Our Most Anticipated YA Books of November/December 2023

Ali Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis) makes her YA debut with Check & Mate — a swoony romance about rival chess players. With our exclusive edition featuring foil on the cover and a special essay from Ali Hazelwood, this new book has fans in a check mate… only it’s your heart that’s about to be captured.  

In this sequel to the bestselling book The Way I Used to Be, we get more Eden and Josh as they start college and reconnect. A story of second chances and the lasting impact of trauma, The Way I Am Now is an unforgettable story that will break your heart and then put it back together again. Don’t miss our exclusive edition with its alternate cover and a new short story that shines a new light on a pivotal supporting character that impacted Eden’s journey in The Way I Used to Be. 

From the bestselling author of Better than the Movies comes a ridiculously fun romcom that will delight anyone who enjoyed the banter and hilarious hijinks of Lynn Painter’s other books. Our exclusive edition of this opposites-attract romance features a unique alternate cover and extra chapters full of deleted scenes that didn’t make it into the final book.  

Camelot meets Heartstopper in this queer medieval YA debut packed with sword-fighting, friendship and bravery. Gwen and Art have been betrothed to each other since birth, but they’re both interested in other people. Get ready for romantic shenanigans at the annual royal tournament as Gwen and Art help each other pursue their real love interests.

Sharon Cameron (The Light in Hidden Places) delivers another historical thriller novel set against World War II. A story of resistance and betrayal, Artifice follows Isa de Smit as she sells forgeries to the German army to help her best friend Truus get the money to smuggle Jewish babies out of Amsterdam. Can you spot the fake in this clever story? 

Divine Rivals kicked off a sweeping duology about romance and betrayal. Get ready for more Iris and Roman — and rivalry — in this breathtaking fantasy as they’re forced to decide how much they’re willing to risk in this war of the gods. Pick up our exclusive edition for an alternate cover, a unique case with a case stamp and special endpapers.  

Join Celine on a quest to find a time traveling mirror to change the fate of fey-kind in the conclusion to the bestselling The Beautiful Quartet series. If you picked up The Beautiful when it was one of our monthly picks, now is the time to finish this series with this long-awaited final book about two lovers in worlds that have been torn apart. 

This young adult romantasy is a must-read for fans of The Cruel Prince and Sarah J. Maas. Powerless is the first book in an epic trilogy about a forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl. Pick up our exclusive edition for an alternate cover and a bonus chapter from the point of view of a major supporting character that sheds new light on a pivotal scene in the novel.  

Brandon Sanderson holds the fate of humanity in its hands in Defiant, the conclusion of his bestselling Skyward series. Pick up our exclusive edition of this thrilling fantasy for a unique jacket, a custom case and endpapers and all the backmatter from the first three books now compiled in one place for fans.   

C. S. Pacat returns with Dark Heir, a riveting sequel to Dark Rise. In this new adventure — and after barely surviving the Dark’s first assault — Will and his now smaller team of allies are up against a new threat. Get ready to learn shocking secrets as Will and his friends fight against an ancient world that’s trying to return.  

Fans of The Inheritance Cycle series will be excited to return to Christopher Paolini’s world of dragons and their riders in his latest, Murtagh. This is a standalone novel about Eragon’s half-brother, making it a great book for longtime readers and new ones alike.  

This Vicious Grace was one of our YA Book Club picks last year, and The Cursed Light is the dazzling conclusion to this duology. Dante and Alessa are put to the test as the gods challenge them in ways that will require great sacrifice for the sake of humanity. If you like dark fantasy and slow burn romances, then Emily Thiede’s latest book is your next read. 

Last fall, we picked The Luminaries as one of our YA Book Club picks, and just wait until you experience its sequel, The Hunting Moon, the story of Winnie Wednesday and her newfound celebrity after passing the deadly hunter trials. Winnie’s loyalties are tested as she discovers secrets and searches for answers in this stunning sequel.   

The second book in The Lightlark Saga is here, and it brings more drama and intrigue as Isla Crown tries to keep everything together. Pick up our exclusive edition of this action-packed sequel for a bonus chapter told from the protagonist’s love interest, a foil-printed case design and color-printed endpapers that feature an illustrated map of the world of Lightlark.