New September 2021 YA Releases For Your TBR

Michael is an aspiring journalist living in a sleepy town in 1958 Minnesota when a series of murders strikes the midwest and changes his life forever. The killer stops in his hometown, killing a local family and leaving behind a girl named Marie, covered in blood. While many people think that she must be the killer’s accomplice, Michael begins to think differently when Marie agrees to only confess to him…and her story stretches the bounds of Michael’s imagination, leaving him to wonder what really happened to Marie, and to all those people. This is a chilling and thought-provoking mystery.

Mari has a past that she’d rather forget, which makes her new start with a new blended family in the midwest seem ideal. Her mom even has a great new job, which comes with free housing. But then there are the drawbacks: a new little stepsister, and weird things that happen in their new house that only Mari seems to notice. Then when her stepsister starts talking about a new friend that wants Mari gone, Mari knows that she’s in grave danger.

Dare Chase is a supernatural skeptic who also happens to host a podcast about supernatural goings on — so best to keep her suspicions to herself. The focus of her new season is all about the drowning of a young woman 30 years earlier, but Dare is convinced that this is a true crime cold case, not a supernatural mystery. At least, that’s what she believes until her investigation begins to hint at something lurking in the lake on the estate.

Set in La Cachette, Louisiana, also known as the psychic capital of the world, Grey is still reeling from the disappearance of her best friend Elora. It seems odd that no one has any idea where she went, but when Grey begins pressing matters, she discovers that everyone is keeping secrets about Elora’s disappearance, even those closest to her. Then a mysterious stranger appears from the bayou, and Grey realizes she’s in more danger than she ever realized.

Eliza Quan has worked her butt off to become the school’s editor-in-chief her senior year, so when an ex-jock named Len decides he wants to run against her for the gig, she’s dismissive…until he proves to be the more “likable” candidate and people actually take his bid seriously. Eliza writes an impassioned op-ed that goes viral, and suddenly she’s the face of a feminist movement that she didn’t mean to start. Eager to save face, the administration tells Eliza and Len to work together…and Eliza grudgingly agrees, all the while hiding the horrifying fact that she’s falling for Len.

Tamar and Fayard are two teens who have lived across countless time periods and generations, but one thing is always the same: They fall in love, only to be tragically torn apart. Each time they find each other, they wonder what it must be like to actually get to live out a happily ever after, and what they need to do differently in order to avoid their tragic fate. And this time…they might just get the chance.

In this reimagining of Little Women, four sisters living on the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island come of age in the years immediately following the Civil War. Meg is an aspiring teacher, Jo is a writer, Beth is a skilled seamstress, and Amy is a dancer. All four of them reach for their dreams and face heartbreak and challenge along the way, as well as many exciting new beginnings.

In the land of Huaxia, boys seek out girls to partner up with in order to pilot transforming robots against an invading alien species. Most girls die as a result. Zetian volunteers to be one such concubine-pilot in order to exact vengeance against the pilot responsible for taking her sister’s life, but everyone is shocked when it’s revealed that her mental strength is beyond anything anyone has ever seen before, and she can sacrifice male pilots in order to fly on her own. She must work with a controversial male pilot in order to understand her power — and save other girls from being sacrificed like her sister.

Meg Hennessey grew up in a conservative household, but when she discovers a huge lie at the center of her world, she takes off and sets out to meet the extended family she never knew. Micah is a former pastor’s kid who faced a huge betrayal and hasn’t quite managed to forgive those involved. When their paths collide and they begin to fall for each other, they have to face the baggage of their past in order to imagine a better future for themselves.

Violeta Graceling has heard the rumors about Rowan, who resides at the haunted estate called Lakesedge. He is a monster, a killer, and she should avoid him at all costs. But when Leta arrives, she learns that there is much more to Rowan than the stories, including his bond with the death god who lurks in the murky water of the lake on the estate. As Leta and Rowan fall for each other, Leta must come face to face with this dark entity, or risk losing herself to Lakesedge.