Warm up your winter with these upcoming YA novels!

It’s time to start stocking up on books before winter sets in. I say that as if we’re all going into hibernation, but let’s be real – there’s nothing better than waking up to a pile of unread books on a dreary and rainy day. And let me tell you, there are A LOT of exciting new releases to keep you entertained in June and beyond!

Lynette Noni kicks off the month with the eagerly awaited finale of the Prison Healer trilogy, The Blood Traitor (read our rave review here). Other fantastic sequels out soon include For the Throne by Hannah Whitten and The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna — there’s plenty to pick from for all the YA Fantasy fans!

Speaking of supporting local authors, First Nations author Jared Thomas is one to look out for with their novel My Spare Heart, sure to be a new favourite for anybody looking for a moving, heartfelt book on identity, culture and belonging.

We’re also pumped for all the debut authors hitting shelves in June with books like The Museum of Broken Things by Lauren Draper, This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian and The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes, just to name a few.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get reading!

The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni — The eagerly awaited finale of the Prison Healer trilogy! Kiva thought she knew what she wanted – revenge. But feelings change, people change . . . everything has changed.

The Museum of Broken Things by Lauren Draper — Reece still isn’t used to living in the small beachside town of Hamilton — she misses her old school, her old friends and her old life. But when Reece inherits a strange artefact that belonged to her beloved grandmother, she begins to unravel a mystery that might change the way she feels about everything around her, including her charismatic classmate Gideon …

The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna — It’s been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera, and discovered who she really is… But war is waging across the kingdom, and the real battle has only just begun. For there is a dark force growing in Otera – a merciless power that Deka and her army must stop. Yet hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything Deka has known.

This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian — Annalie and Margaret are sisters who agree on only one thing – that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret couldn’t wait to leave their oppressive small hometown and take flight in New York. Meanwhile sweet, popular, seventeen-year-old Annalie can’t think of anything worse. Until she arrives home one day to find a gut-punching racial slur painted on their garage door.

For The Throne by Hannah Whitten — Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red’s beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally though it’s one she’d rather never have to speak to again: the rogue king, Solmir.

What We All Saw by Mike Lucas — If you wander into the wood … If you hear scratching sounds from the Old Quarry … If you go too close to the edge … WATCH. OUT.

My Spare Heart by Jared Thomas — Phoebe’s non-Indigenous mother, a busy event manager, and her father, an Aboriginal man and uni lecturer, have split up and she’s moved to sleepy old Willunga with him and his new health-obsessed girlfriend. Her new school is full of hippies, but some of the kids are cool and the local basketball team is tight, and before long Phoebe’s fitting in. But as her mum becomes increasingly unreliable, Phoebe’s grades begin to suffer, her place on the basketball team is under threat and her worries spiral out of control.

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean — When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true. Only …

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes — Seventeen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new, mostly white, very rich, Catholic school. After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend before transferring to Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: keep her brother out of trouble, make her mom proud, and most importantly, don’t fall in love. Granted, she’s never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami. The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And confident. And cute. So cute.

Two for Joy by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch — Audrey and Ivy, determined to bring their fellow student Lola Radcliffe’s killer to justice, find themselves in the middle of another mystery when a friend disappears in suspicious circumstances. Their only clue is a mysterious card left by the enigmatic Magpie Society. With time running out and the police baffled, Audrey and Ivy must delve deeper than ever into the dark secrets that their school is hiding. But someone is playing a deadly game.

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth — After thwarting the man behind the gruesome ironborn murders – and breaking several fae laws to do so – all Arlo wants is a quiet summer. As the deity of luck’s Hollow Star, capable of bringing about endless possibilities, this shouldn’t be too much to ask, right? But someone is still trying to summon the mythical Seven Deadly Sins. All signs point to immortal meddling, and if this is the gods’ attempt at returning to the Mortal Realm, it’s Arlo they’re going to use to do it.

When Only One by Meg Gatland-Veness — 1984: Sam lives with his mum, dad and four brothers in a small farming town and life is pretty good. He works as a lifeguard at the local surf club, is saving to buy his first car, trains with his friends for the Ironman, and on Sunday afternoons he and his family take care packages to their less fortunate neighbours. Then, five years since they last spoke, Emily Burrow climbs through his bedroom window and back into Sam’s life.

The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride by Hayli Thomson — When Taylor is accepted as a finalist for a diverse writers’ internship at Saturday Night Live, it turns her life upside down. And if Taylor wants a shot at winning, she’ll have to come out about both of her secrets: she wants to be a comedian … and she’s a lesbian. The only thing keeping Taylor from self-combusting is her pining for Salem’s most bewitching actress out and proud classmate, Charlotte Grey. So when Taylor finds herself sitting opposite Charlotte to discuss a school project, Taylor’s simmering need to tell everyone exactly who she is and what she wants burns hotter than ever …

Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe — Ray has no time for romance. She’s queen of the roller rink, she writes found poetry, and she’s got her eyes set on her own independent future. Besides, she’s seen what loving someone too much – and losing them – can do to a person. Orion, on the other hand, would like to be smooth with the girls. Just once. He looks like the jock his father wants him to be, but really he’s a hopeless romantic. When he spots Ray at the rink, it feels like the stars have aligned.

Fireworks by Alice Lin — Seventeen-year-old Lulu Li has her last summer before college all planned out. But her plans go awry when she learns that Kite Xu, her old next-door neighbor and childhood friend, will be returning home from South Korea. Lulu hasn’t seen Kite since eighth grade, after he left the country to pursue a career in K-pop, eventually debuting in the boy group Karnival. When Karnival announces that Kite will be taking a break from K-pop activities for mysterious reasons, the opportunity to rekindle their friendship arises.

Which YA books are you looking forward to reading the most?

Tell us below in the comments!

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Eden Samuel