39 July 2026 Young Adult Books You Need to Read

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones

If you’re a fan of The Bone Houses, you won’t want to miss Emily Lloyd-Jones’ next release. A teen hacker forced to fake her own existence becomes a government operative with no name, no family, and no way back—until a mission to Portland puts her dangerously close to the grandmother she left behind. When cyberterrorists seize the building and start killing, Augusta’s only weapons are her tech skills, her wits, and a hostage situation that keeps growing more complicated.

Buried Feelings by Kit Rosewater

Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, this queer young adult rom-com follows two former best friends, a treasure hunt, and a whole lot of unfinished business. Cam and Ivy were once inseparable, but a buried betrayal shattered their bond, and now they’re rivals racing toward the same prize. If you love enemies-to-lovers energy with a side of queer history and city adventure, this one is not to be missed!

Deathless by Julie Kagawa

Fans of epic fantasy quests with high stakes, ancient magic, and heroes who have everything to lose won’t want to miss the next book in the Fateless series. Deep in a dangerous wasteland known as the World Scar lies a broken piece of a goddess’s loom, and it might be the only thing that can bring down an immortal king. Sparrow and her companions must brave the journey to reach it, but the Deathless King is closing in, and the cost of wielding a goddess’s power remains unknown.

Every Reason to Stay by Lane Clarke

After losing her rockstar dad and discovering her mother is alive, Skylar is transplanted across the country to a family of strangers, with only her baking to keep her grounded. Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, this emotional story layers grief and family secrets with a baking competition, a new best friend, and a boy next door who complicates everything. It sounds twisty in the best way!

Free Girls by Kristen McCallum

After being released from juvenile detention, sixteen-year-old Jasmine is expected to adapt to a blended family and a new school, and to start fresh as if her past doesn’t exist. There’s a cute girl in class, a stepsister who might actually become a friend, and a secret that grows heavier the more she has to protect it. If you love character-driven coming-of-age stories about identity, second chances, and the weight of reinvention, this heartfelt debut belongs on your TBR.

Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic by Jessica Lewis

This sapphic summer rom-com, a companion to Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love, follows Hallie to a prestigious academic camp, where she arrives with one ironclad rule: no romance. Her gorgeous, uncrackable roommate, Julia, immediately makes that rule impossible. If you love Elise Bryant’s books or stories featuring a no-romance pact, you’ll love this one!

Metamorphosis by Shelby Nicole

Set in 1985 and dripping with dark academia, this gothic romance drops Jade into a sprawling family mansion in upstate New York, where secrets run as deep as the ghost in a cursed locket she probably should have left alone. Expect Stranger Things meets Twilight—with 80s nostalgia, a brooding Victorian spirit, and a love triangle that spans time itself. This one will certainly keep you turning the pages. 

Of Venom and Vegeance by Mikayla Bridge

Fans of Of Flame and Fury will love this standalone follow-up! It’s a dark romantic fantasy built on betrayal and revenge. It follows Inna, a polished, dangerous heir to a crime family seeking to avenge her sister’s death, and Rylan, an illusion-wielding thief who wants her family ruined. With an alliance neither plans to honour, clashing agendas, and an attraction that builds, this one is not to be missed. 

Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield

House of Hollow meets Succession is the perfect way to describe this dark fantasy thriller, where a powerful family’s deal with the devil begins to unravel, one murder at a time. Cicely has always been the black sheep, her only gift the ability to uncover secrets, but that talent makes her the last hope when someone begins picking off the Winters. The tension and suspense will leave you wanting the next book in this duology.

The Bad Boyfriend Curse by Farah Heron

If you love young adult contemporary romance, you won’t want to miss Farah Heron’s next release! Meera is convinced her family is cursed in love, but after a spectacularly bad week lands her in small-town Canada for community service, she hatches a plan to fake-date the local bad boy and scandalize her way back to the city. The only problem is that Noah, with all his piercings and reputation, turns out to be anything but a bad boy. It’s full of warmth and wit, making it a perfect summer read!

