These starred YA debuts released during the first three months of 2025 feature propulsive, thought-provoking plots from authors we’re sure to see more of in the future.

Atkins, Marcie Flinchum. One Step Forward. 320p. HarperCollins/Versify. Mar. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780063339316.
Gr 7 Up–Historical fiction based on the real suffragist Matilda Young, who was imprisoned for protesting for the right to vote. Her narrative, in verse, covers the years of the Wilson presidency and the push to get the 19th Amendment through Congress and the states. Matilda, her sisters, and mother are suffragists, but her father and brother are not. These conflicts at home mirror the larger divide in society over suffrage. Two of her sisters’ participation in the National Women’s Association gives Matilda entrance into the suffrage movement. Her sister Sophia provides moral support with notes of encouragement. The poems have titles, dates, a count of days picketing, or an X as Matilda marks the days until her release from jail. The poetry reflects the events and emotions—a square concrete poem for her jail cell, text side by side as she and Sophia walk and talk, and shrinking text as Matilda feels silenced. Quotes from speeches and documents included are in italics. Women finding and employing their voices is a theme throughout. Matilda tells of her time in the workhouse, “I scream for hours calling out using my voice until it’s hoarse.” The violence historically dealt the suffragists from the public, police, and jailers is described in detail, bringing home with clarity the brutality they faced. Extensive notes are provided in the back matter. Additional information, a time line, and several bibliographies provide more details and facts. VERDICT This coming-of-age story intertwined with women’s fight to vote creates a forceful story while chronicling parts of the suffrage movement often ignored. Strong general purchase.–Tamara Saarinen

Egan, Leanne. Lover Birds. 336p. Scholastic/PUSH. Feb. 2025. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781546138051.
Gr 9 Up–Lou Byrne is less than thrilled to be tasked with helping new girl Isabel settle into their Liverpool high school. From the start, Isabel’s behavior puzzles Lou. They are almost instantly at odds, but occasionally Lou glimpses something playful under Isabel’s surface. Friends in Lou’s circle suggest that Isabel is attracted to her. But the two couldn’t be more different, down to Isabel’s posh background contrasted with Lou’s working class one. And Lou is straight anyway, right? Romantic tension builds as the two come together and are pulled apart with deft timing. And while Lou has an easy time with accepting her sexuality and coming out, she is in the early stages of self-discovery after her recent diagnosis with ADHD. Classism and conflict come between them. And friends who desperately need their support are going to force them to figure out where they stand. Bearing all the hallmarks of the sweetest rom-com, this rare beauty has the capacity to allow an audience of underrepresented YA readers to feel seen. Egan’s cast includes a character who is struggling to come out to her own family and friends, and one who is being blackmailed by a boyfriend who possesses compromising photos. They also give readers a beautiful depiction of the Liverpool that Lou knows and loves. VERDICT Egan masterfully weaves issues that are current and relevant to teens into a Jane Austen–esque framework. A must have for YA collections.–Jill Shepard

King, Adina. The House No One Sees. 304p. Feiwel & Friends. Mar. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781250337191.
Gr 8 Up–No one ever saw Penny’s old house, the one on the corner that’s blue outside and red inside and so tired of keeping its secrets. No one seems to see Penny either, which is convenient when late on the night of her 16th birthday, an urgent message from her estranged mother pulls Penny away from her crush and her friends and back to the house. Knowing but not wanting to acknowledge what she might find, Penny must reckon with the house’s tendency to distort time and reality in a surrealistic labyrinth of memory and perspective. As the prose present twines with the past in verse, Penny retraces her childhood and examines her mother’s addiction and the havoc it has wrought in Penny’s own life. As she begins to come to terms with the reality of her mother’s decisions and the consequences for both of them, she must walk through her own memories to arrive in the present, beginning to realize along the way that she is more than the empty vessel of her invisible house on the corner. Shifting narrative styles highlight the ways that Penny’s mother’s addiction defined her whole childhood; verse sections from the past are sweetly (painfully) naive, while prose present-tense Penny is more world-weary and aware. VERDICT A gut-wrenching and powerful kaleidoscope of a story; for fans of A.S. King, Ellen Hopkins, and Kathleen Glasgow.–Allie Stevens

