Young adult fiction of the month: making waves

The vibrant landscape of contemporary London is the backdrop to Asli Jensen’s debut, Love on Sight (Chicken House, published 14 August), a love story set over the course of one summer. English Jamaican Sabrina is the classic good girl, heading for a top university; Jalaal, a Somali Muslim, has dropped out of college and is now selling drugs on the side. Although there’s grit here, Jensen smashes stereotypes about life on a London estate, infusing warmth and hope into a rich tapestry of culture and community.

A slower-burn romance can be found in Listen Closely by Leon Egan (Harper Fire). When quiet, hesitant Jude is unexpectedly paired with Aiden for an internship at a local radio station, Jude is wary of his charm and ease, until a shared love of podcasts gradually inspires a closer bond. Egan has a real gift for nuanced, authentic characters and uses a dual narrative to build palpable chemistry. A heartwarming LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama for fans of Alice Oseman.

No one does Greek myths quite like Bea Fitzgerald, whose teenage heroines unapologetically take centre stage, outplaying the gods at every turn. In A Beautiful Evil (Penguin Random House, 8 August), the Olympians conjure up Pandora, the first human woman who, in contrast to classic retellings, is here smart, complex and neurodivergent, made for a husband who seems not to want her. Facing her are the challenges of navigating an unlikely romance and finding her life’s purpose – as well as that tricky business of opening a jar to release all the evils of the world upon humanity. A deliciously addictive romp.

Another heroine embracing her true self is found in Lauryn Hamilton Murray’s Heir of Storms (Penguin). Born into a family of fire-wielders, Blaze is a “rain singer”, locked away after her birth summons a devastating storm. Now 17, she must nurture dormant powers and compete in the Choosing Rite for a chance to win the throne. Elemental powers, a love triangle and deadly trials may be YA staples but Murray uses them to weave a dazzling fantasy, rich in world building and lyrical writing.

Nicola Garrard’s On the Edge (Old Barn Books, 14 August) takes a thought-provoking look at the reality of life in a small coastal town where livelihoods are under threat from gentrification and overtourism. Determined to protect his family, Rhys is drawn to a radical protest group with heartbreaking consequences. Garrard’s writing burns with the intensity of teenage emotions, from the rage ignited by Rhys’s circumstances to the joy and solace he finds in surfing.

Finally, Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue (Walker Books) poses a tantalising question: what would you do if you boarded a train to Dublin and found yourself in another world entirely? On a routine journey to school, Margo slips into an alien world where a day lasts only six hours and society – with echoes of our own world – is blighted by unrest and travel bans. Along with Moon, an enigmatic travelling salesman, she finds herself caught up in a drama of love and rebellion. A unique coming-of-age story with a sci-fi twist.

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