The Most Exciting YA Books Coming Out This Winter

New year, new books! If you’re looking for the hottest YA books coming out this winter, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together this reading list of the latest and greatest young adult books to help you reach your reading goals this year. On this list, you’ll find exciting YA romance, thriller, and fantasy books to read this winter.

Whether you’re an avid reader of young adult books or are new to the category, you’ll want to add these novels to your TBR.

New YA Books Coming in January:

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White

By Amélie Wen Zhao

The epic sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

The Demon Gods have risen. Skies’ End has fallen to the colonizers. And Lan and Zen have chosen sides.

But they will not fight together.

Dungeons and Drama

By Kristy Boyce

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

A Place for Vanishing

By Ann Fraistat

Coming 01.21.25

A teen girl and her family return to her mother’s childhood home, only to discover that the house’s strange beauty may disguise a sinister past, in this contemporary gothic horror from the author of What We Harvest.

The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee

By Ellen Oh

When a Korean American teenage artist gets sucked into the world of her own web comic, she must find a way out with the help of a cute boy all while facing off against a villainous corporation. Inspired by the A-ha’s “Take on Me” music video, this entertaining YA novel is a grounded speculative fiction adventure from a founding member of We Need Diverse Books.

“Sincere, smart, and meta…this stirring high-concept novel… stands out from the rest.”-Soman Chainani, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL series

“A lighthearted story with touches of romance and fantasy, told with K-drama flair.” —Kirkus Reviews

Wander in the Dark

By Jumata Emill

Coming 01.14.25

In this new pulse-pounding thriller from the author of The Black Queen, two brothers must come together to solve the murder of the most popular girl in school after one of them is caught fleeing the scene of her death.

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry

By Alex Ritany

What does it mean when your best friend is dead and your instinct is relief? A stunningly immersive debut about toxic friendships, grief, romance, and new beginnings.

The Gilded Ones #3: The Eternal Ones

By Namina Forna

Coming 01.07.25

The dazzling finale to the groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling Gilded Ones series. One girl holds the power to defeat the gods—but can she become one?

The Diablo's Curse

By Gabe Cole Novoa

Coming 01.21.25

From the award-winning author of The Wicked Bargain comes a high-stakes race to defeat a curse designed to kill–about a teen demon who wants to be human, a boy cursed to die young, and the murderous island destined to bury them both.

Snowglobe

By Soyoung Park

In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold—but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart. A groundbreaking Korean novel translated into English for the first time!

“The Hunger Games meets Squid Game in Soyoung Park’s dystopian thriller Snowglobe” –Entertainment Weekly

Last One to Die

By Cynthia Murphy

From TikTok’s “CEO of plot twists” comes a supernatural thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. Packed with voice-driven whodunit storytelling, and a classic slasher-movie feel, this dark, pacy, and irresistibly creepy thriller really has something for everybody!

Ariel Crashes a Train

By Olivia A. Cole

“A gorgeously kind, wonderfully gentle, and unfailingly compassionate depiction of OCD…bursting with light.”
— Ashley Woodfolk, critically acclaimed author of NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU

Exploring the harsh reality of OCD and violent intrusive thoughts in stunning, lyrical writing, this novel-in-verse conjures a haunting yet hopeful portrait of a girl on the edge. From the author of Dear Medusa, which New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed called “a fierce and brightly burning feminist roar.”

These Bodies Between Us

By Sarah Van Name

A wistful coming-of-age story with a haunting twist about four friends who spend their summer learning to become invisible—but disappearing comes at a cost.

Cursed Cruise

By Victoria Fulton, Faith McClaren

From the authors of Horror Hotel, called “fast-paced and freaky” by #1 NYT bestselling author Kendare Blake, comes another addictive YA horror about a group of teen ghost hunters who are invited to travel onboard a haunted historic cruise ship.

All aboard…

Royal Scandal

By Aimée Carter

The second book in the Royal Blood series about an American girl who threatens the royal family by exposing their darkest scandals—even as they get more sinister.