The 14 most anticipated YA books of 2026

Beth Is Dead Katie Bernet

Beth March has been murdered, and all her sisters are suspects. They each wonder who could have killed their sweet little sister . . . and why? Will Beth’s murder bring them closer together, or tear them apart? As each of the girls’ motives are uncovered, it becomes clear that Meg, Jo, Amy – and even Beth – might not be quite as sweet as they seem.

Perfect Cover Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A mysterious invitation. A dangerous secret. An irresistible target.

When hacker and black-belt Toby Klein arrives at Bayport High, joining the cheerleading squad is the last thing on her to-do list. But after a mysterious note urges her to audition, she realises that behind those pom-poms is a dangerous secret. After all, The Squad is a cover for the government’s most elite spies, hidden in plain sight. And they have a job for Toby.

Killer Spirit Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A well-kept secret. A risky mission. A handsome distraction.

The second instalment in the fun, page turning mystery duology.

Terrorist threat? Mission gone wrong? Disastrous homecoming court? Bring. It. On.

Famously in Love Emily Emmerson

What do you get when a celebrity and a fan meet on a dating app?

All Jessy wants it to figure out what to do with her life. She hates her job, and her love life is non-existent . . . that is until her twin sister begs her to join the newly launched dating app, Butterflies. And who might she meet on there but lead singer and front man of These Exiles? 

Patrick just wants a break after coming off tour and being mistakenly arrested, but getting Patrick on the dating apps and into a relationship is exactly the kind of damage control his record label insists that he needs.

Half a Dark Heart H. F. Askwith

Haunted by visions of monstrous shadows known as ‘The Horrors’, Alice hides away in her family’s Whitby guest house with her sister, Lucille, as her only confidante. But when Lucille vanishes and her lover turns up dead, Alice is forced to face the terrors she’s long avoided. Joined by Austin, a mysterious young actor who claims a demon has stolen his voice, Alice must uncover dark truths about the world – and herself – to save her sister and banish the horrors that have plagued her life.

Her Hidden Fire Clíodhna O'Sullivan

In the divided world of Domhain, where the elite Channellers draw power from the life force of the oppressed Fodder, servant girl Éadha hides a dangerous secret: she has the power of a Channeller herself. When her beloved friend Ionáin, heir to the ruling family, fails to manifest the ability everyone expects, Éadha conceals her gift by posing as a lesser Keeper. Allowed to train alongside Ionáin, she secretly fuels his strength while navigating a world of privilege, deceit, and forbidden desire. Torn between loyalty, love, and the alluring Gry, Éadha uncovers the horrifying truth behind the Channellers’ magic, and the ruthless system built to protect it.

When I Was Death Alexis Henderson

A year after her sister Adeline’s mysterious death, Roslyn Volk is lost in grief, until six strange girls arrive in town, each bound by an eerie connection to Adeline’s final summer. When Roslyn joins them on a road trip, she discovers their chilling secret: all have cheated Death and must now serve as his reapers, taking lives to preserve their own. As Roslyn is drawn deeper into their dark world, and into the orbit of the group’s magnetic leader, Shiloh, she’s forced to confront haunting truths about her sister, Death itself, and the darkness within her own soul.

A Deadly Inheritance Kelley Armstrong

When seventeen-year-old Liliana Chamberlain learns she’s heir to a billion-dollar fortune, she’s thrust into the world of Westdale Academy, an elite boarding school filled with privilege, power and secrets. Drawn into a web of intrigue involving two captivating boys, Hollywood star Theo Dubois and brooding Maddox Moreno, Lili soon uncovers whispers of deadly mysteries and past student deaths, including Maddox’s sister. As she digs deeper, she begins to suspect her mother’s flight from Westdale years ago was no coincidence. But when a night of fun turns to murder and Theo becomes the prime suspect, Lili must unravel the school’s dark history before she becomes its next victim.

Meet Me Under the Lights Cassie Miller

In the small town of Fairfield, North Carolina, Eliza Crowley, the so-called Princess of Fairfield, plans to spend her summer proving she’s more than her wealthy family’s name by working on the community theatre’s big production. But her focus wavers when Reed Fulton, the town’s star pitcher and grandson of her family’s longtime rivals, returns determined to redeem himself after last season’s failure. As old tensions between the Crowleys and Fultons ignite, Eliza and Reed find themselves caught between loyalty and longing. Amidst small-town feuds, baseball rivalries and summer dreams, their forbidden connection might just change everything.

The Escape Game Tamara Moss, Marissa Meyer

Six months after the shocking on-set murder of contestant Alicia Angelos, The Escape Game returns for a new season, this time with Alicia’s sister, Sierra, among the competitors. Joining a cast of brilliant teens – a cryptographer, a math genius and a self-styled game master – Sierra isn’t just playing to win; she’s playing to uncover the truth. But as clues about Alicia’s killer surface, the line between game and reality blurs, and the puzzles turn deadly. To survive, Sierra must solve the ultimate mystery: who really killed her sister?

Don't Let Them Leave Mike Lucas

When Charlotte and her siblings, Jack and Emily, are sent to live with their grandmother on the isolated and eerie Black Island, she clings to what she knows: ghosts aren’t real, and houses can’t come alive. But the longer they stay in their grandmother’s strange, decaying home, the more Charlotte begins to doubt everything she thought was true. Something sinister is waiting within the walls, and one thing becomes terrifying clear. They were never meant to be there, and they may never escape.

Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans Zoe Gaetjens

17-year-old Cleo would have loved nothing more than to have an ordinary summer hanging out with her sister. Instead, she finds herself alone, without a plan aside from attending a life drawing class with a bunch of random teenagers over the holidays. At the Australian Art School, where the course is taking place, Cleo must navigate new friendships and first love to discover who she is and what she is capable of.

Shapes of Love L.V. Peñalba

When nineteen-year-old Sasha rockets to fame with her debut album, her fans become obsessed with uncovering the real-life muse behind her love songs. But Sasha – who’s aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual) and uninterested in romance – writes about fictional love stories, not her own. When photos surface of her with her estranged best friend, Kai, the world assumes he’s her ex, and her label forces them into a fake relationship to protect her image. As Sasha navigates fame, pressure and society’s obsession with romantic love, she and Kai begin to rebuild their friendship . . . until rising star Asher Grish complicates everything. Torn between authenticity and survival, Sasha must decide who she wants to be in a world that demands she play a part.

Shadow Reaper Lynette Noni

In the mist-shrouded city of Aravell, seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace has spent her life hunting the murderous reapers who steal magic and lives, including the one who killed her parents. When Reeve Ashton, the captured lieutenant of her greatest enemy, offers her a chance at revenge, Viri reluctantly agrees to his dangerous bargain. Teaming up with Reeve and his crew of outlaws, she ventures into the deadly blackmist forest in search of an ancient power that could save, or destroy, the city. But as secrets surface and loyalties blur, Viri must decide whether to trust a silver-tongued reaper – and her own treacherous heart.