Read on to discover the synopsis, the stunning cover by Corey Brickley (find them on Instagram and Twitter!), and Kendall’s thoughts on it!

Eighteen-year-old Henrietta arrives in Los Angeles in 1934 with dreams of trading her boring life for stardom.

She’s determined to make it as an actress, despite her family’s doubts and rumors of would-be starlets gone missing. And by the skin of her teeth, she pulls it off! A serendipitous job offer arrives, and Henrietta finds herself on a whirlwind publicity tour for a major film role—with a vexingly unpleasant actor tapped by the studio to be her fake boyfriend.

But fierce Henrietta has more in common with brooding Declan than she realizes. They both have gifts that they are hiding, for fear of being labeled strange: he is immune to injury, and she can speak to ghosts. Together, they might be the only people in Hollywood who can do something about these poor missing girls. And in doing so . . . they might just fall in love for real.

“One of my favorite experiences publishing Murder for the Modern Girl was seeing how the fabulously talented cover artist Corey Brickley interpreted my dark and daring 1920s fantasy world, and after writing A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife, I couldn’t wait to see what Corey would come up with to capture the glamour and grit of 1930s Hollywood.

I could not imagine a more perfect depiction of the book, about a bright and bubbly starlet who brushes up against the darker side of Hollywood stardom when she starts to see the ghosts of missing actresses. There are so many gorgeous details (the ghosts in the windows! the glow of the marquee! the sly smirk from the boy in the suit—who doesn’t look all that impressed with this movie stuff), and I am thrilled to finally share this cover with the world!”—Kendall Kulper 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kendall Kulper is an author living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She writes historical fantasy for young adults, including Murder for the Modern Girl, which was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and received two starred reviews. She graduated from Harvard University with an honors degree in History & Literature and lives with her husband, two daughters, and much-Instagrammed dog, Abby. Visit her online at KendallKulper.com or find her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

The post Exclusive Cover Reveal: A Starlet’s Secret To A Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We chat with author Kendall Kulper about her latest release Murder for the Modern Girl, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!

Hi, Kendall! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m an author and artist in Cambridge, MA, where I live with my husband, two daughters, and sweet dog, Abby. Murder for the Modern Girl is my third published novel, but I’ve been writing for as long as I’ve been stringing words together! I studied History and Literature in college, and I especially love delving into different historical eras and combining them with fantasy elements. When I’m not writing, I am often embroidering! I run a small side business selling custom embroidered artwork, usually highly-detailed portraits of people’s pets. I’m also an avid runner, sometimes weight-lifter, decent home cook, and certified Plant Lady.

How has the almost first half of 2022 been for you?

Ahh, we’re all doing the best we can, right?? There have for sure been some pandemic-related challenges and disruptions, but on the whole my family is healthy and we’re all doing well. I got into weight-lifting in a big way in January, which has been a wild ride, and I love it. Mostly, my life has been very full with fun and exciting book things! Prepping for Modern Girl’s launch, and getting ready for the next thing coming along (which I will hopefully be able to share more of so soon!).

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I think I have literally always loved writing. I can remember being in first grade and having to write sentences for homework every night, using one or two of the words of the week, and I would just write pages and pages. I used to write stories all the time in elementary school, and at the end of the day, I would sit in the cafeteria, write a page, and immediately hand it off to the person next to me to read, who would hand it off to the next person in line when they were done, and on and on down the row. That’s the kind of instant reader feedback I’ve been chasing my whole life lol

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

First book I remember reading: probably Pat the Bunny, which I loved because it was interactive! Also, I definitely thought “Pat” was the bunny’s name…

The book that made me want to be an author: I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn when I was 12, for 7^th grade summer reading, and it has been a touchstone for me my whole life. I felt such a kinship with Francie, the main character, who loves to read and write and dreams about becoming an author. I’d always dreamed of becoming a writer someday, but seeing Francie on that path helped make it feel like a real possibility!

The book I can’t stop thinking about: Other than the book I’m writing right now, which I literally can’t stop thinking about, right now I am absolutely loving Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee. The writing is so beautiful and evocative, and I have it on audiobook, so I’ve been going for lots of long walks imaginging myself in this different world!

Your new novel, Murder for the Modern Girl, is out May 31^st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Fun, flirty, flapper, mind-reading, murders

What can readers expect?

