Your TBR better watch out because there are so many spectacular YA books hitting shelves over the next few months! With new releases from Amie Kaufman, Lexi Ryan, Karen M. McManus, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Henning, Lynn Painter, Danielle Paige, Kalyn Josephson, and Courtney Gould, along with a few debut novels, there’s something for every reader to pick up and enjoy between July and December!

Read on to discover just a few of our picks and also be sure to check out our Most Anticipated and Swoonworthy Romance lists for more releases!

JULY 2024

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

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Magic and sacrifice will collide as lovers and gods, enemies and allies vie for the fate of the world in this heart-pounding sequel to THE ISLES OF THE GODS, which Stephanie Garber called “deliciously diabolical and full of heart.” (Now publishes in September 2024)

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith

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A teen girl’s attempt to make amends with her former friend group takes a sinister turn during a weekend getaway at an ancestral Irish estate in this atmospheric, literary horror from the author of Those We Drown.

Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass

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A swoony contemporary romance from Adam Sass following a boy who is cursed to doom any romantic relationship—and the summer that changes everything.

A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman

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The Honeys meets The Secret History in a work of dark academia like no other — a boarding school thriller about a queer teen from Mississippi who finds himself swept into a world of old money, privilege, and the secret society at the heart of it all.

A Magic Fierce and Bright by Hemant Nayak

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A young technomancer teams up with a handsome thief to save her sister in this propulsive, magic-filled young adult fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gearbreakers and Iron Widow.

The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

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A group of friends fight to choose their own fates in this trope-savvy, self-referential young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games, about a demonic force that acts according to horror movie rules in the spirit of the Scream movies.

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

Ready or Not by Andi Porretta

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An anxious teen hopes that a summer of adventure and offbeat dares will keep her friend group together after graduation in this luminous coming-of-age graphic novel with the feel-good vibes of Booksmart and Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone.

Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus

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The newest mystery from the author One of Us Is Lying, the Queen of thrillers, Karen M. McManus! When mother-daughter grifters set out on their final job, the heist gets deadly and dangerously personal.

Break to You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young and Michelle Knowlden

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Bestselling author of Scythe and Challenger Deep Neal Shusterman, here with coauthors Debra Young and Michelle Knowlden, tells an intense yet tender story of two teens, trapped in impossible circumstances and unjust systems, willing to risk everything for love—no matter the consequences.

So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky

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A queer, feminist spin on Stephen King’s The Mist, this ode to female-rage is a perfect pick for fans of She Is a Haunting, and a reminder that if “boys will be boys”, girls will fight back.

Hearts Overboard by Becky Dean

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Set sail with this banter-filled rivals-to-lovers romance between a STEM-loving girl and a jock guy that will fill you with wanderlust…and have you rooting for love in the great outdoors!

AUGUST 2024

Ami by S. Jae-Jones

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Filled with adventure, romance and a race against time, Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the next book in the richly imagined Guardians of Dawn series.

The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee

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From Gillian Flynn Books, a lyrical young adult horror by debut author Wen-yi Lee that’s perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting, Stephen King’s IT, and The Haunting of Hill House.

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

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From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings

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The first book in a decadent fantasy duology set in Jazz Age Harlem, where at night the dance halls come to life―and death waits in the dark.

A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen

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In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families’ histories―and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn.

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

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From the author of the National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing comes an emotionally charged, moving novel about four generations of Filipino American boys grappling with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships.

The Empire Wars by Akana Phenix

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The Empire Wars is a powerful new YA fantasy in which magic may be a young woman’s only hope for survival.

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers’ hearts ablaze.

Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker

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A spine-tingling LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister.

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar

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The must-read suspense novel of the summer about a mysterious sister’s disappearance, her biggest betrayal and a deadly truth screaming to come out.  

Practical Rules for Cursed Witches by Kayla Cottingham

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From the New York Times bestselling author of My Dearest Darkest comes a sapphic fantasy adventure about a teen witch who must complete her magical training by breaking a powerful family’s curse. But her own affliction—to never find true love—gets in the way when she falls for the girl she’s trying to save.

Under The Surface by Diana Urban

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An epic survival-thriller about four teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope… even when all seems lost.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot by Preeti Chhibber

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This laugh-out-loud debut romance introduces perfectly imperfect Payal Mehta, whose plan to get her long-time crush to finally notice her is destined for success, but only if she ignores her budding feelings for her archnemesis…

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

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A queer Appalachian thriller that pulls no punches—following a trans autistic teen who’s drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them.

The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning

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Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly whodunit.

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

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From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?

Everything Glittered by Robin Talley

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In this queer historical thriller from a New York Times bestselling author, society girls try to find a murderer in a city filled with secrets and stunted by shame. Perfect for fans of Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

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From the New York Times bestselling author Dustin Thao, We Are Okay meets Wandavision in this novel about loss, and learning to let go.

The Monstrous Kind by Lydia Gregovic

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An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, set in a Regency England about two sisters fighting to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters—perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story.

The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s by Hanna Alkaf

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An all-girls school is struck with mysterious cases of screaming hysteria in this chilling dark academia thriller haunted by a deeply buried history clawing to the light.

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

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In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Better than the Movies, Wes and Liz struggle to balance their feelings for each other with the growing pains of being a college student.

To The Bone by Alena Bruzas

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This moving and tragic love story is also a starkly honest look at Colonial America, set during the “Starving Time” in Jamestown.

Spells To Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy

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A witch and a non-magical girl get stuck in an endless cycle of meet-cutes and breakups in this heart-stopping romantic young adult fantasy.

Faeries Never Lie, Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

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Faeries Never Lie, the next young adult collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, is filled with fourteen short stories to revel in, that center faeries of varying genders and cultures!

OCTOBER 2024

Tangleroot by Kalela Williams

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In this debut novel, chosen by booksellers as an Indies Introduce selection, a girl must face hard truths about blood and family, history and mystery.

Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz

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House of Roots and Ruin meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this gorgeous dark fantasy debut steeped in Norse mythology that follows a teen who accidentally awakens an imprisoned draugr and must follow him into a deadly magical forest to rescue her grandmother.

Spell of the Sinister by Danielle Paige

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In New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige’s wickedly fresh take on beloved tales, the fairy godmothers make the rules. Be careful what you wish for . . .

Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

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‘Tis the season for holiday hijinks in the newest sapphic rom-com about a rising star and a small town girl going on twelve fake holidates from the New York Times bestselling authors of She Gets the Girl, Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick!

The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones

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Dive into a lush, standalone fantasy, set in the same world as The Drowned Woods and The Bone Houses, about a deadly competition—perfect for fans of Holly Black and Erin A. Craig.

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.

Eleven Houses by Colleen Oakes

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Midnight Mass meets The Vampire Diaries in this epic romantic tale of a mysterious island and the houses who have stood for centuries to guard against the dreaded nightmare of beings waiting to strike from the ocean’s depths.

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga

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A sweeping, Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, where one girl seeks revenge against those who betrayed her—including the boy she used to love.

The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew

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Serpent & Dove meets Arcane in this dystopian romance debut that follows a cunning memory merchant who deals a little extra happiness on the side and the handsome rookie officer on her tail!

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution by S. K. Ali

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The first book in a gripping duology from acclaimed author S.K. Ali introduces a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war.

Inferno’s Heir by Tiffany Wang

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Fearing for her life, an outcast princess joins the rebellion against her own kingdom and family. . . but when playing with fire, someone always gets burned. 

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley

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Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas in this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets–and bodies–never stay buried.

