The Best New YA Books of October 2025
Though October is most traditionally known for the delights of spooky season—and a deluge of horror stories and dark thrillers if you happen to follow the publishing industry. But YA readers still have plenty to celebrate this month.
Don’t get me wrong, there are also a handful of solid titles in both those categories headed our way, but if disturbing and/or scary stories aren’t your bag, there’s no shortage of other options. From the final installment of one of the genre’s most beloved series to buzzy new titles from established faves, whether you’re into romance, dystopia, or cozy fantasy, you’ll find something to enjoy.
Here are our picks for the best YA books hitting shelves this October.
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson
Release Date: October 7 from Quill Tree Books
Why We’re Excited: Any new book from Tiffany D. Jackson, author of White Smoke and The Weight of Blood, is pretty much an auto-rec at this point, and The Scammer continues her exceptional run of pushing boundaries in this particular corner of the YA space. Inspired by a real-life story at Sarah Lawrence College, The Scammer follows the story of a freshman whose life is turned upside down when her roommate’s charismatic older brother is released from prison and starts psychologically manipulating her and he friends.
Publisher’s Description: Out from under her overprotective parents, Jordyn is ready to kill it in prelaw at a prestigious, historically Black university in Washington DC. When her new roommate’s brother is released from prison, the last thing Jordyn expects is to come home and find the ex-convict on their dorm room sofa. But Devonte needs a place to stay while he gets back on his feet—and how could she say no to one of her new best friends?
Devonte is older, as charming as he is intelligent, pushing every student he meets to make better choices about their young lives. But Jordyn senses something sinister beneath his friendly advice and growing group of followers. When one of Jordyn’s roommates goes missing, she must enlist the help of the university’s lone white student to uncover the mystery—or become trapped at the center of a web of lies more tangled than she can imagine.
Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls by Rowena Miller
Release Date: October 7 from Sourcebooks Fire
Why We’re Excited: Friendship is magic in this thriller about a high school junior who joins a secret society dedicated to exposing the rich founders of her ritzy private school — who may have had a hand in her best friend’s death.
Publisher’s Description: When the first letter appears in Kay Anderson’s locker, it carries one instruction: dye your hand blue.
She definitely shouldn’t follow it. Kay doesn’t have time for secret societies: as a scholarship student at up-and-coming Manhattan prep school Davison High, she knows her job is to work hard, get into Northwestern, and ignore her wealthy classmates’ fun-filled Instagram stories. Besides, her first and only real friend at Davison died suddenly freshman year.
Still, Kay’s intrigued, so she stains her palms with ink to join the mysterious Blue Hand Girls, sharing an unspoken thrill with the classmates who do the same. More letters show up, assigning risky initiation tasks, and Kay realizes the group is set on exposing the shady business that Davison’s founders would rather keep hidden—things that her dead friend might have known about.
But the anonymous instructions also demand the girls reveal their own secrets, bonding them all too close to abandon the society. Soon Kay doesn’t know who’s more dangerous: the powerful people who run her school, or the Blue Hand Girls themselves. And then there’s Zola Wolfe, the beautiful redhead in Kay’s Calculus class, who’s never been seen with a blue hand, and who just might become her girlfriend. Yet Kay can’t help but wonder, even as she kisses her on the roof of Davison High, if Zola is the most dangerous of them all.
The Resurrectionist by Kathleen S. Allen
Release Date: October 7 from Roaring Brook Press
Why We’re Excited: Twisty and haunting, this rare YA historical horror story follows the story of a late nineteenth-century young woman seeking the secrets of the dead who accidentally releases a monster. Definite Frankenstein vibes with historically accurate grave robbing and painful medical science on top.
Publisher’s Description: When seventeen-year-old Dilly Rothbart finds her recently deceased father’s hidden journal, her entire world is upended—for what she finds within are the steps to bring a dead soul back to life.
Intent on finishing her father’s work and establishing herself as the greatest scientist in history, Dilly plunges into a medical underworld of corpse-stealing, grave-robbing, and even murder. And when her twin sister steps in the way of her studies, she’ll do whatever is necessary to secure the recognition she deserves.
This twisty, atmospheric, Frankensteinian tale is about a group of ambitious young scientists who descend into corruption when a breakthrough discovery grants them the power of gods.
The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Release Date: October 7 from Sourcebooks Fire
Why We’re Excited: Anything that’s described as a book for fans of The Cruel Prince and Outlander is immediately going to get my attention. The latest book from the authors of Night of the Witch mixes fairy magic with Tudor politics, following a fae guardian and a spy for Queen Elizabeth I as they attempt to unravel a conspiracy that threatens both their kingdoms.
Publisher’s Description: Samson Calthorpe’s curse has isolated him from everyone he has ever cared about. So, when the opportunity arises to break the curse, he grabs it. All he has to do for his freedom is risk his life and become a royal spy, using every bit of the skills and resolve he’s picked up on the streets of London to infiltrate the court of the Scottish Queen and uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.