Set in Prohibition Chicago, Murder for the Modern Girl is about eighteen-year-old Ruby Newhouse, a fun party girl who hides a secret: she can read minds. Along with absolutely crushing at Charades, she uses this ability to hunt down and poison men who have escaped justice. Everything’s going all swimmingly when she learns her father, the last uncorrupt civil servant in Chicago, is being targeted by a political conspiracy, and she has to find and expose the people behind this to keep her family safe. While investigating this plot, she meets and makes friends with Guy Rosewood, a shy, sweet shapeshifter working in the city morgue. Fortunately for Ruby, brilliant Guy agrees to help her protect her family—but unfortunately, he’s also started investigating where all those poisoned dead bodies came from. And even worse, Ruby finds herself falling for him.

Where did the inspiration for Murder for the Modern Girl come from?

I read an excellent book called The Poisoner’s Handbook, by Deborah Blum, about the birth of forensic science in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, poisons and other methods of chemically killing a person were widely available and nearly impossible to trace, and scientists began racing to develop methods to detect whether crimes had actually taken place. I love the Jazz Age in general, and this was such a fascinating angle to approach that time. Since I always love combining history and fantasy, I started to imagine how a fantasy element might complicate the idea of a person involved in murder, and I created the character of Ruby, who feels a responsibility to eliminate criminals who have escaped justice and are planning more crimes. I wanted her to have a foil and someone who could bring in more of the scientific aspects, which led me to Guy, and since I love a tragic backstory, I added in that his scientific interest comes from a desperate desire to understand his own shapeshifting ability, after he lost control in a way that ended in tragedy.

But truly, I draw inspiration from so many places! F. Scott Fitzgerald’s excellent short story, “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” helped me really get a sense of the time and feeling of the Twenties. The short-lived, much-loved show Pushing Daisies has a wonderful balance of sweetness and darkness that I tried to capture. “Strong Female Protagonist,” a webcomic by Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag about superheroes dealing with the messy reality of their powers, was excellent for thinking through exactly how Ruby and Guy would walk around and face the world with their abilities. And Chicago was my hometown for several years, so there are lots of neighborhood-specific details!

Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

Murder for the Modern Girl had a looooong road. I first came up with this idea around the end of 2015 and spent the next year and a half really nailing it down. After I came back from maternity leave with my second kid, I jumped right back into the book and it went out to publishers in 2018. It took two years to find the right home, and boy those were tough years. I usually find it very easy to let go of manuscripts I’ve written, and like pretty much all authors out there, I have a few manuscripts that will never get published. With all of them, I feel like that was the right move—those manuscripts might have had things about them that I loved, but ultimately they were not the right books for me at the time. The only manuscript I felt real, true grief over the possibility of never getting to share with the world was this one. I never reread my books—even the published ones—but I found myself pulling out this manscript so many times, just because I had written it to give myself hope and joy during a difficult time, and rereading it never failed to make me feel a bit better.

As far as overcoming that challenge, the best thing you can do for your career is to have a team who supports you. I truly have to credit my incredible agent, Sara Crowe, for always believing in me and this book and continuing to search for the right home for it. I think I honestly didn’t believe her at first when she called me in Spring 2020 to tell me it had sold! (I was also deep into early pandemic survival mode with two small kids—it was a wild time) But in the end, it was exactly the right time and place for it—I couldn’t be happier with my editor and my publisher, and I am so thrilled this book will be out in the world!

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

As much as this book is a romance, there is so much about the importance of friendship, and creating and exploring the relationship between Ruby and her best friend, Maggie, was such an unexpected bright spot. Their friendship is based on a lot of close friendships I’ve had, how they support and trust one another, step up for each other, joke around, and inspire each other to be better people. Maggie started out as just a side character, but the more I wrote about her, the more I fell in love with her, and she absolutely has all the best lines in the book lol.

I also loved learning more about science through Guy! Science has never been my strong suit, and I basically white-knuckled all my required science courses in college, but I am still fascinated by how the world around us works. Forcing myself to see through the eyes of a scientist gave me a new perspective on life, and it was a very satisfying challenge to figure out how to describe all these scientific processes in an accessible way.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

Best advice: Just Write the Damn Book. There is so much in publishing out of your control, but the thing you do control is the writing. Write. Focus on that. Give it your time and attention, and let go of the rest of the process.

