February Anticipated Releases

This year, I’ve decided to do something new, in addition to my monthly TBR, I want to shout about my most anticipated releases of each month and see how many of them I’ve read by the end of the year. For this, I’ve created a massive spreadsheet and have tried to keep an eye out for any upcoming releases that I hadn’t already heard about.

The books will be sorted by publication date and then if more than one book is published on the same date (like the ten books I really want to read that all come out on the 6th this month), they are sorted alphabetically by title.

For each of them, I will include the synopsis and a little passage on why I’m looking forward to it.

4th:

The King of Crows 

The breath-taking finale to the epic New York Times bestseller, The Diviners, from Printz winner and beloved author, Libba Bray.

After the horrifying explosion that claimed one of their own, the Diviners find themselves wanted by the US government, and on the brink of war with the King of Crows.

In this sweeping finale, The Diviners will be forced to confront their greatest fears and learn to rely on one another if they hope to save the nation, and world from catastrophe…

Why I’m Excited:

I’ve really enjoyed the previous books in The Diviners series, so I’m eagerly awaiting the final instalment in this unnerving, atmospheric, character-driven series. Luckily for me, I was able to read an eARC via Netgalley and it exceeded my expectations. Full review here.

6th:

Are You Watching?

Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.

She was the first of his victims but not the last.

Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she’s using it to catch the killer once and for all.

The whole world is watching her every move.

And so is the Magpie Man.

Why I’m Excited:

This sounded like the perfect modern day YA thriller, combining a classic whodunnit with aspects of social media. Back in December, I was lucky enough to win a signed ARC from the author and devoured it in one sitting. Full review here.

Diary of a Confused Feminist

Kat wants to do GOOD FEMINISM, although she’s not always sure what that means. She also wants to be a writer, get together with Hot Josh (is this a feminist ambition?), win at her coursework and not make a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT of herself at all times.

But the path to true feminism is filled with mortifying incidents and when everything at school starts to get a bit too much, Kat knows she’s lost her way, and the only way forward is to ask for help . . .

Join Kat AKA the Confused Feminist as she navigates EVERYTHING from menstrual cups and mental health to Instagram likes and #TimesUp in her HILARIOUS, OUTRAGEOUS and VERY EMBARRASSING diary.

Why I’m Excited:

A book about struggling to find your voice in teenage feminism sounded absolutely perfect for me! This was another book that I’m so grateful that I got to read early, thanks to the lovely Becci Mansell and Team BKMRK. Full review here.

Heartstopper Volume Three

n this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private…

Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…?

Why I’m Excited:

Not only have I absolutely loved the previous instalments of this adorable, romantic series, I adore Oseman’s work, so this was an automatic pre-order for me. I can’t wait to return to Nick and Charlie’s story and am very excited for some more Tara and Darcy content!

The Hand on The Wall

Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph . . .

Why I’m Excited:

As above, this is a series that I have absolutely loved reading. Every book has been so tantalising and I have really enjoyed piecing together the threads of the mystery, so I honestly cannot wait to see how Johnson wraps everything up!

The Mercies

Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Bergensdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Northern town of Vardø must fend for themselves.

Three years later, a sinister figure arrives. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband’s authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty evil.

As Maren and Ursa are pushed together and are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them with Absalom’s iron rule threatening Vardø’s very existence.

Why I’m Excited:

After reading Hargrave’s stunning writing in The Deathless Girls, I knew I had to pick up this fiercely feminist tale of witchcraft and obsession. Luckily for me, I was able to read an eARC via Netgalley and it was absolutely brilliant. Full review here.

The Pieces of Ourselves

Edit: I have since been informed that this is actually coming out in April!

Flora doesn’t do people, not since the Incident that led to her leaving school midway through her GCSEs. The Incident that led to her being diagnosed with bipolar II. The Incident that left her in pieces. Until Hal arrives. He’s researching a story about a missing World War I soldier, and he wants Flora’s help. Flora used to love history before the Incident, but spending so much time with Hal is her worst nightmare. Yet as they begin to piece together the life of the missing soldier, a life of lost love, secrets and lies, Flora finds a piece of herself falling for Hal.

Why I’m Excited:

Firstly, bipolar representation means so much to me personally. Secondly, Harcourt writes the most beautifully loveable contemporaries with romances that you really root for and fleshed-out characters. Add in a touch of history and a hint of mystery and you’ve sold it to me completely.

