10 Best Young Adult Books Coming Out in April 2015

This book has so much buzz it should be a bumblebee. Okay, but really, lame jokes aside Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda has been hitting every “Anticipated” list since January, and with good reason. The story is about 16-year-old Simon Spier, a gay teen with good grammar and a crush on a mysterious pen pal called Blue. However, Simon isn’t exactly out yet, and when a fellow classmate blackmails him, Simon has to figure out what to do before his emails with Blue are published for all to see. This story has got a lot of heart, and a real character that anyone could relate to.

This book is very Daughter of Smoke & Bone, with a little City of Bones thrown in for good measure. It follows Echo, a thief living in a supernatural world of magic and feather-haired people beneath New York City. To end an age-old war, Echo needs to hunt down the legendary Firebird. This book is perfect for fans of fantasy, and is already on the verge of being a huge hit pre-release. Also, serious props to Grey for including a gay couple as supporting characters.

This hilariously charming book will make you rethink how we come to terms with the idea of life and death. In Denton Little’s world, through an amazing new science people can now know their death date — knowledge that is mandatory to know in the U.S. Unfortunately, Denton’s comes on the day of his senior prom. What ensues is a hilarious chain of events that can only occur when you think you haven't got any time left to live.

This may be hard to grasp, but every amazing book on this list so far has been from a debut author, and An Ember in the Ashes is no exception to the massive burst of talent taking the reins in 2015. Tahir’s book explores a cruel world inspired by ancient Rome, with soldier Elias and slave Laia both struggling against this world. There are some serious Red Rising vibes with the setting and the government, but this one’s got a serious love story at it’s core. Want to know what else it’s got? A film deal.

This beautiful book captures everything the We Need Diverse Books campaign is trying to accomplish in the YA genre. Which is good because Gregorio is actually a founding member in the campaign. Her debut follows Kristin, a teen girl who discovers she was born intersex, and must not only navigate body and identity struggles, but also find the best way to approach her new diagnosis when her entire school finds out.

If you rushed to the movie theater to catch Keplinger’s 2010 novel The Duff hit the big screen, then you’ll definitely want to check out this new companion novel taking place in the same world. It follows Sonny, who can’t stop lying, even when it comes to her BFF Amy. The new preppy kid Ryder comes to town, showing an interest in Amy, but it’s Sonny who ends up secretly talking to him via IM all night under Amy’s account. And, of course, she finds she actually likes the guy, which causes a whole world of trouble from there. One thing’s for sure: Lying Out Loud will have you laughing out loud.

A stunning and gorgeous story about Aza Ray, a girl whose mysterious lung disease has seriously prevented her from living her life, until she gets swept away to the magical land of Magonia on a ship she believed was only a hallucination. Claiming to be a combination of two of the past ten year's most fascinating tales, Neil Gaiman's Stardust and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, Magonia is sure to light a bright spark in this month's releases.

This novel by Shusterman, the New York Times bestselling author of the Unwind series, follows Caden Bosch a torn high schooler struggling with mental illness. Challenger Deep really gives a sense of what it feels like to be consumed by an illness, as if you're drowning from it.

Fantasy takes on imagination in this novel by Brooks about Jonathan, a boy who, after his coma, is able to create alternate worlds where he has everything he could ever want, including a girlfriend. When he confuses these worlds he's been traveling between for years, he struggles to get a grip on which one he really belongs in. With such an interesting premise of wish-granting, how could you not want to give this one a try?

In McCoy's novel, main character Bennett gets who he thought was the impossible prom date, only to have something really impossible occur: She's abducted by aliens shortly after agreeing to go with him. So, naturally, in a book that would make Douglas Adams proud, Bennett hitches a ride into space with some extraterrestrial musicians. No big deal. I don't think I need to say this, but if you're a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan, you need this book in your life.