Worst advice: When I was in a college writing program, there was a real undercurrent of disdain for children’s books. I can remember an instructor telling me, a twenty-year-old, that my next piece of writing had to have a main character old enough to have a mortgage. So for many years, I slogged through writing extremely boring, extremely depressing, theoretically “edgy” stories about divorce, affairs, childbirth, elder dementia—topics which I knew absolutely nothing about but I thought would give my writing prestige. What it actually did was completely suck all the joy out of writing. When I thought about when was the last time I enjoyed writing, what came to me was the Newsies fanfiction I had written in high school, which was essentially just historical fiction YA. I stopped caring about what I thought I “should” write and instead focused on the writing that gave me joy, and now I am a much happier, and very proud, children’s book author.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on another book! There will be more details to share soon, but it involves the Golden Age of Hollywood and ghosts, and it is so freaking fun to write!

Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?

I love anything by Ruta Sepetys so of course I Must Betray You is high on my list! Claire LeGrand is another must-buy and her recent horror novel Extasia is incredible. And I’m loving the audiobook of Katie Cotugno’s Birds of California!

Will you be picking up Murder for the Modern Girl? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kendall Kulper, Author of ‘Murder for the Modern Girl’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The YA genre is not holding back when it comes to 2022’s upcoming book releases! Between the months of January and June, readers are going to be delighted as to what they can get their hands on with books from favourite authors, to those making their debut!

From stories of love, magic, and mystery, to retellings, anthologies, and sequels, you will surely find several new reads to add to your TBR and we apologies in advance for adding to it!

Looking for more releases? Check out our Most Anticipated 2022 Releases and our Must-Have 2022 Queer Releases.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below which ones you’re looking forward to!

JANUARY

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
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A bighearted novel about falling in love, making a mess, and learning to let go, When You Get the Chance is the next effervescent novel from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club pick You Have a Match.

Hopepunk by Preston Norton
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A heartfelt and funny new novel about forgiveness and redemption, and about how hope is the ultimate act of rebellion, perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli.

The Red Palace by June Hur
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June Hur, critically acclaimed author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls, returns with The Red Palace—a third evocative, atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco.

Into The Midnight Void by Mara Fitzgerald
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Fans of Holly Black and Kendare Blake will obsess over the conclusion to this deliciously dark YA fantasy duology!

Serendipity, edited by Marissa Meyer
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From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that’s been there all along, 10 of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favourite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will fall for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding, and serendipitous. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen.

Waking Romeo by Kathryn Barker
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Kathryn Barker’s Waking Romeo is a spectacularly genre-bending retelling of Romeo & Juliet asking the big questions about true love, fate, and time travel

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
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Meg Long’s Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a captivating debut about survival, found family, and the bond between a girl and a wolf that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories and frontier myths.

Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg
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This heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary follows Dua, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love.

Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
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Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.

The Kindred by Alechia Dow
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To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…

Medusa by Jessie Burton
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A dazzling, feminist retelling of Greek myth from the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist, stunningly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
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A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

FEBRUARY

And We Rise by Erica Martin
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A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.

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—from debut author Angela Velez.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
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Extasia by Claire Legrand
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From New York Times bestselling author Claire LeGrand comes a new, bone-chilling YA horror novel about a girl who joins a coven to root out a vicious evil that’s stalking her village. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Grace Year.

All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle
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The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant’s son.

League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
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In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and How to Get Away with Murder.

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.

Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian
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A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher
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A heartbreaking novel about finding your first love and what happens when it’s over too soon. Ashley Schumacher’s Full Flight is about how first love shapes us—even after it’s gone. 

Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
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For fans of Sandhya Menon and Adam Silvera, a prom-night romantic-comedy romp about a Sikh teen’s search for love and identity

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
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The sweeping romance of Passenger meets the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song in this stunning contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, where the line between monster and hero is razor thin.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban
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Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed.

MARCH

The One True Me and You by Remi K. England
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A big-hearted, joyful romance and a love letter to all things geek, Remi K. England’s The One True Me and You is a *witness me* celebration of standing up for, and being, yourself.

Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta
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This Pride & Prejudice retelling brings New York Times bestselling Sayantani DasGupta’s trademark wit and insight to her bright and funny YA debut!

A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
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From New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, Traci Chee, comes a Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry.