The Sky is Mine

Why I’m Excited:

Ever since I heard about this book just before YALC, I knew I needed to read it. It sounded like an intense but necessary discussion of abuse and rape culture. Luckily for me, the amazing people at Rock the Boat sent me an ARC that proved just how right I was. Full review here.

What Kind of Girl

The girls at North Bay Academy are taking sides. It all started when Mike Parker’s girlfriend showed up with a bruise on her face. Or, more specifically, when she walked into the principal’s office and said Mike hit her. But the students have questions. Why did she go to the principal and not the police? Why did she stay so long if he was hurting her? Obviously, if it’s true, Mike should be expelled. But is it true?

Some girls want to rally for his expulsion—and some want to rally around Mike. The only thing that the entire student body can agree on? Someone is lying. And the truth has to come out.

Why I’m Excited:

Domestic abuse is a topic that means a lot to me and I’m always picking up books that discuss it, as I think it’s something that we need to be educated on. This book was that and so much more. Thanks to Atom Books and Stephanie Melrose, I got to read an ARC of this creative, timely book. Full review here.

What Momma Left Me

Serenity knows she is good at keeping secrets, and she’s got a whole lifetime’s worth of them. Her mother is dead, her father is gone, and she and her brother have to start over again by moving in with their grandparents. At first, things seem like they could be good: a new friend, a new church, a new school. But when her brother seems to be going down the wrong path, the old fears set in. Will he end up like their dad? Will she end up like their mum? In this exquisite coming of age story, Serenity discovers it is the power of love that keeps you sure of who you are, and who you will become.

Why I’m Excited:

I read Watch Us Rise last year and really enjoyed it, so when I saw that Watson had another book coming out, I knew I had to read it. Serenity sounds like a really interesting protagonist and the idea of how much of our identity comes from our parents is an intriguing concept.

Wilder Girls

It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Why I’m Excited: 

Since I heard about the book last year, I’ve been desperate to read it, as a feminist horror with LGBT+ content is absolutely perfect for me! Horror as a sub genre within YA is often overlooked so I was so excited when my friend lent me her ARC. Full review here.

Wranglestone

Winter was the only season every Lake-Lander feared…

In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he’s forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.

But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.

Why I’m Excited:

LGBT+ representation in a chillingly atmospheric zombie apocalypse? Sign me up! Luckily for me, the amazing Charlie and Little Tiger Group sent me an ARC of this incredible, unnerving book. Full review here.

11th:

Sensational

The 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris is full of innovations, cultural displays, and inventions. Millions of visitors attend over the course of several months…so no one would notice if a few were missing, right? Maybe—but someone is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the guillotine with a display of their own: beheaded victims in some of the Exposition’s most popular exhibits.

Nathalie Baudin’s ability to see murder scenes should help, but she’s suffering the effects of her magic more than ever before. Fortunately she has other Insightfuls to team up with—if they can be trusted.

Why I’m Excited:

I received Spectacle as a birthday present and got swept off my feet in 19th century Paris, with Nathalie serving as an unforgettable protagonist. So, when I saw that there was a sequel coming, I immediately added it to my TBR!

The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly 

When band-geek Ivy and her friends get together, things start with a rousing board game and end with arguments about Star Wars.

Her older sister Autumn is a different story. Enigmatic, aloof, and tough as nails, Autumn hasn’t had real friends–or trusted anyone–in years. Even Ivy.

But Autumn might not be tough enough. After a drug deal gone wrong, Autumn is beaten, bound, and held hostage. Now, trapped between life and death, she leaves her body, seeking help. No one can sense her presence–except her sister.

When Autumn doesn’t come home, Ivy just knows she’s in trouble. Unable to escape the chilling feeling that something isn’t right, Ivy follows a string of clues that bring her closer to rescuing her sister… and closer to danger.

Autumn needs Ivy to find her before time runs out. But soon, both sisters realize that finding her also means untangling the secrets that lead to the truth–about where they’re hiding Autumn, and what Autumn has been hiding.

Why I’m Excited:

I adore a good contemporary thriller and Tate looks like she’s conjured up a fair few of them for this gripping story. The whole discussion around sexual assault and harassment is so important to have, so I’m very intrigued by this sneakily vague synopsis. Full review here.

20th:

Break The Fall

Why I’m Excited:

I picked up a sampler of this at YALC and was instantly hooked by Audrey’s voice and I knew that I wanted to read more. Having researched some of the themes discussed, it sounded like an extremely timely and powerful story, which it truly was. I’m so grateful that I got to read this early, thanks again to the amazing Becci Mansell and Team BKMRK. Full review here.