We sat down with Markelle Grabo to discuss tackling forced heteronormativity in fairytales, queerness not as the tragedy or the conflict of a fantasy romance, and the role of yearning and spice (or lack thereof) in young adult romance. The Redwood Bargain comes out April 28, 2026, from Page Street YA!
Southern lore plays a huge role in this gothic horror book. Every 13 years, the cicadas descend on Carrion. Along with that, some townsperson go missing. Legend has it that the devil walks among them, offering deals to those most vulnerable. But the cost of these deals can be huge…and painful.
The lore of the south is complex and interesting. The consequences of our actions is a strong, prevailing theme throughout this book. It is a mix of gothic horror and lore and realistic issues (abuse, poverty) that teens face.
Readers interested in southern horror will love this book. This book will appeal to readers of They Bloom At Night and She is a Haunting. Readers who want the setting to act as a character in the book will gravitate to this book
– Melissa Palmer
In this gothic horror set in the fictional small town of Carrion, Georgia, a teen named Dawson disappears during the strange Cicada Festival, leaving only blood behind in a motel room. Neera Singh, whose family owns the motel, teams up with three other teens to search for him. As they dig deeper, they uncover dark secrets that reveal just how twisted their town really is.
The story has a naturally eerie tone, but the audiobook takes it further by creating a rich, immersive atmosphere through the use of multiple narrators. Each voice adds emotional depth, helping to distinguish the characters and highlight their unique perspectives. The diverse cast of narrators reflects the range of experiences within the story, making the audiobook feel complete and compelling.
Small towns full of secrets is not a new theme, although this story stands out for the writing and narration. Some similar titles include Bad Creek by Peyton June and Kill Creatures by Rory Power.
-Anush Balayan
Avery had always been warned never to stray from the trails in the forest surrounding her quiet town. But one jog leads her deeper into the woods and to a hidden black water pond that seems to call to her. From that day forward, Avery is plagued by eerie visions of brackish water, ghostly whispers, and shadowy figures lurking just out of sight. When locals begin to vanish without explanation, she realizes that the stories about dark forces in the forest may be more than just legends. After her best friend disappears, Avery must face the ancient evil she unknowingly unleashed.
Isaacs skillfully builds tension through a series of menacing encounters that escalate in intensity, culminating in the book’s climax. Avery’s estrangement from her Indigenous roots leaves her feeling adrift and ill-equipped to confront the forces of the lake. Themes of identity and secrecy weave through the narrative and well developed supporting characters round out the story.
The Unfinished is an easy sell for readers who enjoy dark, moody suspense with a supernatural twist. Perfect for fans of House of Ash and Bone by Joel A. Sutherland and What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould.
– Cathy DeCampli
The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.
Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026
Summerween, the celebration of Halloween during the summer months, is upon us! Join us as we highlight horror books that will tide over teen readers until the official spooky season begins.
Horror movie lover Gabi is not excited about spending the summer in The Hamptons instead of staying at home. He IS excited about spending the summer with his BFF, Ruth, who he grew up with and who recently moved to The Hamptons with her family. Used to the hustle and bustle of NYC, Gabi is prepared to be bored all summer long and is dreading hanging out with Ruth’s rich friends, especially her new boyfriend, Frost Thurston. When Gabi witnesses a woman being drowned by a tentacle in the ocean (yes, you read that right), and nobody believes him, he feels compelled to look into the countless “accidental” drownings that have struck The Hamptons every summer for years. As he researches the mysterious drownings, he realizes the Thurston family, including Ruth’s awful boyfriend, harbors dark and evil secrets. With the help of friends old and new, including Georgina (a “final girl”, if you will), Gabi faces the most horrifying summer of his life.
Ann Dávila Cardinal expertly crafts the teenage characters in You’ve Awoken Her. From Gabi to Ruth to Georgina, the snarky quips and horror movie factoids are abundant and enjoyable. The exploration of Gabi’s Puerto Rican heritage adds even more to the compelling tale. Cosmic horror can be a doozy to undertake, but Cardinal effectively tackles and pays tribute to the subgenre while acknowledging its harmful history in the form of H.P. Lovecraft.
Readers who loved the thrilling pace of Kalynn Bayron’s You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight (check our interview with Bayron below!) and the cosmic horror fueling A Call to Cthulhu by Norm Konyu will find plenty to dig into with You’ve Awoken Her.