NOVEMBER 2024

Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis

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The new Gambit takes Ross and her crew into the intoxicating casinos of Monte Carlo and across treacherous snow-covered slopes in Antarctica as Ross competes against Devroe in a fight for her life. Loyalties will be tested, backs stabbed, hearts broken. May the best thief win.

Darkly by Marisha Pessl

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A seemingly ordinary high school student. A mysterious summer internship. And a legendary game designer, now dead, leaving a dark legacy. The New York Times bestselling author of Night Film spins a twisted web in this masterful YA psychological thriller.

I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea

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Jamison Shea’s sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the “relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific” (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me.

The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard

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The forest is more dangerous than ever in this highly-anticipated, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.

Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar

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In this sapphic dual POV Young Adult romance by Adiba Jaigirdar, Meghna and Rani (ex-best-friends-turned-rivals) realize they’re dating the same guy, so they team up to beat and expose him at a big science competition!

When Mimi Went Missing by Suja Sukumar

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The splintered relationship between two Indian American cousins is at the center of this dark, twisty YA mystery—perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Karen McManus, and Angeline Boulley.

Midnights With You by Clare Osongco

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Fans of Susan Lee and Dustin Thao will be enchanted by this soulful YA romance about how we love, how we heal, and how we find the strength to go on.

Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson

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The Shadows Between Us meets The Scorpio Races in the epic conclusion to NYT bestselling Kalyn Josephson’s This Dark Descent, called “a fierce and darkly magical thrill ride” by acclaimed author Ava Reid.

Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart

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Jessa has been raised to be the “perfect girl”, but things go south. A killer looking for the perfect girl has targeted Jessa, and she’ll have to reject everything she’s been taught if she wants to keep herself―and her friends―alive until sunrise.

If You Can Hear This by Faith Gardner

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The twisty, intricate mystery of I Killed Zoe Spanos meets the whip-smart sleuthing of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in the newest novel from acclaimed author Faith Gardner, in which a club of misfits must come together to solve a dangerous mystery—and learn to lean on each other all the while.

Dead Girls Don’t Dream by Nino Cipri

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There are rules for Voynich Woods: Always carry a whistle. Never go alone. Always come home before dark. And if anyone calls your name, don’t answer. Because everyone who wanders from the path is never seen again.

Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June

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Sparks are flying in Winter Wonderland this Christmas in this LGBTQ+ young adult rom-com from Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue, Jay’s Gay Agenda, and Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball!

DECEMBER 2024

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

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A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment–to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

Dust by Alison Stine

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In this haunting, speculative coming-of-age novel about finding your place in an unforgiving environment, a partially deaf teen questions everything she knows about family, love, and her future.

Keep It in the Dark by Justin Arnold

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In this unashamedly queer, supernatural romance, Justin Arnold, author of Wicked Little Things, challenges the institutions that have sidelined queer love to the shadows, and brings it into the light.

We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis

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Deaths and disappearances pile up as a mysterious beast stalks the French countryside and two girls seize an unlikely opportunity that just might save them all—or serve them up on a platter.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

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Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker

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Gossip Girl meets Happy Death Day in this YA horror novel following high school outcast and anonymous social media gossip Ruby, who comes face-to-face with her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress. With less than a week until the dance, Ruby must unmask her killer—or die trying.

What YA books are you looking forward to hitting shelves between July and December? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 66 YA Books Hitting Bookshelves Between July and December 2024 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Move over, Ariel, because these 24 YA Little Mermaid retellings are about to make a splash! Tell-all sea witch origin stories, dark fairy tales laced with siren calls, and summer lovin’ romances on the sand—these books about mermaids will have you belting out Sebastian’s iconic line, “Darling, it’s better down where it’s wetter” in no time. So, grab your trusty dinglehopper and get ready to bring a whole new meaning to “Under the Sea.”

So why should I read YA Little Mermaid Retellings? We totally get it. You’ve been singing along to Disney’s 1989 animated film for as long as you can remember. You’re afraid these reimaginings might not live up to your childhood nostalgia or, worse, they’ll tarnish the magic of the original story. But fear not because we’ve got four reasons that will ease your worries and leave you yearning to be “Part of Your World.”

1. The Original Little Mermaid Is Actually a Story About Queer Love
Ever wondered who wrote the original Little Mermaid? The truth will surprise you. It wasn’t the Grimm Brothers, as you might expect. Nope, it was none other than the visionary Danish wordsmith himself, Hans Christian Andersen.

But what’s more, some history buffs have uncovered evidence that Andersen may have actually been queer. Yes, it’s true! A series of letters exchanged between the Danish author and the son of his professional benefactor gives rise to a tantalizing theory; could The Little Mermaid be a tragic metaphor for his forbidden gay love? Talk about making waves!

2. The Original Little Mermaid Story Ending is Junk
Curious about what happens at the end of the OG Little Mermaid? Hold on to your seashells because it’s no Disney “happily ever after.” Instead of sealing the deal with her prince charming, the mermaid ends up yeeting herself overboard and turning into sea foam. Can we get a refund?

It’s a good thing YA Little Mermaid retellings have got our backs. These modern adaptations are all about ditching the depressing foam party and giving our beloved Ariel the ending she truly deserves.

3. Go Beyond The Disney Movie
Let’s face it: With the Disney live-action movie now in the world and the extraordinary talent of Halle Bailey now gracing our screens, we’ve caught a serious case of mermaid fever.

If you’re anything like us here at The Nerd Daily, then you’re scrambling for more deep-sea adventures alongside Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian, and Flounder. Forget the predictable two-hour movie; these mermaid books turn the 90s classic completely on its head and give us so much more than nostalgia.

4. The Perfect Beach Read for Summer
Picture this: You’re chilling by the pool, the sun kissing your skin, with a delicious, fruity drink in hand. Life is good, right? Well, almost. There’s one crucial item missing from this Instagram-worthy scene: the perfect beach read!

But no worries, my fellow mermaid enthusiasts, because we’ve got just the thing for you: YA Little Mermaid retellings. These books will transport you to sun-soaked beaches, dazzling ocean depths, and mythical underwater realms that scream summertime vibes. Seriously, all you need now is a real-life mermaid tail!

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
If you’re looking for an atmospheric reimagining of The Little Mermaid, then the search is over. In this Ursula origin story, dive into the haunting depths of a young sea witch’s transformation, tangled friendships, and a dark enchantment that is destined to change the fate of an entire kingdom.

The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill
The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Little Mermaid in this razor-sharp feminist fairy tale retelling that punches the patriarchy right where it hurts. Laced with the darkest of undercurrents, The Surface Breaks is about blistering rage, brutal misogyny, and one young mermaid who dreams of freedom.

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Swashbuckling pirates, murderous Sirens, and a high-stakes quest to save the world—what more do you need?
In this dark Little Mermaid retelling written by the author of Into the Crooked Place, a deadly siren princess and a ruthless pirate prince must work together to save everything they hold dear. Combine that with the enemies-to-lovers trope, and you’ve got an irresistible YA fantasy romance on your hands.

Part of Your World by Liz Braswell
What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula? In this Little Mermaid sequel, enter a parallel universe where King Triton is out of the picture and Ariel reigns as the majestic queen of Atlantica. But now our favourite redhead faces an impossible task: she must find a way to save Prince Eric and reverse the curse that binds her to the sea.

