8 YA Books with Summer Vibes

Chloe, a Chinese Filipina girl who lives in Manila, just got the news that she’s off USC’s waitlist and on her way to becoming an animator. She can’t wait to get started chasing her dream, but her family wants her to stay closer to home. Her auntie is planning a huge debut on her 18th birthday before she leaves, and her father inundates her with lots of kaishao — or arranged dates — the summer before she starts college. Her dad never took much of an interest in her love life before, and Chloe’s not sure she wants to fall in love right before she leaves, even if she is starting to catch feelings for one of her dates.

A retelling of queen of mystery, Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles, where the detective is a girl named Holiday. When Michael Linden is invited to spend the summer in Martha’s Vineyard by his prep school roommate, Jasper, he accepts even though he doesn’t belong in the wealthy world of August House. Linden tries to fit in with little white lies, but he’s not the only liar on the property. Then an accident happens and someone is found unconscious in Jasper’s pool, and everyone is trying to keep their secrets hidden. Enter Holiday Proctor, Linden’s childhood friend and trusted confidant. The two of them aren’t so sure it’s an accident. Once Linden tells her, Holiday is determined to find the killer. But they have to do it before anyone else turns up dead.

Sabine Zhang is thrilled when she’s picked for Hotel California, a teen reality show with an all-Asian cast. She’s one of a handful of Asians at her Midwest high school, and has always felt like a supporting character instead of the lead in a great story. Yoona Bae, on the other hand, is just trying to get a break from her life and her unearned bad reputation. When she’s invited to appear on Hotel California, she sees it as a chance to chill out and have a fresh start. When they get there, it’s not what they assumed. The producers are pushing for ultimate drama, pitting the teens against each other.

Lola Espinoza is going to Mexico City to spend the summer with her grandmother. She expects to spend time with her abuela, eat delicious food, learn more about her culture, and more Spanish. What she doesn’t expect is to find out that her bad luck in love is actually a curse, because magic is real. But two boys, who are total opposites, are determined to help her break the curse. Now she’s caught in the middle but doesn’t want to hinder anything that might help.

Ebony has to move from Houston to small town Alula Lake, Texas, where her grandmother is from, and this town is not it. It gets worse: Ebony’s grandmother’s ghost is everywhere after her mysterious death in the lake. One good thing, though, is that Ebony gets to reconnect with her friend Jalen from way back. As she settles into a routine and life in her new town, she finds herself being drawn more to Lena, Jalen’s older sister. Lena is rebellious and chaotic, not at all the kind of friend Ebony usually has. But she’s able to help Ebony with her loss in a way no one else can.

This graphic novel is inspired by Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen’s gothic romance. Cade loves horror movies. To him, they are an escape, especially because for a queer Latino boy who isn’t out, the real world can be much scarier. When he’s sent to work at a ranch all summer to help his family financially, he thinks it’s his nightmare come to life. Cade hates working on the ranch. One plus are the two other teens who live there, especially quiet Henry, who is cowboy handsome. When the chemistry between Cade and Henry heats up, things get even more complicated, and Cade doesn’t know if he can trust him.