I’m finally settling into a fall routine, just in time to look ahead at the incredible line-up of books coming out this season. From familiar retellings to irresistible, high-stakes fantasy to classic rom-com, it’s going to be a great fall to grab that pumpkin spice latte (or whatever your preferred fall drink is) and curl up with a great book.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is Books on My Fall To-Read list. I couldn’t narrow my list down to ten, so… bonus! Here are 21 amazing young adult books coming in fall 2023.
21 Amazing Young Adult Books Coming in Fall 2023
Into the Bright Open (A Secret Garden Remix) by Cherie Dimaline
What you need to know: a retelling of the Secret Garden set in Canada and including indigenous characters. I loved THE MARROW THIEVES, so I’ve been very eager to read more of Dimaline’s work. I’m excited about this one.
Published: September 5, 2023
All That Shines by Ellen Hagan
What you need to know: Chloe goes from having it all to living in the apartment complex her family owns and abandoned. I got swept away by the powerful emotions and verse of DON’T CALL ME A HURRICANE, so I’m always up for more Ellen Hagan books.
Published: September 5, 2023 | My Review
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
What you need to know: A transgender boy desperate to escape an arranged marriage is diagnosed with a strange illness and sent away to a sanitorium and finishing school where ghosts beg him for his help. Looks twisty, dark, and powerful. White’s debut knocked me sideways (in the best way), so I can’t wait for this one.
Published: September 5, 2023
Rez Ball by Byron Graves
What you need to know: A boy still processing his grief over a lost brother vows to take his basketball team to state so his brother’s dreams come true and his story lives on. Romance, basketball, the raw edges of grief– this debut has so much to offer.
Published: September 12, 2023
The Name Drop by Susan Lee
What you need to know: Two interns at a massive tech company get their roles swapped by mistake. They decide to keep the switch, so he can take a break from the high-pressure life his father wants for him, and so she can build the connections she needs for college applications. There’s still time to get one last summer romance in with your pumpkin spice.
Published: September 12, 2023
Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
What you need to know: A new fantasy series from the author of THREE DARK CROWNS. A girl raised to become one of the legendary heromakers called Aristene. A fiery, infuriating boy she’s tasked with turning into a hero. What if she can’t have both? I haven’t read anything by Blake yet, but I want to, and this looks SO good.
Published: September 19, 2023
The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
What you need to know: A girl foretold to die at seventeen takes a dangerous journey into a deadly forest filled with twisted versions of well-loved fairytales to undo a curse and save her mother. Something about this reminds me of GREYMMIST FAIR by Francesca Zappia, which I loved.
Published: September 19, 2023
Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong
What you need to know: 1932 Shanghai. An exposed spy desperate to rescue her partner, whose memories of her have been wiped, embarks on a national tour as a means to gather allies and save him. I still need to read the first book in this duology, but my library has the audiobook, so I’ll be reading both this fall!
Published: September 26, 2023
This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson
What you need to know: To save her family’s magic horse ranch, Mekira must win a treacherous horserace. Filled with Jewish folklore. Looks like maybe SIX OF CROWS meets THE SCORPIO RACES?
Published: September 26, 2023
Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker
What you need to know: Fourteen mermaid tales by familiar YA authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, and Katherine Locke. Looks like a super-inclusive collection, and I’m always up for a mermaid story!
Published: September 26, 2023
Before the Devil Knows You’re Here by Autumn Krause
What you need to know: 1836 Wisconsin Territory. An orphaned girl’s little brother is kidnapped by a mysterious bark-covered man. With help from Paul Bunyan, she tracks the Man of Sap, determined to get her brother back in this dark folk horror tale. Looks twisty and unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
Published: October 3, 2023
Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
What you need to know: A witch who survived a brutal attack on her coven reluctantly allies with the captain of the witch hunters who claims to be working to dismantle the hunters from inside their group. Looks intense and rich with magic. I’m excited for this one.
Published: October 3, 2023
Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros
What you need to know: 1943 Lithuania. A grieving father uses forbidden magic to create a Nazi-killing golem to avenge his daughter’s death. Vera awakens with an understanding of her purpose and memories of a girl’s human life. This one had me at the comparison: Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds. I’m in.
Published: October 10, 2023
Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra
What you need to know: A magical flower hunter must retrieve a powerful flower stolen by an attractive imposter. I loved Mehrotra’s debut, so I couldn’t miss this one.
Published: October 17, 2023
The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer
What you need to know: Two half-siblings who have never met embark on a search together for the Iranian immigrant and U.S. Army veteran father they never knew. I love a complex family drama, so this one looks great.
Published: October 24, 2023
With or Without You by Eric Smith
What you need to know: Two Philly families with a faux food truck rivalry (and secret romance) take their act to TV, where the stakes are higher, and their feelings could cost their dreams. I remember when the author started talking about this one on Twitter, and I’ve been desperate to read it since.
Published: November 7, 2023
No One Left But You by Tash McAdam
What you need to know: A newly out trans boy gets caught up in the world of a glamorous It-girl until that world crashes down in a murder she may have committed. This one is giving me WE MADE IT ALL UP by Margot Harrison vibes, and I love it.
Published: November 7, 2023
Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen
What you need to know: A teen grieving a recent breakup turns the items left behind after a relationship into an art exhibit and tries to convince her new crush she’s ready to try again for love. Looks sweet and like it’s got some great opportunities for humor and heart.
Published: November 14, 2023
The Dark Heir by C. S. Pacat
What you need to know: In a war of Light versus Dark, Will faces terrible secrets that threaten to break their world. I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but both look so good, I’m going to try to play a little catchup and read them this fall.
Published: November 14, 2023
What are your most-anticipated young adult books coming out this fall?
What amazing young adult books coming in fall 2023 are you most looking forward to reading? Are you planning to read any of the books on my list? What books am I missing that I need to add?
