The Best New YA Books of May 2025
May is upon us, which means the official kick-off of summer is only weeks away. And book lovers have more reason than most to celebrate, with a deluge of new titles arriving just in time for peak relaxation season. But whether you’re looking for a good story to dig into poolside, at a barbecue, or while avoiding the news over the upcoming long weekend, YA readers in particular are spoiled for choice this month.
New young adult releases are fairly frontloaded this month, with many buzzy titles hitting shelves this week. (Perhaps in an attempt to get new titles in readers’ hands before Memorial Day?) But with everything from dystopian fiction and Southern Gothic horror to painfully contemporary stories that speak to issues like bullying and grief, there’s something for everyone coming soon to a bookstore near you.
Here are our picks for the best YA books hitting shelves this May.
Snowglobe 2 by Soyoung Park
Release Date: May 6 from Delacorte Press
Why We’re Excited: The sequel to last year’s excellent YA dystopian thriller of (almost) the same name, Snowglobe 2 continues to weave complicated questions about climate change, privacy, and the purpose of entertainment with the story of 17-year-old Jeon Chobahm who just learned she’s one of several clones of Goh Haeri, the star of the world’s most popular reality show.
As Chobahm searches for the original Haeri, who disappeared three years ago, she’ll also have to contend with the increasingly volatile weather events happening inside Snowglobe, and what it means for the larger world.
Publisher’s Description: Chobahm’s perfect life in Snowglobe came crashing down when she discovered the truth about Haeri. The girl she watched faithfully on television was far from perfect. And the TV family revered by millions was nothing more than an illusion created by the sinister Director Cha. But revealing the lies was only the first crack in the domed utopia.
Director Cha may be behind bars, but the Yibonn Media corporation, the corrupt entity that runs Snowglobe, is still in power. They’ll do anything to hide their own secret—the dark truth behind the domed city’s signature warmth—and when footage emerges of Chobahm committing a murder, she knows they’re not finished with her yet.
The only person who can help to clear her name is none other than the disgraced Yibonn heir, Bonwhe—who knows better than anyone that enemies exist everywhere. Sometimes you can’t even trust yourself.
The heat is rising—and with the soaring temperatures come new secrets. And new lies.
All We Lost Was Everything by Sloan Harlow
Release Date: May 6 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: The highly anticipated sophomore novel from the author of Everything We Never Said, Sloan Harlow’s All We Lost Was Everything features even higher stakes, a sexy romance, and loads of surprises along the way. A story of grief, loss, and the secrets we keep from those we claim to love most.
Publisher’s Description: When eighteen-year-old River Santos’s house burned down, she lost everything. Her clothes. Her guitar. Her songbook.
Most importantly, she lost her father.
But when someone anonymously donates two million dollars to her GoFundMe, it’s like she’s won the worst sort of lottery. She’s a millionaire, but at what cost?
With every person who comes into the diner where she works, she wonders, “Was it you?” The only person she’s sure didn’t donate the money is her extremely hot—and extremely standoffish—coworker, Logan Evans. Ever since he started at the diner, he’s acted like he hates her. Which is why she’s shocked when he helps her save face in front of her ex…
Their attraction can’t be denied, but when River discovers a long-hidden family secret, she suddenly finds herself questioning everyone in her life. Her dad, who wasn’t as perfect as he seemed. Her chaotic mother, who left without so much as a goodbye at the beginning of her senior year. The anonymous donor, whose intentions may not have been altruistic after all. And most especially Logan, who has dark secrets of his own.
After the fire, River thought she had hit rock bottom. But as it turns out, there’s always more to lose…
The Thrashers by Julie Soto
Release Date: May 6 from Wednesday Books
Why We’re Excited: This haunting, propulsive YA thriller follows the story of a teen suicide and the squad of privileged, popular kids caught in its wake, exploring everything from bullying and toxic friendships to loneliness and social ostracism.
Publisher’s Description: Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.
They’re everything everyone wants to be.
Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.
Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies―and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.
But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear―Emily isn’t done with them yet.
Wake the Wild Creatures by Nova Ren Suma
Release Date: May 6 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: The feminist, furious story of a young girl who is forcibly removed from her community after her mother is arrested, Wake the Wild Creatures is one part survival story, one part magical found family tale, and one part meditation on how to live differently in a world that’s determined to make all your choices for you.
Publisher’s Description: Three years ago, Talia lived happily in the ruins of the Neves, a once-grand hotel in the wilds of the Catskill Mountains, with her mother Pola and their community of like-minded women. Some came to the Neves to escape cruel men, others to hide from the law, but all found safety and connection in their haven high above civilization, cloaked by a mysterious mist that kept intruders away. But as their numbers grew, complications followed, and everything came crashing down the night electric lights pierced the forest. Uniformed men arrested Pola, calling her a murderer and a fugitive, and Talia was taken away.