This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg
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Marit Weisenberg’s This Golden State follows a family on the run, a restless teenage daughter hungry for the truth, and the simple DNA test that threatens their carefully crafted world

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
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A smart, sexy YA novel about a boy band star, his first breakup, his first rebound, and what it means to be queer in the public eye, from award-winning author Adib Khorram.

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi
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A ragtag band of misfits gets swept up in Holy Land politics in Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi, a thrilling YA remix of the classic legend of Robin Hood.

Message Not Found by Dante Medema
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An emotionally complex portrayal of secrets, loss, and grief from Dante Medema, Indies Introduce author of the Indie Next Pick title The Truth Project. 

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson
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From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with an art-based magic system, romance, and murder…

Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen
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For fans of Jenny Han and Jane Austen, a rom-com that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt about the unexpected consequences of one teen’s quest to help her friends find love, from the author of A Taste for Love.

Cinder & Glass by Melissa de la Cruz
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Blockbuster author Melissa de la Cruz’s YA retelling of Cinderella, set in 17th Century Versailles.

The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
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Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood, this genre-bending page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux follows two girls who transport themselves into the world of their favorite book only to encounter the sinister alternate reality that awaits them. 

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
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A romantic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Erin A. Craig and Margaret Rogerson, about two people who find themselves competing for glory – and each other’s hearts – in a magical fox hunt.

APRIL

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum
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What secrets will people keep—or reveal—to protect those they love? This novel, set against the frightening backdrop of an encroaching fire season, sparks reflection about friendship, the allure of romantic love, and loyalty to family.

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke
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The Fountains of Silence meets Spinning Silver in this rollicking tale set amid the 1956 Hungarian revolution in post-WWII Communist Budapest from Sydney Taylor Honor winner Katherine Locke.

Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
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They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.

K-Pop Revolution by Stephan Lee
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She thought that debuting in a K-Pop band was the finish line, but it was only the beginning. Because now it’s not only her company judging her—it’s the entire world. If K-Pop Confidential was about finding your voice, K-pop Revolution is about finding the courage to stand by your beliefs, even when powerful forces are trying to shame and silence you.

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?

Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
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Sarah Dessen meets Adam Silvera in the debut YA romance everyone is talking about!

Very Bad People by Kit Frick
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In this dark academia young adult thriller for fans of The Female of the Species and People Like Us, a teen girl’s search for answers about her mother’s mysterious death leads to a powerful secret society at her new boarding school—and a dangerous game of revenge that will leave her forever changed.

My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding by Sajni Patel
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A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian wedding.

Flirting With Fate by J.C. Cervantes
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Jane the Virgin meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in New York Times bestselling author J.C. Cervantes’s charming, romantic YA debut.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
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When a high stakes boarding school prank war leads to a fake dating scheme, two teens must decide if they are ready to take the ultimate risk — falling in love.

The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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Black Mirror meets Marie Lu’s Warcross in Nami’s continuing adventures as she fights to free her friends in this high-stakes sequel to The Infinity Courts by award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman.

All the Best Liars by Amelia Kahaney
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Amelia Kahaney’s All the Best Liars is a dark, modern psychological thriller and coming-of-age story about obsession, manipulation, and the intensity of those first friendships that take hold of you and never let go

MAY

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical romance in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous first day of college—only to discover that her nemesis is stuck in the time loop with her.

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
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An ancient city plagued by dragons. A flamenco dancer determined to save her ancestral home. A dragon hunter refusing to teach her his ways. They don’t want each other, but they need each other, and without him her world will burn.

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
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Salem’s Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.”

A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
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New from the author of Counting Down with You comes a sparkling YA romance about an aspiring screenwriter who falls for the indie film star who goes undercover at her school.

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
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Who killed Brooke Donovan? It’s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks it’s the wrong guy. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale can’t miss this page-turning who-done-it that’s sure to be the next must read Young Adult thriller!

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson
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In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.

Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg
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From Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Murder for the Modern Girl by Kendall Kulper
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Gatsby-era glamour, a swoon-worthy love story, and an indomitable heroine dazzle in this romp that captures the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and the dangers of vigilante justice.

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
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Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this witty and romantic teen novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho
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What would you do if the world’s biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.

All Signs Point to Yes, edited by G. Haron Davis, Cam Montgomery, and Adrianne White
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A YA anthology of love stories for each of the star signs that will showcase multicultural characters and celebrate the myriad facets of love, from meet-cutes to the lesser-explored love expressed by aromantic people, featuring 13 bestselling and award-winning multicultural authors.

