10 YA books we can’t wait to dive into this July

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Spin the Dawn – Elizabeth Lim

Readers who count Mulan as one of their favorite Disney movies should make a point of grabbing Elizabeth Lim’s Spin the Dawn when it hits shelves this month. Marketed as “Project Runway meets Mulan” — count us intrigued — Lim’s latest novel kicks off a new young adult series called The Blood of Stars. 

Our protagonist, Maia Tamarin, wants nothing more than to become the greatest tailor in her world. Unfortunately, where Maia comes from, women don’t get that sort of fame and glory — the biggest accomplishment they can hope for is to marry someone of value. But when Maia’s sick father is summoned to her nation’s court to tailor dresses, she takes the opportunity to live the life she’s always wanted.

Disguised as a boy, Maia arrives at court, only to discover that she’s one of twelve tailors who have been called for the job. She must compete against the others in order to be chosen, and the contest proves to be full of backstabbing and manipulation — a definite problem for someone who could be prosecuted if her true gender is discovered. An even greater problem, however, is the impossibility of the final task: to sew three magic dresses for the emporer’s bride-to-be.

Full of court politics and intrigue, Maia’s story is bound to appeal to the usual fans of young adult fantasy. It has all the trimmings of a well-plotted novel, deals with important themes surrounding gender, and it manages to weave both magic and fashion into its story. Spin the Dawn arrives on July 9, and it could very well be the next young adult fantasy hit.