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
Are you utterly desperate for a diverse YA Little Mermaid book? Then look no further than this West African-inspired fairy tale reimagining. Simi is a devoted Mami Wata, a mermaid entrusted with guiding the souls of those lost at sea. However, when a living boy is cast overboard, Simi finds herself entangled in a perilous journey where vengeful gods, ancient decrees, and shadowy forces converge.

Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino
With over 18,000 ratings on Goodreads, it’s safe to say that Poor Unfortunate Soul is the ultimate Ursula fanfic. To put things simply, Serena Valentino has written a twisted villain origin story that will have you crying, “Spells, Ursula, please!” We guarantee you’ll never look at the infamous sea witch the same way again.

Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller
Were you crushing hard on Prince Eric as a kid? No worries, you weren’t alone. For anyone who’s ever wanted a book from Prince Eric’s POV (what the heck was he thinking when he saw Ariel’s ridiculous sail dress?!), then this YA Little Mermaid retelling written by the author of The Game and Belle Révolte is for you.

Against the Tide by J. Elle
Inspired by Disney’s live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid and written by the bestselling author of the Wings of Ebony series, Against the Tide is the fairy tale prequel you never knew you needed. Full of messy family dynamics, black girl magic, and unexplained kidnappings, this mermaid story takes you to Ariel’s grotto and beyond.

Kitsune by Nicolette Andrews
Ever imagined Ariel as a Japanese fox spirit? No? We hadn’t either, but now we don’t have to because that’s exactly what this Japanese-inspired YA book is all about. So if you love to binge-watch anime, adore Julie Kagawa’s The Shadow of the Fox, or have a visit to Japan on your bucket list, then Kitsune is sure to make a splash in your TBR pile.

Kiss of the Selkie by Tessonja Odette
Out of all the YA Little Mermaid retellings on this list, Kiss of the Selkie is the one we’re the most excited about. Pitched as ACOTAR meets Bridgerton and The Selection, this standalone fairy tale reimagining has got enemies-to-lovers romance, The Bachelor vibes, snarky fae royals, and Scottish-inspired mythology.

Drown by Esther Dalseno
Seven emotionless princesses + a malicious witch haunted by memories + a handsome, self-mutilating prince = an eerie YA book about sirens that will keep you perched on the edge of your beach towel. A complete reinvention of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, Drown is not your mother’s Little Mermaid bedtime story.

The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist by S.L. Huang
Rejoice, science fiction lovers! If you prefer the wonders of the future over fantasy realms, this sapphic Little Mermaid retelling written by the author of The Water Outlaws and Burning Roses should be on your radar. Enter a dystopian world teeming with whosits and whatsits galore, where a government scientist falls in love with her genetically engineered mermaid experiment and has to pay the price.

The Little Android by Marissa Meyer
Any superfans of The Lunar Chronicles out there? Then this one’s for you. Written by Marissa Meyer, this futuristic Little Mermaid novella casts our favourite redhead as a star-crossed android named Mech6.0. But when Mech6.0 saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her circuits start doing strange things…is this what humans call “falling in love?”

Atlantia by Ally Condie
Forget everything you thought you knew about The Little Mermaid because this YA dystopian novel from the author of Matched is about to flip the script! Sure, there aren’t any mermaids in this post-apocalyptic world, but don’t let that discourage you. Loosely inspired by the famous mermaid fairy tale, Atlantia is about a girl who must unleash her long-muted siren voice and take down a corrupt system that keeps the land and sea unfairly divided.

The Little Mermaid’s Voice: A 1912 Titanic Fairy Tale by Shonna Slayton
Hold onto your life jackets, folks! This incredible mash-up of The Little Mermaid and the legendary Titanic will have you saying, “Jack and Rose who?” Set 100 years after the events of the original Little Mermaid, this YA fairy tale sequel follows Ariel’s niece as she navigates the turbulent waves of love and tragedy aboard the ship of dreams.

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson
Who needs knights in shining armour when you have a badass noblewoman with killer pipes? The Little Mermaid meets Robin Hood in this medieval YA reimagining where a daring heroine disguises herself as a mute servant to escape a grim fate. But when she meets the charming Lord Westley, things go from quiet to swoon-worthy.

The Mermaid by Christina Henry
From the author of Lost Boy comes a historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea for love and later finds herself in P.T. Barnum’s American Museum as the real Fiji mermaid. However, leaving the museum may be harder than leaving the sea ever was.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
This 2013 Odyssey Award Nominee combines mermaids, the 1800s, and ghosts for a dark Little Mermaid retelling that is anything but your stereotypical paranormal romance. It’s got creepy churchyards, a repulsive mermaid queen, a woman who drowned in a sarcophagus, and underwater doll graveyards. So if you’re in the mood for a bone-chilling summer read that will send shivers down your sunscreen-covered spine, then Monstrous Beauty is the mermaid book for you.

When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez
Meet Malaya, a seventeen-year-old submerged in a toxic relationship and feeling disconnected from everyone. But when she seeks solace in the sea, she gets thrown into a world of alternate timelines and Filipino mythological creatures. With a raw exploration of gaslighting and abuse, this diverse YA Little Mermaid retelling packs an emotional punch and sheds light on how one might be stripped of their power.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
It’s time to rock those shades, slather on the SPF, and get tangled up in this modern Little Mermaid tale. When talented singer Elyse loses her voice in a tragic accident, she finds solace in a charming Oregon beach town. But when a playboy sailor enters the scene, can Elyse confront her fears and find her voice again? Perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, this fluffy YA romance is the ultimate poolside companion.

Coral by Sara Ella
Depression, anxiety, and emotional trauma, oh my! Coral is a contemporary new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved—yet tragic—fairy tale. This powerful narrative explores mental health from multiple perspectives and questions what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost.

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
Dark fairy tale lovers, where you at? Because this twisted Little Mermaid retelling is darker than Ursula’s lipstick and full of soulless monsters to boot. Celia, a girl with an unexplained connection to the ocean, finds herself tangled in a dangerous game with the spine-chilling sirens of the deep. Dive in if you dare, but beware, because once you enter the seductive world of Pearce’s Fathomless, there’s no turning back.

The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember
A kickass lesbian Viking? Check. A gender-queer God of Lies? Check. A bisexual mermaid? Check. Beluga whales? Double check. Yup, this sapphic Little Mermaid book inspired by Norse mythology has got all you need for Pride Month.

Sea Foam and Silence by S.L. Dove Cooper
A queerplatonic Little Mermaid retelling told in verse from the perspective of an asexual Ariel? Don’t mind if I do. Follow Maris, a curious young mermaid, as she races against time to unravel the enigmatic mysteries of love. Will she find the answers she seeks, or will she become mere foam upon the waves?

Have you read any of these YA Little Mermaid Retellings? Let us know in the comments below!

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Sarah, can you tell us about yourself and about The Queen Will Betray You?

Hi there! I’m a former sports journalist who can’t quite seem to stop writing about royalty, swordfighting, and true love. The Queen Will Betray You is the sequel to The Princess Will Save You, which came out last summer and is a sort of gender-swapped damsel-in-distress tale inspired by The Princess Bride. It’s hard to talk about Queen without spoiling some of Princess, so I’m going to be kind of vague here, but: To stay together forever, a princess and her true love must part: him to find his destiny, and her to warn her kingdom of the revenge headed its way. But both find nothing how they expect it to be, and the limits of blood, power, and truth are tested in ways they didn’t see coming.

What was your favourite part of the drafting process of this book, and did it differ from when you wrote The Princess Will Save You?

