Collection: Young Adult

You are safe, my child. You are loved, my child. You are one with the good earth.

Darian Sabine Arden is haunted by a monster who claims to love her.

Her only respite is the New England village where she spends summers with her three best friends. Kesuquosh is serene and idyllic, and the townsfolk's odd worship of a godlike scarecrow only adds to the charming local color. But when Darian pays a surprise Halloween visit to her summer crush--a beautiful, unreadable girl named KJ--just in time to see her swept up in a bizarre harvest ritual, she's forced to admit that Good Arcturus is more than a quaint superstition. He's terrifyingly real.

Something ancient and sinister lurks behind the dying sunflower fields and glowing windows of Kesuquosh... and in the hearts of the people who live there. Something that doesn't take kindly to its paradise being threatened. To save KJ--and themselves--Darian and her friends must question everything they thought they knew about their home. And Darian will have to tell the awful truth about the monster that's been with her all along.

Empty Heaven is a propulsive and original love story, a darkly funny tribute to the power of queer found family, and a haunting exploration of the hidden horrors of beautiful places.

"Earnest, evocative, and unapologetically tender. Don't Forget to Breathe is the sort of love story that wears its heart on its sleeve." - Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Imogen, Obviously

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Dugan and Nina LaCour, this tender, contemporary sapphic romance follows a dancer and a musician who find themselves on a collision course that could change their lives forever.

Zoe's always had a plan. Ballet has been her past, present, and future for so long that she's never even considered otherwise. It's been the escape she's always needed. Yet when senior year arrives, it arrives with a feeling of uncertainty she never expected--and a paralyzing fear about choosing the wrong future.

Hanna's rarely stayed in a place longer than a year. The greatest consistency she has is her piano playing, and her dad diving back into his Jewish faith every time her mom leaves on assignment. So when her senior year begins with yet another move to a new school, she's not planning on putting down roots--she's learned that hard way how that ends.

But when the girls' paths collide, everything they thought they knew is turned upside down. Their relationship could change them each forever--if they have the courage to let their worlds fall apart.

An honest, messy, and very real approach to first love that focuses keenly on the queer and neurodiverse experience, Don't Forget to Breathe proves the power of overcoming fear to be wildly, truly yourself.

Return to the hidden world of the cursed Descendants of the Zodiac, where magic intertwines with dark academia at a boarding school dedicated to restoring their glory. In this thrilling sequel, the Descendants must navigate the aftermath of a chaotic heist and rescue a fallen comrade--all while battling dark forces determined to tear them apart.

A vampire on the run. A shapeshifter with a haunting past. A mortal trapped in enemy territory. And a werewolf with a score to settle.

After the heist of a lifetime to reclaim the source of their magic--the twelve Chinese zodiac statues--Evangeline Long and her crew of supernatural beings are on the run. Something--or someone--is working against the Descendants of zodiac from the shadows, and despite Evangeline's efforts, her people remain cursed as creatures of darkness.

However, not everyone wants to return to life before the curse. As factions begin to tear the Descendants apart, Evangeline must travel to London to finish her mission: break the curse and restore the Descendants to their former glory. But with one of her crew in enemy hands and longtime allies turning on her, Evangeline must barter with lives as she decides who to trust . . . and who to target.

And she'll have to do it soon. There are whispers of monsters on the loose--longtime foes of the Descendants who have returned for blood--and as long as the Descendants remain cursed, they don't stand a chance. Now more than ever, Evangeline's crew must finish their mission and reclaim their powers, before there is nothing left of the Descendants to save. . . .

Sawkill Girls meets Twin Peaks in a page-turning queer supernatural thriller, where four teens must track down a local cryptid that's feeding off secrets, before their own hidden truths are exposed.

"Alex Crespo thrills with a meticulously crafted page-turner. A feast of twists, tension and secrets." --C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

On the dreary Oregon coast, an all-seeing beast--known as the Watcher--lies in wait. When Shay and her girlfriend, Lauren, get into a fight over whether to go public with their clandestine relationship, they awaken the creature. Although Lauren is badly injured, the girls escape with their lives but can't shake the feeling of the creature's eyes tracking them.

