WHAT TO READ NEXT IN YOUNG ADULT
MAY 2026
by Sydney Spell
Welcome to Texas Reads YA! As a teen who loves to read YA, I sometimes have a hard time finding quality YA novels.
These novels take different approaches to love and secrets. One through loss and the other through newfound love.
Gabe and Elyse have never met. But they both have something to hide.
Quiet, shy Elyse can’t believe it when she’s cast as the lead in her Portland high school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Her best friend, Brynn, is usually the star, and Elyse isn’t sure she’s up to the task. But when someone at rehearsals starts to catch her eye–someone she knows she absolutely shouldn’t be with–she can’t help but be pulled into the spotlight.
Austin native Gabe is contemplating the unthinkable–breaking up with Sasha, his headstrong, popular girlfriend. She’s not going to let him slip through her fingers, though, and when rumors start to circulate around school, he knows she has the power to change his life forever.
Gabe and Elyse both make the mistake of falling for the wrong person, and falling hard. Told in parallel narratives, this twisty, shocking story shows how one bad choice can lead to a spiral of unforeseen consequences that not everyone will survive.
Lies You Never Told Me is fast-paced and keeps you wanting more. The twists and turns within the novel keep you guessing and turning the page. The dual perspectives keep things interesting and the characters are both incredibly engaging.
Jennifer Donaldson graduated from Reed College and received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently lives in Austin with her family.
Bea is on the run. And then, she runs into Lou.
This chance encounter sends them on a journey through West Texas, where strange things follow them wherever they go. The landscape morphs into an unsettling world, a mysterious cat joins them, and they are haunted by a group of threatening men. To stay safe, Bea and Lou must trust each other as they are driven to confront buried truths. The two women share their stories of loss and heartbreak—and a startling revelation about sexual assault—culminating in an exquisite example of human connection.
Are You Listening? is a beautiful story about finding comfort in others and working through trauma. The artwork is beautiful and adds to the storytelling. Although the story is sad, there is so much hope laced throughout.
Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, Texas. She is the creator of the Eisner nominated works, I Love This Part and On a Sunbeam. She is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, a comics MFA program in Vermont.
Sydney Spell is a nursing student at UT Austin. She has enjoyed reading throughout her adolescence and is an especially big fan of YA novels.