On the eleventh day of YA book recommendations, I’m recommending three wonderful debuts!
What I Like About You is as sweet as a cupcake! It’s a fun romcom featuring the book community, online friends, baking, and Jewish representation. As someone who started blogging in high school and is working towards a career in publishing, I related to the main character Halle in so many ways—I would have really appreciated this book as a teen. Check out this interview with author Marisa Kanter!
Find the book: Goodreads, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Amazon
The Henna Wars is such a soft contemporary read! It’s set in Dublin, Ireland at an all-girls school and tackles topics like coming out, acceptance, cultural appropriation, and racism. Nishat’s romance with Flávia is so sweet, and I especially loved Nishat’s relationship with her sister and the focus on culture. I’m looking forward to Adiba Jaigirdar’s sophomore novel, which features fake dating!
Find the book: Goodreads, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Amazon
My Eyes Are Up Here is a solid debut! The focus on body image was very realistic for the high school setting. It was fun seeing Greer connect with her volleyball teammates and the love interest Jackson, who was sweet and quirky. One of my favorite reads last year was We Are the Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan, and this one reminded me of it with the strong voice and humor!
Find the book: Goodreads, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Amazon
What are your favorite debuts from this year? Let me know below in the comments!
Follow along during the 12 Days of YA Book Recommendations and check out last year’s debut recommendation!