By Caitlin Taylor So
We may be halfway through the year, but there’s still so much to look forward to in terms of new stories to jump into. Here’s a list of books you should have on your radar this summer along with the genres and tropes you can expect from each.
- Kill Creatures by Rory Power – June 3, 2025 (Thriller)
Take Nan, an unreliable, morally questionable narrator, and her three best friends into Saltcedar Canyon and not all of them will return…until a year later, when one of the three missing girls turn up. Nan, who’s been laying low ever since, is shocked, considering she was the one who killed them all.
If you’re looking for an intoxicating blend of female rage and sapphic yearning, this book is sure to satisfy your craving.
- The Protégée by Erica Ridley – June 10, 2025 (Historical Horror)
Angélique has long dreamed of designing stunning, opulent gowns for the bourgeoisie and instead, has spent time wasting away dyeing silk in a sweatshop. Her life takes a turn for the worse when her parents and younger sister are killed, leaving Angélique and her other younger sister to fend for themselves.
Instead of letting this tragedy ruin her, Angélique becomes a junior seamstress for the top modiste in Paris. While she’s relentlessly bullied and underpaid, a new opportunity opens up: the modiste announces a contest for a coveted assistant position. Angélique pounces at the chance and is willing to do anything–anything–for her dreams and thirst for revenge.
If you’re looking for an enticing mixture of resilience and retribution, look no further than The Protégée.
- Kill The Lax Bro by Charlotte Lillie Balogh – June 24, 2025 (Murder Mystery)
Anyone fancy a game of lacrosse? How about a little murder to make it more exciting?
Troy Richards, the star lacrosse player of Hancock High, is dead. Go down the line of high school stereotype after high school stereotype to figure out exactly who was behind his murder. While each student is distinct and couldn’t be more different from one another, one truth remains the same: they all hated Troy.
- Girls of Dark Divine by E.V. Woods – August 5, 2025 (Gothic Fantasy)
It was Emberlyn’s dream to join the legendary ballet theatre of New Kora, but sometimes our dreams can become our worst nightmares.
The ballerinas are cursed and bound to the show’s mastermind, Malcolm, and controlled by invisible magic strings that move their limbs like marionette dolls. When the troupe is invited to perform in the city of Parlizia, Emberlyn knows this is her chance to save the dancers. She meets a boy who shares a magical connection with them and they start to unravel the evils that tie everything together.
- A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance – August 26, 2025 (Witchy Thriller)
Teenage girls love the occult, but sometimes there are surprises. Mazzy and Nora are casting a spell on the beach when the tide brings the remains of a woman with no hands or teeth.
They could go to the police…or use their witchy skills to do some investigative work of their own. After the girls experience visions and hear ghostly whispers, they wonder whether they’re putting themselves in danger. After a second body turns up and a voice beckons them to where they can find more, Mazzy is desperate to sever the girls’ connection to the supernatural.
Born and raised in Queens, Caitlin Taylor So is a Chinese-Vietnamese writer who is passionate about prioritizing and amplifying marginalized voices. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in publishing and marketing. Her writing can be found on Business Insider, PopSugar, WebMD, Medscape, The New Absurdist, and Her Campus Media.