The Best New YA Books of November 2025
November is here, which means it’s getting darker a whole lot earlier, the wind is suddenly really brisk, and the countdown to Christmas is officially on. It also means a final big push from the publishing industry to get its last round of big releases out in front of the holiday shoppers who are descending on stores everywhere. But while many of the biggest YA titles of the year hit shelves earlier this Fall, November is no slouch in the new release department.
This month will not only see the launch of several new titles from established YA faves (Chloe Gong, Marissa Meyer, Neal Schusterman), but also highly anticipated sequels (Tigest Girma) and buzzy debuts (Amber Hamilton).Truly something for every kind of reader!
Here are the best new YA books hitting shelves this November.
Coldwire by Chloe Gong
Release Date: November 4 from Margaret K. McElderry Books
Why We’re Excited: Given the state of, well….everything, it probably shouldn’t surprise anyone that dystopian YA fiction is making a comeback in a big way in publishing. This latest from the author of These Violent Delights and Immortal Longings is set in a world where disease and extreme weather have driven much of humanity into a virtual realm. (Save for those who can’t afford it, of course.) There, two young soldiers—one “upcountry” in the virtual world and one “downcountry” in the real one, each investigating a personal case—must join forces to crack a larger conspiracy
Publisher’s Description: To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”
But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy.
Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.
Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…
Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.
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Eternal Ruin by Tigest Girma
Release Date: November 4 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: The highly anticipated sequel to last year’s Immortal Dark, this dark academia fantasy takes us back to the seductive world of Uxlay University for a follow-up filled with more secrets and new twists.
Publisher’s Description: Kidan Adane has finally embraced her darkness. She’s killed without remorse, lied, and broken Uxlay University’s most sacred law by inviting elusive rogue vampires, the Nefrasi, into Uxlay.
Trapped with a violently unstable vampire, and reeling from her sister’s return, Kidan wields her anger like a weapon. She vows to master her house and protect the sacred artifact hidden inside, even if it means forging an alliance with the depraved leader of the Nefrasi, Samson Sagad–and betraying Susenyos.
A dangerous new philosophical text seems to hold the answers and promises the very thing Kidan has lost: control. Even as the dark pages consume her, Kidan knows no soul at Uxlay is trustworthy—least of all Susenyos. For Kidan and Susenyos, the lines of loathing and attraction may blur, but the quest for power rules them both. And neither is willing to surrender.
As devastating secrets resurface from the past, Kidan and her sister, June, must finally confront each other and take their rightful places in the looming war.
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Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton
Release Date: November 4 from Bloomsbury YA
Why We’re Excited: A Gothic romantasy retelling of Snow White with an enemies-to-lovers romance and dark academia vibes? Yes please.
Publisher’s Description: In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.
Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.
The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.
Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?
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Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
Release Date: November 4 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: A refreshingly dark YA thriller that revolves around the death of a Black girl in the small town of Prophets Lake, Girls Who Play Dead wrestles with timely themes of grief, loss, self-acceptance, mental health, bullying, and social perception. Wellington is unafraid to put her characters through the emotional wringer, and they end up remarkably relatable and layered as a result.
Publisher’s Description: When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.
Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.
Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than returning: stay.
As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.
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The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 4 from Fiewel and Friends
Why We’re Excited: Marissa Meyer, best known for writing fairytale retellings like Cinder, dips her toe into a slightly different genre with this fantasy-tinged retelling of the legend of Bluebeard. One part murder mystery, one part ghost story, and one part swoony romantasy, it’s a fascinating new mix for a familiar voice.
Publisher’s Description: Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.
Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien’s great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu’s ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.
But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.
But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest challenge: learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.
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Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughrean
Release Date: November 4 from Flatiron Books
Why We’re Excited: I know I’m a broken record about this but as a general rule, the YA space doesn’t have nearly enough historical fiction in it, which is why Geraldine McCaughrean’s Under a Fire Red Sky is such a breath of fresh air. A compelling tale of life in Blitz-era London, the story follows four English teenagers who become unlikely friends As they navigate a dangerous and uncertain time filled with fear and bombs, they must each still deal with their own personal and familial problems. Rich and full of meaning.
