Our Most Anticipated YA Books of May 2023 

Perfect for fans of You’ve Reached Sam and They Both Die at the End, Jonny Garza Villa brings us another heartachingly beautiful contemporary love story that will leave you reaching for tissues. When Santi starts working at Ander’s family’s taqueria, infatuation leads swiftly to devotion. The two help each other see things more clearly, but with the odds stacked against them, will their love endure? This is the type of story that will both destroy your heart and put it back together again.  

For fans of Lore and Daughter of Sparta, this debut by Kika Hatzopoulou is going to be your next favorite mythology infused fantasy-noir. The descendants of the Three Fates live on — this one uses her gifts to solve crimes. When she discovers that someone is abducting women and maiming their life-threads, she must team up with the boy to whom her future is inexorably intertwined. Together they must solve the mystery and save her sisters — and the city. With breakneck pacing and electrifying action, Threads That Bind is a tale of family feuds, romance, destiny and self-determination you won’t soon forget.   

Taking place a decade after Firekeeper’s Daughter and following Daunis’ niece, Warrior Girl Unearthed is a heart-pounding thriller about uncovering long-buried secrets. Indigenous women begin to go missing — and as crimes stack up and get closer to home, Perry begins to question all she knows. When her family is involved in a high-profile murder investigation, she feels compelled to try to figure out the truth. While it is related to Angeline Boulley’s debut, this is a high-stakes standalone that digs deep into Indigenous culture and history.   

Alice Oseman has taken the world by storm with her Heartstopper series and Loveless, and now we get the book that first introduced her iconic characters, Nick and Charlie. Solitaire follows Charlie’s older sister, Tori, as she struggles to find herself. Tori’s rawness and dark humor will charm readers as she tries to uncover a mystery and survive high school in this first US printing of her debut.  

Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson return with another Castle Cove mystery to follow up The Agathas. Once again, the amateur detectives step in to solve a case involving one of their ex-friends in what the police think is an open-and-shut case. They’re not so sure — and to figure it out, they must look into the infamous death of a classic film star. Perfect for fans of A Study in Charlotte and Pride and Premeditation, Night in Question is a delightful whodunnit with snarky sleuths. 

This sequel to Path of Deceit is a tale of fraught family ties and epic quests. Star Wars: The High Republic: Path of Vengeance tells the story of Marda and Yana, cousins who are part of the Path of the Open Hand, a group that believes the Force shouldn’t be us — no exceptions. While Marda is on a dangerous expedition, Yana forms an alliance with her dead lover’s father to start a rebellion. An action-packed story of a decision with major repercussions, this is a must-read for Star Wars fans. 

Jason Reynolds is a masterful writer whose command of both prose and verse makes Miles Morales Suspended spring to life in an extraordinary way. As Miles tries to save the world with his spidey superpowers, he gets stuck in a boring day of in-school suspension. He soon finds himself fighting an enemy with the power to destroy history — especially Black and Brown history. This spectacular story will tangle you in its web, keeping you captivated until the final page! 

Fans of the Netflix series Dead End: Paranormal Park will be thrilled by the graphic novel series that sparked it all. When Barney’s life is turned upside down after he comes out to his family, he moves into the amusement park where he works… which just so happens to have a portal to hell. After his beloved pug is possessed, he and his friends must race to save him — and the world. If you love large friend groups, found family, and vengeful ghosts, then DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test is a must-read.  

Forget workplace romance, what we have here is a locked-door workplace murder. When seven coworkers finish their final shift at a closing theatre, the last thing they expect is to be fighting for their lives — but then their manager goes missing, the power goes out, and one of them turns up dead. Join the employees as they fight for survival and flee through the abandoned mall in this heart-pounding slasher. 

Becky Albertalli has brought us brilliant journeys of self-discovery and queer identity in long beloved stories like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and What If It’s Us; now we’re getting Imogen, Obviously. A tale of fake exes, ally-ship, and identity exploration, this follows Imogen as she visits her newly out friend, Lili, at college and discovers that all Lili’s friends believe they’re exes. Imogen is a loveable main character whose introspection and romantic feelings will immediately endear readers to her.  

Perhaps you recognize the name Hayley Kiyoko, the pop star, actor, and director who can now add author to her repertoire. This summery story introduces us to Coley — recently relocated and grieving — and the girl she’s willing to risk her heart for, even if she’s terrified of opening herself up to love. Inspired by Kiyoko’s breakthrough song and viral music video, Girls Like Girls will embolden you to embrace yourself and accept love.  

From the author of American Street and Punching the Air comes a moving coming-of-age story that is perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Elizabeth Acevedo. When Nigeria Jones’ mother — the matriarch of her father’s Black separatist group — disappears, everything she thought she knew is shaken. As she searches for answers and her universe expands, Nigeria starts to discover who she truly is and must decide who she wants to be. Exploring race, feminism, and family, this is a story that you won’t be able to forget.