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth
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Half-fae Arlo becomes entangled in the courtly intrigue at the Seelie Summer palace as danger for ironborns mounts in this gripping sequel to A Dark and Hollow Star that’s The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones.

JUNE

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
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Secrets. Lies. Super-bad choices. Witchcraft. This is Our Crooked Hearts, a darkly gripping contemporary fantasy from Melissa Albert, the New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright
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This sweeping YA fantasy romance full of star-crossed love, complex female friendship, and astrological magic is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Alexandra Bracken, and V.E. Schwab. From the acclaimed author of The Beholder.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
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Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!

Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
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In the sequel to Victoria Aveyard’s instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker, a divided world must rally, an unstoppable enemy must be defeated, and the fate of the world rests on a blade’s edge.

This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian
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A sweeping debut novel about first love, complicated family dynamics, and the pernicious legacy of racism. Perfect for fans of Tahereh Mafi, Jandy Nelson, and Emily X.R. Pan, with crossover appeal for readers of Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half and Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You.

Valiant Ladies by Melissa Grey
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Two teen vigilantes set off on an action-packed investigation to expose corruption and deliver justice in Valiant Ladies, Melissa Grey’s YA historical fiction novel inspired by real seventeenth century Latinx teenagers known as the Valiant Ladies of Potosí.

Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine
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The first in a YA political fantasy duology about a fierce princess determined to bring lasting peace to her kingdom regardless of the cost to her heart —from C.J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series and the New York Times bestselling Ravenspire series. Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, And I Darken, and Ash Princess.

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel
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The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar
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Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos
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For Dracula lovers and fans of Diana Urban’s All Your Twisted Secrets, this spine-tingling thriller follows seven horror buffs as their dream trip to a remote Romanian castle turns into a nightmare when they begin to be killed one by one.

Game of Strength and Storm by Rachel Menard
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Game of Strength and Storm is a YA gender-bent Hercules retelling. Teenagers of Olympia Gen and Castor race to be the first to complete six nearly impossible challenges to obtain their greatest desire. Only one will win. The other walks away with nothing—if she walks away at all.

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
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I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Cheerleaders in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

What 2022 YA book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 72 Upcoming YA Book Releases To Add To Your TBR appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Before we share the stunning cover, Kendall wanted to say a few words!

“MURDER FOR THE MODERN GIRL is a romantic, jazzy, cat-and-mouse fantasy about a mind-reading flapper who hunts down murderers in 1920s Chicago and the shy, shapeshifting forensic scientist quietly falling for her—while unwittingly trying to solve her crimes. I knew the cover had to immediately capture that kind of smoky, alluring, dangerous vibe, and I am so thrilled about what Holiday House came up with! Corey Brickley’s illustration is so gorgeously evocative (and full of sly, winking details) and is the perfect introduction for readers to this world!”

A ravishing young mind reader stalks the streets at night in kitten heels, prowling for men to murder. A soft-spoken genius toils away in the city morgue, desperate to unearth the science behind his gift for shapeshifting. It’s a match made in 1928 Chicago, where gangsters run City Hall, jazz fills the air, and every good girl’s purse conceals a flask.

Until now, eighteen-year-old Ruby’s penchant for poison has been a secret. No one knows that she uses her mind-reading abilities to target men who prey on vulnerable women, men who escape the clutches of Chicago “justice.” When she meets a brilliant boy working at the morgue, his knack for forensic detail threatens to uncover her dark hobby. Even more unfortunately: sharp, independent Ruby has fallen in love with him.

Waltzing between a supernaturally enhanced romance, the battle to take down a gentleman’s club, and loyal friendships worth their weight in diamonds, Ruby brings defiant charm to every spectacular page of Murder for the Modern Girl—not to mention killer fashion. An irresistible caper perfect for fans of The Diviners series and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

Kendall Kulper writes young adult historical fiction with a fantasy twist and knows more about nineteenth century whaling than she ever imagined. After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in history and literature, she spent several years as a journalist before deciding to write full-time. Kendall grew up in the wilds of New Jersey and now lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, kids, and their much-tweeted-about dog, Abby. Find her online at kendallkulper.com and @KendallKulper.

The post Exclusive Cover Reveal: Murder for the Modern Girl by Kendall Kulper appeared first on The Nerd Daily.