Meanwhile, aspiring photographer Zoe is desperate to put together a portfolio worthy of earning a scholarship to attend art college. Her photography teacher praises her skill but urges her to select more daring subjects for her submissions--a tall task when Zoe's camera acts as a barrier between herself and the rest of the world.

As rumors swirl about Lauren's injuries, Shay remains steadfast in that the Watcher is to blame, not her. She asks for Zoe's help in snapping a photo of the local legend. Proof would help Shay clear her name and certainly be daring enough for Zoe's scholarship. Together with their friends Jack and Parker, they set out to expose the Watcher before its ever-creeping eyes cast the secrets they're all keeping from the town--and one another--into the light.

Eerily atmospheric and as piercing as a pair of eyes on the back of your head, Alex Crespo's LGBTQ+ supernatural thriller is a poignant story about the prices we pay to keep our secrets hidden--sometimes for good reason. Through creeping tension and mounting horror, readers will furiously turn the pages with their breaths held.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Sapphic yearning
• Popular girl/ Unpopular girl romance
• Slow Burn
• Secret Relationship
• Small Town with a Dark Secret
• Found Family
• Eldritch Abomination
• Hunter Becomes the Hunted

An NPR "Books We Love" Selection

Don't Let the Forest In meets The Whispering Dark in a queer YA cult horror following a recently diagnosed autistic teen who becomes enmeshed in a community of outcasts harboring sinister secrets.

"One of the best horror novels of the year, full stop. Haunting, heartfelt, and downright creepy." --Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn

After a meltdown in her school cafeteria prompts an unwanted autism diagnosis, Cassie Davis moves back to her hometown in upstate New York, where her mom hopes the familiarity will allow Cassie to feel normal again. Cassie's never truly felt normal anywhere, but she does crave the ease she used to have with her old friends.

Problem is that her friends aren't so eager to welcome her back into the fold. They extend an olive branch by inviting her on their backpacking trip to Hollow Ridge, in the upper reaches of the Adirondacks. But when a fight breaks out their first night, Cassie wakes to a barren campsite--her friends all gone.

With severe weather approaching and nearing sensory overload, Cassie is saved by a boy named Kaleb, who whisks her away to a compound of artists and outcasts he calls the Roost. As Kaleb tends to her injuries, Cassie begins to feel--for the first time in her life--that she can truly be herself. But as the days pass, strange happenings around the Roost make Cassie question her instincts. Noises in the trees grow louder, begging the question: Are the dangers in the forest, on the trail, or in the Roost itself?

In a world where autistic characters rarely get to be the hero of their own stories, Cassie Davis's one-step-back, two-steps-forward journey to unmasking makes Hollow as much a love letter to neurodiversity as it is a haunting tale you'll want to read with the lights on.

Read if You Love:

• Don't Go in the Woods
• Deadly Road Trips
• CottageGORE
• Malevolent Masks
• Cults
• Nerd-core
• Wound-tending
• First Love

The penultimate SCOTT PILGRIM full-color hardcover edition is here! There are many questions in Scott Pilgrim's terrible little life. First of all, why did he have to turn twenty-four? Secondly, why do robots keep trying to kill him? And why is Sex Bob-omb falling apart? Why is Ramona acting so weird? And finally, why won't these brilliant and deadly Japanese twins leave him alone? Scott Pilgrim will find the answers to these questions... or die trying! Featuring exclusive bonus content and previously unpublished extras you won't find anywhere else in the Universe!

In this completely revised edition, Bill Coplin continues to prepare the next generation of leaders to bring their hearts and minds to solving the many problems that we face in the twenty-first century. The book teaches students the essential components for public policy analysis; how to get information from published sources and individuals; how to survey stakeholders; formulate public policy; examine costs and benefits of a policy; develop political strategies; write a briefing paper; among other skills.

A heretical storyteller partners with an ancient spirit to undo the magic that subjugates her to the crown, in this chilling debut fantasy filled with monsters, forbidden rituals, and corrupt deities.

