2026-2027 Young Adult Books

VA Reads YA Book List 2026-27

The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's by Hanna Alkaf ISBN: 978-1534494589 For over a century, St. Bernadette’s has been one of Malaysia’s most prestigious schools for young women, until a girl suddenly begins screaming in the middle of class. Within minutes, seventeen others fall into the same inexplicable hysteria. Khadija and Rachel, each avoiding attention at school for their own reasons, reluctantly team up when the phenomenon hits too close to home. As they dig deeper, they uncover hints that something far more sinister is hiding beneath St. Bernadette’s polished halls.

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker ISBN: 978-1665963701 Two centuries after World War III, society uses a technology that matches every 18‑year‑old with their past lives. Good souls inherit wealth or even meet their destined soulmate, while bad souls are sent to finish old sentences in prison. As Sivon approaches her matching, she worries most about ending up alone. But when her unexpected results catapult her into sudden fame, she finds herself guarded by someone she shouldn’t want and surrounded by secrets she can’t untangle. With danger rising and trust in short supply, Sivon must choose how much truth she’s ready to uncover… and what she’s willing to leave to fate.

All the Noise at Once  by DeAndra Davis ISBN: 978-1665952675 Aiden wants nothing more than to start high school on the football team like his star quarterback brother, Brandon. However, when his Autism causes him to have a meltdown at tryouts, he assumes that he blew his shot. Unexpectedly, he ends up with a second chance, which causes friction amongst the team, leading to a fight which ends in Brandon being wrongfully arrested for assaulting a police officer. Can Aiden clear his brother’s name before the charge ruins their relationship, and Brandon’s future?

The Girl You Know by Elle Gonzalez Rose ISBN: 978-1547616046 The week before Solina was supposed to return to her elite prep school, Kingswood Academy, she told her twin sister Luna she was dropping out. When Luna pushed back, Solina vanished. Twelve hours later, she was dead. Convinced it wasn’t an accident, Luna takes Solina’s place at Kingswood to uncover the truth. But slipping into her sister’s life means facing Solina’s manipulative friends, growing feelings for her roommate Claudia, and the dark secrets Solina hid. With nothing left to lose, Luna will stop at nothing to expose her sister’s killer—even if it means burning Kingswood to the ground.

Capitana by Cassandra James ISBN: 978-0063345614 Ximena has been training for most of her life to be a Cazadora, hunting pirates on the high seas and bringing them to justice in the Luzan Empire. Her only remaining obstacle is overcoming the dark stain on her family’s name: her parents were executed for piracy and treason when she was a child. When the Queen is kidnapped by notorious pirate Gasparilla, Ximena seizes her chance to prove her worth and earn the final Cazadora cloak, Unfortunately, she is accompanied by her irritating (but attractive) classmate Dante, who wants to earn the same coveted position as Ximena. The further they travel from the heart of the empire, though, the more Ximena starts to question if what she has been taught about law and justice is truly just.

The Leaving Room by Amber McBride ISBN: 978-1250908087 Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room, where young people who have died have a chance to remember their lives before their souls move on. When another Keeper, Melodee, arrives unexpectedly, her soul and Gospel’s become intertwined, forcing the two to confront their fears and ask difficult questions. Told over the course of just four minutes, this novel in verse explores how we connect even in the most challenging situations and the resilience of hope.

Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann ISBN: 979-8765611784 In 1967 Portugal, Sónia dreams of becoming a poet and building a future with her artist boyfriend, Zé Miguel, despite the regime’s strict limits on women’s freedom. But when he’s arrested for anti‑government activity and her family’s restaurant is shut down, Sónia is forced out of school and into dangerous, low‑paid work. Confronted with suffering she never imagined, she realizes how little protection she ever had. Now, without her family or Zé Miguel to shield her, Sónia must decide how far she’s willing to go to fight for justice.

The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley ISBN: 978-0063344402 Inspired by a true story, in 1860s England nineteen year old Sarah Bonetta Forbes—once a princess of the Egbado Clan—burns for revenge against the British Crown that stole her freedom and turned her into royal property. To strike back, she navigates court politics, leverages a dangerous London crime lord, and even manipulates the affections of Prince Albert. But when Queen Victoria grows suspicious, she uses the one tool that can trap Sarah again: marriage. With her freedom slipping away and her plan turning deadly, Sarah must face the cost of vengeance.

Truth Is by Hannah Sawyerr ISBN: 979-8887074016 Seventeen year old Truth Bangura longs to escape her turbulent home and small‑town life, clinging to writing and slam poetry as her way out. But when she becomes pregnant by her ex and chooses an abortion, she finally makes a decision that feels like her own. With support from her poetry team, including a poet whose voice feels like summer jazz, Truth begins to reclaim herself. After she performs a raw piece about her mother and her choice, the viral fallout forces her to confront what she’s kept hidden. Told through free verse poems, journal entries, and poetry prompts, Truth documents her fight to find a way forward.

Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia ISBN: 978-0358394747 Almudena finally meets the Guatemalan father she’s never known when her mother leaves her with him for the summer. Xavier is warm but expects her to live in (and help repair) his crumbling brownstone, all while she struggles to follow his rapid‑fire Spanish. As she adjusts, the tight‑knit Latin American neighborhood offers both connection and criticism, questioning her identity and whether she’s “Latina enough.” With only one summer to bridge the distance between them, Almudena must find a way to unite her father, his community, and her own sense of self before the chance slips away.

Hello Sunshine by Keezy Young ISBN: 978-0316509572 Noah returns from Bible camp to learn his secret boyfriend, Alex, has had a breakdown and vanished. Alex’s childhood friend Sky joins his search for her missing friend, even if it costs her everything, while his brother’s girlfriend Izzy regrets staying silent about Alex’s strange behavior, fearing she could have prevented it. And Alex’s twin brother Jamie is furious at everyone, including the mother whose ghost he’s suddenly seeing. As the four search for answers, Jamie begins to suspect his mother’s demons weren’t just metaphorical. To uncover what happened to Alex, he’ll have to face the haunting past he hates, that refuses to let him go.