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Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.
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Let’s wrap up the month of November with a look at the new comics and new nonfiction that published for young adult readers. Like has been seen throughout the month, publishing is in its annual wind-down, so there aren’t a huge number of new releases to highlight. This is good because it means you can catch up with everything already on shelves this year. This is bad because, well, there are never enough books, right?
That said, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise this roundup isn’t as diverse as YA is in general. It’s also not as diverse as YA comics and YA nonfiction are elsewhere throughout the year. We’ll see diversification and the number of new options pick up again in the new year.
If you’re in the US, may your holiday this week be meaningful. Enjoy the bonus time to snuggle under your favorite blanket with a warm (or cold!) beverage and catch up with a book. If you’re outside the US, note that there will not be a newsletter tomorrow because of the holiday.
Always Raining Here by Hazel and Bell
This is a standalone queer comic and it’s been adapted from Webtoons. It follows Carter, who is impulsive and fun. He’s on a mission to be in any relationship he can, though the choices he has are not vast. So when Adrian rolls on onto Carter’s life, Carter’s set his eyes on Adrian. Adrian plays along a bit, but he realizes he still likes his ex and isn’t ready for a new relationship.
But one night at a big house party, something snaps into place between Carter and Adrian. They’re developing a real and meaningful friendship that starts to slowly become something more. The problem is that Adrian may be a little too self-destructive and the two of them may have had the kind of fight that would end things before they could ever begin.
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Another comic out today is I Wanna Be Your Girl, Volume 2 by Umi Takase. The first volume hit shelves in July, and rather than potentially spoil anything in this latest edition, here’s the description for volume 1:
I Wanna Be Your Girl, Volume 1 by Umi Takase
Hime has always loved her best friend Akira. Those feelings have gotten stronger as they’ve grown up, and they got stronger when Hime knew she was the first person Akira came out as a girl to. Hime protects Akira as much as possible, and Hime is also really thrilled that Akira has decided to be her true self now that high school is beginning.
Akira begins to get a lot of attention and in her true nature, Hime wants to protect her bestie. But her solution is a little unconventional and one that may not go swimmingly: Hime is going to begin dressing like a boy to get inside the experience of presenting as a different gender.
Nonfiction
Lullabies for the Insomniacs: A Memoir in Verse by Ella Grace Foutz
YA is still building up its offerings when it comes to memoirs, but this one sounds like an excellent read–and bonus, it’s written in verse.
Foutz shares her experiences growing up with bipolar disorder and navigating the extreme highs and extreme lows of the mental illness. One of the impacts this illness has on her is insomnia. Throughout the book, readers see as Foutz attempts to both find stability and ease with her experiences while also acknowledging and accepting they are an inextricable part of who she is.
Phenomenal Moments: Revealing the Hidden Science Around Us by Felice Frankel
For readers who love nature, science, and outstanding photography comes this work of nonfiction that truly allows you to get up close and personal with the world around us. This book pairs photography with scientific phenomena so readers can not only learn about these phenomena but can literally “see” what they look like along the way. Frankel’s organized the book into five sections that explore light and shadow, form, surfaces, traces left behind, and transformation. It’s intended to spark curiosity and fascination with everyday objects in a less-than-everyday manner.
Looking for more YA comics or nonfiction that hit shelves in 2025? Check out these releases from September and October.