I thought of doing this too late for me to do March, but I decided going forward, on the last day or two of the month, I’m going to post a list of the YA New Releases I’m looking forward to for the next month. I’m working from a list found at Book Birds. So here we go…
April 2
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson Also by this author: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Five Survive, Kill Joy
Published by Random House Children's Books on 04/02/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Law & Crime, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Psychological
Pages: 448
From the author of the multimillion-copy bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a gripping mystery thriller following one teen’s search for the truth about her mother’s shocking disappearance—and even more shocking reappearance—during the filming of a true crime documentary.
Lights. Camera. Lies.
Eighteen-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.
But the case is dredged up from the past when the Price family agrees to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And—could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .
From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.
I love Holly Jackson and I’ve read and reviewed two or three of her novels & novellas here on Charli’s Book Box. I definitely plan to get this one and read it as soon as possible!
Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew Published by Scholastic Inc. on 04/02/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Wizards & Witches, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Paranormal
Pages: 368
A seductively twisted romance about loyalty, fate, the lengths we go to hide the darkest parts of ourselves . . . and the people who love those parts most of all.
Wyatt Westlock has one plan for the farmhouse she's just inherited -- to burn it to the ground. But during her final walkthrough of her childhood home, she makes a shocking discovery in the basement -- Peter, the boy she once considered her best friend, strung up in chains and left for dead.
Unbeknownst to Wyatt, Peter has suffered hundreds of ritualistic deaths on her family's property. Semi-immortal, Peter never remains dead for long, but he can't really live, either. Not while he's bound to the farm, locked in a cycle of grisly deaths and painful rebirths. There's only one way for him to break free. He needs to end the Westlock line.
He needs to kill Wyatt.
With Wyatt's parents gone, the spells protecting the property have begun to unravel, and dark, ancient forces gather in the nearby forest. The only way for Wyatt to repair the wards is to work with Peter -- the one person who knows how to harness her volatile magic. But how can she trust a boy who's sworn an oath to destroy her? When the past turns up to haunt them in the most unexpected way, they are forced to rely on one another to survive, or else tear each other apart.
The description of this book just gave me chills and made me want to read it so much! It sounds like a deliciously creepy book! Of course, I love a good book that involves magic, so it stands to reason. I can’t wait for this!
Fate Be Changed by Farrah Rochon Published by Disney Publishing Worldwide on 03/10/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Adaptations, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Clean & Wholesome, Young Adult Fiction / Royalty
Pages: 464
What if the witch gave Merida a different spell? This New York Times best-selling series twists Disney*Pixar's Brave into a fast-paced story in which Merida is sent back in time.
If you could change your fate, would you? Merida understands that as princess of Clan DunBroch, she has certain obligations--but that doesn't mean she has to like it. Especially when one of those obligations means losing her freedom by becoming betrothed to a man she has never met. Merida balks at this tradition, but her mother Queen Elinor insists that Merida must do this to embrace her role as future queen.
Determined to chart her own path, Merida follows magical wisps to a witch's cottage, where she is given a magic pastry and promised it will incite "a great transformation" in her mother. But instead of feeding Elinor the pastry, Merida eats it herself.
Merida awakens in the past, a now-teenage Elinor holding a knife to her throat and accusing her of espionage. She's been transported to a time when the Clans MacCameron and DunBroch are bitter enemies. And it just so happens that the timing of Merida's arrival has kept Elinor and Fergus from meeting.
Will Merida be able to bridge the rival clans, help her parents fall in love, and change her own fate?
Of course I’m going to look forward to the newest Twisted Tale from Disney. Twisted Tales is one of my favorite series, and although I haven’t liked *every* book in the series, that doesn’t mean I won’t like this one. As you can probably guess from the title, it’s Merida from Brave that is feature in this tale. 😀
April 16
The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy Published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on 04/16/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / General, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 352
Be careful who you fall for...
Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and privileged, the Crestmont brothers have enough wealth to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they're behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, Trevor’s girlfriend died of a suspicious overdose.But the Crestmonts aren’t the only ones with secrets. Lauren O'Brian might be the new girl at school, but she's never been a good girl. With a dark past of her own, she's desperate for a fresh start. Except when she starts a no-strings-attached relationship with Robbie, her chance is put in jeopardy. During what’s meant to be their last weekend together, Lauren stumbles across shocking evidence that just might implicate Robbie.
With danger closing in, Lauren doesn't know who to trust. And after a third death rocks the town, she must decide whether to end things with Robbie or risk becoming another cautionary tale.
This is an edge-of-your-seat debut YA thriller about a teen who is forced to confront her past in order to catch a murderer before she ends up the next victim. Perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.
This one just looked so good. A set of good-looking brothers with a body count of the killer kind? Works for me. 😉
Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson Also by this author: A Hunger of Thorns
Published by Random House Children's Books on 04/16/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General, Young Adult Fiction / Girls & Women
Pages: 416
Get lost in the newest fantasy from the author of A Hunger of Thorns, on a beguiling journey behind the closed doors of a sinister secret society. Featuring a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance and a fight for the witching world that will get your heart racing.
Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.
But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face under a glamour.
An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the sinister Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue Teddy before it’s finished, she’ll lose him forever. But the Toadmen have been keeping dangerous secrets, and so has Caraway. The farther Merry travels into Deeping Fen’s foul waters, the more she wonders if she’s truly come to save her friend . . . or if she’s walking straight into a trap.
There’s nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel in distress.
I read, and reviewed, the first book in this series, A Hunger of Thorns, so of course I’m going to want to read this one. And when I do, I plan to review it here because of course I would. LOL
April 23
The Merciless King of Moore High by Lily Sparks Published by North Star Editions on 03/10/2024
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Love & Romance, Young Adult Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Pages: 368
When the adults of Brockton, Connecticut, morphed into gigantic, bloodthirsty monsters nine months ago, the students at Jefferson High barricaded themselves inside their school. Now eighteen-year-old Kay Kim is one of the Student Council members trying to keep her classmates from starving. Kay has no poker face and can't keep her mouth shut when she knows she's right, so when she accidentally learns a secret that threatens the delicate power balance at Jefferson, she's dragged out of the school in the dead of night and dumped in the middle of town in a secret assassination attempt. But when a raiding party of cheerleaders from crosstown rival Moore High comes to her rescue, Kay finds herself among ruthless, hard-partying road warriors who have adopted the feudal trappings of a once-popular video game. Life at Moore is violent and cliquish, but everyone is thriving--everyone, that is, who survives the kingdom's periodic monster hunts. For Moore's beloved King Max demands only two things: absolute fealty and that everyone at Moore help kill the "dragons." If Kay wants to survive, she must be granted asylum at Moore--which means slaying dragons, not asking the wrong questions, and navigating the rival factions, love triangles, and political intrigues at court. But when Kay discovers a deadly secret that reaches all the way to Jefferson, her inability to hide the truth might spark the revolution that burns both schools to the ground.
This one looks really good as well. I thought it would be an interesting read, after all, teens barricading themselves in their school after their parents turn into horrible monsters? What’s not to want to read?
So there you have it, the YA releases I’m looking forward to in April 2024! Are there any on this list you’re looking forward to? Are there any that I didn’t mention that you’re looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
