13 New Young Adult Books to Read Poolside This July

<em>The Loneliest Girl in the Universe</em>

Romy Silvers is a space-traveling teen who grew up on board a spaceship called the Infinity. But when a tragedy takes the lives of both her parents, she finds herself completely alone in space — well, apart from brief messages from her therapist on Earth. Luckily, NASA is sending another ship called the Eternity to join the Infinity, and Romy is already exchanging exciting messages with the captain of the vessel. Trust us, this intergalactic young adult novel will have you staying up well past your bedtime.

<em>Zen and Gone</em>

With her mother spending more time stoned than sober ever since marijuana was legalized, 17-year-old Essence McKree feels like she has to be the sole parent of her nine-year-old sister Puck. But her parental duties are put on hold when Essence meets brainy Oliver, who is relocating to Boulder, Colorado, for the summer, and her little sister pushes her to drop her guard and show him her childhood hometown. On one of their summer gallivants, Essence and Oliver decide to compete in a three-day survival game in the Rocky Mountains — but after spending the night stuck in a storm, they realize that Puck has followed them to the mountains and is now missing. This action-packed novel is equal parts high-stakes survival tale and sweet coming-of-age romance.

<em>Bright We Burn</em>

All right, And I Darken fans… we’ve waited long enough! The last installment of the trilogy is finally fresh off the presses. Returning to the tumultuous setting of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed is focused on becoming the sultan of his people, but neighboring ruler Lada won’t rest until everyone knows her country’s borders are secure. With a war between the two brewing, this is one exciting conclusion you won’t want to miss.

<em>I’m Not Missing</em>

Miranda Black’s best friend in the world, one of the only people who was there for her when her mother abandoned her as a child, suddenly runs away during senior year. Navigating the mysterious disappearance of her bestie, an unlikely first relationship, and the pressures of looming adulthood, Miranda’s senior year is off to an interesting start in this thrilling young adult novel by author Carrie Fountain.

<em>Her Pretty Face</em>

Frances Metcalfe’s full-time job is trying to keep up with her troubled son, so when he gets accepted into the elite Forrester Academy, she’s beyond thrilled at the chance of having a much-needed restart. But after yet another troubling incident, the Metcalfes are once again shunned by the community. Luckily, Frances finds a friend in beautiful, wealthy, confident, and fellow Forrester mom Kate Randolph. But with dangerous secrets being concealed and betrayal just around the corner, this new domestic drama is all set to be absolutely chilling.

<em>Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It</em>

Just months away from the procedure to correct her underbite and plagued by the fear of dying during the surgery, Jolie and her friends make a bucket list: “Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It (Which Is Super Unlikely, but Still, It Could Happen).” From eating every appetizer at Applebee’s to finally smooching her crush, this sweet coming-of-age story will make you cringe with memories of your own brace-face years.

<em>SweetFreak</em>

Carey’s best friend Amelia is being cyberbullied by an account that calls itself SweetFreak, and the messages are starting to get really nasty, even resulting in a death threat and a gruesome IRL prank. So when the school’s investigation leads to Carey being accused of running the account, she’s obviously stunned. Instantly ostracized by her friends, Carey sets off of a mission to clear her name and find the real culprit behind these awful attacks in this whodunit read by bestselling author Sophie McKenzie.

<em>I Am Still Alive</em>

Jess hasn’t seen her survivalist father in over a decade, but after a traumatic event kills her mother, she is forced to move in with him in his remote cabin in Canada. But just as Jess was starting to get to know her estranged father, a mysterious figure from his past visits them, leaving her father murdered and Jess alone to fend for herself in the bitter cold. Jess has to forage and hunt for food, construct shelter, and stay warm — this is the story of how one brave woman kept surviving despite every obstacle.

<em>The Cheerleaders</em>

This engrossing thriller is one of the most highly anticipated young adult reads of the summer and needs to be on your reading list. Ever since the gruesome chain of events five years ago, the little town of Sunnybrook refuses to have a cheerleading squad. It started with a car accident that left two young girls dead, then two girls were murdered by the man next door. Then, Monica’s sister, another cheerleader, tragically committed suicide. Today Monica is doing her best to survive — but with mysterious letters in her stepdad’s desk, a revealing old cell phone, and a strange new friend, it’s getting harder by the day. This brand-new suspense novel is perfect for fans of the CW’s Riverdale.

<em>Sea Witch</em>

In this captivating retelling of the famous The Little Mermaid, Henning draws on Danish history to revamp this classic tale. Evie has been wracked with grief ever since her best friend Anna died, so when a girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears on the shore, she is completely shocked. This new friend comes with many dangerous secrets, and Evie must decide whether to bargain away herself to save this curious friend’s humanity.

<em>The Girl You Thought I Was</em>

Morgan Kemper has a shoplifting problem, and for over a year, she’s stolen clothes, makeup, you name it. But when she’s finally caught and sentenced to 30 hours of community service, the good girl image Morgan has fought to keep up is in jeopardy. Determined to keep her sticky fingers problem a secret from those around her, Morgan must face an impossible predicament in this sweet and timely coming-of-age novel.

<em>How We Learned to Lie</em>

The small town of Highbone, Long Island, is becoming more violent every day, and best friends Joan and Daisy are experiencing the tragedy firsthand. In fact, Robbie just appeared at Joan’s house with someone else’s blood dripping from his hands. With disappearances, bad angel dust, and car crashes aplenty, this high-stakes novel is a definitely a must-read for July.

<em>The Letting Go</em>

Emily is serious about keeping everyone at bay — mostly because everyone she’s ever loved has been brutally murdered. Uprooting herself to a private boarding school, she is intent on keeping her classmates at arm’s length and instead finds solace in the writing of Emily Dickinson. But with a new girl insisting on getting close to Emily and a dead body arriving on the front steps of the school, things are about to get very interesting in this eerie boarding school thriller.