-Emery Courtney
Encourage Teens patrons to create short-form book trailers for Summerween book recs. It is a fun challenge because there is only a small amount of time to tell what is happening in the book and entice readers. TikTok and/or Instagram, offer lots of great video editing options and music that make creating the video fun. Finally, we used stuffed animals as our actors so we didn’t show patron faces on TikTok, eliminating the need for photo releases. Here are a few examples:
Summerween, the celebration of Halloween during the summer months, is upon us! Join us as we highlight horror books that will tide over teen readers until the official spooky season begins.
Carina Marshall finally gets the chance to visit Jamaica, her mother’s birthplace, as an au pair for the ridiculously wealthy Hall family. At Blackbead House, the Hall family’s mansion, Carina meets the other young adult workers who quickly become her constant companions throughout the summer along with her young charges, Luis and Jada Hall. While attending decadent parties with the Halls and exploring the monstrous Blackbead House, Carina experiences a new and exciting side of life, one that she only briefly glimpsed with her best friend back in New York. Underneath the glitz and glamour, however, is a dark presence that haunts Carina. She doesn’t know what it is or why this is happening to her; all she knows is that the presence wants Carina to leave Blackbead and Jamaica forever.
Carina is a compelling character throughout the story, dealing with an exciting new crush on top of the horrors back home and at Blackbead House. Though Carina is running away from a troubled past in New York, she is experiencing a new part of the world for the first time as well as the joys of her heritage in Jamaican culture. She draws the reader close as she figures out her life, coming to terms with her past, while simultaneously turning the story upside down as each secret is unveiled. Tobias weaves a thrilling tale, carefully revealing twists and turns as soon as you think you have the story figured out. Part horrific ghost story, part coming of age in the midst of trauma, Honeysuckle and Bone draws you in with scares but keeps you hooked with heart.
Fans of Trang Thanh Tran’s She Is a Haunting and Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor tv series will find similar haunts and thrills in Honeysuckle and Bone.
-Emery Courtney
In the coastal Louisiana town of Mercy, few residents remain after a hurricane floods the region, leaving an especially widespread toxic algae bloom to take over the local landscape. Among the remaining locals, an alarming number have gone missing. Vietnamese-American teen Noon and her mother are forced to strike a deal with an unsavory gator park operator that will send Noon and the operator’s daughter, Covey on a mission to trap or kill a monster that locals believe is responsible for their missing loved ones. The mission will not only be dangerous, it will force Noon to reengage with a past trauma as she also contends with disturbing physical changes in her own body and growing feelings for Covey.
This atmospheric climate-themed horror novel is a coming-of-age story at heart. Though the mystery of what lurks beneath the algae infested waters is what propels the narrative along, the real substance of the story is Noon’s development as she processes trauma and grief while coming to understand her identity. The horror elements are visceral and the setting feels vivid. The poetic writing style and moderate pacing give this novel a dreamy, literary quality that distinguishes it from many other queer horror stories.
Fans of queer and trans horror stories, particularly those that also serve as ruminations on identity will find much to love in Tran’s latest. Fans of Tran’s debut novel, She is a Haunting, will feel right at home with the intersection of horror and generational trauma present in her newest outing. Readers who enjoyed the grisly body horror and rural setting of Andrew Joseph White’s Hell Followed With Us will be similarly drawn to They Bloom at Night. For another novel with body horror elements, sapphic characters, and a poetic writing style, readers may also enjoy House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland.
– Courtney Waters
The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.
Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: tinyurl.com/bfya2026
Libby is feeling fragile after her recent bipolar III diagnosis and suicide attempt when she moves with her mom and sister to a large Victorian mansion with macabre stained glass windows and odd bug-shaped masks. The house has been the source of several disappearances over decades, and before long, Libby begins to uncover its sinister intentions.
This horror novel tackles mental illness in a nuanced way as it explores the aftermath of Libby’s suicide attempt. It takes a unique approach to a haunted house with the bug-themed spirits, crafting a narrative that keeps the reader in suspense as the masks gain power.
This is a great pick for teens looking for their next horror read, especially if they love ghosts. Teens who enjoyed the nature-focused horrors in Primal Animals by Julia Lynn Rubin and She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran will love the bugs in this book.
– Kameron Morton
The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.
Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA25TeenFB
