Teen Reads
August 2026
Recent Releases
Finish Lines: A Graphic Novel by Sarah Broyles
Finish Lines: A Graphic Novel
by Sarah Broyles

Miranda needs something to write about in her college application essays. But what? Miranda has a plan: ace her junior year, get into an Ivy League school, and skip anything that doesn't look good on a college application. Desperate to get back on track, Miranda sets her sights on the Texas Water Safari--a 260-mile canoe race her mom was set to do with her granddad. With her mom sidelined by an injury, Miranda joins her grandfather. It's grueling, messy, and scorching hot. Can a perfectionist survive the wild long enough to find out who she is outside of a college checklist?

You might also like: Across the Widest Sea by Jean Cremers.
The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly
The Lure of Wolves and Whispers
by Amanda Connolly

Although magic is forbidden on Eireann, there is a workaround, thanks to a secretive group called the Whisperers. Maeve seeks magic to heal her gravely injured sister. The catch? She must now join the deadly competition to become the next queen.

Read-alikes: Lauren Roberts’ Powerless; Margie Fuston’s The Revenant Games.
Alex, by Proxy by Karen Myna Cantor
Alex, by Proxy
by Karen Myna Cantor

Alex is a victim of Munchausen by proxy, but he's also a witty, sarcastic kid with unusually good crossword skills and a penchant for astronomy. At least he used to be. Now that he's recovered from years of illness induced by his mother, he sort of has to figure out who he is all over again and he'll have to decide if he can testify against the woman who gave birth to him. As Alex awaits the trial, his friends convince him to start a podcast as a way to tell his story. Day by day, Alex's mental health crumbles, until he can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction. Should he trust himself to testify? And if he gets up there, what version of the truth will he share? 
The Lovers, the Liars, and Me by Deandra Davis
The Lovers, the Liars, and Me
by DeAndra Davis

On Jaliya’s trip to Jamaica, she hopes to learn more about her mother, who ran off when Jaliya was very young. During her search, Jaliya finds herself falling for two people, both friends of her cousin Shevaughn. This lyrical novel is a gripping mystery and an emotional personal growth journey.

What to read next: Hallie's Rules for a Recovering Romantic by Jessica Lewis.
Survival Show by Juno Dawson
Survival Show
by Juno Dawson

American Idol meets The Hunger Games in this satirical dystopian adventure. The world just seems to take from Taryn Beck, but there's one thing it'll never have: her voice. Only when she's singing does Taryn feel like she can escape her reality--free from the aftermath of the War, free from the Scottish refugee camps where she and her family now live, and free from the responsibility of making ends meet for the sake of her sick brother. Taryn enters to be a contestant on the world's most watched television program: Starmaker, where kids compete for the chance to join an all-singing, all-dancing pop group. There's only one small catch. The lowest ranking face a televised public execution. 
Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield
Our Wicked Gifts
by Kathryn Foxfield

The daughter of a sinister magical family who would do anything for power must stop the man killing them off, one by one, in this deliciously dark fantasy thriller laced with a kiss-or-kill romance.

You might also like: Too Perfect to Die by Juliana Goodman. 
President of the Anime Club: A Graphic Novel by Stephanie Evangelista Fukuda
President of the Anime Club: A Graphic Novel
by Stephanie Evangelista Fukuda

It's the first day of high school, and Cherie is unsure how to find her place. But then she meets Naomi, a fellow freshman and fan of Orange High School Bakery Club--Cherie's favorite anime. Naomi's warmth and confidence ignite confusing feelings in Cherie. Their duo becomes a trio when they befriend Miro, a boy in their class with an interest in learning about anime. Enter Jenny: a charismatic upperclassman and president of the school's anime club. When she invites the three friends to join, it creates tension between them. As Cherie, Naomi, and Miro deal with complicated feelings, can their special bond survive? And will their love of anime endure?
We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan
We Were Never Here
by Sophia Hannan

The remaining members of a ghost hunting show return to the haunted manor that may have killed their friend in this moody, character-driven contemporary gothic debut.

You might also like: She Is a Haunting by Trang Tranh Tran, Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury or Black Point by Jacqueline West.
Everything Comes Back to You by Jackie Khalilieh
Everything Comes Back to You
by Jackie Khalilieh

Lennon has always tried to live up to her Palestinian Canadian father's exacting standards, even if her older sister hasn't, but when a crush on an older white boy develops into something more, she must find the strength to balance her own desires against her father's expectations. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this new YA novel.
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist
by Emily Lloyd-Jones

In near-future Portland, Oregon, Augusta Pine spies for the government instead of facing murder charges for a hacking incident gone terribly wrong. When cyberterrorists attack the building she’s staying in, she must use her wits to protect the building’s residents. This propulsive thriller is both clever and heartfelt.
To Dance the Moon and Stars (a Graphic Novel) by Tasia M. S.
To Dance the Moon and Stars (a Graphic Novel)
by Tasia M. S. and Barbara Perez Marquez.

An enchanting South Asian--inspired fantasy of romance, heartbreak, and challenging tradition. In a kingdom where dance is forbidden, a future high priestess must bend the rules to stop an ancient evil from destroying everything and everyone she loves--including the crown prince--in this sweeping romantasy graphic novel. 
Ladies of the Knight by Fiona Marchbank
Ladies of the Knight
by Fiona Marchbank

Although George hasn’t found a knight willing to take her on as a squire, she’s not giving up on her dreams. When she finally gets a chance with grumpy tournament champion Serafina, the unlikely duo discover they have much to learn from each other.

Read-alikes: ND Stevenson’s Nimona; Anna Kopp’s The Marble Queen.
Evie and Her Nightmares by Francesca Zappia
Evie and Her Nightmares
by Francesca Zappia

After the death of her best friend, Evie Leigh seeks solace in an online role-playing game. But online life alone can't sustain her, and the farther she pushes herself away from reality, the harder it will come back to bite. A stand-alone companion to the acclaimed Eliza and Her Monsters.

For fans of: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 14 and up!
Dakota County Library
www.dakotacounty.us/library

Facebook Twitter Instagram
logo