Hey YA Readers! Let’s catch up on YA news.
“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Epic Reads.
At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society.
Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.
And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.
Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?
The summer is a quieter time for news in the book world, but here’s what’s been going on and is worth a read. This is heavy on adaptation news, which is neat to see (I mean — the more YA adaptations we get, the better, right?).
- Prom, the musical being turned into a YA novel by Saundra Mitchell, is being turned into a film, too.
- Molly Templeton did a really thorough job highlighting Twitter, social justice, and the YA book world.
- His Dark Materials casting news.
- Abdi Nazemian’s Like A Love Story has had adaptation rights grabbed.
- There’s been casting news for the Love, Simon television series.
- Queer girls in YA books are on the rise, but there’s still work to be done.
- Another Riverdale cast member is penning a YA book.
- Translated books are gaining visibility in libraries.
- Elizabeth Acevedo is a queen in the YA world.
- Adaptation news for Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
- Our Chemical Hearts will be adapted by Amazon Studios.
- Hulu will release Looking For Alaska this fall.
- While this is not a YA book writing related newsletter (she says, knowing the next link kind of jokingly IS about that), many of those who read this might be interested in knowing that Tin House is opening a YA writing workshop. It features three incredible YA writers.
- Why not create your own YA contemporary novel title with this fun little generator? I’m working on a book titled After Candy Apples, which is contemporary horror, obviously.
Blast From The Past
Here are some things we were talking about at Book Riot in Julys gone by:
- 4 YA books about questioning characters.
- 65 YA horror books by women.
- YA books for fans of Sansa Stark.
- Amazing Asian American protagonists in YA lit.
- Why one reader started digging into YA as a parent.
- Queer people of color in YA.
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We’ll see you again next week, as there’s no newsletter hitting your inboxes on Thursday with the US holiday. Until then, enjoy your next great book!
— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.