Drafting is typically my favorite part of writing. I know some writers prefer to get it over with and then live forever in revisions, but I’m not that person. I’d much rather sit with it and make the first draft as close to the final as possible. I was able to do that with Princess but Queen was a much different story. The pandemic really through off my entire writing schedule and thus my process went out the window with it. I reworked this story over and over with my editor until the last possible second, and those changes included a major restructuring last summer. But I was so excited with that revision because suddenly the book was headed in the direction I really wanted—and where I couldn’t get it to go earlier in the year. During that rewrite, I got a chance to write a scene I hadn’t expected but ended up becoming one of my favourite in the whole series.

Which character has been your favourite to write and which has been the most challenging?

This may be completely surprising to people who’ve read both Princess and Queen, but my favourite character to write is Taillefer and my most challenging one is Luca! Taillefer is fun because he’s sarcastic and clever and says and does things I would never, ever do. Luca has been more challenging simply because he’s been tasked with a huge change in his life and has to accept both who he is and the expectations of others. He’d rather just sit there and have some tea and listen to others talk about their feelings, but he needs to lead, and pairing his cinnamon roll nature with the largess of what’s on his plate and make sure it was all true to his character was a challenge indeed.

What are some must haves when you’re sitting down to write?

I always need something to drink—water, fizzy water, or coffee or a combination of all three—plus lined 6×4 Post-Its, Sharpie pens, and, when I’m at home, my Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

If you could bring one of your own characters to life, who would it be and why?

Probably Ula because she would always tell me like it is and is loyal to a fault.

What is your favourite romance trope to read?

I think it would come as no surprise given both Princess and my debut, Sea Witch, but I definitely seem to really like the childhood-best friends-to-lovers trope. Watching the Shadow & Bone series on Netflix reconfirmed my membership to Team Mal, too, by the way!

Let’s say Ama was trapped on a desert island, what three things would she absolutely want with her?

One: Luca (duh). Two: Her boot knife. Three: And endless supply of lemon cake.

Do you have any special traditions or celebrations for when you finish writing a book?

I do! There’s totally a reason Amarande and Luca love their lemon cake—not only does it work well with the environment of the Sand and Sky, but also there’s a very delicious lemon cake made by our local grocery co-op that my husband and I call “celebration cake.” You can buy it by the slice, and when I get publishing news, we run out and get a slice to share.

Can you give us a little hint as to what’s to come in The King Will Kill You? It’s sounding pretty ominous!

Ha—it’s meant to sound ominous! The fun with these titles is that the meaning of “You” is always changing, right along with the identity of the Queen or King (we always knew who the Princess was!). I will say that basically the patriarchy is really, really hard to kill.

Is there anything you’re reading, watching, listening to that you would recommend to our readers?

I’ve been pretty obsessed with both Ted Lasso and Dickinson. I’ve watched all their episodes at least twice during the past few months. The writing on both shows is just phenomenal and they put me in a happy, creative mood! Can’t wait for their upcoming new seasons!

You can find Sarah at her website, and on Twitter and Instagram.

Will you be picking up The Queen Will Betray You? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Sarah Henning, Author of ‘The Queen Will Betray You’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

You might want to navigate away from this review if you haven’t yet read The Princess Will Save You, because there will be spoilers! However, I highly encourage you to add it to your TBR because it’s an amazing read!

After a brief reunion with her love, Amarande must again leave Luca’s side in order for her to reclaim her kingdom from usurpers and Luca must also claim his own birthright. However, key players in this game for the throne have moved into place and are waiting to attack. They’ll both face unspeakable betrayal, enemies in the shadows, and as the odds seem insurmountable, their only hope is the power of their true love.

This story picks up pretty soon after The Princess Will Save You ends, and let me just say that if you’re worried about second book syndrome here, there’s absolutely no need to fear. If anything, Henning creates an even bigger world, where the political machinations of queens are starting to come to light, and everyone has some skeletons in their closet to hide. Amarande and Luca are separated again, and are facing some pretty harsh betrayals. They’re both pushed to their limits, but they’re not going to go down without a fight. These two continue to experience some pretty intense character growth, with Amarande having to learn how to put her faith in the person who least deserves it in her eyes. Luca must move past his own insecurities about leading in order to reclaim his throne.

After the events of the last book, there is definitely some trauma that both Luca and Amarande have to work through. It adds a level of dimension to the book that makes them both incredibly relatable. I’ve always seen Amarande as a very headstrong young woman that will charge headfirst and think about the consequences afterward. Unfortunately those same actions have some pretty significant consequences as she’s learned, and there’s definitely a lot more second guessing in this story. These were some of my favourite moments of the story, because you get to see Amarande’s mind at work.

So we’re introduced to a couple new characters in this story, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen with them. We also get a bit of background to a couple of the fierce queens that propels this story into the ultimate battle for control of the kingdom. Objectively, every character feels like they have right on their side, and if you reason with it long enough, you can understand how each thread has become twisted and warped into something more. It’s not always about villainy. Sometimes fighting the patriarchy twists even the best of hearts.

Of course, I can’t continue this review without talking about the love story within it. Truly, there’s something so pure about best friends that become lovers. It’s sweet and the most honest of love stories. There’s no question as to how well they know each other, and it creates a bond and trust that transcends so many other types of romances. Luca and Amarande’s love definitely make my little heart go pitter-pat.

This sequel will make you run the gamut of emotions; bone chilling terror for our two lovebirds, to exhilaration as they battle their enemies and make it through some pretty intense nail-biting situations. You’ll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, and though the ending is pretty solid, the title for the next book will have you feeling that something ominous is coming this way. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves thrilling fantasy adventures, and you should absolutely add it to your TBR.

The Queen Will Betray You is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of

Will you be picking up The Queen Will Betray You? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The breathtaking sequel to The Princess Will Save You in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky duology — a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

To stay together forever, Princess Amarande and her stableboy love, Luca, must part: Amarande to reclaim her kingdom from usurpers, and Luca to raise a rebellion and find his destiny. Arrayed against them are all the players in the game of thrones for control over the continent of The Sand and Sky. Facing unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds, their only hope is the power of true love…

The post Review: The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

After the death of her father, Amarande is given an ultimatum: marry or lose the crown…and possibly her life. The candidates are from the four neighbouring kingdoms, with their own plans for the kingdom. In order to force her hand, her beloved Luca, a stable boy, is kidnapped. But the daughter of the warrior king will not stand down in the face of danger. No one and nothing will stop her from rescuing her true love and her kingdom.

Can I just say that this book went by very quickly for me… One minute I’m on page one and the next I’m reaching the ending and cursing the fact that the next one isn’t out yet. I liked Sarah’s narration style, it was one that I got into easily, and I felt was appropriate for the story. Getting to see insights of each of the main characters/villains was something that I enjoyed because it’s glorious to be the one to know more than our characters know. Amarande was my favourite character, but something I will say is that I’m dying to know if certain characters will have a bigger role in the next book. Luca was precious, and my heart just went out to the poor guy. There’s just something about a soft cinnamon roll character that makes me all swoony. His perseverance is what definitely cemented the romance for me.

Something that took me by surprise is just how much Amarande fought for what she wanted. I shouldn’t be surprised by female characters like this, and yet here we are. Throughout the book, Amarande stood for what she believed in, and took no prisoners. She knew her strengths and wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs. There were moments where she had stumbles and was able to recognise her weaknesses. Again, I loved her character so much.

