2022 is looking mighty fine when it comes to debut novels. Whether it’s a story about Black Muslim girls creating a safe space where they shatter racist assumptions or a novel set in a world where people can find out just how much time they have left before they die, these debut authors are sure to make a splash and land on multiple favourites shelves in the blink of an eye! Read on to find out what anticipated debuts we’re itching to get our hands on!
JANUARY
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
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A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
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For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague—a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice.
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
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The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut.
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
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When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Now 20 years later, Chloe finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients.. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren’t really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?
FEBRUARY
You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen
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In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths.
Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
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From debut author Kit Mayquist, a propulsive and atmospheric modern Gothic with all the splendor of The Great Gatsby . . . and all the secrets, lies, and darkness that opulence can hide.
Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity by Angela Velez
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Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip.
The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
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A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel about the things that make us unique and lovable, The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved, let alone accepted, for who we truly are, and learning to live fully and openly regardless.
MARCH
The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers
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For the audience of Fiona Davis and Lisa Wingate, a vibrant historical debut set in 1946 North Carolina following a young female seamstress who uncovers dangerous truths about the Big Tobacco empire ruling the American South.
Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith
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The Devil Wears Prada meets All the President’s Men. Three women’s careers hang in the balance: a famous journalist, a fledging politician, and the young reporter with ties to each who must navigate the tricky terrain between secrets and lies.
Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy
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A delicious debut rom-com about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup.
All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown
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What If It’s Us meets Life as We Knew It in this postapocalyptic, queer YA adventure romance from debut author Erik J. Brown. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Alex London.
APRIL
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
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Ocean’s Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums, about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
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A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter’s discovery that she has the power to change her family’s legacy.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
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A delight for readers of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this blockbuster debut set in 1960s California features the singular voice of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show.
My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham
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Wilder Girls meets The Craft in this sapphic horror debut that asks: What price would you be willing to pay to achieve your deepest desires?
MAY
The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim
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A sparkling K-drama inspired debut teen novel introduces irrepressibly charming teen Chloe Kang, who is reunited with her deceased father’s estranged family via a DNA test, and is soon whisked off to Seoul to join them.
Rainbow Rainbow by Lydia Conklin
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A fearless collection of stories that celebrate the humor, darkness, and depth of emotion of the queer and trans experience that’s not typically represented: liminal or uncertain identities, queer conception, and queer joy.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
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Age of Miracles meets The Immortalists in this spirit-lifting, high-concept blockbuster debut set in a world where people can find out how much time they have left to live.
I Guess I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn
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For fans of Never Have I Ever and Crazy Rich Asians, I Guess I Live Here Now takes readers on a journey to the place where trends are born—Seoul, Korea—where Melody Lee unwillingly moves with her family and must start a new life, a new school…and maybe a new romance.
JUNE
TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo
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A charming rom-com about high school debater TJ Powar who—after becoming the subject of an ugly meme—makes a resolution to stop shaving, plucking, and waxing, and prove that she can be her hairy self and still be beautiful…but soon finds this may be her most difficult debate yet. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.
The Sleepless by Victor Manibo
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In a near-future New York City where a minority of the population has lost the need for sleep, a journalist fights to uncover the truth behind his boss’s murder on the eve of a sinister corporate takeover—while his own Sleeplessness spirals out of control. . . .
How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder
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A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . . . and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners.
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
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Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches. Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, survival becomes her sole focus.
So many incredible books to ger excited for this year!
Thanks for sharing!
I have a few of these on my list too! The two I’m really waiting on are in the second half of the year.
The Last Feather by Shameez Patel Papathanasiou (July 2022) a fantasy novel with a diverse cast and what seems to be a class war looming.
Not a debut, but looking forward to The Lumanaries by Susan Dennard (October 2022).
Great post!
so excited for groupies by sarah priscus! it’s coming out in july