Lessore, Nathanael. Dropping Beats. 288p. Little, Brown. Feb. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780316581516.
Gr 6 Up–In London, 13-year-old Shaun “Growls” Thompson dreams of becoming a famous rapper. Step one on the road to stardom is entering the upcoming Raptology competition with best friend and “partner in grime,” Shanks. When an embarrassing livestream of the pair practicing their lyrics goes viral, Shanks is humiliated and doesn’t return to school. Meanwhile, Growls’s mum hasn’t found work since she lost her receptionist job and has received more than one final notice to pay rent. To top it off, his crush, Tanisha, no longer gives him the time of day. Growls learns to look to teacher Mr. Rix and school counselor Karen for support and finds a new friend in Siobhan, a homeschooled girl he meets at the neighborhood playground who encourages him to try, see, and do new things. Growls’s lyrics and clever wordplay are woven throughout; the back matter includes a “bonus track” and a glossary of Growls’s British slang. Lessore deftly addresses the negative impacts of social media on teen mental health, the uncertainty of food insecurity and eviction, and the unbearable weight of kids taking on parental responsibilities. VERDICT Famous or not, the star of the story shines in this must-have for all YA collections.–Alicia Rogers

Tobias, Trisha. Honeysuckle and Bone. 320p. Zando/Sweet July. Jan. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781638931027.
Gr 9 Up–Desperate for a fresh start, 18-year-old Carina assumed her best friend Joy’s identity, right down to her job offer as an au pair in Jamaica for the Halls, a high-society political family. As a Jamaican American on her first trip to the island, Carina occupies a complicated position among the staff of Blackbead, the Halls’ opulent estate—she’s far more privileged than her young Jamaican counterparts, who nevertheless wrap her into the tight-knit clique they call the Young Birds. The Halls, on the other hand, call her “a member of the family” while subjecting her to exacting standards. As she immerses herself in Jamaica, Carina is increasingly tormented by sleeplessness, the pervasive scent of honeysuckle, and dark hallucinations. Aaron, one of the Young Birds, suggests that it could be the influence of a duppy (spirit), and the two begin an investigation into the history of Blackbead and the Hall family that threatens their safety—and the safety of Carina’s most closely guarded secrets. Tobias’s debut is an atmospheric ghost story that shines in multiple respects, from its tense, satisfying mystery and tight pacing to its thoughtful commentary on class in Jamaica and Jamaican American identity, as well as its vibrant secondary characters. VERDICT A well-executed mystery with horror elements, this novel stands out for its social commentary and richly detailed Jamaican setting. A first purchase, hand to fans of Kit Frick’s I Killed Zoe Spanos or Ibi Zoboi’s American Street.–Elizabeth Giles

Trevaldwyn, Harry. The Romantic ­Tragedies of a Drama King. 352p. Wednesday Bks. Jan. 2025. Tr $24. ISBN 9781250381309; pap. $14. ISBN 9781250366788.
Gr 8 Up–British 16-year-old Patrick (who goes by Patch) is in search of his first boyfriend, and he needs to have one before prom in December. Enter Sam and Peter, who have both recently joined the after-school Drama Club; Patch can’t decide which one to choose. He isn’t even sure that they are also attracted to boys, but one of them just must be the right guy for him. Patch quickly falls head over heels for Peter, the newly transplanted American who, as it turns out, is still reeling from his breakup with his girlfriend back in New York. Further, Patch has convinced himself that Sam doesn’t care for him in the slightest. Amid preparations for his upcoming performance in Sweeney Todd, Patch learns the painful difficulties of building, breaking, and mending relationships. In his debut novel, Trevaldwyn successfully captures the intense, and often rushed, emotions that come with being a teenager. Patch and supporting characters all read as white. VERDICT This reads like a car wreck sitcom: impossible to look away from in the best way possible. It is difficult to imagine fans of Heartstopper not loving Patch and his larger-than-life personality on the quest for love.–Zach Basler 

Williamson, S.F. A Language of Dragons. 432p. HarperCollins. Jan. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780063353848.
Gr 9 Up–A compelling fantasy debut that centers around Vivien Featherswallow, a young linguist skilled in both human and Dragon languages. In alternate 1923 London, Vivien’s life takes an unexpected turn when her family is accused of treason, thrusting her into a treacherous world of politics and warfare as she struggles to protect them. She is forced to work as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park deciphering Dragon communications. Through Vivien’s journey, the novel explores the transformative power of language and the profound role it plays in connecting cultures and bridging divides. What sets this book apart is its exploration of language as more than mere communication. The author masterfully demonstrates how language embodies cultural values, traditions, and even political ideologies. Vivien’s interactions with both human and Dragon societies reveal a nuanced understanding of how words can shape, heal, and also destroy. The political backdrop of the novel adds layers of urgency and relevance, mirroring modern-day discussions about identity, diplomacy, and understanding in a divided world. At its core, this novel celebrates the beauty of communication and the bravery it takes to seek mutual understanding in turbulent times. VERDICT For readers who appreciate fantasy with philosophical depth, this novel is a must-read, offering both a gripping plot and a meditation on the importance of words and empathy in a fractured world.–Jessica Calaway