Sponsored by Tor Teen
Bethany C. Morrow’s A Song Below Water is a captivating modern fantasy about Black sirens, friendship, and self-discovery set against the challenges of today’s racism and sexism.
In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers. Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment.
Hey YA Readers!
Cheers to a long weekend if you’ve got one coming, and if you don’t, I hope you carve out some time to settle in with a good book. Here’s what’s going on in the world of YA this week.
YA Book News
- Gretchen McNeil’s Get Even is hitting Netflix next month.
- Leah Johnson on how queer YA novels taught her how to write her own happy endings.
- That viral video from YA author Kimberly Jones? It’s going to become a book.
- Speaking of Kimberly Jones, her co-written novel with Gilly Segal is getting adapted, too. More inclusive YA on screens!
- Some news about the Concrete Cowboy adaptation (remember that? I know I’m excited!). It’s based on a YA book by G. Neri.
- The cover for Malinda Lo’s upcoming YA novel is *chef’s kiss*.
- So this isn’t a YA novel, per se, but it’s a forthcoming film featuring an Asian lead about a YA book author who falls into her own YA book to solve a mystery. It sounds like gold.
- There’s a release date for the adaptation of Words on Bathroom Walls.
- Popular YA adaptation of The 100 is getting a prequel.
New YA Books
Now that the publishing schedules are a little more stable, with fewer books being moved, this should be an accurate representation of this week’s stellar YA releases.
10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon
All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick (paperback)
Before I Disappear by Danielle Stinson (paperback)
Evil Queen by Gena Showalter (paperback, series)
Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
Ms. Gloria Steinem by Winifred Conkling (nonfiction)
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (paperback)
This Might Hurt a Bit by Doogie Horner (paperback)
Truelife by Jay Kristoff (series)
Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
YA at Book Riot
Over on Book Riot this week…
- Check out the YA books that’ll be hitting shelves in July, August, and September.
- The numbers are in on diversity in children’s and YA lit for 2019 and they’re…not great.
- Why YA still appeals to adult readers.
- Three great YA f/f rom coms.
- Not all of the books on this list are YA, but because it’ll connect with many readers — or those raising readers — here, a roundup of 50 great books for 6th graders.
- The cover for the graphic novel adaptation of Long Way Down!
Thanks for hanging out, y’all, and we’ll see you on Monday.
— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.