Top New Young Adult Books in February 2022

Today’s young adult books bring romance, adventure and social commentary. Take a look at our best bets for what to read this February.

Reclaim the Stars by Zoraida Córdova et al.

Type: Anthology
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release date: Feb. 15

Den of Geek says: We know Córdova from her Star Wars books, but the wide range of authors here on display promises a neat collection of fantasy and science fiction.

Publisher’s summary: From stories that take you to the stars, to stories that span into other times and realms, to stories set in the magical now, RECLAIM THE STARS takes the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world.

Follow princesses warring in space, haunting ghost stories in Argentina, mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean, swamps that whisper secrets, and many more realms explored and unexplored; this stunning collection of seventeen short stories breaks borders and realms to prove that stories are truly universal.

Reclaim the Stars features both bestselling and acclaimed authors as well as two new voices in the genres: Vita Ayala, David Bowles, J.C. Cervantes, Zoraida Córdova, Sara Faring, Romina Garber, Isabel Ibañez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Yamile Saied Méndez, Nina Moreno, Circe Moskowitz, Maya Motayne, Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez, Daniel José Older, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro and Lilliam Rivera.

Buy Reclaim the Stars by Zoraida Córdova et al..

Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor

Type: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release date: Feb. 1

Den of Geek says: Even as the influence of The Hunger Games slowly starts to wane, YA is still a great place to find stories of tough heroines. This selection puts a twist on the formula by setting it in a Jazz Age-inspired fantasy.

Publisher’s summary: In Rosiee Thor’s lavish fantasy novel with a Jazz Age spark, a politically savvy teen must weigh her desire to climb the social ladder against her heart in a world where magic buys votes.

Flare is power.

With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground — and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.

Ingrid doesn’t have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden’s father who refuses to acknowledge her.

So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.

Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?

Buy Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor.

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi 

Type: Novel
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: Feb. 15

Den of Geek says: This award-winning author brings the next book in a series (actually a prequel that can be read on its own) to her world of monsters and angels.

Publisher’s summary: After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille.
 
Bitter’s instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but  her  friends  aren’t  willing  to  settle  for  a  world  that’s  so  far  away from what they deserve. Pulled between old friendships, her artistic passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn’t sure where she  belongs—in  the  studio  or  in  the  streets.  And  if  she  does  find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost? 
 
This  timely  and  riveting  novel—a  companion  to  the  National  Book Award finalist Pet—explores the power of youth, protest, and art.

Buy Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi.