New 2023 Books
Librarian-recommended New Books for Young Adults
Summer & Fall 2023
2023 YA Recommendations
Saints of the Household
Max and Jay depend on each other. Growing up in Minnesota with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned to protect themselves and their mom by keeping their heads down. But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, instinct takes over and they break up a fight, harming their school's star soccer player in the process.
Daughters of Oduma
An elite female fighter must reenter the competition to protect her found family of younger sisters in this "absorbing, striking" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) young adult fantasy inspired by West African culture, perfect for fans of The Gilded Ones and Creed. Eat. Dance. Fight. This is the life of the girls who compete in the Isle's elite, all-female fighting sport of Bowing. But it isn't really Dirt's life anymore. At sixteen, she is old and has retired from competition. Instead, she spends her days coaching the younger sisters of the Mud Fam and dreading her fast-approaching birthday, when she'll have to leave her sisters to fulfill whatever destiny the Gods choose for her.
While You Were Dreaming
In this debut contemporary YA romance by bestselling author Alisha Rai, a girl with undocumented family members goes viral after saving her crush's life in disguise. It's a classic story: girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy finally notices girl when he sees her in a homemade costume. At least, that's what Sonia Patil is hoping for when she plans to meet her crush at the local comic-con in cosplay. But instead of winning her crush over, Sonia rescues him after he faints into a canal and, suddenly, everything changes.
Lucha of the Night Forest
An edge-of-your-seat fantasy about a girl who will do anything to protect her sister-even if it means striking a dangerous bargain. Dark forces, forgotten magic, and a heart-stopping queer romance make this young adult novel a must-read.