As the summer heat intensifies, readers seeking an escape from the sweltering temperatures are turning to their beloved libraries and independent bookstores, eager to delve into the latest offerings in young adult science fiction, fantasy, and horror. With nearly sixty new titles slated for release in July and August, the literary landscape is rich with diverse stories catering to a wide array of tastes. From spine-chilling tales that evoke the eerie atmosphere of a "summerween" to captivating romantasy that sparks with enchantment, and from high-stakes competitions to unsettling narratives set in quaint, creepy towns, the upcoming months promise a wealth of exciting new reads for young adults. This curated selection highlights sixteen of the most anticipated books, offering a glimpse into the compelling worlds and characters that await readers.
Chilling Narratives and Unsettling Mysteries
Funerals Are for the Living by Sami Ellis
Set to release on July 21, 2026, by Amulet Books, Funerals Are for the Living by Sami Ellis explores a profound bond between two seemingly opposite individuals, Junie and Jay, who share a sisterly connection. The narrative takes a dark turn when a car accident tragically claims Jay’s life, leaving Junie with a disorienting amnesia regarding the circumstances. With her mother consumed by grief, Junie and her sole friend, Omari, are forced to navigate financial hardship to arrange Jay’s burial. Their quest leads them to Williamsville, a town characterized by its insular and prejudiced community, whose pride in their heritage is rooted in the legacy of a brutal white supremacist and slaveholder. The town’s inhabitants are revealed to be part of a sinister cult with nefarious intentions involving the sisters and dark, racist magic, setting the stage for a gripping tale of survival and unearthed truths.
Local Gods by Melinda Salisbury
Melinda Salisbury’s Local Gods, published by Sarah C. Barley Books on August 4, 2026, introduces Sylvie, whose life is shattered when the FBI raids her father’s home, accusing him of fraud and embezzlement. Shunned by her community in Pine Ridge Hollow, Sylvie yearns for the end of high school. An encounter with Illican, the horned god of the West Woods, offers a potential path to redemption. If Sylvie can save Illican from impending death, he promises her the magic needed to revive her hometown, which is now in a state of ruin due to the fallout from her father’s crimes. Sylvie’s family harbors a mysterious connection to the horned god and the history of Pine Ridge Hollow, a lineage she is only beginning to comprehend.
Spectral Encounters and Lingering Spirits
Take It to Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes
Arriving on July 21, 2026, from Godwin Books, Take It to Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes presents the story of Max, a sixteen-year-old ghost who has been haunting a dilapidated house for thirty years, unable to recall the circumstances of his death or leave his spectral prison. His confinement is disrupted when Joaquín, a teenager desperate to witness a ghost, sneaks into the house with his friends. An impulsive act by Joaquín opens a pathway for Max to finally escape his ethereal confinement and communicate with the living. As the two boys investigate the mystery of Max’s death, they also navigate Joaquín’s complex feelings for his ex-boyfriend, while Max grapples with the implications of his newfound freedom and the answers he seeks.
We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers will release Sophia Hannan’s We Were Never Here on July 28, 2026. The novel centers on a group of four teenagers—Jules, James, Georgia, and Circe—who engage in elaborate art heists using their ghost-hunting YouTube channel as a cover. Their scheme involves replacing stolen artworks with forgeries created by Circe and selling them through their patron, Lark. However, their operation takes a terrifying turn when Jules is murdered during a hunt, and Georgia, her secret girlfriend, has no memory of the event, despite waking up covered in Jules’s blood. The group fractures, but Lark compels them to complete their final heist. They are forced to return to De Lys Manor, the scene of Jules’s death, to confront their deepest fears.
Journeys Beyond the Veil
Hell to Pay by Lora Beth Johnson
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers is set to publish Hell to Pay by Lora Beth Johnson on July 28, 2026. The story follows Elle, a former leader of a crew that specialized in stealing magic from the Afterlife. Her life took a drastic turn with the disappearance of her parents and the death of her brother, Dante. Just as she believed her adventuring days were over, Rook recruits her for a seemingly impossible mission: to steal his sister’s soul from the Afterlife. This undertaking reignites Elle’s hope that she might be able to bring Dante back. Assembling her old crew, Elle embarks on a perilous journey filled with unforeseen challenges and magical intrigue.
Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters
Viking Books for Young Readers will release Julian Winters’s Find My Way Down to You on August 4, 2026. Two years after the tragic car crash that claimed the life of his boyfriend, London, August remains consumed by grief. His solitary existence is brightened by Cary, a regular customer at the pizza parlor where he works. When August discovers that Cary is a ferrier of souls in the Underworld, he convinces Cary to guide him on a quest to find London’s soul. As their journey progresses, August finds himself developing feelings for Cary. This leads him to question whether his pursuit of London is a genuine desire for reunion or an avoidance of processing his grief.
Enchanted Worlds and Mystical Traditions
Death Card by Jasmine Smith
On August 11, 2026, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers will introduce Death Card by Jasmine Smith. Following the death of her grandmother, Mikaela is designated as the next Witch Queen of her New Orleans coven of Black witches. Her path becomes complicated with the arrival of Joelle. Mikaela’s divination reveals that Joelle is destined to kill her by the next full moon. Adding to the peril, a magical illness is afflicting the coven, and a group of racists are targeting them. The narrative explores whether Mikaela’s burgeoning romance with Joelle can overcome the imminent threat of death and the challenges facing her community.
Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser
Feiwel & Friends is scheduled to release Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser on August 25, 2026. The story features Del, formerly Princess Adeline, heir to the Gilnea throne, who seeks a quiet life as a bard in the neighboring kingdom of Salato after witnessing her lover kill her sister in a duel. She uses magic to conceal her identity, but her desire for anonymity is tested when she becomes a bard for Queen Clara, a novice ruler struggling with her responsibilities. Del’s efforts to assist Clara are complicated by Clara’s effervescent sister-in-law, Nasca, who inadvertently challenges Del’s masking magic. The only way to break Del’s glamour is through a kiss from her true love, a revelation that could have profound consequences.
Echoes of the Past and Enduring Legacies
Bound by Fury by Noelle Monét
Margaret K. McElderry Books will publish Bound by Fury by Noelle Monét on August 18, 2026. Following the death of her grandmother, Gigi, Harper relocates to Black Mountain Academy, an institution Gigi attended decades prior, nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains. The academy is rumored to be haunted. Harper encounters Lucas, a former summer fling, and Malachi, with whom she has had a falling out. As Harper delves into the school’s history, she uncovers a legacy of death and mysterious disappearances spanning decades, with several chapters offering a glimpse into the events of 1926.
The City of Slaughter by Aden Polydoros
The second installment in The City Beautiful series, The City of Slaughter by Aden Polydoros, is set to be released by HarperCollins on August 25, 2026. Set in Chicago in 1893, the novel picks up after Alter Rosen’s harrowing experiences with a serial killer and possession by a dybbuk. Alter and Frankie, a former child thief and boxer, establish a detective agency to serve their Jewish community, as other institutions have failed them. When children begin vanishing from the streets once again, Alter and Frankie launch a new investigation to uncover the truth behind the disappearances.
High-Stakes Competitions and Fae Bargains
No One Leaves the Manor by Kelly McWilliams
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will release No One Leaves the Manor by Kelly McWilliams on July 14, 2026. Set in New Hampshire in 1921, the story follows four young women who arrive at Greystone Manor, the estate of an oil fortune heir. Vaughn seeks to overcome the stigma of mental illness, Elspeth aims to prove herself despite her dyslexia, Birdie desires a taste of freedom from her life with polio, and Dorothea, a white-passing Black girl, searches for answers about her mother’s disappearance from Greystone years prior. The competition takes a sinister turn as the manor and its inhabitants reveal monstrous secrets, turning the girls’ aspirations into a fight for survival.
Immortal Game by Allison Saft
Wednesday Books will publish Immortal Game by Allison Saft on August 4, 2026. Six years after losing a chess match to Midir, the king of the Fae, which cost Shea her sister, she seizes an opportunity to cross the Iron Veil and enter the Otherworld where Aideen is held. The chance comes in the form of a prestigious chess tournament. As the competition escalates into a deadly affair, Shea reluctantly allies with Ciara, another competitor and Midir’s sister. Their alliance is forged out of necessity as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae and the high stakes of the immortal game.
Folklore, Mythology, and Urban Fantasy
King of Lost Dreams by Nevin Holness
Atheneum Books for Young Readers is set to release King of Lost Dreams by Nevin Holness on July 7, 2026. This concluding volume of an urban fantasy duology draws heavily on Afro-Caribbean folklore. Eli, still suffering from amnesia and reeling from a recent revelation, finds his nightmares manifesting in the waking world. Malcolm continues to grapple with his dangerous death magic, his connection with Max deepening. The teens must now confront a new enemy, piecing together Eli’s past and their own destinies within a world rich with mythical creatures and ancient magic.
All the Queens’ Curses by Alyssa Hollingsworth
Page Street YA will publish All the Queens’ Curses by Alyssa Hollingsworth on August 11, 2026. This novel reimagines the Scottish folktale "Kate Crackernuts" through the lens of a teenager suffering from chronic pain. Kit, perpetually ill, contrasts with her vibrant stepsister, Catherine. Kit harbors feelings for Catherine’s fiancé, Prince Idris, who is the only one to acknowledge the abuse Kit endures from her stepfather, the king. The story weaves together themes of fae bargains gone awry, body swapping, curses, and the complex legacy of ancestral harms, exploring how past actions ripple through generations.
Nest of Tongues by Randy Ribay
Random House Books for Young Readers will release Nest of Tongues by Randy Ribay on August 11, 2026. The story introduces siblings Lily and Caleb, who are manananggal, shapeshifting vampires from Filipino folklore. They meticulously guard their true identities, even from other supernatural beings. Their carefully constructed secrecy is shattered when a bayani, a monster hunter, arrives and targets Caleb. With no one having ever escaped a bayani before, Lily must draw upon all her strength and resourcefulness to protect her brother from this formidable threat.
Genre-Bending Narratives and Temporal Mysteries
Whenever You Are by Martine Leavitt
Groundwood Books is scheduled to publish Whenever You Are by Martine Leavitt on August 4, 2026. The novel follows fifteen-year-old Clem, whose impending release from juvenile detention is revoked after he intervenes in a guard’s mistreatment of other inmates. This incident lands him in solitary confinement with Finn, a new arrival. The two boys bond during their limited free time, both feeling trapped in a punitive system. When Finn mysteriously disappears from his locked cell, suspicion falls on Clem, who has no answers. Finn’s earlier mentions of a strange phenomenon in his cell lead Clem to question the nature of reality and the possibility of altering past mistakes. The narrative delves into themes of consequence, regret, and the potential for temporal manipulation within the confines of a correctional facility.