As I said before, if you’re as in love with The Princess Bride as I am, I think you’ll like the route that this story takes. There are lots of nods to it in the book (naturally), and I was there for it. What I will say is that it doesn’t quite have the humour that the original does, and that’s okay. I honestly liked that, because Sarah is taking her own spin on it. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in the next book because while the ending isn’t necessarily a cliffhanger, the reader is given quite a bit of information to contend with that made me audibly gasp.

The villains in this story felt a little predictable, but I do like how they were played against each other in ways that highlighted there was no lesser evil in this case. There are also secrets that are being dealt with in between that drove me insane, partially because they would drop in as the main plot was progressing and then we wouldn’t see them again for a while.

I’ll admit that there were little things here and there that I think readers might take as something that was a little underdeveloped. I’m looking at the romance in this area because while there isn’t “insta-love”, I feel like it isn’t acknowledged in an obvious enough way to make readers see two characters and think they’re in love. If it were tweaked a smidge, I think it would make more sense. However, for me personally, knowing the connection to the inspiration, it seemed pretty straightforward. I also want to say that I wanted a little more villain development. Mainly in their personalities. I felt like I got to see glimpses, but not nearly enough.

Overall, this was a great story for me. I got swept up in this whirlwind adventure and look forward to reading more of it in the next book. I’m rating this one an 8/10, and I definitely encourage you to add this one to your TBR!

The Princess Will Save You is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be picking up The Princess Will Save You? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A PRINCESS
A STABLE BOY
A QUEST

When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped.

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice.

And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom.

The acclaimed author of Sea Witch turns the classic damsel-in-distress tale on its head with this story of adventure, identity, and love.

The post Review: The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. So to start off, what drew you to writing?

Thanks for having me, Tasha and The Nerd Daily fam! You all are so supportive.

To answer your question, I’ve always been drawn to writing. As a kid, before I could write words, I was drawing stories out on construction paper and stapling them together in order to form a story. Once I could write words and sentences, that’s where I wanted to be.

For those out there who have never read any of your work, how would you describe your writing style/ novels?

Honestly, I can say I’m sort of all over the map! My fantasies, Sea Witch, Sea Witch Rising and The Princess Will Save You all have almost a historical fiction element to them—particularly the first two—and the writing style matches. More descriptive and evocative, etc. But my contemporary debut, Throw Like a Girl, is more of a commercial style—less about gorgeousness and more about action and economy. But what they all have in common is that the heroines use their strengths and don’t sit back.

Throughout your body of work, you do a lot of alternate retellings and gender bending. What initially inspired you to embrace this now popular style of storytelling?

I didn’t do it to be popular (LOL), I did it because I was interested in it. I actually don’t consider Sea Witch to be a retelling, though it is often referred to as one. In my head, it’s an origin story with elements of a retelling. Sea Witch Rising is actually much closer to a true retelling of The Little Mermaid…except that everything falls apart after it all goes wrong. The Princess Will Save You isn’t a retelling exactly either—it is a story inspired by The Princess Bride. If you’re going into it thinking that you’re getting The Princess Bride but completely gender bent, you might be surprised. It takes the scaffolding of The Princess Bride and turns the damsel-in-distress trope on its head in a way that I hope readers will appreciate.

How does your writing process differ between retellings such as Sea Witch and other types of narratives such as your January 2020 release, Throw Like A Girl?

Honestly, it’s actually not that different. As I mentioned earlier, the language varies between types of stories, but my process doesn’t. As a small example, all of my books have some element of an action sequence in them and, in my experience, it’s not that different to write a battle scene versus a sports sequence. I have a background in sports journalism and every magical action or battle scene in the Sea Witch books or The Princess Will Save You drew on that personal history of mine just as much as the football and softball scenes in Throw Like a Girl. The types of words are difference but the cadence and momentum are the same.

Beyond examples like that, I should say I just like telling a good tale and I’ve been lucky so far in my career that I’ve been able to tell widely different types of stories. I view it sort of like being an actor—some actors try to have a varied resume, and thrive on playing a wide spectrum of characters, while some, either by design or not, are pigeonholed into the same type of character all the time and do it well.

Your signature style of storytelling always involves strong, independent female characters. In the ever-evolving world of publishing, how important do you feel it is to see these types of protagonists?

I think it’s crucial to tell stories with female characters that have agency and stand up for themselves. This is part of the reason I wanted to touch on what I love about The Princess Bride in The Princess Will Save You. I love The Princess Bride to death, but I have always found a certain amount of discomfort with it. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I could put my finger on what exactly bothered me: the scene after Buttercup’s sham of a wedding to Humperdinck.

Buttercup has given up on everything. Somehow she has managed to secure not only a dagger but also a private room, and decides that she must end it—a future with the traitorous Humperdinck is far too bleak without the hope of ever seeing Westley again. The Buttercup we met at the beginning of this story, or even in the middle of it, would’ve taken that dagger and paid revenge. As fierce as she was, she would have done whatever she could have to reclaim her life and her love. And yet she didn’t. I wanted to address the discomfort I had with her inaction—and that of other damsel-type characters—in my own way.

In all your narratives, there are underlying romantic themes, regardless of setting. Do your relationships come first? Or the narrative?

The narrative does for sure. I love romantic elements because that’s who I am, but I have never written a tale that I consider to be purely about the romance. It’s secondary in how I plot my stories and it’s secondary to how I write them. I think this is because we as people are more than our relationships, even though love stories are so resonant.

So your next novel is The Princess Will Save You releasing from Tor Teen in July. Its been described as a genderbent The Princess Bride. Can you tell me a little about the novel?

The Princess Will Save You is the story of Princess Amarande of Ardenia, whose commoner true love, a stable boy named Luca, is kidnapped in a bid to push her into a political marriage. But rather than play the game, she changes it—setting out to rescue Luca, and possibly her kingdom’s future in the process.

This is a quest tale in which you will find sword fights, pirates of questionable talents, and a pursuit within a pursuit. There are scheming princes, potions, and smart women who want more. There are beasts, a fairytale setting that both feels familiar and faraway, and science that borders on magic. And, of course, a big portion of it is an exploration of what women can do in the face of those who believe they won’t succeed, no matter the reason.

Around halfway through Princess, the audience is given a reprieve from the action when it seems that everything is okay but then you come out with some more big plot points. Do you plan out your action before hand? Or does the narrative shape itself?

I knew exactly what I wanted to happen in the second half but even then I let my characters surprise me because I figure that if I’m surprised, my readers will be surprised. Therefore, I’m sort of a hybrid plotter and “panster.” I have to plot out more than I used to because I’m to the point where my agent and editors often need to know exactly what I’m doing, but when I’m in a scene, if my brain is telling me to turn left when I’d planned to go right, I turn left. I believe flexibility is important and that your stated idea might not always be your best one.

Now, I have to say, that Epilogue made me feel a whole spectrum of emotions in those few pages. Should we brace for more revelatory moments in the as yet untitled followup to The Princess Will Save You?

I’m very glad you had that reaction to the epilogue! Yes, the second book will build on what we’ve learned and, believe me, there’s so much even the main characters don’t know.

Can we expect to see more Ula, Urtzi and Dunixi in the future?

Oh, my pirates! I do love them. Yes, they’ll be back.

If you could read fanfic about any of your characters, who would it be?

I’d love to read any of it! I do think there are some characters that would make more interesting fanfic than others. Like either Addie or Ryan from Throw Like a Girl would be super fun. Or Ula or Osana from The Princess Will Save You.

What is your favourite fan ship of any of your work?

