12 must-read new YA books to cool off with this July

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

Hank Green entered the world of YA fiction with An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and he’s continuing that story this month in A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor. While the first installment explored the appearance of the strange sculptures dubbed The Carls, this sequel will dive into an equally as perplexing phenomenon: how the Carls just up and disappeared one day.

Of course, first their appearance resulted in the death of April, the girl who brought worldwide attention to them. And Andy has essentially replaced her in researching and theorizing about the whole mess — all while her group of friends mourn their loss. But if the synopsis for book two is anything to go by, things aren’t quite what they seem … and April may not be gone for good after all:

"“As they each get further down their own paths, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers; unexplained internet outages; and more—which seem to suggest April may be very much alive. In the midst of the gang’s possible reunion is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.”"

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is just the bizarre book readers need right now, and it asks important questions about a society whose interactions are becoming increasingly digital. This follow-up will be available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats beginning on July 7.