
When I first started compiling a list of the most anticipated young adult books of 2021, it was a task that almost seemed too big to tackle. A King of Scars sequel from Leigh Bardugo?! A prequel to The Hate U Give?! A new contemporary novel from Mary H.K. Choi??! A new Dreamer book from Maggie Stiefvater??!! So many amazing YA books have already been announced for next year that it seemed impossible to keep track of them all. Nevertheless, I persevered and managed to come up with this list.
Read on and mark your calendars!
Lore by Alexandra Bracken – 12th January
A lifetime ago, Lore Perseous left behind the brutal, opulent world of the Agon families – ancient Greek bloodlines that participate in a merciless game every seven years. A game that is about to begin again …
You Have a Match by Emma Lord – 12th January
When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie. But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.
We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal – 19th January
The battle on Sharr is over. The Arz has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan Altair set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, finally bringing magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas – 20th January
With his King Lord dad in prison and his mom working two jobs, seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter helps the only way he knows how: slinging drugs. Life’s not perfect, but he’s got everything under control. Until he finds out he’s a father …
A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer – 27th January
Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow. As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and an old enemy resurfaces who could destroy them all.
Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala – 1st February
Raffy has a passion for bedazzling. He’s determined to make his mark at this year’s biggest cosplay competition. If he can wow there, it could lead to sponsorship, then art school, and finally earning real respect for his work. There’s only one small problem … Raffy’s ex-boyfriend, Luca, is his main competition.
The Project by Courtney Summers – 2nd February
Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo’s sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there’s more to the group than meets the eye …
Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson – 2nd February
When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except … Tye is an activist. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna – 4th February
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom, where a woman’s worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold – the colour of impurity, of a demon – she faces a consequence worse than death.
As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper – 9th February
Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but he’s excited to start his new life–where he’s no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents’ disapproval.
The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates – 16th February
Ta-Nehisi Coates grew up in the tumultuous 1980’s in Baltimore known, back then, as the murder capital of the United States. His coming of age story is gripping and lays bare the troubled, often violent life of the inner-city, and the author’s experience as a young black person in it.
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon – 16th February
Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion’s downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim’s puppet empire.
The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa – 24th February
Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool … King Oberon’s right-hand jester. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before.
Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland – 2nd March
Maddie Morrow is the only one who can protect the Inn at Havenfall, the safe haven between worlds that her family has run for generations, hidden high up in the mountains of Colorado. Last summer, the treacherous Silver Prince betrayed them all and almost destroyed the Inn forever. And danger still looms.
Tales From the Hinterland by Melissa Albert – 2nd March
The highly anticipated collection of stories set in the creepy, haunting fairytale world first introduced in Melissa Albert’s internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Hazel Wood series.
Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera – 3rd March
Emil and Brighton defied the odds. They beat the Blood Casters and escaped with their lives – or so they thought. When Brighton drank the Reaper’s Blood, he believed it would make him invincible, but instead the potion is killing him.
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi – 9th March
Jayne and June Baek are nothing alike. Once thick as thieves, these sisters who moved from Seoul to San Antonio to New York together now don’t want anything to do with each other. That is, until June gets cancer.
Perfect On Paper by Sophie Gonzales – 9th March
A bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her school friends is hired by the hot new kid to help him get his ex back.
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare – 17th March
Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade. But the truth is far grimmer.
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo – 30th March
As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm – and even the monster within – to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni – 30th March
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer. When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal.
When We Are Invisible by Claire Zorn – 30th March
In the midst of a nuclear winter, Lucy, Fin and Max flee the chaos of Sydney with blood on their shirts, a gun and handwritten directions to safety. When they reach Wattlewood, it seems like their struggle to survive might be over. So why can’t Lucy shake the feeling they’re still in danger?
Anna K Away by Jenny Lee – 27th April
Anna K, once the golden girl of Greenwich, CT, and New York City, has been brought low by scandal. At the beginning of the summer, her father takes her to South Korea. Is Anna in exile? Or could this be her chance to finally figure out who she really is?
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli – 4th May
Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate and Anderson are not co-dependent. But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – 4th May
Corayne lives at the end of the world. Year after year, she watches her pirate mother sail away to adventures she’ll never share. So when a mysterious immortal and deadly assassin appears to tell her she is the last member of a dying bloodline, and the only one who can save the world, Corayne seizes the chance to have her own adventure.
Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman – 11th May
Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Charlie’s beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you. Nick’s been feeling the same, but he’s got a lot on his mind. As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means.
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater – 18th May
Do the dreamers need the ley lines to save the world … or will their actions end up dooming the world? As Ronan, Hennessy, and Bryde try to make dreamers more powerful, the Moderators are closing in, sure that this power will bring about disaster.
The City of Zirdai by Maria V. Snyder – 2nd June
Through her courage and tenacity, Shyla Sun-Kissed has awoken the power of The Eyes of Tamburah. But this feat only marks the beginning of the challenges that the magical order, the Invisible Sword, faces to free the underground city of Zirdai.
Blessed Monsters by Emily A. Duncan – 8th June
The girl, the monster, the prince, the queen. They broke the world. And some things can never be undone. They must unite once more to fight the dark chaos they’ve unleashed—but is it already too late?
Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon – 8th June
Caterina LaValle is determined to show she’s still the queen of St. Rosetta’s Academy. Rahul Chopra knows that moment he shared with Caterina LaValle at the homecoming dance meant something. When a school project brings this unlikely pair together, Caterina and Rahul find themselves caught up in a fake-dating scheme that brings them close together.
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson – 15th June
Figuring it all out – the truth behind Truly Devious and what exactly happened in the Ellingham Affair – has granted Stevie Bell a bit of celebrity in the true crime community. So she’s not surprised when she gets an email from the man who owns Camp Bounty Lake (now called Camp Wonder Falls), the site of the infamous “Box in the Woods” murders from the 1970s.
The Aurora Cycle #3 by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – expected early 2021
What are your most anticipated young adult books of 2021? Tell us in the comments below!
About the Contributor
Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
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