2021 YA diverse books I’m excited for!

Heyo, internet land! I was perusing the anticipated releases of this year to add more books to my TBR, and I thought I’d share a couple of the YA diverse reads that I’m excited for!

[Edit: I realized that by the time this is uploaded, a good chunk of these books are already going to be released (I drafted this post early January). That means some of these books aren’t anticipated releases anymore. I still hope you’re able to find a book you’ve never heard of that you’re interested in.]

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All the books’ Goodreads pages are linked to their respective titles in case you guys want read the full blurb and/or add a book to your TBR.

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Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

release date: January 5, 2021
genre: contemporary

Tessa Johnson has never seen herself in the romance books she loves the read except when she’s writing them. She’s accepted into a prestigious creative writing program, but immediately suffers writer’s block at the first workshop. Her friend gives her a list of romantic things to do to get her creative juices flowing, but as Tessa checks the items off the list, she feels less and less like herself. Will she risk her bond that she develops with Sam, the boy across the street, to have her own real-life love story?

One of the Good Ones by Maika & Maritza Moulite

release date: January 5, 2021
genre: contemporary

Kezi Smith (a teen social activist) is killed at a social justice rally. Her sisters Happi and Genny go on a journey to honor their late sister while also questioning why she is remembered as “one of the good ones.” Isn’t being human enough? Along the way, they find a twist in Kezi’s story that could change everything.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

release date: January 12, 2021
genre: contemporary

Considered the prequel of the series, Concrete Rose takes place 17 years before The Hate U Give and follows Starr’s dad, Maverick Carter, and his life dealing with the King Lords and trying to take care of the ones he loves. When he’s offered a chance to turn over a new leaf, he takes it. However, you don’t just walk away from the King Lords, and a murder of someone close threatens to tear everything Mav has worked towards apart.

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

release date: January 19, 2021
genre: fantasy

Because this is the sequel (and last book) to this series, I’m not going to summarize the blurb in case there are people out there who haven’t read the first book. All you need to know is that this series is about a badass (yet still human) hunter girl and a prince who is tasked to kill her. It’s a slight game of cat and mouse with a cursed forest threatening to kill everyone and everything.

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

release date: January 26, 2021
genre: fantasy

When her mother is shot dead, Rue is taken away from her younger sister and sent to Ghizon, a secret island of magic wielders. The power-hungry leaders there protect their magic at all costs and thrive on human suffering. When Rue breaks the sacred “do not leave” law to return to Houston, she realizes Black kids are being forced into violence and crime, including her sister. The evil that was plaguing the island is taking over Houston, and Rue must embrace her half-god, half-human identity to save her city and the people she loves.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

release date: February 9, 2021
genre: fantasy

A cross between Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panter, The Gilded Ones is a West African-inspired feminist fantasy novel where girls who are outcasted become warriors by choice. Deka is kicked out of her village on the day of the blood ceremony for her gold, impure blood. Instead of submitting to a fate worse than death, a mysterious woman gives her an out to leave her old home to fight for the emperor. Deka goes to the capital to train and learns that the city is full of surprises, and nothing is quite like it seems.

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

release date: February 9, 2021
genre: contemporary

Bao and Linh are complete opposites but have one thing in common: they both work at their respective parents’ pho shops. While the competition between the two restaurants is “friendly”, Bao and Linh suspect that there’s a deeper, more serious undercurrent. Sparks fly as they spend more time together, but will the families feud and entangled histories break them apart?

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

release date: March 2, 2021
genre: fantasy

Native teen Daunis Fontaine never fit in either her hometown or the Ojibwe reservation. She wants to study medicine but puts her dreams aside to care for her sick mother. She starts to fall for a boy named Jamie, but senses that he’s hiding something. When Daunis witnesses a murder, she goes undercover to secretly start her own investigations to track the criminals using chemistry and traditional medicine. The threats start hitting close to home, and Daunis must do everything to protect her community and everyone she cares about.

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

release date: April 6, 2021
genre: contemporary/fantasy

Said to be a cross between Dear Martin and They Both Die at the End, The Cost of Knowing is about Alex, a boy who can see the future when he touches an object/person. One day, he touches a photo that brings him a vision of his brother’s impending death. Now, he’s racing against the clock to come to terms with the past, the present, and the future.

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

release date: April 20, 2021
genre: fantasy

In this Jamaican-inspired fantasy, every day brings Iraya closer to freedom and vengeance. Jazmyne is a princess who has no desire to die to strengthen her mother’s power. Despite being sworn enemies, the two form a pact to take down a mutual foe. While revenge can be deadly, the two will go to extreme lengths to come out on top.

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

release date: May 25, 2021
genre: contemporary

Izumi, a Japanese-American girl, discovers that she’s a secret princess of Japan. She’s whisked away from her northern-California town to Japan go live with her mysterious father. However, being a princess isn’t all fairy-tales and happy endings, and Izzy soon finds herself caught in between not being “American” enough in the US but not being “Japanese” enough in Japan.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

release date: July 6, 2021
genre: fantasy

Shiori, the princess of Kiata, has been hiding her forbidden magic all her life. On the morning of her (dreaded) wedding, she loses control, and her stepmother curses and banishes her and turns her brothers into cranes. Shiori’s quest to find her brothers reveals a conspiracy to overthrow the throne. Now, she has to entrust the boy she fought hard not to marry and embrace her magic to save her kingdom.

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What are some of your anticipated diverse releases?
Have you read any of these books? If so, what are your thoughts?
What is one of your favorite diverse books?

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Stay awkward and amazing!