For years, Alyth Graham has been protecting Mary Queen of Scots from threats both physical and magical, including the Queen’s own husband, Lord Darnley. Alyth is more than meets the eye though: the child of a fae prince and a human mother, she is among the most powerful protectors in Scotland: guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan. . . that Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland.
Blood & Breath by Qurratulayn
Release Date: October 7 from Page Street YA
Why We’re Excited: A teen makes a deal with the devil to get revenge after being left for dead as part of a sacrificial ritual in this dark but extremely unique historical fantasy.
Publishers’ Description: Born into the persecuted Magi class, Evan Wilde keeps her true identity under wraps. Her days are spent drawing up simple contracts—a task Magi are banned from performing—which call devils from beyond the veil to carry out clients’ requests in exchange for a bit of blood or breath. It’s not until Evan lies dying in an alley, the victim of an illegal blood sacrifice, that she draws a contract for herself. A devil can take the last of her life—if it grants her revenge.
Such a hasty, open-ended contract can only lead to trouble. But when a devil named Jack accepts her terms, Evan decides to make the most of her borrowed time. With Jack’s help, she infiltrates high society, posing as part of the ruling Necro class—the group responsible for oppressing Magi and perpetuating illegal blood sacrifices. Dining and dancing by day, unleashing her devil at night . . . for the first time in her life, Evan no longer lives in fear. She even finds friends—and love—within the circles of her supposed enemy.
It turns out that, for all their corruption, Necros are the only ones keeping the devils at bay. If Evan and Jack topple their society in revenge, the veil between worlds could vanish, leaving devils to wreak havoc. Evan’s vendetta against Necros could destroy the entire world, including her newfound friends and love.
But even if she changes her mind, Evan is not the only one out for blood. Jack didn’t indenture himself for nothing; in fact, Evan’s contract could be the key to enacting his own twisted vengeance . . . .
The Leaving Room By Amber McBride
Release Date: October 14 from Feiwel & Friends
Why We’re Excited: A delicate and evocative exploration of grief, The Leaving Room follows the story of a teenage guardian in the liminal space between life and death who is haunted by the young souls she must guide through to the afterlife. An emotional gut punch in verse.
Publisher’s Description: Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room―a place all young people must phase through when they die. The young are never ready to leave; they need a moment to remember and a Keeper to help their wispy souls along.
When a random door opens and a Keeper named Melodee arrives, their souls become entangled. Gospel’s seriousness melts and Melodee’s fear of connection fades, but still―are Keepers allowed to fall in love? Now they must find a way out of the Leaving Room and be unafraid of their love. In a novel that takes place over four minutes, National Book Award finalist Amber McBride explores connection, memory, and hope in ways that are unforgettable and poignant.
Fortress of Ambrose by J. Elle
Release Date: October 14 from Razorbill
Why We’re Excited: The final installment of the House of Marionne trilogy more than pays off the series’ worldbuilding and romantic threads in ways that will satisfy and delight fans. (Shippers, you’re living your best lives.)
Publisher’s Description: With the future of the Order clouded in uncertainty, and the evil within its ranks coming to the surface, Quell Marionne has nowhere left to turn.
Everyone Quell cares about is gone and she still can’t escape the powerful legacy that wants to destroy her. But when she uncovers an earth-shattering revelation, she must choose: be the hero the magic world needs or save Jordan.
Meanwhile, a darkness festers inside Dragunheart Jordan Wexton. His path to survival means becoming the monster he was bred to hate, if he can overcome the power rotting within himself.
In a world where the line between proper and forbidden magic blurs, Quell and Jordan, along with two unlikely allies – bitter assassin Yagrin Wexton and magicless Heir Nore Ambrose, must navigate a treachero’s path where freedom hangs by a thread. Can love tip the scales toward freedom? Or will rivalries and deadly betrayals shatter their hearts and destroy the world they once knew?
An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew
Release Date: October 14 from Joy Revolution
Why We’re Excited: A new standalone dystopian romance from the author of The Dividing Sky, An Ocean Apart follows the story of a poor girl in a world where the elites have escaped hurricane-ravaged Miami aboard luxury ocean liners. When a tragic accident forces her to sneak onto a popular dating show in an attempt to steal its prize money for her impoverished community, she finds herself embroiled in one of the best fantasy love triangles of the Fall.
Publisher’s Description: Eden Lowell has plenty to be frustrated about. In the flooded Marshes of former Miami, each day is about survival. Even her feelings for her best friend Henry are more complicated than they should be. Luckily, Eden knows exactly who to blame: the Cruisers, corporate elite who sail the world on massive ships instead of facing the environmental crimes they’ve committed on land.