This gorgeous hardcover edition features foiled elements on the dust jacket and case, with a beautifully detailed map inside!

The Emperor of Wyrecia is dying, and 17-year-old Lena has just gained the power to control fate itself, binding her to the young prince Dimas as the empire's next Fateweaver. Hunted by the empire's most ruthless soldiers, Lena escapes with a handsome smuggler toward enemy territory. But a former lover betrays Lena, and her magic becomes agony--compelling Lena to submit to a gilded cage.

Still, an ancient spirit offers hope: to sever her bond to the throne, Lena must unroot a ritual hidden beneath the palace. As Prince Dimas struggles to forge friendship with Lena and bring his empire under peaceful rule, sinister cultists unveil a twisted plan to unleash an ancient evil that could tear the realm asunder. With every step Lena takes on her quest to freedom, she uncovers a troubling imperial past that tarnishes the nation's matron goddess. Perhaps the oral histories passed down to Lena are not foolish heresy, after all.

Written with captivating mystery, queer romance, and a dual point of view narrative, this first entry in the Threads of Fate dark fantasy duology roots its magic system in mythological lore. An enchanting selection for young adult readers who don't mind a little terror with their adventure!

"You never know what's going to happen, Milo. No matter how hard you try to control things, this is our summer in Paris, and it might just be unpredictable. There might just be boys."

Milo is determined to have the most magical summer in Paris after winning an apprenticeship at a prestigious fashion house. The plan is simple: work hard, impress the team, and land a permanent job. With his best friend Celeste by his side, nothing will stand in his way of getting what he wants--especially not a boy.

Enter Rhodes Hamilton: London's resident tabloid magnet and the son of a famous footballer. Milo is devastated to learn that Rhodes' connections have also landed him an apprenticeship, which means he's now the competition. Milo knows he has to win at any cost, so he can't risk getting close to Rhodes, no matter how nice and charming and cute he is . . .

"Susan Metallo has the best YA voice I've read in years--sharp, hilarious, and heartbreakingly honest. I couldn't put this book down." --Rachael Allen, author of A Taxonomy of Love and Harley Quinn: Redemption

There are countless good reasons to hate seventeen-year-old Jess Lanza, Stone Bridge High's premier autistic theater nerd and Champion of Questionable Life Choices. Unfortunately, the cyberbullies that hounded her all summer are stuck on last year's life-ruining mistake, the one that earned Jess the title "Boyfriend Stealing Slutbag." To relieve the bullies of their stale content, Jess vows to dazzle them with online posts about her own ridiculous fails and embarrassing character traits. But somehow, all of Jess's posts circle back to her friendship with Chloe--the friendship her alleged sluttiness pulverized--and the gaping hole she left in Jess's life. As Jess chases Chloe's forgiveness, she must confront some of her darkest weaknesses--and darker still, the truth of what happened with Chloe's boyfriend, a story neither of them wants to hear. Told through a series of blog posts and short scripts, this cleverly staged and structured debut novel crackles with spot-on dialogue, features a range of fully developed neurodiverse characters, and sharply evokes high school in all its hilarious and agonizing complexity.

Sadie Morelli and Cason Tano were friends in middle school, back before Cason's mom died and Sadie transferred to a new school. When they meet again as high school juniors at the local ice rink where Sadie waitresses and Cason's hockey team plays, what was once friendship blooms into something more. Given the intensity of the rivalry between their schools, their budding romance is a secret for them alone.

But then someone turns up dead at the local train station. Sadie and Cason were both at the station the night of the murder, and both have a reason to want to hurt the victim. With accusations flying and secrets being held close to the chest, Sadie and Cason must decide the lengths they're willing to go to to clear their own names--and to protect each other.

Within the pages of a stolen diary, Melati discovers a coded cry for help--the diary belongs to Devi, an Indonesian teenager who is being held by traffickers.

Mel races across the island of Java and against the clock to work out Devi's identity and where she's being held. Before long, the pieces fall into place, and Mel must put her own life on the line to save a girl she's never met.

