12 must-read YA book releases to spring into this April

It’s April and with the increasingly warm weather and the ramp-up in COVID-19 vaccinations across the country, it feels as though the beautiful spring breezes are bringing hope right along with them. Is our long national nightmare of self-isolation over? Not yet – and though the pandemic may not end for some time, for the first time in a long time, it seems as if there is at least something like a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sure, we’re probably going to be stuck reading a book in our homes for a little while longer this year, but that will probably feel easier than it has in quite some time. (Am I projecting? Yes, absolutely. Am I sorry? Not one bit.)

The changing seasons are also reflected in this crop of new book releases, as YA titles of all stripes hit shelves this April, from charming romances to magical fantasy retellings. There’s the highly anticipated conclusion to Emily A. Duncan’s ”Something Dark and Holy” trilogy, one of the darkest YA series released recently, international bestselling author Charlie Jane Anders’ highly anticipated YA debut, a new novel from Becky Albertelli, and the buzzy debut Witches Steeped in Gold, which feels like it’s been on everyone’s most anticipated lists since last spring.

Here are 12 of our picks for must-read YA titles hitting a book store near you this April.