Fall 2018 book picks: 11 YA novels you just can't miss

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Hot YA reads

Little, Brown (2); Europa Editions; Penguin Random House; Simon & Schuster

Movie deals, hot sequels, enchanting new fantasies — there’s plenty of reason to get excited about this fall’s slate of young-adult books. Here are the 11 titles you can’t miss.

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People Kill People, by Ellen Hopkins

Simon & Schuster

Perhaps the fall’s most provocative YA read, People Kill People explores gun violence and white supremacy in a story of six teenagers gaining access to a gun, only for a tragic mystery to unfurl. (Sept. 4)

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Analee, in Real Life, by Janelle Milanes

Simon & Schuster

Milanes’ low-key comedy centers on a Cuban-American teen caught in a steamy love triangle, all while striving to cope with her father’s remarriage and her own social anxieties. (Sept. 18)

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Unclaimed Baggage, by Jen Doll

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

The beloved YA commentator and influencer has arrived with a novel of her own, an infectious story about friendship, politics, and falling in (and out) of love. (Sept. 18)

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Wildcard, by Marie Lu

Penguin Random House

Lu’s Warcross sequel places her among YA’s top fantasy writers. (Sept. 18)

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A Winter's Promise, by Christelle Dabos

Europa Editions

The huge French best-seller finally arrives stateside. Following a girl with special powers who slowly realizes she’s at the center of a large conspiracy, the Mirror Visitor series (kicking off with A Winter’s Promise) has been said to stand “on the same shelf as Harry Potter,” according to Elle. (Sept. 25)

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Broken Things, by Lauren Oliver

Hodder & Stoughton

Oliver’s dark whodunit explores obsession and friendship. Note that the author’s previous novel, Panic, is in development as a series at Amazon, with a pilot already ordered. (Oct. 2)

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Dry, by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Simon & Schuster

This timely thriller about a teen forced to fight for her family’s survival after a California drought turns deadly is the YA blockbuster of the fall: Paramount Pictures optioned it well before publication, in a multi-studio bidding war. (Oct. 2)

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Grim Lovelies, by Megan Shepherd

HMH Books for Young Readers

A dark new fantasy in the vein of Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo, Grim Lovelies kicks off a major new series described as a modern-day fairy tale. (Oct. 2)

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Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

At long last, the sequel to National Book Award nominee Laini Taylor’s smash hit Strange the Dreamer has arrived. It won’t disappoint. (Oct. 2)

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Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak

Random House

Calling all Book Thief fans: It’s the author’s first novel in 13 years, at long last. It centers on a group of tightly knit brothers as they make their way in the aftermath of their father’s disappearance. (Oct. 9)

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Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel, by Val Emmich

Little, Brown

Yep, the hit musical will make you cry just as much in book form. And fret not: Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul, creators of the Broadway show, were consulted on the adaption. (Oct. 9)

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Rabbit and Robot, by Andrew Smith

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

A boy gets stranded on his father’s lunar-cruise utopia, and is left to fend off “insane” robots. If you’re at all familiar with Smith’s dark, at times demented approach to story and humor, you may think you know roughly what to expect of this one. Think again. (Sept. 25)

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This fall's 11 YA novels that you just can't miss

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Hot YA reads

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People Kill People, by Ellen Hopkins

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Analee, in Real Life, by Janelle Milanes

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Unclaimed Baggage, by Jen Doll

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Wildcard, by Marie Lu

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A Winter's Promise, by Christelle Dabos

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Broken Things, by Lauren Oliver

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Dry, by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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Grim Lovelies, by Megan Shepherd

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Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

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Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak

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Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel, by Val Emmich

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Rabbit and Robot, by Andrew Smith

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