Immediately after high school graduation, eighteen-year-old Maya is kicked out of her wealthy dad's NYC home; he prides himself on forcing his kids to "make their own way in the world." Maya's mom lives in Guatemala, so Maya crashes with friends while working and trying to land freelance writing gigs.

Maya struggles to find her footing until she gets access to a "writing room," a shared workspace where she can focus--and get to know the intriguing neighbor, Jake, who's often there.

When she discovers her dad is bankrolling a virulently anti-immigrant candidate for governor, Maya―the daughter of an immigrant―realizes she can't continue quietly accepting his choices. She'll have to take a stand, using the voice she's found in the writing room.

In New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland's new novel, Break Wide the Sea, a young woman cursed with a fatal heartbreak-induced sickness must race against time to find a cure and protect her family legacy from the ancient finfolk that would destroy it, the fiancé that would kill her for it, and the boy who would love her if she forsook it.

In the treacherous waters surrounding Kirkrell, sailors hunting magic whales live in fear of the finfolk--bloodthirsty sea fae who sink ships and curse bloodlines. Nineteen-year-old Annie, as heir to the city's preeminent whaling company, is determined to carry on her parents' life's work. But she keeps a secret from everyone: she's cursed to transform into a monster, with scales spreading up her arms and claws growing from her fingertips.

Her fiancé August offers comfort, but their love falls apart when Annie discovers his plan to take over the company. Desperate, Annie makes a deal with Silas Price, a young captain rumored to be half-finfolk. He says he knows how to break the curse - but only if Annie promises to stop the practice of whaling forever.

As Annie, August and Silas sail north, Annie wrestling with her family's legacy, the threat of the finfolk and August's ambitions increasingly force her to put her trust in Silas. Yet Silas has secrets of his own, and they might be the most dangerous of all.

The first in a series of compelling and skillful dark academic thrillers from a brilliant new voice in YA fiction.

Love, Lies, Legacy...

Eva has one dream: to study English at Oxford University. Not only will she receive a world-class education - getting into Oxford is a path to freedom.

But when Eva and her best friend George are invited to interview week, they find themselves in the cutthroat ultra-competitive world of elite academia, and at the center of gossip on anonymous student forum Oxford Slays. When Eva finds George dead near the steps of a statue in the college, she knows he's been murdered - but all eyes are now on her. Can she clear her name, catch the true killer and win her place at Beecham College?

Eva has one week to prove her innocence, and Oxford Slays will be watching.

Oxford Blood is a riveting murder mystery thriller, packed with narrative twists and turns, complex and appealing characters and a captivating, authentic setting in its searing examination of the true cost of privilege.

I sucked in the last breath I would ever call my own and sealed my contract with one word: "revenge."

Born into the persecuted Magi class, Evan Wilde keeps her true identity under wraps. Her days are spent drawing up simple contracts--a task Magi are banned from performing--which call devils from beyond the veil to carry out clients' requests in exchange for a bit of blood or breath. It's not until Evan lies dying in an alley, the victim of an illegal blood sacrifice, that she draws a contract for herself. A devil can take the last of her life--if it grants her revenge.

Such a hasty, open-ended contract can only lead to trouble. But when a devil named Jack accepts her terms, Evan decides to make the most of her borrowed time. With Jack's help, she infiltrates high society, posing as part of the ruling Necro class--the group responsible for oppressing Magi and perpetuating illegal blood sacrifices. Dining and dancing by day, unleashing her devil at night . . . for the first time in her life, Evan no longer lives in fear. She even finds friends--and love--within the circles of her supposed enemy.

It turns out that, for all their corruption, Necros are the only ones keeping the devils at bay. If Evan and Jack topple their society in revenge, the veil between worlds could vanish, leaving devils to wreak havoc. Evan's vendetta against Necros could destroy the entire world, including her newfound friends and love.

But even if she changes her mind, Evan is not the only one out for blood. Jack didn't indenture himself for nothing; in fact, Evan's contract could be the key to enacting his own twisted vengeance . . . .

Book 1 of the Blood & Breath Duology