It is a very busy release week.
It is an especially busy release week for paperback YA books.
This isn’t typical for early August, but it seems to follow the trend of summer 2026. There’ve been more releases over the slower summer publishing season than usual. Where the first week of August has historically only had a couple of titles, this week, there are so many new YA books you can enjoy.
Among the highlights this week are a fall-themed romance, a story about a girl torn between caretaking for her beloved sister and building her own life, love in the underworld, and more. There’s also an interesting dual release that’s not really a dual release at all. Alicia Wallace’s Bite Me will release as a hardcover novel at the same time that the story will release as a graphic novel titled Love Bites, Volume 1, adapted to the format by Ele. The idea of publishing a story simultaneously as both a prose novel and a graphic novel is smart, and I hope it’s something we see more often. The ability to choose your preferred format is one benefit. Another? Encouraging readers to try them both.
Here are this week’s new YA book releases. Because there are so many excellent paperback releases–including several paperback originals–you’ll see many more called out there this week than usual.
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New Hardcover YA Releases This Week
Everything Comes Back To You by Jackie Khalilieh
Lennon is feeling all of the feelings about beginning high school. She’s autistic, and she’s Palestinian Canadian. Both of those mean that “normal” high school experiences come with more exacting standards and expectations, especially from her family. This is even more true when her sister, a senior, announces she’s become pregnant. Suddenly, Lennon has to be the perfect daughter.
Things become trickier when Lennon begins to fall for John, a white boy a year older than she is. She knows he isn’t the kind of guy her parents would approve of. But over the course of high school, Lennon and John will grow closer, fall apart, and comebacktogether, and these experiences will help Lennon figure out where and how she can be who she is (and where and how it might clash with what her parents demand of her).
Heartbreak and Other Organ Failures by Taylor Hobbs
Kaley loves her older sister Zoey so very much. Zoey has developmental disabilities and several medical challenges, and she’s in desperate need of a kidney. At the bottom of the transplant list, the sisters decide they’re going to do something about it: they’re going to take a road trip to find their estranged father and see if he’ll agree to donate. If Zoey can become medically stable, then Kaley can follow her boyfriend to college out of state in the fall.
None of those plans are what Kaley’s mom has in mind though. Kaley is to be Zoey’s caretaker. But as much as Kaley adores Zoey, she’s torn: she deserves to build her own identity, too. How can she balance wanting to help her sister with being her own person?
Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson
The party at Trevor’s house went really badly. In an upstairs bedroom, Sadie was killed, as was her murderer, Mason. Sadie died in her twin sister’s arms, while Sadie’s boyfriend killed Mason in an attempt to save her.
Things seem straightforward, minus the part of trying to figure out why Mason wanted to harm Sadie. Except things are anything but straightforward: Sadie’s sister, boyfriend, and her best friend are all sharing with the police what happened, but a lot of little details don’t add up. Now, it’s a question of figuring out who is lying and why.
This one promises twists galore, as well as a unique point of view included in the later parts of the story.
Hardcover YA Series Releases This Week:
More Hardcover YA Releases This Week:
New Paperback YA Releases This Week
All The Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi
Winter Moon is saving up her money and looking forward to when she and her grandmother can escape. But her mother steals Winter’s money and blows it, rendering Winter’s plans even further off. Winter’s going to do something she doesn’t know she should: she’s going to reach out to her estranged father for help.
He strikes a deal with her: she spends time with him in exchange for payment. But this relationship isn’t easy, and when Winter experiences an unexpected loss, it’ll be a budding relationship with a new boy at her school that helps her navigate the complicated realities of grief, family, and, well, maybe first love, too.
Bite Me by Alicia Wallace
Kieran is a 17-year-old vampire in high school. You might call that the worst thing ever. So when new student Mason shows up in art class, things get interesting, as Kieran is both overcome with hatred for the new student and drawn to him magnetically.
One day, Kieran finds Mason injured in the woods near his house. Turns out that Mason is a werewolf, and though the two should not be feeling feelings for one another, the time they’re spending together in the woods begins to turn their relationship into something more romantic. They can’t let anyone know, though, because a vampire with a werewolf is not to happen.
Falling Into You by Emma Harrison
As you begin (or continue!) your cozy fall reads TBR plans, here’s a paperback original you might like to add to it.
Rory Graham is excited to lead her cheer squad to victory at this year’s competition. But then one of her bases gets injured and cannot compete. Rory doesn’t quite know what to do.
Jacob Reilly is an annoying guy who is a standout on the soccer team. He’s recently lost a bet, and now, he’s being forced to join the cheer team.
Will Rory be able to work with Jacob? Is winning the competition completely out of the question? Or will this be a story about finding something even more powerful than a win?
Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters
Another paperback original romance for your to-read is this one, from beloved writer Julian Winters. It’s being called You’ve Reached SammeetsHadestown.
August has struggled with what to do with his life after the sudden death of his boyfriend. It’s been years, but he’s not only felt aimless and adrift. He’s felt a heavy sense of guilt, too.
So when August accidentally stumbles into the Underworld–an extravagant, color-filled world of gods and mystery–he recognizes an immense opportunity. The gods are curious about him, so why not extend that same curiosity to the Underworld? August wants to find his lost love, and Cary, a ferrier of souls, aids him. The longer August searches, though, the more he wonders whether this trip is about finding his lost love or if he’s actually discovering that there’s a possibility of new love, perhaps in the form of the broody Cary.
That love might come at a tremendous cost, though.
Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods
New Kora’s ballet theater is legendary. Thegirlsenchant their audiences every night, and until Emberlyn was the star of the show, she dreamed of landing that role. But learning what it means to be one of those dancinggirlschanged her feelings about it. The dancers are bound by a magical curse to the show’s mastermind, Malcolm. Malcolm wields invisible strings, marionette-like, that don’t stop when the show ends. It bleeds into the everyday lives of the dancers.
Parlizia is a dazzling city where thegirlshave been invited to perform, and Emberlyn believes this is their chance to cut the curse. This comes through Emberlyn meeting an elusive boy who has a connection to thegirls. . . but learning the truth of the ballet’s creation and the realities of breaking free are higher than anyone can imagine.
Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee
Fans of global retellings will love this romantic take on Chinese folktale.
Prince Xian’s mother was bitten by awhitesnakewhen he was a young boy, and the bite meant a slow and painful death for her. The only way to reverse the curse is with a spirit pearl, created by thewhitesnake. Now old enough to travel and try to find a spirit pearl, Xian travels to Changle, where an oracle said such a pearl awaits.
Zhen, awhitesnake, consumed one of those pearls seven years ago, and with it came the ability to transform into a human shape.
When Xian arrives in Changle and meets Zhen, the chemistry between them is strong and immediate. But Zhen realizes that he’s what Xian is looking for not as a partner, but as an antidote to the curse. What will happen when they realize romance may not be in the cards?
We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim
Kajal is putting her sister’s soul up for bid to bring her back to life—she knows it’s not good or right and that she should let Lasya rest. She can’t, though. Kajal cannot live without her.
Kajal is ready for the resurrection. But it wasn’t what she expected at all. Lasya’s soul resurrects as a murderous spirit, and now, Kajal is being given a death sentence for trying to bring her sister back to life.
This is part Indian mythology and partFrankensteinand sounds fabulous. The cover is also just perfect.
When We Ride by Rex Ogle
Diego Benevides is a good kid, and he’s working hard to get out of his neighborhood after high school. He’s also extremely trustworthy, which is why his mom lends Diego her car.
Diego’s bestie, Lawson, sells drugs. Diego is working as his driver, and as long as it’s weed, Diego figures he’ll be okay doing this. But it’s not long before Lawson starts dealing more than weed, putting both of their lives and futures into jeopardy.
Paperback YA Series Releases This Week:
More Paperback YA Releases This Week:
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