15 New YA Books Out in June for When You Finish Harry Potter
From grown-up coloring books to summer camps for adults, we love finding creative ways to relive our glory days. That’s why, when this year’s summer reads were announced, we definitely found ourselves perusing the young adult section. With such inter-generational blockbusters like Harry Potterand The Fault in Our Stars in the YA genre, it’s clear that young adult lit isn’t just for youngsters anymore. Don’t believe us? Just scroll through these 15 new release YA books out this June.
1. American Girls: A Novel by Alison Umminger ($10): Fifteen-year-old Anna doesn’t really fit in at home. That’s why she lifts her stepmom’s credit card and takes off for the City of Angels. Tackling topics like sex, violence and all the fun surprises of growing up, this all-American tale is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Yep, all the feels.
2. Before We Go Extinct by Karen Rivers ($15): There’s nothing quite as harrowing as watching someone you love die before your eyes — and for teen J.C., the pain is only lessened by watching endless documentaries about ecological destruction and texting his dead best friend. An important novel about dealing with grief, this gut-wrenching story about moving on will soak your bed sheets with tears. We guarantee it.
3. Goldfish: A Novel by Nat Luurtsema ($10): On the fast track to Olympic super-stardom, Lou Brown could not lose a swimming race if her life depended on it. That was, until the Olympic time-trials. Faced with bitter disappointment and embarrassment, Goldfish is a novel about how the heck we’re supposed to pick ourselves up after failure — and with pages and pages of slapstick wit, it will have you LOLing all summer too.
4. The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash ($10): When eight-year-old Roxana asked Graham which Hogwarts school he would be sorted into, he knew she was something special. Now sixteen and looking for love, Graham has just one weekend at a comic convention to tell her how he feels. Fans of superheroes will adore this get-the-girl classic that’s sure to melt the hearts of teens and adults alike.
5. Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh ($11): Fantasy lovers will swoon over this prehistoric novel from debut author Julie Eshbaugh. Combining high-stakes survival with star-crossed romance, it’s so transporting, it’ll make you pound your chest and demand a sequel.
6. The Leaving by Tara Altebrando ($11): If you’re looking for an eerie thriller to keep you up at night, you should definitely consider this creeptastic volume. When five out of six missing children reappear years later, but can’t remember anything that happened to them, let’s just say their town goes a little nuts. Prepare for a shocking ending, folks!
7. You Know Me Well: A Novel by David Leviathan and Nina LaCour ($12): You know that person you sat beside in high school but never said a word to? Well, in David and Nina’s excellently crafted adventure, two high school acquaintances explore the wiles of young LGBT love during one crazy night out.
8. Rocks Fall Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar ($11): Book reviewers can’t stop raving about this refreshing paranormal thriller from Lindsay Ribar. With an intricate magical system, a complicated town history and a deliberately off-putting protagonist, it’s definitely worth the read.
9. And I Darken by Kiersten White ($12): If you loved Victoria Aveyard’s The Red Queen and George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, you’re going to swoon for this dark drama set in the Ottoman Empire. A fierce female protagonist, bitter rivalries and plenty of drama keep you entertained throughout… it’s not to be missed.
10. All the Feels: All Is Fair in Love and Fandom by Danika Stone ($6): Fans of The Walking Dead and The 100 will know what it’s like to be so upset by a character’s death that you vow to start an online campaign to bring them back. But when college freshman Liv’s own online campaign to bring back Captain Matt Spartan goes viral, she is forced to deal with the consequences — both online and IRL.
11. The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone ($12): Losing a grandparent is tough, especially when they’re one of your greatest confidants. Taking her entire family on an eccentric death-with-dignity cruise, the O’Neill’s matriarch and her family must learn how to deal with grief while on one of the greatest world adventures of their lifetimes.
12. The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder ($10): There’s a lot of books about falling in love and coming of age, but Meg Leder does it with such brilliance that The Museum of Heartbreak is a definite stand out. Grab some iced tea, cuddle down into your fave reading chair and prepare for a teen romance like never before.
13. Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger ($10): What would you do if you woke up one day completely and unironically happy? In Lois Metzger’s subtle sci-fi, a young girl struggles to find her identity while learning hard lessons when it comes to grief, memory and friendship. It’s a book you might just have to read twice to fully comprehend.
14. How It Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes ($10): When a teen dancer develops unwanted curves, her negative body image gets too much to bear. So she’s sent away to a treatment facility where she has to face her inner demons head on. An important book about anxiety and body dysmorphia, this YA read is great for all ages.
15. Never Ever by Sara Saedi ($14): I know what you’re thinking: There’s been way too many Disney-esque reboots lately — we don’t need another one! Well hold on to your hats, ladies and gents, because this modern day Peter Pan is about to change your mind. From brothers that escape juvie to a mysterious island just off the coast of New York City, this is a retelling that’s just different enough from the original to warrant a happy dance.
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(Featured image via Getty)
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