Welcome to the 2018 Books for Teens post!

I am Emily Day, Macmillan’s Library Marketing Assistant / YA Specialist and your host and curator of this post. I recently moved to NYC from Boston, where I worked as a bookseller at Trident Booksellers and Cafe, an intern at Charlesbridge Publishing and the Horn Book, and a children’s literature graduate student at Simmons College. If I’m listening to music, it’s probably a Broadway musical soundtrack, I love and collect maps, and I prefer cold, cloudy days to warm, sunny ones. I read YA almost exclusively, and some of my all-time favorites are WORDS IN DEEP BLUE by Cath Crowley, ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai, and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery (technically those last two aren’t YA, but they’re just so spectacular that I had to list them).

In addition to featuring forthcoming YA and YA-ok titles from Wednesday Books and Flatiron Books YA, I will also include my candid reviews of as many titles as I can possibly read (starting with two of my absolute faves, Melissa Albert’s THE HAZEL WOOD and Adrienne Young’s SKY IN THE DEEP), which will be labeled as “Day’s YA!” [GET IT? HA!] So, when you’re ready to scroll, stories of Vikings and Valkyries, hospitals and heartthrobs, mental illness and fighting back, all await you below.

Ready? Here we go!

First, make sure that you’re pre-approved on Edelweiss to download all of our available e-galleys, including many of the titles mentioned below. Click here to find out how to be whitelisted.

You can also view our Edelweiss collection of Books for Teens 2018 titles here.

Now on to the books!

MIRAGE by Somaiya Daud
9781250126429
Available August 28, 2018
Ages 13 to 18
Also available in audio

Star Wars meets RED QUEEN and THE WRATH AND THE DAWN in this epic fantasy inspired by the author’s Moroccan heritage about Amani, a poor girl who must become the body double of a princess of a ruthless empire. As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection . . . because one wrong move could lead to her death.

SADIE by Courtney Summers
9781250105714
Available September 4, 2018
Ages 13 to 18

SADIE is the story of a missing girl on a journey of revenge and a Serial-like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. When Sadie’s little sister, Mattie, is found dead, Sadie hits the road on a mission to find her sister’s killer. But when West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

THE HAZEL WOOD by Melissa Albert
9781250147905
Available now
Ages 12 to 18
Also available in audio
SIX starred reviews!!

Day’s YA Review:
Many fairy tales begin with “once upon a time” and end with “happily ever after.” Melissa Albert’s debut novel is not one of those fairy tales. Albert expertly weaves a story that is magically creepy and mesmerizing. THE HAZEL WOOD begins with Alice, a seventeen-year-old girl who, along with her mother, Ella, is constantly running from bad luck that seems to follow them wherever they go. Alice is the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, the mysterious author of a beloved, but rare, book of fairy tales set in the sinister world of the Hinterland. When Althea dies suddenly Alice and her mother expect their luck to improve, but instead, their ill fortune takes a turn for the worse. Ella is taken away by someone who claims to be from the Hinterland, and Alice must find her way there, despite Ella’s one command that she stay away. Alice seeks out the Hinterland to find her mother, but she may uncover much more along the way.

Reminiscent of Emily Carroll’s THROUGH THE WOODS and Emma Donoghue’s KISSING THE WITCH, Melissa Albert has hit the nail on the head with this spooky homage to fairy tales. Though Albert’s novel is not a retelling of a classic fairy tale, she has managed to create a completely original narrative filled with riveting characters and a captivating plot that still retains some of the elements of more traditional tales. THE HAZEL WOOD is an obvious choice for lovers of fantasy novels and classic fairy tales, but it will also appeal to fans of YA mystery novels, such as E. Lockhart’s WE WERE LIARS, and stories about the discovery of deep, personal truths, such as Nicola Yoon’s EVERYTHING EVERYTHING. Albert’s enchanting debut novel is truly something special and will leave you with the lingering notion that our stories are all around us, influencing us and comprising our most inner beings.

LEGENDARY by Stephanie Garber
9781250095312
Available May 29, 2018
Ages 13 to 18
Also available in audio

In the sequel to the New York Times bestselling and #1 IndieNext Pick CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more. This year’s Caraval has concluded and Tella is alive—and safe, to her older sister’s relief. But Tella has secrets she has been keeping from Scarlett. Afraid of revealing the truth to the person who loves her most, Tella runs away to Valenda, the capital of the Empire, to find the mysterious correspondent whom Tella owes.

