12 must-read August YA book releases to close out your summer

Need some help deciding what to read this month? We run down 13 of the best new YA book releases hitting shelves this August.

As the days get hotter, lockdowns across the country extend further and restrictions even backslide in some places, none of our summers are shaping up the way we’d imagined them to be. Many of us would normally be doing stuff outside – visiting our local beach or even the neighborhood pool, planning backyard cookouts, or just hanging with friends.

But, thanks to things like social distancing protocols and mask mandates we’re redefining summer fun this year. This means that as the dog days of August stretch before us, it’s the perfect time to pick up one of the many new YA book releases hitting shelves this month.

There’s truly something for everything this August. A surprise new installment in one of the most popular franchises in the world (and not the Hunger Games, this time). A story of friendship and loss set in World War II. A tale of undocumented immigrants told by way of Argentian werewolves. Along with several highly anticipated sequels and sparkling new debuts. There’s so much to pick from this month.

Here are our picks for 12 must-read YA books headed your way in August.