Now sixteen, Talia has been forced to live with family she barely knows and fit into a world scarred by misogyny, capitalism, disconnection from nature . . . everything the women of the Neves stood against. She has one goal: to return to the Neves. But as Talia awaits a signal from her mother, questions arise. Who betrayed her community, and what is she avoiding about her own role in its collapse? Is it truly magic that keeps the hotel so hidden? And what does it mean to embrace being her mother’s daughter? With the help of an unexpected ally, Talia must find her way to answers, face a mother who’s often kept her at arm’s length, and try to reach the refuge she lost—if the mist hasn’t swallowed her path home.
Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks
Release Date: May 6 from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Why We’re Excited: Up in Smoke timely thriller grounded in the very real threats and complex choices facing city teens that also happens to be a compelling murder mystery and deftly written love story.
Publisher’s Description: After Cooper King is pressured by big brother figure Jason to go on a looting spree during a local march, the unthinkable happens: gunshots ring in the air and someone ends up dead. After Cooper flees, the news shows four teens in ski masks near the scene of the murder―Cooper and his friends. Cooper fears the cops will come knocking at his door, and the pressure only mounts when a suspect is taken into custody: Jason.
Monique, Jason’s sister and Cooper’s longtime crush, is willing to go any length to clear her brother’s name. Even if she needs to go into the belly of the beast and confront the killer herself. When she teams up with Cooper, they fall down the investigation rabbit hole and start to fall for each other. But little does Monique know that within this web of deception, Cooper is shrouding the truth that he was there when the shots went off. If the pair fail to uncover the real murderer, Jason will get locked up for a crime he didn’t commit―and drag down Cooper with him.
The Lost Queen by Aimee Phan
Release Date: May 6 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: A unique start to a new duology with what is probably the month’s most seriously impressive covor, The Lost Queen is both a contemporary coming of age story and an epic historical fantasy, shot through with Vietnamese-inspired history and lore.
Publisher’s Description: Jolie Lam, a high school sophomore in San Jose, is known for two things: her bizarre freakout at last year’s swim meet and her fortuneteller grandfather with visions of dragons and earthquakes. Friendless and ostracized, Jolie’s life takes a dramatic turn for the better when she saves the school’s it-girl, Huong Pham, during a haunting vision of her own. Taken under Huong’s wing, Jolie’s world transforms, in more ways than one.
As Jolie and Huong’s bond deepens, they unlock long lost powers: telepathic abilities, fluency in Vietnamese, and eerie premonitions. This leads them to a shocking revelation: they have ties to legendary queens and goddesses of ancient Vietnam. While a thrilling discovery, it also sets them on a perilous journey.
The girls must navigate dreams and portals to piece together their past lives and reclaim their immortal elements before their ancient enemies strike again. But all is not what it seems, and Jolie must determine friend from foe, truth from lie, and ultimately right from wrong in this battle for all she loves and the fate of the world
The Education of Kia Greer by Alanna Bennett
Release Date: May 13 from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: The debut YA novel from XO, Kitty scribe (and former Buzzfeed writer) Alanna Bennett, this reverse Cinderella story follows the story of a privileged teen who longs for a life in the so-called normal world. Partially inspired by the life of Kylie Jenner, The Education of Kia Greer explores complex issues of race, class, size, sexual orientation, and more;
Publisher’s Description: Growing up in the public eye, Kia would gladly give up her privileged life as the daughter of a reality star for the freedom to find her own way—go to high school parties, gossip with the drama club, apply to college, make mistakes, and fall in love like any other teen.
Then she meets Cass, and he offers a glimpse at the ordinary life she craves. But Cass is a rising star in his own right, and what starts as something sweet and undefined soon becomes a magnet for rumor and speculation—as if first love wasn’t messy enough on its own.
The pressure of the spotlight takes its toll, chipping away at Kia’s sense of self, pushing and pulling and reshaping her—body and mind—to fit the expectations of everyone around her. But what does Kia want for herself? And can her fragile new relationship survive the fallout?
The Survivor Wants to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Release Date: May 6 from Quill Tree Books
Why We’re Excited: The third installment in Adam Silvera’s Death-cast series, The Survivor Wants to Die at the End, is as delicate, haunting, and emotionally complex as its predecessors, as it wrestles with complex (and extremely heavy) topics of abuse, self-harm, and mental health.
Publisher’s Description: Paz Dario stays up every night, waiting for the Death-Cast call that would mean he doesn’t have to keep faking his way through this lonely life. After a devastating day, Paz decides he’s done waiting around for Death-Cast. If they say he’s not dying, he’ll just have to prove them wrong. But right before Paz can die, a boy saves his life.
