From Yolk to Hurricane Summer, 13 international young adult books to look out for this spring

By MJ Franklin A retelling of The Great Gatsby, a healer fighting for her freedom and more: Here are 13 young adult titles you won’t want to miss this spring. Yolk by Mary HK Choi (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, released 2 March) Jayne and June are sisters who used to be close. But now, grown up and living in New York, they couldn’t be further apart: Jayne is in fashion school, struggling with an eating disorder, while June has found success working in finance. Then Jayne learns that June has cancer. When the two reunite, they must confront what they think they know about each other and what they think they know about themselves. Tell Me My Name, by Amy Reed (Dial, 9 March) Here’s a book pitch you probably didn’t expect: a retelling of The Great Gatsby, but gender-swapped and framed as a psychological thriller. Tell Me My Name follows Fern, a working-class girl on wealthy Commodore Island, who is left behind while the other kids her age are partying and traveling. When the rich and elusive Ivy moves in next door and strikes up a friendship, Fern thinks her fortunes are changing. But as Fern gets sucked into Ivy’s orbit, she begins to question whether this world filled with drama and recklessness is one that she wants to be a part of after all. Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley (Holt Books for Young Readers, 16 March) A mystery thriller set on a Native American reservation, Firekeeper’s Daughter follows Daunis, an 18-year-old who puts her plans to study medicine on hold to care for her family after a tragedy. Life seems stuck until she meets Jamie, a new player on her brother’s hockey team. But when she and Jamie witness a murder, Daunis realizes that Jamie is not who he says he is, and she goes undercover with the FBI to get to the bottom of a danger that threatens her community. Bones of a Saint, by Grant Farley (Soho Teen, 16 March) A coming-of-age story in the vein of The Outsiders, Bones of a Saint follows RJ, a 15-year-old living in a downtrodden California town where a gang named the Blackjacks sets the rules. The Blackjacks have largely ignored RJ, but one day they pull him for a job — rob an old man. If he complies, RJ is drawn into a life he has tried to avoid; if he resists, he faces the Blackjacks’ wrath. Now, everything depends on how he tries to walk this particular tightrope. The Cost of Knowing, by Brittney Morris (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 6 April) Alex Rufus is a Black teenager with an unusual ability: When he touches an object or a person, he can see into its future. One day, when Alex touches a photo, he has a vision foreseeing the death of his brother, Isaiah. Alex doesn’t know when or how Isaiah will die, but he’s determined to make the most of the time they have left together and do everything he can to protect his brother, a task made all the more difficult because of the dangers of life in America as a young Black man. [caption id=“attachment_9395481” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Kate in Waiting, The Prison Healer and Hurricane Summer are among some of the YA titles releasing this spring.[/caption] Zara Hossain Is Here, by Sabina Khan (Scholastic, 6 April) Zara Hossain is a Pakistani immigrant living in Texas. Even as she faces Islamophobia at school, her strategy to get by is to keep her head down, lest she draw attention to herself and her family as they await green cards. When another student goes too far in a bullying attempt, it sets off a chain of events that threatens to jeopardize not only Zara’s future but also her family’s. The Sky Blues, by Robbie Couch (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 6 April) Sky is the only openly gay student in his high school, and for his senior year, all he wants is to ask his crush (who may or may not be gay, Sky isn’t sure) to prom. But when someone leaks his plans, the countdown to his promposal becomes a countdown to find the homophobic hacker. And as Sky races to solve the mystery and reclaim his senior year, he realizes that perhaps he’s not as alone as he thought. Between the Bliss and Me, by Lizzy Mason (Soho Teen, 6 April) Sydney Holman’s life is on the cusp of changing. At 18, she has just graduated high school and is about to start college at NYU. But over the summer, she finds out that her dad — who she thought abandoned the family when she was a child because of drug addiction — actually has schizophrenia and has been living homeless in New York City. That means two things: When she goes to New York for college, she has a chance to find him, and there’s a chance she may have schizophrenia herself. The Prison Healer, by Lynette Noni (HMH Books for Young Readers, 13 April) The first book in a planned fantasy trilogy, The Prison Healer follows Kiva Meridan, a 17-year-old healer in the death-row prison where she is incarcerated. When the Rebel Queen is captured and brought to the prison, Kiva receives a message from her long lost (and presumed dead) family: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” It’s a task easier said than done considering the Rebel Queen is slated to participate in the Trial by Ordeal, a series of challenges given to dangerous criminals, none of whom have survived. To save the Rebel Queen, Kiva volunteers in her place, hoping to win freedom for both of them. Kate in Waiting, by Becky Albertalli (Balzer + Bray, 20 April) Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (aka Love, Simon), returns with a new tale of young love and the challenges of being a teenager trying to figure it all out. Kate and Andy are best friends who do everything together, including theater and crushing on the same boys. When Matt, their mutual crush from summer camp, transfers to their school and joins the school musical, suddenly the two have to figure out how to chase the love they want and also protect the friendship they cherish. Hurricane Summer, by Asha Bromfield (Wednesday Books, 4 May) Bromfield, best known for her role as Melody on Riverdale, makes her debut as a YA author with this love letter to Jamaica. Hurricane Summer follows Tilla, a Canadian who yearns for her father during his long and frequent trips back to his native Jamaica. When Tilla finally gets permission to go there herself, she thinks it’s the chance she’s always wanted to connect with her father. But as secrets come out and a hurricane barrels toward the island, Tilla realizes that perhaps the person she needs to find is herself. From Little Tokyo, With Love, by Sarah Kuhn (Viking Books for Young Readers, 11 May) Part rom-com, part contemporary fairy tale, From Little Tokyo, With Love follows Rika, a Japanese American girl in Los Angeles who has never fit in. While her sisters love princesses, Rika practices judo and has a temper. Rika, who is adopted, was always told that her birth mother was dead, but a chance encounter at a parade leads her to believe that her mom is actually a Japanese movie star. To crack the mystery, she teams up with Hank Chen, heartthrob and actor, to follow a series of clues and maybe find a place where she fits in too. Off the Record, by Camryn Garrett (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 18 May) A #MeToo-inspired tale for young readers, Off the Record follows Josie Wright, a teenage journalist who lives and breathes writing. When she wins a contest to work on a celebrity profile for a big magazine and go on a multicity press tour in the process, she thinks it’s her big break. But while touring, she learns of a terrible secret from an actress. Suddenly, Josie finds herself focused on a different article from the one she thought she would be working on, and she must figure out whether she has the courage to report the new story that needs to be told. MJ Franklin c.2021 The New York Times Company