May is right around the corner (no, really, it is; don’t look at the calendar, don’t think about it, just know…it is), but no worries, because I’m here to bring you some upcoming Young Adult novels in May that you can immerse yourself into.
Cry with the characters. Gasp at the plot twists. Become an emotional wreck as characters get tossed around in their perilous journey of life.
But most of all…I hope this list captures your attention with the YA books you never knew about.
By the way:
- I’m focusing only on three novels per release date.
- If a novel has already been released on Kindle, Audible, or Paperback/Hardback, I won’t be listing it here.
- If a book is part of a series, I only list the ones that are first in a new series.
May 1st
The Book of Promises
I know a lot of teens, younger people, and even beyond that keep journals to write in after things happens, and then there are bucket lists, but I haven’t heard of anyone writing about books of promises. Especially one that’s shared.
That makes what’s in it all the more intriguing. What secrets can promises hold?
Wilderness Therapy
I saw the title and thought of Wild America and laughed.
But this novel is anything but funny. It deals with grief over a brother’s drowning, which turns into rage, leading him to bringing a weapon to school. He doesn’t go to prison, though. Oh no, he’s in a wilderness therapy program where things take a turn for the worse.
Huh. Maybe in a way it is kind of like Wild America–in the survival sense.
But maybe not.
The Orphans (Dead Things)
Nobody wants to be a human when supernatural beings exist. It kind of makes us so…bland.
There’s so much want-to-read going on in this book. Reapers, screaming banshees, witches, shifters, and fae as well. Disarming a supernatural ticking time-bomb is one thing this book touches base on, but disarming my inner supernatural fangirl? That’s another problem altogether.
May 5th
Sisters of the Perilous Heart
The first book in a new series.
What happens when you have too much magic to become immortal and not enough to survive? You hope you don’t get shot with an arrow laced with an Immortality Virus.
Of course, that’s exactly what happens. Luckily, she meets someone who can possibly help her, but…trust issues and all that.
Turtle Boy
The name reminds me of the turtle club scene in The Master of Disguise. There’s also a touch of Bucket List because…well, our Turtle Boy is coming out of his shell by helping a hospitalized boy complete his bucket list before his disease gets even worse than it is.
I think it’ll be a really touching read full of emotion.
The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea
There aren’t enough Young Adult novels regarding pirates, in my opinion. But this one is super unique–a girl becomes a man to earn respect of the crew. So this is kind of a split personality type of ordeal.
Not to mention the involvements of a captured mermaid, witch, double agents, and the will of the ocean.
The cover is pretty cartoony and reminds me of Studio Ghibli, for no real reason.
May 7th
Moonscript
This is the first book in a new series.
I’m not technically a fan of the cover–it’s too…simple fantasy-looking. Nothing enticing. But man the blurb of Moonscript really hooked me.
An elven prince has been lost to the shadows for a long time and finally sees a sliver of light in the presence of his newfound companions. They all want something, and for some reason their fates are tied to his.
I think the real question is, what the heck are they looking for?
May 12th
The Summer of Impossibilities
Four girls are forced to a summer lake house so their moms can all get together. All the girls are different, and each one is hiding their own secret. There are some funny nudges to what happens, but by the end of summer, none of them are the same.
I like the title because it suggests that the girls would’ve figured all this stuff would’ve never happened.
This Is How I Lied
Not only did the title hook me, but also the book cover. And the blurb. I’m a huge fan of horror, really, and there’s not a lot of YA horror novels.
I don’t know if it’s actually horror-related, but it has the vibes. Murder mystery for sure.
May 14th
The Arrow of Apollo
There’s something about mixing gods and mortals that tends to draw my attention. Especially if there are interactions between the two. I don’t know if The Arrow of Apollo meets my standards, but “Silvius is given a task by a dying centaur” is enough to pique my interest.
May 16th
Secret Silver Songs
Sirens are typically female, (I know, I know–not in Lost Girl!), but here we have an island of male “Singers,” and apparently their songs aren’t meant to be heard by females? Apparently she has the ability to sing though, which is what she needs to do bring the island’s dead back to life.
One thing I don’t like is I keep reading “Thistly” as “thirsty.”
May 19th
The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass
Eli is created by witches. (Are these like golems? I think one was mentioned somewhere in one of Vicki Pettersson’s books? It may have been something else, though.) Apparently she’s a bad-ass, too.
What did you expect from the work of witches, right?
But she needs answers to her now-questions, and she doesn’t want to be un-made by the witches who created her in the first place.
Goes to show, questions get you in trouble.
This book becomes available as an audiobook on May 19th, so if you don’t have Audible, check out the free trial!
The Goddess Twins
I wanted to skip putting this here, just because I thought “black identical twins” in the blurb was kind of cringe. But I do like the storyline the author is going for. At the time of their mother’s disappearance, they develop telekinesis and telepathy.
They have to now master those powers (short time limit, I know) and uncover a century-old family mystery.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Journal
The hardback covers looks gorgeous, but more than that, I had to put this up on this post because it’s a part of The Hunger Games without actually being part of the series…question mark?
It takes place on the morning of the tenth Hunger Games reaping–that’s sixty four years ago. I don’t know the significance of the tenth year, though. Are their iconic characters in it that we know, or is it because something interesting happens at this point in time?
Hmm.
In any case, I know it’ll be a big hit as one of the upcoming YA novels in May.
May 21st
The Lake Never Tells
The snobby rich kids are out. An awkward boy becomes a centerpoint in Zoe’s life. Unlikely friendships are formed. Bodies are washed ashore.
Just your typical Memorial Day weekend.
The title sounds like something from the horror section. And the dead body suggests it, but the book covers almost looks too peaceful for that gritty genre, so I’m not sure on that.
Ancient Dreams
Another book regarding gods. (I say this in a happy way.)
They used to be. But now they aren’t. And then the MC goes into a dream sequence where once upon a time they existed. No, her name isn’t Alice, and she didn’t fall down the rabbit hole.
May 22nd
Blue
It’s the simple titles that sometimes are the most effective at catching the eye. But the book cover is also very well-done. Kind of creepy, but in a soft, peaceful way.
It’s a modern retelling of Pinocchio, which is interesting because you don’t hear much of that tale anymore. It’s almost always Little Red Riding Hood spin-offs. I expect nothing less than an emotional tale with YA novel.
May 24th
Rippled Reflection
This is the first book in a new series.
And I honestly can’t wait to dig into it. The blurb starts off with basically a set of rules, which is just setting up an eerie feel. With a name like Devil’s Bay, you know this YA novel has to give a good edge-of-your-seat vibe. If not, I’ll be terribly disappointed.
Horrors always lie deep under the water.
May 26th
The Ballad of Ami Miles
I’m not sure if this is some kind of apocalyptic type of novel? Apparently the world ended and chaos began. I look forward to reading about Ami’s journey as she makes her way to fleeing her family’s compound in order to find her long-lost mother.
It becomes available as an audiobook on May 26th, so if you don’t have Audible, check out the free trial!
Out Now: Queer We Go Again!
I love that title.
It’s apparently a follow-up to the All Out anthology, but it features seventeen short stories from queer YA authors (their words, not mine). There are some truly interesting stories going on in this book, so if you enjoy shorts more than full-length novels, I think this is worth a read.
The Paper Girl of Paris
I love how this novel is going to be heading into the present-day time with Alice, who wants to learn more about her grandma’s secrets, and then shifts to the past to reveal her grandma’s (Adalyn’s) past via her viewpoint.
I wonder if it’s going to have chapters going from past to present constantly? Or if it’ll have a main focal point.
May 27th
A Monster’s Daughter
The cover reminds me of Friends With The Monsters, (or maybe the title does).
Anyway, this YA book is inspired by the serial killer culture. I love that. I’m weird, I know. What’s even weirder is Lynette’s father unexpectedly becomes a number one suspect in a series of murders.
Nice, dad. Nice.
May 28
When Darkness Begins
This is the first book in a new series.
I won’t lie, the blurb confused the crap out of me. There’s so many names I don’t know, and there’s so much going on, but it’s got some cool concepts. Like Catha being time-blind, and thus shunned by the masses.
It’s all about the power of love and the possibility of destruction.
May 30th
Feral Magic
This is the first book in a new series.
Vixin becomes hunted, but that’s okay, because she’s got skills with a blade in her hand. Apparently, those are the only skills separating her from predator and prey.
So it basically poses the question of what’s hunting her and why.
Fade to White
Normally things fade to black, but not Fade to White. It pushes past the norm and becomes its own thing.
It delves into the viewpoint of a girl who undergoes bouts of anxiety, so expect an emotional roller-coaster of a read. A teen suicide skyrockets her anxiety and things blur between reality and elsewhere.
Luckily, she meets Khi and they form a friendship through her hard times.
Thus ends our list of Young Adult novels in May.
I know there were a lot more. There’s always a lot more when it comes to these big lists, but unfortunately, I can’t list them all. If you’d like to look into more YA books that release in May, then head on over to Goodreads!