The Weight of One Pomegranate by Brynne Rebele-Henry

The Weight of One Pomegranate is a lyrical, heartbreaking sapphic story that follows Isadora to New York City as she pieces together the hidden life her sister left behind in a bundle of secret letters. Grief and first love unfold, leaving the question of how to live when someone you loved never got the chance. If you’re a fan of Nina LaCour’s books, you’ll want to pick this one up. 

Where Lost Girls Go by Kody Keplinger

From the bestselling author of The DUFF, this new release is a slow-burn, unsettling story about belonging, manipulation, and what happens when a new arrival starts asking the questions everyone else stopped asking long ago. With five girls, a remote Kentucky cabin, and a man who calls himself their saviour, this read will be completely addictive! 

Lovestuck by Farah Naz Rishi

Riya can manipulate emotions, wants nothing to do with love, and has just accidentally cursed the school bad boy into an increasingly dramatic, very public, unrequited devotion to her. Rooted in peri mythology and packed with chaos, this young adult rom-com is a fresh magical twist on the fake-dating trope with a deadline that keeps the stakes high. If you’re looking for something light, swoony, and a little bit magical to add to your summer TBR, this one delivers.

No One Leaves the Manor by Kelly McWilliams

Set at a manor in 1921, No One Leaves the Manor follows four debutantes, one inheritance, and something behind the walls that has no intention of letting them leave. This fast-paced young adult horror gives each girl a secret worth killing for, from a thief hunting for her vanished mother to a girl who sees things the others simply cannot. It’s twisty in all the best ways, and when mixed with the gothic atmosphere, it’s a read for fans of Their Vicious Games. 

Ruinous Ends by I.V. Marie

If you haven’t read Immortal Consequences yet, this sequel might convince you to start the series! Six former students, a school built on buried secrets, and an afterlife hang in the balance, leaving you trying to catch your breath. The series as a whole is a dark fantasy where lines are blurry, and secrets are everywhere. 

The Broken Edge of the World by Alena Bruzas

The Broken Edge of the World is rooted in Grimm’s fairy-tale tradition and set against the backdrop of the Great Plains. It’s a fantasy romance that follows Sylvie to a remote prairie preserve, where a shepherd boy, Jack, and a powerful curse are entangled in ways she doesn’t yet understand. Sylvie’s compulsion to break the curse gives the story a haunting emotional depth. If you enjoyed Threads That Bind, you might like this one! 

The Gilded Blade by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games series is coming to an end—and while I’m sad, I know this book will be a great finale! From Texas to Prague to London, the Hawthornes and their allies are drawn into centuries-old secrets, where each answer reveals something more dangerous than the last. It’s bittersweet to see a beloved series end, but if you haven’t picked up these books yet, here’s your sign! 

To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson

Enemies-to-lovers romantasy is so compelling! Especially when it follows a reluctant thief and a by-the-book royal guard forced to hunt a reborn witchy together through a city of mounting bodies. Nes can sniff out magic, Toran can’t afford to trust her, and the Witch is always one step ahead of them both. If you’re like me and loved Heartless Hunter, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up! 

Us Deadly Few by Alexis Patton

Khalani survived an inescapable prison only to discover that the wasteland she was warned about isn’t the deadliest thing waiting for her. This next book in the Us Dark Few series picks up the pace with a shift in settings, buried secrets, and the unwelcome reappearance of Takeshi Steele. With one corrupt underground city, one enemy she can’t shake, and the sense that escaping Braderhelm was the easy part, this book is full of action. 

What Lies Beneath the Flowers by Natasha Díaz

If twisty, character-driven books are your thing, you’ll want to pick up What Lies Beneath the Flowers. Pippa and Bidi aren’t detectives; they’re best friends with overdue bills and political ambitions. When a missing socialite offers a hefty reward, it seems like the answer to both problems—but infiltrating the wealthy, secretive world of Beaumont Academy proves far more dangerous than they bargained for, and the cracks forming in their friendship might be the most unsettling mystery of all. 

Alex, by Proxy by Karen Myna Cantor

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, this debut centres on Alex, a Munchausen by proxy survivor who starts a true-crime podcast with his friends to tell his own story before his mother’s trial does it for him. What begins as a way to reclaim his narrative slowly becomes more complicated as new memories surface and the line between truth and fiction blurs. It’s the perfect book if you’re a fan of books like Sadie.

Armor for Liars by S.E. Grove

Armor for Liars is a haunting, twisty historical fantasy by New York Times bestselling author S.E. Grove. Clementine has disguised herself as a male student to infiltrate Commonwealth University’s most dangerous secret society, and Sam, murdered for daring to belong, is the vengeful spirit who might be her only real ally. It’s atmospheric, beautifully crafted, and built on a magic system that lingers long after you finish reading. 

Funerals Are for the Living by Sami Ellis

From the author of Dead Girls Walking, this young adult horror wastes no time pulling you into the story. Grieving, broke, and barely holding it together, Junie buries her sister in the only plot she can afford, a cemetery in a town still named after a slave master with a rumoured taste for dark magic, and that’s when things get truly terrifying. Fans of young adult horror will devour this one.

How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe

If you’re looking for a little summerween energy this July, this cozy small-town romance leans into it. Amity is the new girl, a skeptic and reluctant partner to Theo, the son of a local contractor who is absolutely convinced her house is haunted. It’s the perfect swoony, spooky read, with haunted home-renovation chaos and slow-burn enemies-to-believers tension that make for a perfect summer escape with fall vibes!

I Didn’t Do It by Elle Gonzalez Rose

Being the daughter of a convicted killer is already its own kind of sentence, but when a weekend cabin trip turns deadly, Dina goes from trying to fit in to fighting to stay out of prison. Unfolding through police evidence alongside Dina’s own account, the truth of that night peels back slowly and untrustingly. Fans of I Killed Zoe Spanos and The Counselors will be hooked from the first page.

Take It to Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes

Time-loop stories are always so interesting! Max has been sixteen for thirty years, trapped in a loop of his final moments in a house nobody visits anymore, until Joaquín shows up on a ghost hunt and accidentally changes everything. Told in dual POV from a lonely ghost and a boy whose obsession with the paranormal has already cost him one relationship, this paranormal thriller moves fast and gets genuinely unsettling.

The Revenge Playbook by Rimma Onoseta

If you enjoyed Ace of Spades and Do Revenge, I think you’ll devour this new release. Uyai is fierce and untouchable, Fiyin is quiet and overlooked, and they can’t stand each other, yet they share one important thing in common: the same boy made them both targets. Set at a boarding school buzzing with social hierarchy and simmering resentment, this twisty revenge story is less about becoming friends and more about becoming formidable. 

Tides of Fortune by Lauryn Hamilton Murray

Blaze survived three brutal trials to claim her crown, but ruling will have to wait as she races to find the Eye of the Soul before someone far more dangerous does. The second installment in The Storm Weaver trilogy expands the world, weaving in new POVs and bringing more action and adventure. This series is perfect for fans of the Red Queen and Throne of Glass series. 

Unnamed Bones by Lora Senf

Unnamed features an island that shouldn’t exist, a creature made of terror, and a girl whose repressed emotions have taken human form, all set in a seedy motel in her mind. Bram Stoker Award-winning author Lora Senf blends horror and dread into a deeply compelling story about grief and mental health. This one is not to be missed! 

Black Point by Jacqueline West

Perched on the bluffs above the Mississippi River, Black Point is a small town clinging to its Norse heritage and its secrets. Lucia has spent her whole life planning to stay and protect both. A newcomer, a haunted hotel under new ownership, and rising floodwaters begin to pull buried truths to the surface in this atmospheric mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline West. 