Publisher’s Description: With World War II on their doorstep, the children of Greenwich, England, are being evacuated. But on the train meant to take them to safety, four of them decide they aren’t ready to leave home. They climb out the carriage window just in time, forging an unlikely friendship.
With their school taken over by the fire service, they spend their days trying to be useful. Lawrence is building a secret machine. Gemmy searches bombed-out homes for things of value―only to find an adorable mutt she can’t even give away. Franklin wants to join the fire service, even if it means lying about his age. Olive looks after her father, haunted by the deaths of his fellow firemen.
Together, the four friends roam the streets of London, discovering their resilience amongst the secrets of the city. But as the Blitz unleashes a barrage of bombs, turning the sky ragged with flame, can they keep one another safe?
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A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman
Release Date: November 4 from Tor Teen
Why We’re Excited: This first installment in a new duology from the writing duo behind (the excellent) All of Us Villains is a fast-paced Chosen One fantasy in which two teen magicians must fight to protect their kingdom from a devastating and deadly Winter. When one of them bonds with the most powerful Living Wand in Alderland, it seems she is destined to become the hero her people need. Until the other accidentally creates a Winter-based wand of her ownthat change everything for both of them and sets them at odds with one another.
Publisher’s Description: For most of the year, Summer reigns peacefully over Alderland. Then, for six brutal weeks, Winter rages, obliterating towns and wreaking casualties. Magicians bond with powerful wands of Summer to defend the nation, a duty that costs many their lives.
Domenic Barrow never wanted such responsibility—but destiny hasn’t granted him a choice. The greatest Summer wand has awakened for the first time in a century, warning that an icy cataclysm looms on the horizon. And despite his reputation as the least suited of his classmates, the wand Chooses Domenic to wield it.
Ellery Caldwell spent years striving to be a perfect Summer magician—and burying her fears of her own power. But her worst suspicions are proven true when she accidentally creates the first ever Winter wand.
Now, as the unprecedented Chosen Two, Domenic and Ellery must thwart the oncoming cataclysm together. And in trying to fulfill their destinies, they wonder if they were brought together for a second fate: to fall in love.
Until they discover the unthinkable truth. The Chosen Two aren’t fated allies, but eternal rivals, and the only way to save their home is for one of them to slay the other.
This is no love story. It’s a tragedy.
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We Fell Apart By E. Lockhart
Release Date: November 4 from Delacorte Press
Why We’re Excited: It’s probably quicker to just list who isn’t excited about another entry in E. Lockharts’s megapopular We Were Liars series.
Publisher’s Description: The invitation arrives out of the blue.
In it, Matilda discovers a father she’s never met. Kingsley Cello is a visionary, a reclusive artist. And when he asks her to spend the summer at his seaside home, Hidden Beach, Matilda expects to find a part of herself she’s never fully understood.
Instead, she finds Meer, her long-lost, openhearted brother; Brock, a former child star battling demons; and brooding, wild Tatum, who just wants her to leave their crumbling sanctuary.
With Kingsley nowhere to be seen, Matilda must delve into the twisted heart of Hidden Beach to uncover the answers she’s desperately craving. But secrets run thicker than blood, and blood runs like seawater.
And everyone here is lying.
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The Fangirl Project By Beth Reekles
Release Date: November 4 from Delacorte
Why We’re Excited: This charming new YA rom-com from the author of The Kissing Booth follows the story of a girl who throws herself into a fantasy fandom in the hopes of winning over her crush, only to discover she’s maybe more into Of Wrath and Ruin than she ever expected. Will ring true to anyone who’s ever participated in fandom on any level, and the romance at its center is delightfully sweet.
Publisher’s Description: When Cerys’ secret crush Jake moves to a new college, she realizes she’s running out of time to take their relationship from platonic to romantic. She’ll do anything to get out of Jake’s friend zone, even if that means finally diving into the huge fantasy fandom he loves so much. Though she absolutely can’t see the appeal in Of Wrath and Rune, if Jake loves it, then Cerys will too.
