2021 Young Adult Book Releases

There are lots of things to look forward to in 2021. And one of those things is the many upcoming book releases. This list contains my five most anticipated releases for the first half of the year.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

By Malinda Lo

Published January 19th 2021

Malinda Lo’s newest book comes out this month. Set in San Francisco in the 1950s, it follows Lily Hu, a Chinese-American girl, in the middle of America’s red scare.The red scare paranoia threatens Lily and her father’s imminent deportation looms over their family. One day Lily meets Kathleen Miller at the Telegraph Club and, in the face of all her fear, we see Lily risk everything for love. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is the perfect dark historical fiction to start off the year with.

Love Is a Revolution

By Renee Watson

Published February 2nd 2021

Love is a Revolution is an upcoming romance not just about a girl falling in love with a boy, but also about a girl falling in love with herself. When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to go to an open mic for her friend’s birthday, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with the MC, Tye. She also doesn’t expect to start making up lies, but when she realizes they don’t have much in common it’s the only thing she can think to do to get his attention. But as Nala falls deeper in love, she gets more entangled in her lies and ultimately she learns that self-love is revolutionary. A perfect book to read in February, the month of love.

She’s Too Pretty to Burn

By Wendy Heard

Published March 30th 2021

This psychological thriller inspired by the Picture of Dorian Gray follows Veronica and Nico who are artists first and best friends second. As the summer winds down they meet Mick. Veronica and Mick quickly begin to fall in love and then tragedy strikes. One fire, two murders, and three drowned bodies leave their summer unforgettable. 

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town

By Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Published April 1st 2021

Just over 2oo hundred pages, this collection of short stories by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock explores the secrets hidden away in small towns. This book is told in short vignettes with a different character at the heart of each one, and all of the characters’ stories are intertwined.  A short but dark and heartbreaking story I can’t wait to read.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating

By Abida Jaigirdar

Published May 25th 2021

A staple of young adult romance literature is the fake dating trope. This story follows Hani and Ishu as they pretend to date. Both have something to gain from it as Ishu wants to become head girl and hopes Hani’s popularity can help her achieve that and Hani has recently come out to her friends as a bisexual but they don’t believe her as she’s never dated a girl. This is the perfect light-hearted romance to kick off the summer!

Rise to the Sun

By Leah Johnson

Published July 6th 2021

Leah Johnson the author of You Should See Me in a Crown is coming out with a new romance book in the summer of 2021. It follows Toni, who is grieving after her father’s death, and Olivia, a hopeless romantic, at a three day music festival. When the festival goes south and chaos arises, the two girls have to stick together to make it through.