Evamar by Margarita Engle

Told in verse, this story follows Evamar to Cuba carrying her grandmother’s ashes, a packet of sunflower seeds, and instructions not to fall in love, all three of which are going to be complicated. Award-winning author Margarita Engle weaves first love, ancestral memory, and Caribbean history into something quietly devastating and deeply beautiful. Evamar is the perfect story for fans of lyrical, culturally rich storytelling that stays with you long after the last page.

Evie and Her Nightmares by Francesca Zappia

Fans of Eliza and Her Monsters will want to return to Francesca Zappia’s world immediately for this illustrated standalone companion, which follows Evie as she enters an online role-playing game that becomes the only place where grief feels bearable. It’s a tender look at how we cope after loss and how the connections we build in digital spaces can be just as real and life-changing as those in the real world. If you love stories about finding your people in unexpected places, Evie’s story is one worth picking up. 

Flickerstate by F.A. Davidson

Norah can manipulate probability. Her father is dying from a monster bite, and the only cure might be locked in a restricted archive she can access only by winning a brutal team competition. Fantastic world-building, a peer mentor named Vik who complicates everything, and a campus full of disappearing students make this debut fantasy impossible to put down. It’s a high-stakes academic fantasy with a slow-burn romance, a perfect blend of A Study in Drowning and Neverworld Wake.

Hell to Pay by Lora Beth Johnson

Stealing secrets from the dead is the family business, but stealing an entire soul is another matter entirely. Elle has lost her parents, her brother, and her crew, and a mysterious job offer might be the only thing that can give her any of them back. Hell to Pay is described as Oceans Eight meets Six of Crows and delivers exactly what it promises from the very first page. 

Rootbound by Margaret Owen

If you’re anything like me, you can’t resist a good Disney-themed story. Only a month after leaving her tower, Rapunzel receives a suspicious invitation to a reclusive island kingdom and, as Rapunzel does best, accepts it anyway. This official Tangled continuation drops Rapunzel and Eugene into a web of political scheming, magical secrets, and revelations about Eugene’s past, raising the stakes far beyond what you expect. I adore these characters, so I’m excited to see what happens!

Such a Witch by Sarah Henning

Another book on this list is perfect for those wanting some summerween energy this July! Embry is a witch, a fashionista, a problem-solver, and the undisputed queen of Raven’s Head School for the Magically Gifted, right up until one good deed too many makes her the prime suspect in a murder investigation. What follows is part fluffy rom-com, part witch hunt, featuring a vampire transfer student, a skeptical coven mate who might be more than that, and the deeply relatable experience of having your entire reputation dismantled by anecdotal evidence. How fun does this one sound?

Too Perfect to Die by Juliana Goodman

Too Perfect to Die is like Bring It On, but with murder. It’s a heart-pounding thriller where a cheer captain’s dreams and a killing streak collide in the most chaotic competition season imaginable. Jonty has everything riding on this year—her mother’s memory, her captaincy, and a shot at nationals—and now her rival is dead, and everyone thinks she did it. With girls dropping and the police circling, Jonty has a murder to solve while dodging suspicion and securing her dreams. 

We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan

We Were Never Here is a contemporary gothic that layers grief, guilt, a sapphic romance cut short, and something dark that follows you home. Something in De Lys Manor put a knife in Jules’ chest and wiped Georgia’s memory clean. Three months later—they have to go back. It’s a debut that’s equal parts atmospheric, haunting and unsettling. 

You Only Live Twice by Autumn Allen

Set in Boston in 2012, this warm and heartfelt coming-of-age story follows Zakiyyah, a Black Muslim teen with a very specific plan for senior year that somehow ends with her deciding she wants to get married. The courtship between her and Musa, progressing from emails to instant messages to phone calls, is sweet and tender—especially when combined with a story about family, faith and humour. It’s heartwarming and sure to be a favourite for many readers.