Welcome back, bookish souls. January might be cold, but the YA releases are positively fire. This month, we’re diving into apocalyptic love stories, chaotic confessions, tropical gothic mysteries, and high school sports drama so tense it deserves its own ESPN coverage. Grab your favorite warm drink, and let’s explore four fresh reads that promise to make your winter unforgettable.
This one’s for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us who like their dystopias with a side of tenderness. Braun-Arnold’s world is gritty, her characters vulnerable, and the stakes? Practically off the charts. Get it here.
Ann Liang’s I Hope This Doesn’t Find You takes teenage angst and wraps it in deliciously chaotic humor. Meet Sadie Wen, a Type A overachiever who secretly vents her frustrations in unsent draft emails. Her target of choice? Julius Gong, her smug co-captain and lifelong nemesis.
When Sadie’s private emails mysteriously go public, her picture-perfect life spirals into a hilarious, cringeworthy mess. Suddenly, everyone knows exactly what she thinks of them—including Julius. But as the dust settles, Sadie starts to see the boy she loves to hate in a new light.
In Honeysuckle and Bone, Trisha Tobias masterfully blends tropical allure with creeping dread. Carina Marshall escapes her troubled life by becoming a nanny for the Hall family on their sprawling Jamaican estate. Blackbead House, with its mango trees and ocean views, seems like a dream—until the nightmares start.
