Lately, there’s been a lot discussion (laced with scorn and disdain) about adults who read YA fiction. But for me, reading YA is playing catch up given how few BIPOC main characters there were in my teens. From contemporary K-pop to folklore to fantasy, it’s looking like a good year to for YA reads. This list only takes us through the end of May, so stay tuned for more in the coming months. FOR SURE we’ll be talking about Tiffany D. Jackson’s The Weight of Blood coming in September. This tweet is pretty much all we have on it. No cover for it yet, as it’s a fall release.
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RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 22
If the cover wasn’t enough to grab you…The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a feminist retelling of the Korean folktale of Shim Cheong. And the pre-order campaign goodies (art cards, stickers, pin) are ::chefs kiss:: A second round of signed copies will be available in March from the Writer’s Block. But let’s get to the synopsis.
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village―and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon―may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.
Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin―as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits―Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.
But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…
GET THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | IndieBound | Amazon | Apple Books
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 1
In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper’s daughter. But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again. But with her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she’ll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps never did.
GET A THOUSAND STEPS INTO NIGHT from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | IndieBound | Amazon | Apple Books
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 29
DEBUT AUTHOR!
For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her―the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.
When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi―masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making―she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.
But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger. [Ed: I live for this kind of drama. It’s all I needed to hear.]
GET A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | IndieBound | Amazon | Apple Books
RELEASE DATE: APRIL 5
I adored Stephan Lee’s first book, K-Pop Confidential. And because this is actually a sequel, you gotta go read that one first. But I can’t wait to be back in Seoul with Candace and see where her career as an idol goes next.
In the sequel to K-Pop Confidential, Candace is a Rookie idol. Her life is suddenly filled with the fans, cameras, and glamor of stardom: She and her boyfriend, YoungBae, are a K-Pop power couple; she’s a walking icon at Brandt Foreign School; and her new girl group, known simply as THE GIRLS, is poised to break records across the industry. With her status as the industry’s K-Pop Warrior, she has all the clout at her disposal to make waves. Right?
Her label, S.A.Y., promises to help make the sweeping changes for the industry to become a more humane and compassionate place for artists. But what will happen when the road to a record-breaking debut isn’t as smooth as they’d planned? When a rival girl group emerges to steal the spotlight, carrying the message of change better than Candace ever could, she’ll have to decide what it’ll cost her and her bandmates to stand up for their beliefs. And as the world turns against her, with online bullies scrutinizing her every word, there’s only so much that one person can take.
From the top of the world to the brink of disaster, Candace is going to have to figure out why the world is out to get her. And she’s not going to be able to do it alone.
How far does one girl need to be pushed to start a K-Pop Revolution?
GET K-POP REVOLUTION from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | IndieBound | Amazon | Apple Books
RELEASE DATE: MAY 31
I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Izzy Tanaka. I mean, you’re just a regular California girl and find out the dad you never knew is the Crown Prince of Japan, which makes you a princess? I ABSOLUTELY ADORED Tokyo Ever After, so catch up now, and then you’ll be ready for the sequel, Tokyo Dreaming, in May.
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…
Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.
But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?
GET TOKYO DREAMING from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | IndieBound | Amazon | Apple Books