Oh, gosh. I hear often that readers want to know more about the relationship between Addie and Nick in Throw Like a Girl or I get asked if they’ll have their own book. I also hear from folks who want more from Runa and Will in Sea Witch Rising. That said, I’m fairly certain Ula from The Princess Will Save You is going to sail several ships. And I’d be happy with that! LOL.

How has the current COVID-19 situation changed your usual pre-launch routine?

Oh, well, it’s definitely made things different! Typically by now, I’d be confirming all of my travel arrangements, buying clothes I don’t need, and sweating how it’s all going to work with my current deadlines! But instead, I have a wonderful team at Tor Teen who is coordinating with all of the bookstores that were to host events and helping to make everything virtual. It’s always so nice to meet readers and wonderful bookstore owners, but it’s safest for everyone this way.

Where can readers expect to see you in the near future? 

I have several virtual bookstore events scheduled the first two weeks of July. The best thing about them is that you can visit from anywhere! I’ll have final information on my website but for now, know I’m doing events with Amanda Sellet (By The Book), Miranda Asebedo (A Constellation of Roses), Amalie Howard (The Beast of Beswick), and Bethany C. Morrow (A Song Below Water). I’ll also be doing live events with YATVLive and Crossroads Reviews among others.

And last question for a bit of fun, if you could only read 5 more books in your lifetime, what would they be?

Books I haven’t read? Or new ones? Hmmm. I suppose I’ll go with books I know I love and would read repeatedly: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, The Providence Rider (Book 4 in the Matthew Corbett series) by Robert McCammon, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett

QUICKFIRE ROUND

• Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction
• Plotter or pantser? Hybrid!
• Favourite bookish trope? Friends to lovers.
• Least favourite bookish trope? I like any of them as long as they’re done well! If they’re not executed properly, any of them can be the worst.
• Coffee or tea? Coffee (Thanks, publishing!)
• Pizza or pasta? Pizza.
• Beach holiday or hiking in the bush? Hiking in the mountains.
• Convention crowds or smaller signings? I like both!
• Sunny or rainy? Gimme sun!
• If you could pick a single holiday destination for the rest of your life, where would it be? Summers in Colorado.
• Music, books or Netflix – you can only pick 2? Books and Netflix.
• If you could recommend five authors to the general public that are must reads, who would they be? Kellye Garrett, Megan Bannen, Ashley Woodfolk, Adib Khorram, Robert McCammon

Will you be picking up The Princess Will Save You? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Sarah Henning, Author of ‘The Princess Will Save You’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

This month sees releases from loved authors such as Kevin Kwan, Sarah Henning, Michele Campbell, Paul Tremblay, and more! From fantastic fantasy to breathtaking romances, there’s something for everyone within these releases!

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that’s perfect for fans of A Curse So Dark and Lonely.

He Started It by Samantha Downing
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the twisted mind behind mega hit My Lovely Wife comes the story of a family—not unlike your own—just with a few more violent tendencies thrown in….

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians returns with a glittering tale of love and longing as a young woman finds herself torn between two worlds–the WASP establishment of her father’s family and George Zao, a man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Princess Will Save You is a YA fantasy adventure inspired by The Princess Bride, in which a princess must rescue her stable boy true love, from the acclaimed author of Sea Witch, Sarah Henning.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Michele Campbell, the bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband comes a new blockbuster thriller in The Wife Who Knew Too Much.

Queen of Storms by Raymond E. Feist
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Dark and powerful forces threaten the world of Garn once more in this second novel in legendary New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist’s epic fantasy series, the Firemane Saga.

The Shadows by Alex North
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The haunting new thriller from Alex North, author of the New York Times bestseller The Whisper Man.

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girls comes a new twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery—until she decides to return to her mother’s hometown . . . where history has a tendency to repeat itself.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There in a dark novel of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

The Book of Dragons by Jonathan Strahan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Scott Lynch, R.F. Kuang, Kate Elliott, Ken Liu, Todd McCaffrey, Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, and other modern masters of fantasy and science fiction put their unique spin on the greatest of mythical beasts—the dragon—in never-before-seen works written exclusively for this fantasy anthology compiled by award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan and with art by Rovina Cai!

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts.

Will you be picking up any of these July releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post July 2020 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

It almost seems uncommon for “sports books” to have actual sports in them. Why was it important to you to include actual, real-live sports in Break the Fall and Throw Like a Girl?

Jennifer: For me, when writing sports fiction, the sport itself is what the plot will stem from, so it’s almost impossible for me to write a book about sports that doesn’t heavily include the competition, practices and training that would be a major part of any athlete’s life. Often we’ll see books about an athlete that’s injured or an athlete that had to give up their sport as an exploration of their identity away from the thing they love, but that’s been done so much, I’m more interested in what it takes to strive to compete at the highest levels, to try to win and what happens when you do (or don’t). Also, from a craft perspective, if you’re writing a book about an athlete, part of your world building should be the sport itself. It’s like if you were writing a fantasy novel where there’s magic and you character can do magic and the magic is important to the plot, but you never actually write scenes with them doing magic. What’s the point? In Break the Fall, I was writing a book about an elite gymnast and if the gymnastics could just be plucked out and replaced with something else without the reader noticing, then I haven’t done my job as an author in building the world around my characters.

Sarah: I totally agree what Jennifer said. I think often “sports” books are books that center on an athlete for the sole purpose of having a love interest who is hot. I’m not kidding. How many football romances have you read without actual football except mention of how muscular a (male) love interest is? Or, if the girl is an athlete, usually it’s a device to make her skinny, or “not like other girls” because she has outside interests. This drives me bananas. Because, like Jennifer said, what’s the point? We are more than what our bodies look like or can do, and our characters and their journeys should reflect that. In Throw Like a Girl, I wanted to make sure that both my main character Liv, and all of the other athletes, were well-rounded people we saw on the field and off in their full capacity.

A follow-up question: What were some of the considerations you made to make sure the sports content could be understood across a broad readership?

Jennifer: The easiest way I’ve found to make the sports content understood is to give the reader some keywords to hook on to and repeat them often in the character’s head and in dialogue with coaches in order to “tell” some of the necessary information to the reader in advance. I’ve also found that attaching certain actions to success or failure on the field or in competition helps the reader understand whether something is important, even if they don’t get the intricacies of the actual athleticism behind the skill. Also, I’ll make sure that during the competition scenes I’ll really zero in my focus on how my character is feeling about their performance. In Break The Fall, a reader might not understand the ins and outs of a fly-away triple twist dismount on uneven bars, but they’ll understand that it’s hard, rarely performed and that Audrey needs to land it in order to do well. I’ll compare it again to if I were writing a fantasy novel with magic. We don’t always need to know the exact potion recipe or how many times a witch has to stir it to make it effective, just what the potion does and how it whether it works or not will impact the story. I do also try to include a certain level of detail for readers who do understand the ins and outs of whatever sport I’m writing about so it doesn’t feel watered down or, my worst nightmare, inaccurate. It’s a delicate balance to be sure!

Sarah: Yes, it’s all about balance! Honestly, in a first-person sports narrative, it would be completely unbelievable for an athlete to dumb things down to the point where he or she doesn’t sound like an athlete at all. It would also be incredibly annoying for the athlete to speak in so much jargon that it’s not understandable to your average reader. I do hope my readers learn something about football from Throw Like a Girl but I don’t want to ruin their reading experience by making them Google things every five minutes. This is where my background as a sports journalist has really been helpful. I spent years writing or editing sports stories with the intent to put readers at the game and to make the sequence of events understandable to a broad audience at a seventh-grade reading level. That experience was extremely helpful in ensuring that the games, practices, and even individual drills Liv goes through are things any reader can understand while also being something someone who has played football can recognize. That said, I did benefit greatly from a set up where I had an elite athlete in another sport be a newie in another sport—this meant Liv was grounded in athletics but also in need of an education, which she often gets in dribs and drabs from Grey and her coaches.

