One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month.

Four Letter Word by Gretchen McNeil
Grades 9 and up
Library Catalog

“An Italian foreign exchange student comes to stay with her family, and Izzy hopes it will brighten up her home life. Her mom's mental health struggles have worn on Izzy over the years, as well as her expectation that Izzy will follow through with her abandoned dreams to study abroad in Italy. Alberto's arrival is a part of that plan, to help Izzy practice Italian before she becomes an exchange student herself. Unfortunately, a few things don't seem quite right about their handsome new guest—his clothes don't fit quite right, his accent seems a little over the top, and he has a violent temper. When a death linked to an at-large serial killer occurs in their town shortly after his arrival, Izzy becomes suspicious. She knows she listens to a lot of podcasts, but she's beginning to wonder if she's living with a murderer.” –School Library Journal

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender
Grades 10 and up
Library Catalog

“An engaging and inclusive fantasy. In Ash Woods's world, the practice of alchemy is divisive. Privileged few are allowed to study it and enter one of the Houses dedicated to its use. Ash, who applied to and was rejected by an alchemic college, takes a job as a groundskeeper at the college and teaches himself, illegally, after hours. When he is discovered by apprentice Ramsay Thorne, the two strike a deal: Ash will help Thorne find the powerful Book of Source, and Thorne will teach Ash alchemy. But their plan is dangerous—others want the book and will do whatever it takes to get it.” –School Library Journal

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson and Ekua Holmes
Grades 7 and up
Library Catalog

“Two acclaimed, award-winning creators team up to present this moving, introspective poetry collection celebrating the possibilities of Black girlhood complemented by atmospheric mixed-media illustrations. Showcasing varied poetic forms such as free verse and tanka, Watson reflects on coming of age as a Black girl in a society that habitually flattens Black experiences into easily digestible stereotypes.” –Kirkus Reviews

The Encanto’s Daughter by Melissa de la Cruz
Grades 8 and up
Library Catalog

“The heir apparent to a fairy-realm kingdom must ascend the throne after her father dies. Half-human/half-encanto Maria Josephina ‘MJ' Robertson-Rodriguez, who’s been hiding in the human world of Southern California with her mortal mother, is confronted by magical beings, who announce that her father, King Vivencio Basilio of the Sirena Court, is dead, and that she’s in danger. MJ is taken to Biringan, ‘the hidden fairy realm of the Philippine islands,' and she soon realizes that no amount of schooling by her mother or correspondence from her father could have prepared her for its magical vastness—or the political disarray threatening her succession.” –Kirkus Reviews

Strong Like You by T.L. Simpson
Grades 7 and up
Library Catalog

“Football is practically the only thing 15-year-old Walker Lauderdale cares about. But he has more than his share of distractions. His dad, Hank, who has always been a hustler living at the edge of the law, has been missing for a month. Gone with him is Uncle Rufus, a fellow traveler and father to Sawyer, Walker's cousin, neighbor, and closest friend. There's a new football coach, bent not only on improving the team's fortunes but on making successful adults out of his players, along with taking a particular interest in Walker—and his mom. Increasingly obsessed with finding out what happened to his dad, Walker takes enormous risks confronting Lukas, a sometime partner of Hank and Rufus who seems to be desperately hiding what he knows about their fate.” –School Library Journal

Series:

ASAP by Axie Oh
Grades 8 and up
Library Catalog

“A sweet second-chance romance set against the backdrop of the Korean entertainment industry. Eighteen-year-old Min Sori’s life is a far cry from that of the average girl her age. To start with, there are her parents: Her father is a politician with presidential aspirations, and her mother is CEO of Joah, the major record label who signed XOXO, the hottest boy group of the hour. Sori’s relationship with her ambitious, absentee parents isn’t the closest—in fact, it’s strained at best. Sori has her own career as a rising model and Joah trainee, although she’s lost her passion for music and doesn’t really want to be an idol anymore. She just needs to find the courage to tell her mom that.” –Kirkus Reviews

The first book in the series, XOXO, can be found here.