Top New Young Adult Books in July 2021

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

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Type: Novel
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: July 6

Den of Geek says: A gorgeous cover and a medley of fairy tale influences make this story look magical.

Publisher’s summary: Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to forswear–no matter what the cost.

Weaving together elements of The Wild Swans, Cinderella, the legend of Chang E, and the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Elizabeth Lim has crafted a fantasy like no other, and one that will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

Buy Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim.

 The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters 

Type: Novel
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: July 27

Den of Geek says: This horror-infused story of two girls looks magical and sharp. We’re intrigued by the story of a mother who has become a monster and the daughter who must fight — or save — her.

Publisher’s summary: When Natasha’s sister disappears, Natasha desperately turns to Della, a local girl rumored to be a witch, in the hopes that magic will bring her sister home.

But Della has her own secrets to hide. She thinks the beast who’s responsible for the disappearances is her own mother—who was turned into a terrible monster by magic gone wrong.

Natasha is angry. Della has little to lose. Both are each other’s only hope.

Buy The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters.

Star Wars: Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland 

Type: Novel
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release date: July 27

Den of Geek says: Every once in a while it’s in our nature to recommend a Star Wars book. This one digs into the nature of hyperspace and the Force while following a wide cast of characters, starring a cargo hauler who discovers she’s in over her head.

Publisher’s summary: Sylvestri Yarrow is on a streak of bad luck with no end of sight. She’s been doing her best to keep the family cargo business going after her mom’s death, but between mounting debt and increasing attacks by the Nihil on unsuspecting ships, Syl is in danger of losing all she has left of her mother. She heads to the galactic capital of Coruscant for help, but gets sidetracked when she’s drawn into a squabble between two of the Republic’s most powerful families over a patch of space on the frontier. Tangled up in familial politics is the last place Syl wants to be, but the promise of a big payoff is enough to keep her interested…

Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh has been summoned to Coruscant, but with no idea of why or by whom. She and her Padawan Imri Cantaros arrive at the capital along with Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus and his Padawan, Reath Silas―and are asked to assist with the property dispute on the frontier. But why? What is so important about an empty patch of space? The answer will lead Vernestra to a new understanding of her abilities, and take Syl back to the past…and to truths that will finally come out of the shadows. 

Buy Star Wars: Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland.