16 Amazing YA Books Coming Winter 2022
I imagined posting this list the first or second week of January, but here we are on February first, and I’m finally getting it posted. But here it is! These are some of the books I’m most excited about reading this winter.
At the end of the year last year, someone asked if there are just not any good YA books coming out anymore, which sparked some debate on Book Twitter. While I think everyone is allowed their opinion on the books they love (or don’t), I gotta say, I’m still seeing some incredible books hitting shelves these days in the YA market. If you missed it, I recently posted a Best YA of 2021 list which includes more than 20 of my favorites from last year.
This year already looks like it’s going to be a great year for YA books, and this list is just for January to March. I’m already struggling not to overcommit (WHY are there so many great books coming out on March 8???) because I keep getting new requests or stumbling across news about even more great titles. So far, these are the books I am desperate to read and want to drop everything right now so I can curl up in a warm chair with some tea or a latte and dive right into.
Spoiler (kind of?): Because I’m SO LATE posting this list, I’ve already read a few of these books, so I already know I LOVED them. As the year progresses I’ll try to go back and add a link to my reviews for everything on the list in case anyone revisits this list later for updates.
Another note: Publication dates have been getting changed around a bit. I’ve tried to double-check all of these dates to be sure they’re still on track. My apologies for any inaccuracies.
Also: This list contains affiliate links which do not cost you anything to use but which generate a small amount of financial support for this blog.
16 Awesome YA Books Coming Winter 2022
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
What you need to know: An icy planet. A race run with sleds and wolves. A girl whose only chance for survival depends on the race. I couldn’t put it down. Fantastic characters. Intense, action-packed story.
Published January 11, 2022 | My Review
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
What you need to know: A gender-flipped retelling of sleeping beauty where the prince waits for a kiss to wake him, and two fierce, determined treasure hunters will stop at nothing to break his curse. Features a M/F romance and a F/F romance. This might be my new favorite series???
Published January 11, 2022 | My Review
At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp
What you need to know: A deadly pandemic. A recovery center full of teenagers who’ve been abandoned and now must work together and trust one another in order to survive. Haunting, inspiring, and full of spirit.
Release Date: January 25, 2022 | My Review
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
What you need to know: A young Romanian writer forced to betray everything he believes in by informing on those he loves joins the revolution to fight for freedom. It’s Ruta Sepetys, y’all. I wasn’t able to get a review copy, but I’m definitely gonna have to fit this one into my reading life.
Release Date: February 1, 2022
These Deadly Games by Diana Urban
What you need to know: Urban’s debut, ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS is high on my TBR list. This one looks like a suspenseful, fast-paced story full of secrets and a girl desperate to rescue her little sister.
Release Date: February 1, 2022 | My Review
You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen
What you need to know: Three Black Muslim girls create their own space to shatter assumptions and share truth in the wake of a terrorist attack and rising anti-Muslim sentiment. This one looks really good!
Release Date: February 8, 2022 | My Review
Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher
What you need to know: Romance between a saxophone player and mellophone player in the midst of a marching competition. Tragic story about “finding first love and what happens when it’s over too soon.” From the author of AMELIA UNABRIDGED, which was another favorite.
Release Date: February 22, 2022 | My Review
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
What you need to know: Unlikely allies. A desperate quest to hunt a magical creature. Fantasy and romance by the author of DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, another one I LOVED last year.
Release Date: March 8, 2022 | My Review
And They Lived by Steven Salvatore
What you need to know: A budding animator and hopeless romantic meets a pragmatic, sheltered poet. A story about finding courage to be who you truly are and truly live. I read Salvatore’s debut last year, and I can already tell they’re going to be a must-read author for me.
Release Date: March 8, 2022 | My Review
Great or Nothing by by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood
What you need to know: A LITTLE WOMEN retelling set during WWII, written by four authors– each taking the point-of-view of a different sister. This is a retelling I’m nervous to read, but it looks really good!
Release Date: March 8, 2022 | My Review
One For All by Lillie Lainoff
What you need to know: An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love. I can’t wait to check this one out!
Release Date: March 8, 2022 | My Review
Forward March by Skye Quinlan
What you need to know: A band geek with an unauthorized dating profile. Her Republican father’s presidential campaign. The girl she’s not supposed to be interested in, especially when it could ruin her dad’s campaign.
Release Date: March 8, 2022 | My Review
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
What you need to know: A young dancer on the cusp of joining an elite ballet program breaks his foot and his dreams in one fall. New friends and a new school mean new possibilities, including the possibility of real heartbreak. I’m a huge fan of ballet stories, and I think this might be the first in YA I’ve seen with a male protagonist. I’m excited!
Release Date: March 15, 2022 | My Review
Wrecked by Heather Henson
What you need to know: From Goodreads: LOOKING FOR ALASKA meets BREAKING BAD in this piercing novel about three teens, caught in the middle of the opioid crisis in rural Appalachia, whose world literally blows up around them. This one looks so intense. I really want to read it.
Release Date: March 22, 2022 | My Review
What YA books coming winter 2022 are you most looking forward to reading?
Did I miss any of the books you’re most excited about reading? Are any of mine are at the tippy top of your To Be Read list? Leave a comment and let me know.