Most Anticipated Debuts 2024

The fiction debut of a poetic master, Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is teeming with all the life you’ll find in his poems, fleshed out over an entire novel. Beautifully written, with a buoyant tone that will sustain any reader, this is the story of a young man in search of purpose, and all the places he looks for it.

The kind of debut that launches a career, Andrés N. Ordorica’s How We Named The Stars is beautiful and devastating, a tender and timeless tale about queer love, family and secrets. Inspired by the author’s own experiences, this story tugs on the heartstrings with immensely human characters and a genuine examination of love and loss.

We love juicy, voice driven novels like Piglet. Taut and propulsive, this is a story of a relationship going off the rails and a woman seeking to find fulfillment at any cost.

A shining story of a woman exploring what it means to truly live after years of only trying to survive. With exciting twists and prose that feels like legend, this is an essential read for anyone looking to renew their lust for life. Perfect for fans of Matt Haig and V.E. Schwab.

Abraham Chang brings his poetic eye to a heartfelt narrative of yearning and family legacy that teems with tongue in cheek writing and winks at first generation twenty-somethings grappling with finding a new place in the world for their family name.

A warm and humorous coming-of-age story that bandies with the way that family impacts our sense of self and the people that affect our lives. Beautifully devastating and, in the end, hopeful, this story will move and shake, all in the name of meaningful human connection.

You’ve read his story collection Night of the Living Rez, now Morgan Talty returns with his debut novel that absolutely soars. Centered on a man grappling with a secret and trying to care for the few loved ones left in his life, you will come out of this book better than you were going in.

This luminous and epic debut novel from an acclaimed poet (Mutiny) — conjured from humankind’s quest for freedom, folklore and magic, indelible characters and gorgeous prose — is exceptional. There are few others like it.

Woven with layers, from the love affair at its surface to the enthralling depths of what it means to be alive, Green Dot is rich, meaningful and hilarious. With a messy narrator who you are guaranteed to love, this is the kind of story that sets itself apart.

What happens when you’re freshly home from college and you can’t separate your obsession with a family of skunks and the guy working the counter at your local bakery? Trying to make sense of what it means to be back home after college and feeling not quite grown up but not quite a child, Fiona Warnick explores this odd in-between and reminds us all to slow down and smell the skunks.

While you may know her from her nonfiction work The Undocumented Americans, you’ll want this fresh introduction to Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s dazzling fiction voice. Catalina is the heart of this novel, a veritable look into what it means to be undocumented while coming of age in a turbulent time. Heartfelt and incisive, this is perfect for fans of Mona Awad.

Santiago Jose Sanchez’s novel is a stunning narrative with a young Colombian man at its center. Exploring what it means to feel like your heart is in two places at once and struggling to find your identity in another person, this is perfect for fans of Brandon Taylor.

With a cosmopolitan scope that takes readers from Shanghai, to Paris, to Boston, Shanghailanders is about love and family with a dash of magical realism. There’s something here for every reader.

For those obsessed with Appalachian lore comes a hauntingly atmospheric tale toeing the line of a twisted fairy tale. Centered on two sisters growing up in 1980s Appalachia, this novel is a gothic and propulsive read that will dazzle you from start to finish.

The best fiction reflects the truth of our world, and Vinson Cunningham’s Great Expectations acts as a mirror to the modern political landscape. This whirlwind story about hope, ambition, identity follows a senator from Illinois after announcing his run for presidency. Cunningham’s novel is unflinchingly honest, taking readers to the depths of American politics and the height of human intellect. 

Kaliane Bradley’s dynamic debut is a great many things — science fiction, thriller, humor, literary, romance — but above all else, this is a fiercely unique story that delivers on so many levels. With unforgettable characters to bring this wild ride to vibrant life, it’s an easy story to love even as it defies all genre boundaries in the name of superior storytelling.

Taut and tender, Yasmin Zaher’s surreal story of identity and home is impossible to look away from. 

Space. Murder. Romance. Tradition and technology collide in this impressive debut, perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth.

Perfect for fans of darkly hilarious thrillers featuring slightly demented protagonists. You won’t be able to stop yourself from rooting for the murderer.

Fans of Richard Osman and Nita Prose, meet Kristin Perrin and her new feel-good whodunit. Amateur sleuthing, a quiet village, a stately home — and another book on the way. What’s not to love?

With addictive main characters and enough lies and murder to go around, this riveting debut is great for fans of Attica Locke and S. A. Cosby.

If you read Mona Awad’s Rouge and loved it/can’t stop thinking about it/gave it to your best friend, you need this beauty industry satire.

We’re fascinated by small towns with huge secrets. When a cop starts accepting PI jobs for cash, she uncovers way more than she bargained for.

Pep rallies and high school sweethearts have no place in this gruesome school for the world’s elite. Roam the hallowed halls of High Realms and do your best to remain unscathed…

The American Midwest turns sinister in this novel of ancient secrets, modern lies and messy family ties. Unnerving and disturbing, Sacrificial Animals will creep up your spine and have you looking over your shoulder.

Inspired by the tale of La Llorona, Pushcart Prize-winning author Marcela Fuentes’ coming-of-age novel is an ode to family, womanhood and Tejano culture, great for fans of Xochitl Gonzalez and Isabel Cañas.

Who hasn’t looked to the stars for answers? Prepare to be surprised by what you learn in this novel that explores mysticism and cynicism, love and heartbreak.

A sharp novel about finding oneself in a world where loneliness and isolation overwhelm, and technology doesn’t always help connect us.