Young Adult Books to Add to Your Summer 2026 Reading List

From the bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes another swoony summer read about memory, love, and letting go. Olivia Lupo has put her life on hold to stay close to her grandmother Annie, whose dementia is worsening. 

But when Olivia finds a box of old photos from Annie's own magical summer on Martha's Vineyard, she decides to retrace her grandmother's footsteps. 

She ends up reconnecting with Connor, a boy from her past who wants to be part of her future. Falling for him means daring to make plans beyond the summer, even as she's fighting to hold onto every moment with Annie. A tender story about first love, family, and the courage it takes to open your heart when it's already breaking.

In 2364, Liv Newman survives in the lower-class Metro by illegally selling her memories through the neurochip in her brain. 

When a dangerous assignment beyond the city walls leaves her memory wiped clean, right as Rookie Forceman Adrian Rao is hunting the renegade Proxy responsible for the crime, only to find that the woman before him cannot remember committing it. 

As Liv and Adrian navigate the world beyond the Metro and their growing feelings for each other, they're forced to question who they really are and whether a different way of living is possible. 

A NYT bestseller and Cosmopolitan Best Young Adult Book of the Year, this Korean sensation blends dystopian thriller tension with reality-TV spectacle. In an endless winter, the domed city of Snowglobe is the last warm place on Earth, and its residents' every move is broadcast to the frozen, desperate world outside. 

Chobahm has spent her life watching from the cold, dreaming of the glittering world inside the dome. When her idol, superstar Goh Haeri, dies, Chobahm is chosen to take her place. But life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what airs on TV, and the truth may be more dangerous than the cold ever was.

After losing his older brother and best friend, Case is overwhelmed by grief and anxiety, so his parents send him to a wilderness adventure therapy program as a last resort. Instead of finding easy answers, he comes face-to-face with Diana, his late brother's girlfriend, and a group of teens carrying their own emotional burdens. 

When their counselor suddenly disappears, the therapy trip becomes a fight for survival, forcing them to rely on one another in unexpected ways. Peter Bognanni blends humor, heart, and high-stakes adventure in a moving coming-of-age story about grief, healing, and finding hope in the most unlikely places.

A NYT bestselling sci-fi thriller perfect for fans of Westworld and anyone unsettled by the future of technology. Otherworld is a virtual reality game so immersive you can taste, smell, and touch it, with no rules, no laws, and no limits on what you can indulge. 

It's designed to be addictive, and for Simon, what starts as an escape becomes something far more dangerous when he discovers some players never make it back out. A chilling look at how far we'll go, and what we'll pay, when technology can give us everything we want.

In this New York Times bestselling paranormal romance series opener, one bad night changes everything for Kylie Galen, landing her at Shadow Falls, a camp for troubled teens tucked deep in the woods. She quickly discovers her fellow campers aren't troubled at all, they're vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches, and fairies learning to control their powers. 

Everyone insists Kylie belongs there too, though she's not sure why. Making things messier are Derek, a half-Fae determined to win her heart, and Lucas, a brooding werewolf tied to her past. Uncertain of her powers and her heart, Kylie slowly realizes Shadow Falls might be exactly where she's meant to be.

Set against the vastness of space, this high-stakes sci-fi thriller follows Emmett Atwater as he leaves Earth behind when the mysterious Babel Corporation recruits him with a fortune he can't refuse. 

He soon learns he's one of ten recruits, each with a troubled past, competing for the right to travel to the hidden planet of Eden and mine Nyxia, the most valuable substance in the universe. 

But as Babel's secrets start to surface, Emmett has to decide how much he's willing to sacrifice for the money, and how much of himself he's willing to lose along the way.

Told entirely through hacked files, emails, and classified documents, this NYT bestselling sci-fi epic follows exes Kady and Ezra as they fight their way onto an evacuating fleet after their planet is invaded, only to find an enemy warship on their tail, a mutating plague spreading through the ships, and an AI that may pose the biggest threat of all. 

As Kady digs through the fleet's data to uncover the truth, Ezra turns out to be the only person she can trust to help her. It's the first book in a high-octane trilogy about survival, truth, and the price of both.

Three strangers arrive at the same seaside resort looking for a fresh start. Luna is recovering from an unexpected breakup, Rory is searching for the courage to follow her artistic dreams, and Jodie is trying to find her place in life and love. 

As their paths intertwine under the summer sun, they discover that friendship, romance, and a little adventure might be exactly what they need. From the author of the hit Kissing Booth series comes a fun, heartfelt beach read about new beginnings and the unforgettable connections made along the way.

Exiled from her kingdom and hunted by the very throne she was born to inherit, Marni must choose between reclaiming her place as princess or escaping into the magical wilderness with the dragon father she has never known. 

As enchanted woods close in around her and danger grows near, Marni must uncover the truth about her past and decide where she truly belongs. 

A lyrical fantasy filled with wonder, resilience, and self-discovery, A Creature of Moonlight is a captivating tale of identity, courage, and finding a home in an unforgiving world.