Whether you’re after something to read on your journey to school, or whether you want to pick something up for a plane ride, here are 12 books we’ve got our eyes on for the first six months of the coming year
The past 12 months were an exciting time for book lovers, with releases from well loved authors like John Green, Veronica Roth and Patrick Ness, as well as some awe-inspiring debuts, such as Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give.
Obviously there are hundreds of new YA books due out next year, and obviously we can’t fit them all here, but obviously we needed to share some of our excitement. Here are the new releases we can’t wait to get our mitts on in the first half of the 2018.
January
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Alice’s grandmother wrote a cult-classic book of fairy tales, and lived alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood. When Alice’s mother is kidnapped, she manages to leave Alice a message: stay away from the Hazel Wood. But unless Alice – accompanied by a superfan of the stories – enters the mystical world which inspired her gran’s stories, she has little chance of finding her mother, or of understanding her own life.
Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
Everyone knows The Dark Knight has issues with a capital “I”, and this book offers one of the reasons why. A gang called The Nightwalkers is attacking Gotham City’s wealthy, and Bruce Wayne is on the list. Just before his 18th birthday, Bruce makes a decision that leads to his being sentenced to community service at an asylum. There, he meets a girl who could either be the key to his survival – or his downfall.
February
Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi
Scott’s friends all know what they want to do with their lives; Scott can’t decide what to have for breakfast. When he heads to Washington DC to meet a psychologist for some expert help with his lack of direction, his one-day self-improvement plan turns into a madcap adventure involving a high-speed bike chase, flirting at zoos, and a crossword enthusiast.
A Spoonful of Murder by Robin Stevens
The sixth in this schoolgirl detective series is set in Hazel Wong’s (and our) hometown of Hong Kong. Hazel and Daisy are thrown into unfamiliar circumstances: Daisy isn’t in charge for once, and Hazel is suspected of murder! It’s rare to read a story set in this city; the descriptions of 1930s Hong Kong are wonderfully familiar, and the cultural references make the story utterly believable.
March
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The first instalment of a promised trilogy, this combines magic and fantasy, with a particularly timely look at race relations. It’s already been picked up by Fox 2000 for a movie adaptation.
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen
You may think second world war espionage stories have been done to death, but this tale of a blonde, blue-eyed Jewish schoolgirl infiltrating the Nazi elite is anything but unimaginative.
April
The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth
The Divergent author releases the second in her Carve the Mark series, and you can expect more of the detailed world-building and character studies she so brilliantly exhibited in her first series.
White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
A thrilling mystery featuring diverse characters with flawed personalities, first loves, trust issues, crime-solving and catching someone literally red-handed – only the solution is obviously not as simple as that.
May
The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold
Arnold’s Mosquitoland was one of the most relatable, unique and surprising YA novels of 2015, which gives us high hopes for his third release. After Noah is hypnotised, everything he thought he knew has been rewritten, and he needs to re-evaluate his life. It’s been described as “Murakami for teens”, so if you like weird and wordy reads, this one is for you.
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan
Riordan is quite likely an actual robot; he’s written nearly 30 books since he made a name for himself in 2005 with The Lightning Thief. His modern reimaginings of ancient legends are amazing in their own rights, but also a great gateway into ancient history and mythology; this third instalment of his Trials of Apollo series is set to attract yet another generation of fans.
June
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman
This collection of 15 original stories reinterpreting Asian myths and legends should be on every Young Post reader’s TBR list. The only downside is that we have to wait another six months!
White Rabbit Red Wolf by Tom Pollock
There’s something irresistible about putting a maths genius at the centre of a mystery novel. Peter is a prodigy who suffers from debilitating panic attacks. But when there’s an attempt on his scientist mother’s life and his sister disappears, he must reach deep inside himself for the strength and courage to find out who’s attacking his family – and to overcome his own demons.
Edited by Ginny Wong