When Eden learns that a Cruiser family is hosting a dating competition for their heir, Theo Desjardins, she seizes an opportunity. Aided by a political agitator known as the Ringmaster, she’ll infiltrate the competition, break Theo’s heart, and then steal his money for the Marshes. A perfect plan…
Until she gets to know Theo, who’s not only handsome but surprisingly kind…
As Eden drifts deeper down into the Cruisers’ world, the line separating truth and lies becomes murky. Torn between two identities, two loves, and two futures, will she choose the mission, or her heart?
A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford
Release Date: October 21 from Wednesday Books
Why We’re Excited: As a general rule, the YA space does not have nearly enough cozy fantasy in it, so this latest release from Mara Rutherford scratches a very particular itch with its Scottish folklore-inspired story about the teenage owner of a (mostly fake) magical curiosity shop. (It even has a kitten!)
Publisher’s Description: Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold.
Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.
Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.
Desperate to keep her father’s shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer’s assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector’s quest for the rarest magical object in the world―a quest that risks almost-certain death―she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.
Reel Love by Addie Woolridge
Release Date: October 21 from Delacorte Romance
Why We’re Excited: Two teens form a secret partnership (and romantic relationship) under the noses of their social media influencer grandmothers (#Granfluencers), and it’s as sweet and fun as the premise sounds.
Publisher’s Description: Jamie Webb is happy to be the camera-shy brains behind her grandmother BamBam’s social media stardom—especially if it makes college admissions officers notice her. But with BamBam’s antics, creating content isn’t easy. Going to an influencers convention in Las Vegas is just what Jamie needs to relax and get inspired.
Well, it is before BamBam learns that Buzzy Timmons, her archnemesis and fellow granfluencer, is also attending—along with her influencer grandson, Ethan. No matter how cute Ethan is, Jamie refuses to hang out with the enemy . . . until she learns about a cash prize for best tourism video. A prize Ethan can help her win.
Exploring Vegas with Ethan turns out to be more fun and flirty than Jamie expects. But without BamBam’s blessing, can they ever have anything real?
The Book of Dust: The Rose Field by Philip Pullman
Release Date: October 23 from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: The third and final installment in Phillip Pullman’s Book of Dust trilogy will bring the story of beloved His Dark Materials heroine Lyra Silvertongue to an end, and maybe even (at long last) reveal the secret and origins of Dust along the way.
Publisher’s Description: Picking up right where The Secret Commonwealth left off, this story finds Lyra alone in a city haunted by daemons, searching for her beloved Pan. Malcolm Polstead isn’t far behind, searching for Lyra. And they are both racing toward the desert of Karamakan, following the trail of roses said to hold the secret of Dust.
Their allies and enemies are converging on the mysterious red building at the heart of the desert: Marcel Delamare and the military might of the Magisterium; the radical Men from the Mountains; scientists, scholars and spies; troops of witches and other people of the air. And awaiting them all is a previously unseen and chilling new threat that will change everything.
The intertwining odysseys of Malcolm and Lyra, their journeys both internal and external, will test their limits and challenge even their most dearly held beliefs.
The Library of Lost Girls Kristen Pipps
Release Date: October 28 from Delacorte Press
Why We’re Excited: A dark fantasy about a mysterious finishing school that seems to have a disturbing (and life-changing) impact on the students who are sent there, the story follows a teen girl attempting to find answers after her beloved sister returns home a stranger.
Publisher’s Description: Gwen Donovan adores her beautiful and rebellious older sister, Izzy. But the Izzy who returns from the Delphi School for Girls is not the sister who left for the finishing school. Now she is Isolde: dull and complacent and—most shocking—eager to marry.
Gwen is determined to discover what happened to Izzy at Delphi, and the only solution she can conceive of is to cheat her way into the mysterious school. If she can see for herself what they did, maybe she can get her Izzy back.
But Delphi is far from the finishing school Gwen expects. Several days’ travel away, the estate is the only building on an icy, remote island. Sinister shadows lurk in the hallways, her classmates are strange and secretive, and she is told to never leave her room after dark. More curious, though are the thousands of books, each with the name of a girl on its spine. They line the walls from floor to ceiling, and the students at Delphi are prohibited to read them.
Delphi says they’re reforming the students, but when Gwen discovers a note left for her by her sister, she realizes that what is happening at the school is much more terrifying than she could have ever imagined. There’s something dark at the center of Delphi, and somehow it’s tied to those books—and to the girls who are sent there. And if Gwen doesn’t confront what hides in the shadows, it won’t be just Izzy who’s lost forever.
Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan
Release Date: October 28
Why We’re Excited: At a time when so many popular YA authors are making the leap to adult fiction, it’s lovely to see a fantasy writer go the other way and dip their toe into the young adult space! A retelling of Cinderella infused with elements of Chinese fairytales, Never Ever After is the YA debut of the popular author behind such books as Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Immortal.
Publisher’s Description: Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has survived by becoming a skilled thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.
Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, for she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed—her only ally the cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. To break free, she must unravel the mystery of her past and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.
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