What were some of the stereotypes you were interested in subverting as part of these stories?

Jennifer: One silly one, at least, in Break The Fall, is that sporty girls don’t like makeup. My main character Audrey loves girly things, especially eyeshadow and eyeliner. She’s the team’s makeup a few times over the course of the book. One of the less silly stereotypes I definitely wanted to tackle was that gymnasts are somehow these unemotional, stoic beings. I think real life gymnasts have done a good job in the last few years totally demolishing that stereotype in the media, but I wanted to add one last tangible stomp on it. I also wanted to make sure to include the athletes supporting each other. I think gymnasts have had a bad rep because their sport takes so much focus that they don’t root and cheer for each other. I know they do and thus, so do my characters, on and off the competition floor!

Sarah: Football players often get a bad rap because they play this brutal sport, constantly sacrificing their bodies. Often, they’re stereotyped as stupid, sexist, single-minded, and violent, and that is not fair. I wanted to subvert all of those stereotypes and turn the football player trope on its head. Because of that there is not a major thread in Throw Like a Girl where Liv is the target of sexism, nor is she hit on by other players, or tormented in any way because she is a girl. I also personally hate the stereotype that athletes, especially highly talented ones, are somehow stupid. There are so many student-athletes that take all the focus and drive they apply to their particular sport and use it in the classroom. High achievement in one area does not bar a person from being high achieving in another. In fact, some of my favorite scenes in Throw Like a Girl feature Liv and several other football players in a high-level math class together. Even better, this big, burly, offensive lineman is revealed to be a state-rated mathlete!

What attracts you to sports stories?

Jennifer: I’ve always loved sports. I grew up playing tennis and softball the most and I’ve always been a fan of sports. Unlike Sarah, I was way too tall to ever be a gymnast, so I poured my love of that sport onto the page instead. As a writer, though, sports stories are great because they create inherent conflict on a variety of levels. There’s competition in the sport, between teammates and coaches and then also within the athlete driven by the sport.

Sarah: As I mentioned earlier, I was a sports journalist—both a reporter and a copy editor over a time period of almost 10 years. I covered everything from high school to college to professional sports in all arenas, from football to basketball to professional tennis and golf. I gravitated toward a sports specialization because I’m a total sucker for the drama of it all. If you think about it, sports stories already have all the great parts of novels baked in—an ultimate goal, a dedicated protagonist, antagonists who want it just as bad, a big climax in competition, and then either a positive or negative outcome and all the emotions that come with that.

Were you an athlete? If so, how did that experience inform this book?

Jennifer: I was an athlete, as I said earlier, but nowhere the level of the athletes I write about. However, that doesn’t mean I cared less than they do, so I can often reflect back on my own experiences in big moments where the pressure was on for me to deliver and be able to amply it by a thousand or a million when writing an elite athlete on the page!

Sarah: I was an athlete! I was a competitive gymnast, though never to the level Jennifer writes about. I had to quit the summer before high school because of a chronic back injury and I took up running because both my parents are marathoners. I’m slow and not great but I’ve completed several marathons and ultramarathons and love that running is a sport that I’ve been able to keep doing for years on end. Honestly, Liv goes on non-coach-prescribed runs often in this book and that’s because she’s mentally built like me—she likes to stay active and keep on her game, plus she finds running relaxing like I do. We (Liv and I) are both aware that most people hate running with a passion.

Jennifer: I’d like to submit for the official record, because she is way too modest, that Sarah completing several marathons and ultramarathons makes her a total badass and that “slow and not great” are hilarious things to say about someone who has done that.

Sarah: HA.

Who are some of your favorite athletes? They don’t have to be reflected in your books.

Jennifer: I am an obnoxiously intense Yankees fan, so my large adult son Aaron Judge is my current favorite athlete. I will forever be a Roger Federer fan. His greatness and class on and off the tennis court just stuns me. And my all time favorite gymnast is Kyla Ross, who won gold with the US in London and then went on to UCLA where she is kicking some major butt in the NCAA!

Sarah: And this is where we converge and diverge! Of course, I’m a football fan (duh), and I’m loving every minute of Patrick Mahomes breathing new life into my Chiefs. I’m also a huge basketball fan, but Jayhawks only, because I will bleed crimson and blue forever (Rock Chalk!). That said, my favorite athlete is Rafael Nadal. I’ve been following him since he was sixteen and I basically drop everything to watch him—I’m going to be so sad when he finally retires. My favorite all-time gymnast is far more old school than Jennifer’s: I grew up idolizing Kim Zmeskal, who if you don’t know, was World All-Around Champion in the early 1990s. My love for Kim has never waned, even though her career and the barriers she broke have been overshadowed by the Magnificent Seven and everything after.

Jennifer: Butting back in to say that the coach in Break the Fall is definitely inspired in part by Kim Zmeskal who was an incredible gymnast in her day, but is now an equally impressive coach who treats all of her athletes with the respect and care they deserve!

Sarah: She really is the best!

What’s next for you?

Jennifer: I’m working on my next sports book! I can’t say much about it yet, but I can tease that it’s ice dancing meets Jane Austen’s Persuasion and I’m SO excited about it!

Sarah: Ooooh, I can’t wait to read that! Triple axels and banter! My next is the first in a new fantasy series. It’s out July 7th, and it’s a gender-swapped Princess Bride-type tale called The Princess Will Save You, in which a princess’s commoner true love is kidnapped in a plot to push her hand into marriage and instead of giving in, she goes to rescue him herself. Take that, patriarchy!

Will you be picking up Throw Like A Girl and/or Break The Fall? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Authors In Conversation: Jennifer Iacopelli & Sarah Henning appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

There’s also new authors breaking on to the scene with their debuts including Isabel Ibañez, Emma Lord, Echo Brown, and Rebecca McLaughlin.

January also sees releases from authors Stacie Ramey, M.K. England, Lana Popović, Eric Smith, Sarah Henning, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. Plus there’s also an exciting collaboration with authors such as Beth Revis, Mackenzi Lee, Ellen Hopkins, Saundra Mitchell, Jennifer Brown, and Cheryl Rainfield, which is inspired by the #MeToo movement.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us if you will be picking up any of these releases!

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
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In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez
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A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

It’s My Life by Stacie Ramey
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Jenna’s never let her cerebral palsy get her down. But when she discovers that her condition was actually caused by an injury at birth, she’s furious with her parents, who also push her to get yet another difficult procedure. Enter Julian, Jenna’s childhood crush. She reaches out to him―anonymously―to help. Soon, their conversations are about so much more than class. But would Julian still be interested in her if he knew who she really was? And can she find a way to take back her own narrative before she pushes away everyone she loves?

Spellhacker by M.K. England
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From the author of The Disasters, this genre-bending YA fantasy heist story is perfect for fans of Marie Lu and Amie Kaufman.

Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
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Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism―all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi’s American Street.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
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A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Blood Countess by Lana Popović
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A historical YA horror novel based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula.

Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin
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One girl must make a name for herself–or die trying –in this royal fantasy where an unknown peasant becomes the ultimate ruler. But how long can she keep the crown if everyone wants her dead? Perfect for fans of Furyborn, Red Queen, and Everless.