When Jake introduces Cerys to his shiny new friend Max, who goes to all the fandom conventions—in cosplay (cringe)—Cerys realizes she’ll need to do a lot more to grab Jake’s attention than just read a few fanfics. But Max, with his dimples and dry humor, always seems to be hanging around, getting in the way.
Cerys is determined to become the ultimate fangirl to finally get on Jake’s radar. What she doesn’t expect is that she might actually like Of Wrath and Rune . . . and might like DMing with a suspiciously familiar guy in the fandom even more.
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My Roommate from Hell by Cale Dietrich
Release Date: November 11 from Wednesday Books
Why We’re Excited: A paranormal rom-com about a student whose plans for a perfect year of college are thrown into chaos when he discovers his (really attractive) roommate just so happens to be a prince of hell. And that’s before they end up fake-dating each other. It’s deeply charming.
Publisher’s Description: Owen is not going to college to have fun. Nothing is going to stop him from achieving his goals: study hard, get a good job, and set himself up for the rest of his life. The last thing he needs is to have a loud, obnoxious, and infuriatingly hot roommate. Especially since said roommate just so happens to be the prince of hell.
Prince Zarmenus has come to Point University for the first-ever Earth/hell exchange program, and he’s determined to make the most of it. Which may or may not include wild parties, bringing in random boys to his and Owen’s room, and accidentally setting Owen’s furniture on fire. Sparks fly (literally) as Owen and Zar clash, but Zar’s actions threaten to not only ruin Owen’s peaceful college life, but demon-human relations as well. To clean up his image, he asks Owen to be his fake boyfriend and teach him how to be a better human in exchange for an internship that will secure Owen’s future. That, and Zar will consider being a better roommate.
A deal is struck, and the two start pretending to be in a relationship where they each have agendas of their own. Only Owen has a secret―dating his mortal enemy, even if it’s fake, is the most fun he’s ever had.
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Shiny Happy People by Clay McLeod Chapman
Release Date: November 11 from Delacorte Press
Why We’re Excited: The YA debut from the author of such critically acclaimed adult horror books as Ghost Eaters and Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, this sci-fi thriller is one part vintage homage and one part all-too-contemporary nightmare, with some uncomfortable body horror thrown on top.
Publisher’s Description: At sixteen, Kyra is still haunted by the horrors she saw growing up with her drug-addicted mother. She doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere—and disturbing dreams come to her at night.
When a new party drug makes its way to her high school, Kyra’s life becomes an actual nightmare. A video challenge spreads among the students—and though she doesn’t participate, Kyra can’t escape the inexplicable side effects.
Everyone around her seems to be mysteriously changing, including the people she loves the most. Her brother has a new personality overnight. Her best friend suddenly feels like a stranger. The only other person who seems to notice the eeriness is Logan, the new boy at school. Like Kyra, he has steered clear of the party scene.
When the strangeness begins to feel sinister—or unnatural—Kyra is determined to find out exactly what is behind the mysterious drug. As she and Logan get closer to the truth, the line between Kyra’s past and present blurs . . . and she will need to face the terrors inside herself, or lose everyone she loves.
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Mindworks by Neal Shusterman
Release Date: November 18 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: A collection of short stories from the author of All Better Now and the Arc of a Scythe trilogy, Mindworks features tales that range from silly and playful to thought-provoking and downright disturbing. While most of these efforts have appeared in other anthologies, but having them all in one place is a treat, and the effort closes with two new stories from the Scythe universe that fans will definitely want to read.
Publisher’s Description: This collection of unforgettable and uncanny stories could only come from the mind of award winner Neal Shusterman. Compiled for the first time in one epic volume, these stories both classic and brand-new will stretch your imagination from terror to the sublime and back again. Explore a world where bats block out the sun, where soup is a trap for your soul, or where the life-force of a glacier can bring back the dead. Journey to a place where the wind can be captured, time can be crafted into infinite attic space, or a hot tub can house an ancient monster. And revisit the Arc of the Scythe universe for two all-new tales of gleaning.
In this collection, the only thing that is truly certain is nothing is certain.
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Lacy Baugher Milas writes about Books and TV at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB
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