15 Most Anticipated Coming-Of-Age Books Coming Out The Rest Of 2024

2024 will see the release of some incredible coming-of-age and Young Adult books. Because of the invention of devices like the Kindle, keeping up with the most anticipated upcoming novel titles is easier than ever. The coming-of-age genre is continuously soaring in popularity, especially in recent years. This is mainly because streaming services like Netflix are recreating these stories for the big screen, and in 2024, there are several movie and TV show book adaptations that are due for release.

The coming-of-age and Young Adult subgenres aren’t the only ones with some incredible releases on the way, however. There are also plenty of great non-fiction books releasing in 2024 that cover all manner of topics, ranging from the political system to the effects of mental health. For the most avid readers, keeping up with the latest releases can be difficult, especially as there are so many amazing coming-of-age tales on the way throughout the year.

15

The Davenports: More Than This By Krystal Marquis

Release Date: December 11, 2024

More Than This, the second entry in The Davenports series by Krystal Marquis, follows the journey of four young women in 1910’s Chicago. The Davenport sisters battle against the unfair ruling of societal structures as four black women in the early 20th century. Ruby, Olivia, Amy-Rose, and Helen must persevere for the sake of love, justice, and personal aspirations and forge their own path in a sequel to the New York Times bestseller. With its interesting blend of historical fiction and a coming-of-age plotline, More Than This is a great read for fans of Bridgerton and other TV period dramas.

14

The Color Of A Lie By Kim Johnson

Release Date: November 6, 2024

The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson tells the story of teenager Calvin and his family, who move to a “White Only” town in the suburbs of 1955 Chicago. Because of their skin tone, Calvin’s family is able to blend in with their neighbors but harbors a past secret of tragedy and fear that keeps them on the edge. The Color of a Lie provides readers with a beautiful and important reflection on themes of social justice, white privilege, and the lives of black people in the years building up to the end of segregation in the United States.

13

Such Charming Liars By Karen McManus

Release Date: July 30, 2024

From the New York Times number one and international bestselling novelist Karen McManus comes her latest book, Such Charming Liars, which recounts a tale about mother-daughter duo Jamie and Kat, who spend their nights secretly robbing the uber-wealthy and upper classes. However, their final heist goes awry when they bump into Jamie’s ex-husband and his son Liam, and a member of the billionaire Sutherland family mysteriously drops dead. Such Charming Liars delves into the different types of relationships in the world and the power of lies, with an engaging and brilliant murder mystery that will keep readers turning the page.

12

I Wish You Would By Eva Des Lauriers

Release Date: May 21, 2024

I Wish You Would comes from a fresh new voice, Eva Des Lauriers, who tells a story about a summer vacation like no other. Natalia and Ethan’s bond is on edge, but the Senior Sunrise changes all of this. After a night of bonfires and letter-writing at the beach with their class, everyone’s deepest secrets are spread out for all to see, leaving their fates and futures unknown. I Wish You Would‘s themes of self-discovery, budding love, and friendship provide a heartwarming and enjoyable read that reviewers have compared to the likes of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before​​.

11

Twelfth Knight By Alexene Farol Follmuth

Release Date: May 28, 2024

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a fascinating, modern-age retelling of William Shakespeare’s play of the same name. Vi’s greatest vice in her life is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but fed up with the gender bias she faces while playing, she creates a masculine alter ego named Cesario. However, when her school rival, Jack Orsino, is injured and finds himself playing, Vi realizes the two are better suited to each other than she initially thought. Twelfth Knight does a great job of bringing Shakespeare to the present day and is comparable to the teen rom-com movie She’s the Man.

10

There Is a Door In This Darkness By Kristin Cashore

Release Date: June 11, 2024

In a brilliant and haunting tale set during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Wilhelmina Hart’s senior year has been a disaster, starting with Trump’s election and ending with the world closing down. There Is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore is a relatable tale for many young people in the present day, following Wilhelmina’s struggles with college admissions and grieving for her aunt; all the while, society crumbles around her, and the nation is repeatedly traumatized. In the murky depths of an awful depression, Wilhelmina finds a possible way to pull herself out and back into the light.

9

A Girl Can Dream By Emily Barr

Release Date: May 16, 2024

The brand-new thriller romance from Emily Barr, A Girl Can Dream, tells the story of Hazel in two different years of her life. In England in 2022, she is meeting the lead singer of a local band, Freddie, and embarks on a fast whirlwind romance. In Venice in 2024, Hazel’s stepbrother Enzo and best friend Phoebe have just pulled her out of the destructive relationship and whisked her away on vacation.

However, Hazel’s memories start to betray her, and the feeling of de ja vu seems to be more than just a coincidence. A Girl Can Dream is a hauntingly, but unfortunately accurate, tale of a young woman whose naivety gets her caught up with a man who can’t be trusted and the damage it causes her. Barr’s previous title, The One Memory of Flora Banks, follows some similar topics, with a protagonist who has memory problems and a mystery she’s unable to solve.

8

Wild East By Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Release Date: May 23, 2024

Wild East, the debut novel from the up-and-coming author Ashley Hickson-Lovence, is an astonishing and emotional story about 14 year old Ronny. The black teenager moves to Norwich, a rural location in the UK, where he quickly finds that his new classmates are predominantly white, a greatly different experience compared to London. Ronny uses his passion for rap to keep himself afloat in a world he doesn’t feel he belongs in, and after meeting a poet, his understanding of literature and the power of words begins to shift in an amazing tale of self-reflection, acceptance, and achieving your greatest aspirations.

7

Sync By Ellen Hopkins

Release Date: August 27, 2024

In the latest novel from New York Times number one bestseller Ellen Hopkins, Sync, 17-year-old twins Storm and Lake live their lives in unison. After a childhood of rejection and jumping around the foster care system, the pair are split up and find themselves with new families who are vastly different. Sync is a heartwrenching tale told through Storm and Lake’s unsent letters to each other and highlights the destructive experiences of young people in the foster care system, their difficulties getting out of it, and the pain of being separated from the only person who can truly understand you.

6

Kill Her Twice By Stacey Lee

Release Date: April 23, 2024

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee is a brilliant historical fiction novel set in 1930s Los Angeles. It focuses on Lulu Wong, a movie star who was a huge success in Chinatown. The Chow sisters, Lulu’s old friends and neighbors, discover Lulu’s body in a random stable miles away from her home and quickly become determined to solve the mystery surrounding her death. With Lulu’s killer still roaming the streets, the Chow girls fear that the police and press will not treat the death seriously because of her being Chinese.

Kill Her Twice delves into some amazing and interesting topics. Between a possible police cover-up, capitalistic greed, and the unfair treatment of Asian people in 1930s America, Kill Her Twice is so much more than a murder mystery. This novel comes from the bestseller Stacey Lee, who is also the incredible mind behind other hit historical and Young Adult fiction books such as Luck of the Titanic.

5

Compound Fracture By Andrew Joseph White

Release Date: September 3, 2024

Compound Fracture is an amazing queer Appalachian thriller from the award-winning author Andrew Joseph White, who has been praised for reflecting on his own experiences as a trans, autistic person in his work. Compound Fracture is a tale about trans teenager Miles, who, after coming out, finds himself caught up in a murderous scandal that rocks his local community and a rivalry that spans back multiple generations. This impactful and gripping novel stands out in the list of upcoming releases in 2024, in a powerful story of generational struggle and queer acceptance, littered with elements of horror and class exploitation.

4

Everything We Never Had By Randy Ribay

Release Date: August 27, 2024

Everything We Never Had uses a delicate but endearing non-linear narrative to jump through four time periods: Watsonville in 1930, Stockton in 1965, Denver in 1983, and Philadelphia in 2020. Following the perspectives of four young Filipino American men in their prime, Everything We Never Had focuses on their father-son relationships and how they work in greatly different generations. This beautiful tale about the pressures of masculinity and discovering your identity comes from the mind of Randy Ribay, National Book Award finalist and Freeman Book Award winner, who uses his own Filipino descent as inspiration for Everything We Never Had.

3

Ash’s Cabin By Jen Wang

Release Date: August 13, 2024

In a story about the frustrations of young individuals living in a world of people who ignore the climate crisis and focus on life’s more trivial aspects, Ash sets out on a hunt for their grandfather’s long-lost cabin in the depths of the California wilderness. Ash’s Cabin is a graphic novel, and readers will be able to appreciate the message about climate change even more through its beautiful illustrations, which makes this piece even more engaging. Ash’s Cabin comes from the talented Jen Wang, who is also the author of the historical fiction graphic novel The Prince and the Dressmaker.

2

Grief In The Fourth Dimension By Jennifer Yu

Release Date: July 16, 2024

The upcoming Young Adult novel Grief in the Fourth Dimension has an amazing premise and follows the story of Caroline and Kenny, two very different high school classmates who form a friendship in the afterlife. As the pair form a bond, they spend their days watching their friends and families moving on with their lives and realize that they can influence them through radio signals and other electrical interference. Jennifer Yu does a stellar job of telling an emotional story about grief and trauma as Kenny and Caroline try to help their loved ones and themselves heal from the loss.

1

Rules For Camouflage By Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Release Date: June 18, 2024

Rules for Camouflage takes interesting inspiration from other novels like Atypical and Every Last Word, according to the description given by author Kirstin Cronn-Mills, in a coming-of-age story about Evvie Chambers, a neurodivergent teenager who is desperately trying to get through her final months of high school. However, this becomes increasingly difficult for her because of Mrs. Dearborn, a teacher who fails to recognize Evvie’s neurodivergency and makes life more difficult for her.

Rules for Camouflage is an extraordinary reflection on the modern-day school system and how neurodivergent students are treated, not just by other teenagers but also by so-called responsible adults. It also focuses on themes of friendships and self-acceptance as Evvie searches for some sort of safety and support in her life. Rules for Camouflage is a highly anticipated summer read and one that will likely stick in readers’ minds for years after finishing it.