Most anticipated YA books of fall 2024

Magic flows freely in this fall’s YA offerings: Look forward to a new duology from Sabaa Tahir, a fairy tale retelling from Erin A. Craig, and a Caraval holiday novella from Stephanie Garber, among others.

Available 09/24/2024

YA, YA Nonfiction

Flamboyants

Illustrated by Charly Palmer

George M. Johnson made waves with their critically acclaimed debut, All Boys Aren’t Blue, which became a bestseller—as well as the second-most challenged book in the United States in 2022 and 2023. Their new young adult nonfiction book, Flamboyants, spotlights queer Black icons from the 1920s such as Zora Neale Hurston and Josephine Baker. The biographies are accentuated by colorful illustrations from Charly Palmer, winner of the 2018 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award.

Available 09/24/2024

The Thirteenth Child

By Erin A. Craig

Erin A. Craig is a master at developing her characters, giving them real-world obstacles to work through while adding a hint of magic to keep readers on their toes.

Available 09/24/2024

When the World Tips Over

By Jandy Nelson

Beloved for The Sky is Everywhere (which received an A24-produced film adaptation in 2022) and I’ll Give You the Sun, Printz Award-winner Jandy Nelson is back with When the World Tips Over, which brings readers to California wine country, where the three Fall siblings, still affected by the loss of their father years prior, have a life-changing encounter with a mysterious rainbow-haired girl.

Available 10/01/2024

The Forbidden Book

Based on Jewish mythology concerning the dybbuk, a disembodied spirit that inhabits the body of a living person, The Forbidden Book is a fantastic coming-of-age tale with resonant political themes.

Available 10/01/2024

Heir

Heir offers a welcome blend of mystique and weightiness—plus a dollop of romance—that will delight anyone seeking more complexity in young adult fantasy.

Available 10/08/2024

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . .

By Jason Reynolds

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature from 2020-2022 and winner of the Kirkus Prize (among countless other accolades), Jason Reynolds promises to charm readers with his usual sweet, exuberant prose in the story of Neon, a teenager facing his first time. Judy Blume has already chimed in to give her approval, calling this novel “fresh from start to finish.”

Available 10/22/2024

Spectacular

Illustrated by Rosie Fowinkle

Stephanie Garber gives fans of the wildly popular Caraval series plenty to rejoice over this holiday season with Spectacular, a novella that brings back beloved characters as they prepare to celebrate the Great Holiday. Garber promises whimsy and magic in this new adventure illustrated by Rosie Fowinkle.

Available 11/12/2024

Rani Choudhury Must Die

By Adiba Jaigirdar

The Henna Wars, Adiba Jaigirdar’s debut novel, was named one of Time’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, and readers haven’t been disappointed by subsequent offerings such as Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. In this new sapphic romance, two Bangladeshi Irish girls—and rivals—discover they’ve been dating the same boy, and join forces to compete at the European Young Scientist Exhibition with an app designed to expose cheaters. But what if in the course of their revenge plot, their frenemy relationship starts turning into something more?

Available 11/26/2024

Not for the Faint of Heart

By Lex Croucher

We adored Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher’s “quirky, queer Arthurian remix with serious undertones.” In Not For the Faint of Heart, the bestselling author moves onto the legend of Robin Hood—well, specifically Robin Hood’s granddaughter, Mariel, a new captain of the Merry Men.

Fall most anticipated lists, by genre

Previous most anticipated YA lists

Recent YA reviews

Book jacket image for The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley

The Queen’s Spade

The Queen’s Spade introduces readers to the incredible story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta and broadens it into a powerful tale that readers seeking historical fiction and high-stakes mystery are sure to enjoy.

Book jacket image for Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias

Honeysuckle and Bone

Readers who enjoy twisted thrillers in bright tropical settings will revel in Honeysuckle and Bone’s exploration of the contrast between glittery surfaces and the secrets buried beneath them.

Everything is Poison

The desperation and determination of the women in Everything Is Poison draw from rich historical detail while creating obvious parallels to modern struggles.

Kaya of the Ocean

In Gloria L. Huang’s fantastical, heartfelt coming-of-age tale Kaya of the Ocean, the protagonist’s gradual willingness to trust herself will resonate with readers on their own journey to self-confidence, magic-infused or otherwise.

This is the Year

While This Is the Year is unflinching in its portrayals of natural, social and economic disasters, it is also careful to demonstrate how healing is possible.

Book jacket image for Visitations by Corey Egbert

Visitations

Visitations is a haunting, complex memoir about religion, mental illness and broken families, told through the eyes of a young boy.