Already four months into the year, we believe it’s time for a reading checkup: how are everyone’s 2022 reading goals coming along? New favorites? Any five-star books so far? Feeling ahead or behind? Fortunately, there are still three-quarters of the year remaining, which means so! many! more! books! And these April releases are certain to increase the size of your TBR pile. There is a book for everyone at every stage of your reading journey, whether you’re in the mood for a standalone, beginning a new series, or revisiting some of your favorite authors. Quickly add this month’s new releases to your reading list by scrolling down! If you’re looking for a nice cozy space to read these amazing YA books, check out Slingo.com for some luxury spots in the UK.
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
Each spring, twelve maidens are executed in Ithaca. This is the vengeful Poseidon’s demand for the twelve maids of Queen Penelope who were hanged and thrown into the sea centuries ago. However, when Leto’s time comes, death is not what she anticipated. She awakens instead on a mysterious island where she encounters a girl with green eyes and the ability to command the sea. A girl named Melantho who believes that one additional death can halt a thousand. Unless the prince of Ithaca dies, the tides of fate will drown everyone. Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller, Alexandra Bracken, and Renée Ahdieh, Sarah Underwood weaves an epic tapestry of lies, love, and tragedy.
Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones
Ripley Jones’ gripping novel Missing Clarissa is perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, as it is about two friends who start a true crime podcast with dangerous consequences. Clarissa Campbell, a wildly popular cheerleader, vanishes from a party in the woods outside the rural Washington town of Oreville in August 1999 and is never seen again. The police interrogate her friends, teachers, and adult acquaintances who all have something to conceal. In addition, Clarissa’s beauty draws the nation’s attention to the mystery. However, with no leads and no body, the case quickly becomes cold. Clarissa is never located, dead or alive, despite the efforts of internet detectives and true-crime fans. Blair and Cameron, high school juniors in Oreville and best friends, launch a true crime podcast in an effort to determine who or what caused this rural urban legend over two decades later. In doing so, they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a former high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead with a very good reason to want Clarissa dead. Such a compelling reason, in fact, that they may have to feature him in their next episode… However, does a shady past with a missing girl render him guilty of murder? Or are two adolescent girls about to endanger the life of an innocent man while allowing the real killer to go free?
Mother of the River by Emily McPherson
Inspired by traditional Irish Mythology, Mother of the River is the tale of a 17-year-old girl searching for her missing mother when she discovers a forgotten legend. Ianthe was only six years old when her mother disappeared and the mysterious statue appeared in a river near her home. Now, eleven years later, the statue serves as a memorial and is a place Ianthe frequently visits with her mother to tell her about her life. However, when an old acquaintance returns to town and suggests that the statue is more than just a statue, the presence of a mythical creature is called into question, and Ianthe begins to wonder what actually transpired all those years ago. Ianthe searches for a lost legend alongside her best friend Fintan and discovers fantastical dangers, family secrets, and the magic of Ireland. However, finding the myth may not be sufficient to repair the past. And discovering the truth may endanger her future.
There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia
A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia’s unforgettable debut tells the story of three best friends who will do anything to remain together. The gang is fictitious, but the fear is genuine. Rhea’s neighborhood is deteriorating, with the mom-and-pop shops of her youth being displaced by artisanal kombucha breweries and hot yoga studios. And everywhere, the sensation that she no longer belongs here. Even though their little corner of South Los Angeles isn’t perfect, Rhea and her two best friends consider it their home. And it merits protection. More of Rhea’s friends and family are pushed out, however, as more white people migrate to their latest urban utopia for its inexpensive rent and brand-new Whole Foods. Until Rhea decides it’s time for a counterattack. Armed with cell phones and a bag of fireworks, the friends manipulate social media to create the appearance of gang violence in their neighborhood. Rhea only desired to protect her community. Her friends. Herself. No one was intended to be injured. No one was intended to perish. But is anyone ever truly safe when fear is used to combat power?
A Long Stretch Of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
A lifetime of effort has Lydia Chass on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind, but a school error prevents her from graduating by one credit. Bristal Jamison has a negative reputation and foul language, and she needs one more credit to graduate. The two form an unanticipated alliance while remaking Lydia’s town history podcast in order to investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days, a week in which Henley was struck by a tornado, a flash food, and its first, only, and unsolved murder. As their investigation uncovers buried secrets, some do not wish for them to be revealed. When the threats intensify, the girls must uncover the truth before Henley’s murky past catches up with them.
Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
Clara’s magic has always been a chaotic force. But it’s never been dangerous. Then, a simple touch causes her father’s chest to bloom with poisonous flowers. To heal him, it is necessary to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires absolute mastery. And the only person willing to assist her is her former best friend, Xavier, who has transformed from a shy, sweet child into a distant, mysterious individual. Xavier demands a terrible cost in exchange, knowing that Clara will do anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers that he is hiding a number of secrets. And as she searches for the truth, she discovers the source of a terrible darkness that has overtaken the kingdom—a darkness that only Clara’s magic can stop.
The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
There is frequently mythical trouble in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a close eye on the ancient hot spring and the being that inhabits it. This time, the discovery of a sorcerous map causes great danger for left-handed bookseller Merlin, necessitating a desperate rescue attempt by his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to come to terms with her own newly discovered magical heritage. The map leads the group to an otherworldly location maintained by lethal magic and guarded by monstrous living statues. However, this is just the beginning. To discover the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign, the booksellers must investigate the disappearances and deaths that have occurred over centuries. If they do not intervene, she will soon commit another murder. This time, her target is not a common person.
