The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Young Adult Fiction

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

With a heartbreaking but beautiful love story, and a unique magic system, you’ll want to jump right through the pages to Reverie and into the world of Starmakers. The perfect blend of fantasy, will-they-won’t-they romance, and comedy, this book will make you laugh and cry. If you love grumpy/sunshine (literally) mixed with magic… this is for you!

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin, (List Price: $19.99, Sourcebooks Fire, 9781728256184, February 2026)

Reviewed by Mallory Clark, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean

After seeing her parents’ marriage dissolve into sadness and divorce, Emma doubts that love can last. At the annual Tanabata Festival, her grandfather urges her to make a wish. Her wish is this: I wish for proof. Show me that love is real. That love can last. And then, she gets a note from the future. “To be honest, I loved you from the beginning,” and that is how it starts. Is this the proof she has hoped for? and will it change her life? I love this coming-of-age novel of life and love, and figuring it all out. Through laughter, loss, doubt and wonder- you will feel it all!

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean, (List Price: $19.99, Sarah Barley Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665974370, February 2026)

Reviewed by Amy Dance, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

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I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends by Kylie Lee Baker

Timeloops, dragon descendants, and complex relationships! I typically struggle with time travel themes, but I swear Baker has this way of writing that just immediately settles readers into her stories. You may not always know what’s going on, but by the end of the book you will–you just have to trust her as she leads you deeper into her labyrinths. With the woven history of Japanese and Korean myths, this standalone YA fantasy is as clever as it is thrilling, and a return to the exciting stories I remember getting lost in when I was a teenager–but also not restrictive to that age bracket, especially for those who love a rollercoaster of a story from start to finish, magic, and a good ol’ “save the world” plot.

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends by Kylie Lee Baker, (List Price: $19.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250381989, November 2025)

Reviewed by Tamara Browning, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

This groundbreaking young adult thriller follows Daunis Fontaine, a biracial Ojibwe girl caught between two cultures, two identities, and two different paths for her future. But when tragedy strikes too close to home, Daunis finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a criminal investigation that threatens to tear her whole community apart. I was completely enveloped by this incredible debut, and if I could put a copy into every single customer’s hands, I absolutely would.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, (List Price: $14.99, Square Fish, 9781250866035, April 2023)

Reviewed by Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia

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The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Jackson really gets better with every book! I was hooked from page one on this updated version of Carrie, and I think Stephen King would be proud to have inspired this. Maddy is biracial and outcast from her peers and miserable at home with her abusive father. Racial tensions dividing the town of Springville come to a head on prom night, and the results are…explosive. Do not miss this amazing YA thriller!

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, (List Price: $15.95, Quill Tree Books, 9780063029156, September 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Final Cut by Olivia Worley

I LOVE Louisiana-set stories when the author knows things about Louisiana, and I especially love them when the author is from Louisiana. This YA thriller is wonderfully done from setting to plot. Oliva does a wonderful job at the misdirection, and I truly had no clue who the murderer was until it was revealed. This is a top-tier YA thriller that anyone should pick up!

Final Cut by Olivia Worley, (List Price: $21, Wednesday Books, 9781250392985, October 2025)

Reviewed by sarah dimaria, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

If you love a good “fake dating” story, you’ll be completely swept away by this charming new romance. Dani and Alec were inseparable as kids, but when Dani returns to her Minnesota hometown, she finds the nerdy boy she remembers has been replaced by the town’s hockey star. When they are forced to pretend to be a couple, their complicated charade leads to some truly swoon-worthy moments. This book perfectly captures the awkwardness and excitement of first love, proving that even in a town where hockey is king, a little romance can still take center ice.

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter, (List Price: $21.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665921268, September 2025)

Reviewed by Kimberly Todd, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith

Gilded in Vengeance has such a lovable cast of characters that I couldn’t help but get attached. Jack’s unwavering loyalty paired with Emmy’s guarded heart made for a very interesting dynamic. The plotline was done wonderfully, enforcing the idea that sometimes growing for yourself and those you care about is the most powerful form of revenge — While still exacting revenge on those deserving. Have you ever read a book with such a perfectly done plot twist that you’re angry you didn’t notice it sooner? No? Well, read this book and join the club!

Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith, (List Price: $19.99, Storytide, 9780063239623, November 2025)

Reviewed by Eden Haymon, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana

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The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Thou shalt read this book for laughs, tears, awesome sibling dynamics, romance, and a comedy of errors. This one’s healing, hopeful, and all about learning how to accept and embrace yourself with a little help from the important people in your life.

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes, (List Price: $18.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780063060234, May 2022)

Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Anzuelo by Emma Rios

>Anzuelo plunges readers into a dreamy world of risen oceans and mythic creatures as a trio of young people try to understand the epic metamorphosis that engulfs them. Emma Rios’ beautiful graphic novel turns the apocalypse inside out, finding poetry in nature’s awesome power, and humankind’s ability to survive.

Anzuelo by Emma Rios, (List Price: $19.99, Image Comics, 9781534330160, December 2025)

Reviewed by Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Mercy by Patricia Ward

A twist on a family legacy, with a bit of a supernatural spin. The characters were young and didn’t pretend to be older, like some YA books tend to do these days. And the parents were active participants in the story, which is also a bit rare in a YA. Strong points: imagery, setting, and characterizations. All deeply developed and put the reader in the scenes, making them care about the overall themes and plot. I wanted more about the Sorrowing, I think. Not the mystery of its origin, but the creeping coverage of it. Overall, this was a story about the power of family, breaking the mold from generations before, and standing up for what’s right.

Mercy by Patricia Ward, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063235168, October 2025)

Reviewed by Tamara Browning, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

An amazing, well-rounded debut with a number of different identities represented. Elatsoe had an impressive combination of Indigenous practices and folklore, paranormal elements, and a classic murder-mystery with necessary discussions of injustice and colonization. PLUS lovable characters!

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, (List Price: $12.99, Levine Querido, 9781646142767, October 2023)

Reviewed by Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia

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Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

Adler knocks it out of the park with this sweet, spicy YA romance. Lara has had a crush on teen dream Chase for her entire high school career, to no avail. After a summer spent on her own in the Outer Banks of NC, she returns to school even more beautiful and full of confidence after a romance with a girl named Jasmine. Chase takes notice of Lara for the first time, and she’s about to jump in with both feet when none other than Jasmine shows up at her school. The girls haven’t spoken since they parted for the fall. Lara is torn between the guy she’s always wanted and the girl she never knew she needed. This hits a previously neglected spot in LGBTQ fiction and romance, and I love the way it explores identity and how teens may not understand who they are and how they feel yet.

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler, (List Price: $12, Wednesday Books, 9781250888471, June 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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How Girls Are Made by Mindy McGinnis

At first, I thought that this book wasn’t McGinnis’s usual horror, but by the end, I realized it was horrific in a whole new way. A group of high school students tries to change the way sex ed is presented to kids in the district with an underground “class” and social media account. As these things tend to do, it all goes horribly wrong. We know from the start that someone doesn’t make it to the end, but we don’t know who until the end. Prepare to get your heart broken a few times before this one is over – I love it!

How Girls Are Made by Mindy McGinnis, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063370692, November 2025)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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