May officially kicks off summer for us here at Penguin Teen HQ, and we have a TON of great books coming your way. From epic fantasy to surrealist literary fiction, we truly have something for everyone this May. Read on for what to look out for!
5/1: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green: Unforgivable betrayals, devious motives, and forbidden love collide in the first installment of this epic new fantasy series, perfect for Game of Thrones fans.
5/1: Royals by Rachel Hawkins: Daisy has no desire to be in the spotlight, but anonymity isn’t really an option when your sister is marrying the Crown Prince of Scotland. Thankfully, the dashing young aristocrat Miles will be around to show her the royal ropes.
5/1: Perfect Ten by L. Phillips: A gay coming-of-age romantic comedy–perfect for fans of Love, Simon! Now in paperback!
5/1: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr: A breathtaking page-turner about a girl with no short-term memory and her remarkable journey, against all odds, to find the one boy able to penetrate her fractured mind. Now in paperback!
5/8: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson: Veronica Mars meets The Craft when a teen girl investigates the suspicious deaths of three classmates and accidentally ends up bringing them back to life to form a hilariously unlikely–and unwilling–vigilante girl gang.
5/8: I Am Gandhi by Brad Meltzer: Twenty-five exceptional comic book creators join forces to share the heroic story of Gandhi in this inspiring graphic novel biography written by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer.
5/8: Boying Up by Mayim Bialik: Mayim Bialik, star of The Big Bang Theory and author of the #1 bestseller Girling Up, puts her Ph.D. to work to talk to teen boys about the science and pressures of growing up male in today’s world. A must-have book for all teenage boys!
5/8: And We’re Off by Dana Schwartz: 13 Little Blue Envelopes meets Gilmore Girls in this fun, funny, and bittersweet summer adventure from Observer writer and the hilarious voice behind @GuyInYourMFA, Dana Schwartz. Now in paperback!
5/8: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan. Now in paperback, and the sequel, Smoke in the Sun, is out 6/5!
5/15: We Are All That’s Left by Carrie Arcos: Two lives. Two worlds apart. One deeply compelling story set in both Bosnia and the United States, spanning decades and generations, about the brutality of war and the trauma of everyday life after war, about hope and the ties that bind us together.
5/15: A Million Junes by Emily Henry: Romeo and Juliet meets One Hundred Years of Solitude in Emily Henry’s novel about the daughter and son of two long-feuding families who fall in love while trying to uncover the truth about the strange magic and harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations.
5/22: The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold: From the bestselling author of Mosqiotoland and Kids of Appetite, comes the story of sixteen-year-old Noah, who is hypnotized and quickly realizes nothing in his life is the same.
5/22: Always Never Yours by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley: Megan is the girl before–all of her exes find their one true love right after dating her. When she is cast in her school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, she meets Owen Okita, a boy who has her considering the lead role in her own love story.
5/22: Once and For All by Sarah Dessen: Hailed as the queen of Young Adult literature, Sarah Dessen delivers a richly satisfying romance with an ending that is so much more than happily-ever-after in her latest novel. Now in paperback!
5/29: Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson: Gabe and Elyse have never met. But they both have something to hide. Told in parallel narratives, this twisty, shocking story shows how one bad choice can lead to a spiral of unforeseen consequences that not everyone will survive.
Can’t wait for May? See if you missed any of these books that came out in April!