“The pacing is impeccable, with urgency increasing to an almost breathless point as Tella runs from clue to clue, while bittersweet truths and devastating betrayals unfold.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

” . . . a tour de force of imagination.” —Kirkus, review

CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber (ages 13 to 18) will be available in trade paperback on May 1, 2018.
9781250095268

SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young
9781250168450
Available April 24, 2018
Ages 12 to 18
Also available in audio

Day’s YA Review:
Initial reaction: This book is so good I’m having trouble coming up with the words to describe it. Must process. Check back later.

Update: Okay. I’ve processed. Here we go.

As a member of the Aska clan, seventeen-year-old Eelyn has spent her entire life learning how to be a warrior—preparing for the traditional battle against the enemy clan. For many centuries, the gods of the Riki and the Aska have been at war, so the clans battle it out every five years on behalf of their gods. This time is different for Eelyn, though. She has been waiting for five long years to avenge the death of her brother, who fell off of a cliff in front of Eelyn during the last battle against the Riki. So when Eelyn sees her dead brother, Iri, fighting with the Riki in battle, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew. In a moment of uncertainty, Eelyn is captured by the Riki and must spend the winter in their village, living among the enemy in the place her brother now calls home. Eelyn desperately longs to get back to her clan and her family, but there is no way for her to do so. When a third clan—one even more brutal than the others—attacks the Riki village, Eelyn must convince the Riki and the Aska to set aside their differences and work together to defeat the new enemy.

As soon as I reached the last page of this novel, I wanted to go back and start from the beginning again just so I could continue to be wrapped up in Young’s words. Know her characters. Experience the world she created. The character of Eelyn is a badass warrior heroine who will appeal to fans of Marvel’s Wonder Woman, as well as Disney’s Brave and Tamora Pierce’s Alanna series. Eelyn is simultaneously fierce and sensitive; she loves deeply, but she is also able to instantly take someone down with her axe. Adrienne Young’s debut novel is written with the finesse of a veteran author, and to give you a taste of her brilliance I’m going to leave you with a quote from the second page of the book that captures the emotion and voice of the novel:

“Vegr yfir fior. Honor above life. The first whistle cut into the air from our right, warning us to get ready and I closed my eyes, feeling the steadiness of the earth beneath my feet. The sounds of battle rushing toward us bled together as the deep-throated prayers of my clansmen rose up around me like smoke from a wildfire. I let the words march out under my breath, asking Sigr to guard me. To help me bring down his enemies.”

And now, a word from debut author, Adrienne Young:

Dear Librarians,

As story gatekeepers, I know the role you play in a book’s life and in the life of young people is invaluable. That’s why I am so excited for you to meet Eelyn, a fierce, but deep warrior whose life is about to change forever. In many ways, her journey reflects my own and I know that there are teens out there who will find a mirror in these pages. What I hope girls see in this book is the message that I wish had been given to me—that you don’t have to apologize for strength and passion and that you don’t have to be either hard or soft, but that you can be both. You can fight fiercely and you can love deeply. Most importantly, that you can dare to see the world differently than the way you always have. And that even though it’s scary, it’s absolutely thrilling to open your eyes for the first time. Eelyn will be forced to confront everything she’s ever been taught. She will have to grieve, learn to love, and redefine what family, loyalty, and forgiveness is.

I hope you are swept away with Eelyn as she runs straight into battle, headed toward a future she could never have imagined!

Thank You,
Adrienne Young

“A rousing saga and moving coming-of-age tale, perfect for those who appreciate the wild and the wildlings, strong female protagonists, and cinematic battles.” —Kirkus, starred review

“The action on the battlefield and the rising political tensions between the clans will easily keep readers involved through the final page.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books, review

“A refreshing tale where life is tested and people have to overcome their differences to fight a bigger foe to survive. A fast-paced, action-filled fantasy for all YA collections.” —School Library Journal, review

“With its gorgeous prose and epic battle scenes, fantasy lovers will be easily satisfied.” —Booklist, review

“Young’s often poetic writing forms a stark juxtaposition with her vivid descriptions of battle and bloodshed, creating a clear picture of the brutality of war.” —Publishers Weekly, review

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