Alano Rosa is heir to the Death-Cast empire that encourages everyone to live their best lives, but he doesn’t feel in control of his own existence thanks to his father. And with a violent organization called the Death Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might be closer than he thinks. It’s time to live.
Fate brings Paz and Alano together, but it’s now up to the boys to survive the tragic trials ahead so no one dies at the end.
The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee
Release Date: May 13 from Harper Collins
Why We’re Excited: An achingly sweet ode to both love stories and romance novels, The Romance Rivalry follows a heroine who does her best to find love by deploying popular fictional trops in her own life. Full of genuinely entertaining banter and fake book reviews, this is a story that’s absolutely charming from start to finish.
Publisher’s Description: Irene Park loves romance novels—so much so she’s made a career of them as an online book reviewer with a massive following. But Irene’s real life dating story? Non-existent. So when she starts her freshman year of college, she sets her sights on finding true love using the one thing she really understands…romance book tropes.
If only it were that easy.
Enter Aiden Jeon, Irene’s online book review rival and biggest nemesis. When Aiden challenges her to see who can find love-by-trope first, he becomes the one person standing in her way to getting everything she wants both professionally and personally, too. So when the competition takes an unexpected turn, forcing the two of them to have to partner in the ultimate trope, fake dating, Irene is not prepared for everything she believed about romance, and Aiden, to flip on its head.
As Irene tackles the challenges of college life, struggles to figure out what she really wants for herself, all while trying to win the race for love, Irene realizes the answers may not be found in a romance novel. Happily Ever Afters seem so easy on page. But for Irene to find her ultimate HEA, she’ll have to get her nose out of the book and become the main character of her own story.
The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts by Elias Cold
Release Date: May 13 from Page Street YA
Why We’re Excited: A dark and wildly original YA fantasy that mixes Regency tropes and contemporary issues ranging from toxic relationships, gender identity, and neurodivergence, The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts follows the story of a trans teen who must masquerade as a duke to investigate a string of missing girls.
Publisher’s Description: Wielding a magic that allows him to pop off limbs, con artist Phyllis steals body parts and his partner Lucent ransoms them Everyone who knows about Phyllis’s magic is afraid of him―except for Lucent. But his partner’s love comes with one condition: Phyllis must keep stealing. But when a mark can’t afford ransom for his missing nose, Phyllis loses his resolve. The man claims his sister, Adeline, was taken, and without her money he can’t pay until she’s found.
Intrigued, Phyllis investigates Adeline’s disappearance, but she is not the only missing girl in their seedy city. To gain answers from the nobility, Phyllis masquerades as a duke―Lord Phillip of Rabbiton―and begins to fall in love with both stories of Adeline and the man he’s becoming to try and find her. Soon, he’s not sure he ever wants to return to Lucent and their life of crime together.
When he finally finds Adeline with another missing girl, it turns out they’re not dead―but undead.
To win Adeline’s heart and break from his toxic past, Phillip will have to scheme to keep his title and master his evolving magic.
Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark
Release Date: May 20 from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: This addictive YA romantasy features a star-crossed, enemies-to-lovers romance set in a world where demons and humans clash, full of danger, temptation, and mystery. Particularly well-executed and detailed worldbuilding helps this tale stand out from the pack.
Publisher’s Description: Humanity has waged a bloody war against demons for more than a century, with two elite soldiers now leading the fight: Selene Alleva, a powerful exorcist trained at the prestigious Vatican Academy, and orphan Jules Lacroix, unrivaled on the battlefield.
When their paths cross, the distrust—and unwelcome attraction—is immediately apparent. But to get to the bottom of a series of unprecedented demon attacks, Selene and Jules strike an uneasy alliance, agreeing to an unusual arrangement: a fake engagement. With Jules posing as Selene’s estranged fiancé, they head to the holy Vatican City in search of answers—only to discover a terrible secret.
Soon Jules is forced to question everything he’s ever known—including himself. And Selene, unable to ignore her growing feelings for Jules, must make an impossible choice between love and duty.
When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur
Release Date: May 27 from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Why We’re Excited: A deliciously atmospheric Southern Gothic horror novel that tackles everything from wealth and corruption in the American South to the literal devil, When Devils Sing boasts a complex set of primary characters and a sinister, propulsive central mystery.
Publisher’s Description: When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh’s family. Disappearances like this aren’t uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion, especially every thirteen years when a periodical cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.
For Neera, Dawson is another reminder that in this corner of the South, the rich only get richer, and the poor—well, nothing good comes their way.
Neera sets out to investigate Dawson’s whereabouts—if he even still lives—along with three other teens: Isaiah, son of a prominent judge and clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover the riches of the adjacent Lake Clearwater community may have a terrifying source of power dating back to the town’s founding and an ancient urban legend about three devils, each more sinister than the next. How deep does the rot go, and can they find a way to escape its reach?
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB