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith
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Slay meets Eliza and Her Monsters in Eric Smith’s Don’t Read the Comments, an #ownvoices story in which two teen gamers find their virtual worlds – and blossoming romance – invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz
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Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz’s thrilling novel Jane Anonymous is a revelatory confessional of a seventeen-year-old girl’s fight to escape a kidnapper―and her struggles to connect with loved ones and a life that no longer exists.

You Too? by Janet Gurtler
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A timely and heartfelt collection of essays inspired by the #MeToo movement, edited by acclaimed young adult and middle-grade author Janet Gurtler. Featuring Beth Revis, Mackenzi Lee, Ellen Hopkins, Saundra Mitchell, Jennifer Brown, Cheryl Rainfield and many more.

Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning
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Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson’s The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoonworthy romance meets underdog sports story.

Will you be picking up any of these January YA releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post January 2020 YA Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Sarah Henning describes herself as a “recovering journalist” but she has achieved the dream and transitioned from her job as a sports journalist to an accomplished author. After the successes of her Sea Witch series, Henning brings us a YA contemporary wonder in the shape of Throw Like a Girl. Full of powerful female characters and an understanding of the world of highschool sports that is so seamless you feel like you are part of the team, Throw Like a Girl was the story I didn’t know I needed in my life.

Throw Like a Girl will hit shelves on January 7th 2020 and I had the pleasure of talking with Sarah in depth about her upcoming release, her transition from journalist to author and even got a sneak peak at her next book!

You can find Sarah on Twitter and Instagram, along with at her website.

Hi Sarah! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me! I’m a former sports journalist turned YA author whose latest book, Throw Like a Girl, drops January 7^th. It’s my first contemporary—my debut Sea Witch and its sequel, Sea Witch Rising are both (obviously) fantasy—and I consider it my love letter to my time in sports journalism. When I’m not writing, I’m probably running, lifting weights, or hanging out with my two kids and husband. Other important things about me, considering the subject matter of this interview: I’m a huge fan of Chiefs football, Jayhawks basketball, Rafael Nadal, and the USA Gymnastics team.

What was your elevator pitch to describe Throw Like a Girl?

Throw Like a Girl is about a down-spiraling softball player who is recruited to play the not-so-back-up quarterback on her ex-boyfriend’s football team.

What inspired you to write Throw Like a Girl? Do you have a background in any particular sport perhaps?

I was a competitive gymnast and then moved into running—track, cross-country, and just for fun. I was never elite in any of those sports, but I loved to be active and still do. Throughout my childhood, I also was drawn to learning all I could about elite athletes in any sport. I read every book at the library, consumed the sports section of our local newspaper, watched ESPN specials. You know those five-minute vignettes during the Olympics about an athlete’s journey to that very moment on the world’s biggest stage? I drank that stuff up. In college, I started covering sports as a journalist, working for The Associated Press and other news outlets. I did everything—track, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, and, of course, football. In my professional career, I cut my teeth working sports desks in North Eastern Pennsylvania and South Florida, both of which treat high school football as king, and it had a profound effect, I suppose.

I was years removed from covering live sports when I got the idea for Throw Like a Girl one day while on a run, a few weeks after having my second child. I’d been up late watching the Kansas City Royals playing post-season baseball (which has been a very rare occurrence in my life, let’s be honest), when the idea popped in my head of writing about a softball player who makes a huge-ass mistake, and while seeking penance at a new school, is recruited to play quarterback. I sprinted home, wrote down the whole pitch and first few pages, and never looked back.

You have a background as a sports journalist. How did you transition from journalism to becoming an author?

I always wanted to be an author. But at some point, I decided that being a journalist was more practical. I immediately gravitated toward sports journalism, because, as I’ve said, I was an athlete and I’ve always been a sucker for stories about athletes working hard and making their dreams come true. There’s built-in conflict, climax, and resolution—the elation of victory or the agony of defeat.

I loved covering real people and telling real stories, but at some point I couldn’t ignore the fact that I really wanted to write full-blown, novel-length fiction. That’s the thing about dreams—even when you move on to what seems practical and try lock them away for the duration, they fight back. So, after I had my first child, I started writing again. I sold my first book, Sea Witch, when he was six. It was a long road but I think it’s been the right road for me.

Throw Like a Girl is a very different genre to your other works. What made you want to venture into a different genre?

Honestly, it wasn’t that I ventured into it—I actually wrote Throw Like a Girl and my debut fantasy, Sea Witch, in almost the same timeline. And they are very different books. But they both interested me so much that I could let either go.

I just want to tell stories and I’ve been lucky enough not to be bound to a certain genre. Though I know it would be easier for marketing, I don’t want to be pigeonholed into a particular genre brand. Would you believe that though my background is in sports journalism, I landed my first agent writing adult crime fiction? Yep. That’s a far cry from young adult fantasy and contemporary, but I love those shelved manuscripts just as much as I love the ones that have “made it.”

Seriously, I just love writing the stories that come for my throat and won’t let go. The ones I’m passionate about and just compelled to tell. Finding those stories is what’s fun for me.

That said, I do think all of my books have a thread of commonality in that I’m interested in scenarios where female characters are challenging stereotypes form within male-dominated spaces. It’s not a coincidence that I have books titled with the words “witch” “girl” “princess”—I don’t want to downplay what makes any of my main characters special. I want to play to their strengths and be proud of it.

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

Ughhhh. Why do you ask? It’s like picking between my kids! I really do love all of them. I love my main character, Liv, because she’s a snarky badass who gives it her all every single time. I love her siblings, Ryan and Danielle, and the way they support one another. I love her best friend, Addie, for her sense of self and confidence. Grey is everything I wanted in a high school boyfriend, and Jake has determination and loyalty tattooed on his bones.

What is your writing style? Do you plan everything out before starting writing or are you more a “as it happens” author?

I’m actually a hybrid of a plotter (planner) and a “pantser” (“as it happens”). I usually know the big plot points of the story I’m going to tell and then if things take a left turn between plot points, I go with it. I always feel like if I’m surprised, my reader will be too. That said, I’m to the point in my career where my agent and editors are expecting to see things more planned out, and so I’ve become much more of a plotter in the last couple of years. Now, I typically have the first act pretty tightly plotted and the climax through denouement before I even start seriously writing and then I fill in from there.

This book is set in a high school. If you could give your high school self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Keep your eyes on your own page. Not that I was cheating—I wasn’t! I just mean that I was very caught up in what everyone else was doing. It took me a very long time to realize that it didn’t matter who had what or did what or said what. I could carve my own path and ultimately none of it matters as long as you do you.

Honestly, this is good advice to my current self too. As authors it becomes very easy to become jealous of the support or money or whatever someone else is getting from the same house. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. You just have to write the best book you can write for you.

Your next book, The Princess Will Save You, is expected July 2020. Can you give us a little teaser?

Yes! Throw Like a Girl and The Princess Will Save You are exactly seven months apart—January 7^th and July 7^th! It’s basically a gender-swapped take on The Princess Bride. Instead of the commoner true love going to rescue a kidnapped princess, the princess goes after her true love, a stable boy, when he’s kidnapped by pirates as part of a plot to force her hand into marriage.

Lastly, what book recommendations do you have for us?

If you’re in the mood for more swoony contemporary in 2020, may I recommend Amanda Sellet’s By The Book, which comes out May 12^th. It’s a hilarious story of a book-lover named Mary who begins dishing out love advice based on classic novels with disastrous results.

Will you be picking up Throw Like A Girl? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Sarah Henning, Author of ‘Throw Like a Girl’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.