superpower is invisibility. When Sofia commits suicide, Bo believes she’s actually trapped in time and that it’s up to him to save her. Any book by Revis is one to take note of, although I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about this book. I haven’t liked the books that I’ve read recently that deal with mental illness. However, I think this could be really powerful and I’m going to check it out.

2 // P.S. I LIKE YOU by Kasie West. Release Date: 7/26. When Lily scribbles lyrics to a song during her chemistry leave and leaves it on her desk, someone responds. Soon, they’re writing notes back and forth and Lily realizes she’s corresponding with a guy, but when she discovers the identity of the guy she’s been writing to, he’s the last person she would have expected. This sounds so cute! Summer is the perfect time for a contemporary read and I’ve heard great things about Kasie West’s books. It’s time to check one out!

3 // WHAT LIGHT by Jay Asher. Release Date: 10/11. A girl whose family owns a Christmas tree farm meets a guy who made a huge mistake years ago that he’s been paying for ever since and is determined to help him find forgiveness in a “love story that’s moving, life-affirming and completely unforgettable.” Jay Asher. As a big fan of Thirteen Reasons Why, I’ll read any book with his name on it.

4 // MY UNSCRIPTED LIFE by Lauren Morrill. Release Date: 10/11. Dee’s disappointed when she’s rejected from the precollege fine arts program she applied to, but it’s opened up the possibility for her to work on set for a new movie that’s filming–one that stars the pop singer she’s had a crush on for years! When she encounters him on set, he’s so rude that she doesn’t want to run into him again. But is there a reason for his attitude? The description of this says, “for fans of Huntley Fitzpatrick.” I enjoy Fitzpatrick’s novels and this sounds really cute, so it’s a book I’ll keep an eye out for when it’s released.

5 // IF I FIX YOU by Abigail Johnson. Release Date: 10/25. When Jill’s mother walks out with only a goodbye on a sticky note, she’s broken up. When a boy with scars moves in next door the girl who used to fix things is determined to fix him, but soon realizes she can’t help him until she helps herself. This is described as “for fans of Sarah Dessen” and since I’m a big fan of Dessen, this is definitely on my to-read list. (Those descriptions work like a charm with me!)

6 // DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY by Michelle Krys. Release Date: 11/8. Hope is tired of everyone treating her like she’s breakable just because she has cystic fibrosis, so when she receives an invitation from a mysterious group to participate in a few dares in order to win some money, she jumps at the chance to add a little excitement into her life. But soon she finds out that this mysterious group isn’t all that it seems. This one has mixed reviews from those who received early copies, but I love stories with “mysterious groups” and the plot sounds interesting.

HISTORICAL

7 // FEAR THE DROWNING DEEP by Sarah Glenn Marsh. Release Date: 10/4. When people start disappearing at night, Bridey believes that whatever compelled her grandfather to jump into the sea and drown with a smile on his face right in front of her years ago has returned to her town. The cover of this one is absolutely beautiful and it sounds like a book I’d enjoy. This also sounds like it has a paranormal aspect to it, but the first genre listed on Goodreads is historical.

MYSTERY/THRILLER

8 // WHEN THEY FADE by Jeyn Roberts. Release Date: 9/13. This is described as “a haunting tale of two girls–one dead and alive.” I don’t know how to describe this one in a few sentences, so if you’d like more than the quote I listed, definitely go read the description. I’m definitely intrigued!

FANTASY/SCI-FI

9 // THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab. Release Date: 7/5. In a city where violence has begun to breed monsters, two teens have a choice: Kate must decide if she’ll follow in her father’s footsteps and make humans pay for his protection while he lets monsters go free, and August–a monster who can steal a soul with a strain of music–must decide if he’ll follow the good-hearted nature he received from his father and protect the innocent. I’ve heard great things about Schwab’s books and I’m intrigued by the father angle of this book, since both teens have to decide whether or not to follow their father’s influence.

10 // PAPER AND FIRE by Rachel Caine. Release Date: 7/5. The follow up to Ink and Bone, which takes place in a world in which The Great Library of Alexandria still exists, but book ownership is illegal. I really enjoyed Ink and Bone last year and am looking forward to reading the sequel.

11 // VICARIOUS by Paula Stokes. Release Date: 8/16. Two sisters who have never been separated, even after spending time in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked to the US, now work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, who can make your greatest adventures come true. When Rose is killed, Winter won’t stop until she avenges her sister’s death, even if it means risking her life as she can no longer tell what’s real. This is a terrible description of the book, but it’s not an easy one to describe in just a few sentences, especially since I haven’t actually read it yet. This one just sounds amazing, though, and it has really good reviews so far. I’m looking forward to reading it!

12 // THE READER by Traci Chee. Release Date: 9/13. Sefia flees into the wilderness with her Aunt Nin after her father is murdered, but when Nin is abducted the only clue is a rectangular object left behind by her father. The object is a book, something that is unheard of in her illiterate society. Using the book she has to find a way to free her aunt and possibly find out what happened to her father. This is another one that’s hard to describe in a few sentences, but it also sounds really fascinating and has great reviews, so I’m looking forward to this one!

13 // THREE DARK CROWNS by Kendare Blake. Release Date: 9/20. On an island a set of triplets is born in each generation. All three are queens and equal heirs to the throne and a fight to the death will choose who takes the throne. This one has mixed reviews, but it sounds really fascinating and like the start of a good series if it’s something I enjoy, so I’ll definitely check it out.

14 // STEALING SNOW by Danielle Paige. Release Date: 9/20. A retelling of Snow White in which Snow breaks free from the mental institution in which she’s spent most of her life and flees into the woods. This one has mixed reviews, but it sounds like a good read and, as someone who has never found a version of Snow White in which I actually like the “Snow” character, maybe this will be it!

15 // GEMINA by Aimee Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Release Date: 10/18. The follow up to Illuminae. I don’t want to know what’s supposed to happen in book two, so I didn’t read the synopsis, but I loved Illuminae and will definitely read the follow-up!

16 // HEARTLESS by Marissa Meyer. Release Date: 11/8. The story of the Queen of Hearts when she was just an ordinary teen who wanted to fall in love. I haven’t read The Lunar Chronicles yet, but I’ve heard great things about it and I always love stories about villains from childhood stories before they became a villain.

WHAT BOOKS ARE ON YOUR TBR?

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