Categories: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Politics, Heists
Published by Walker Books
Read Wren’s essay ‘Positivity in the apocalypse: can a climate fiction novel be uplifting?’
Set in a near-future world on the brink of ecological catastrophe, Wren James’s novel is a gripping, witty and romantic call to arms.
Gabrielle is a climate-change activist who shoots to fame when she becomes the first teenager to display a supernatural ability to grow plants from her skin. Hester is the millionaire daughter of an oil tycoon and the face of the family business. Theo comes from a long line of fishermen, but his parents are struggling to make ends meet.
On the face of it, the three have very little in common. Yet when Hester and Theo join Gabrielle and legions of other teenagers around the world in developing the strange new “Greenfingers” power, it becomes clear that to use their ability for good, they’ll need to learn to work together. But in a time of widespread corruption and greed, there are plenty of profit-hungry organizations who want to use the Greenfingers for their own ends. And not everyone would like to see the Earth saved…
As they navigate first love and family expectations, can the three teenagers pull off the ultimate heist and bring about a green rising?
He’d always accepted the mine and power station were part of Shelbourne. On still nights, the thrum of the turbines echoed down the valley and melded with the sound of the ocean until you couldn’t tell them apart.
Hesse lives a small coastal town, where a coalmine and power station are a part of the scenery, and a part of the ever-growing problem of climate change. His mum is a member of a local environmental group campaigning to close the mine and shut down the power station. It’s a no-brainer, of course, but Hesse is more interested in surfing—and in Fenna, the new exchange student from the Netherlands.
But when someone seems to be trying to derail the campaign, and his friends’ families face losing their jobs, Hesse begins to realise that things are complex.
Even though he’s reluctant to step into the spotlight, with Fenna’s encouragement he decides it’s time to make a stand. Because some things are too important to leave to everyone else. And even one small, nervous voice can make a difference.
When Hesse agrees to speak at a protest meeting he has no idea of the storm he is about to unleash.
If Not Us is Mark Smith’s first standalone YA novel following his hugely successful Winter trilogy. It’s another great story with an engaging and relatable protagonist, as well as an impassioned plea for climate change action that will inspire and empower readers of all ages.
Categories: activism, Enemies to lovers, young adult romance
Published by Disney Publishing
We Don’t Have Time for This by Brianna Craft
A tied election throws two rival teen activists together to lead their school’s environmental justice club, and they are taken by surprise when their clashes reveal deeper feelings hidden beneath their antagonism.
What’s more romantic than saving the earth?
Two presidents. One club. A sizzling connection.
Isa Brown wishes her life would slow down. She doesn’t want to leave for college. Not now that her dad finally gets to spend some time at home. Not now that she’s finally been in one place for longer than a year. But nothing lasts forever. With wildfires ravaging her community and a new natural gas pipeline threatening her dad’s job, the last thing Isa can do is relax. The school’s environmental justice club seems like a promising way to make real change. If only her annoying co-president Darius would stop being such a control freak.
Darius Freeman can’t stop hustling. If he does, how will he beat the other honors kids to be valedictorian? How will he get into the top schools in the country? How will he launch his political career? No. Darius can’t stop, and the next step in his plan is leading the environmental justice club this year—putting on a policy summit and rounding out his college applications with a leadership role. But then Isa joins the club and becomes co-president. Is she the stumbling block on his road to success?
As Isa and Darius clash over the best way to lead the environmental justice club, deeper feelings emerge. About what’s at stake for their communities if they can’t figure out how to work together. And about the sparks they feel between them.
Will Darius and Isa figure out how to burn brightly together? Or will their flames leave nothing but ashes behind?
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Environmental destruction
Published by Abrams Books (out now)
A funny, fiercely feminist YA epic fantasy—following the adventures of a tavern wench
Tanya has worked at her tavern since she was able to see over the bar. She broke up her first fight at 11. By the time she was a teenager she knew everything about the place, and she could run it with her eyes closed. She’d never let anyone—whether it be a drunkard or a captain of the queen’s guard—take advantage of her. But when her guardian dies, she might lose it all: the bar, her home, her purpose in life. So she heads out on a quest to petition the queen to keep the tavern in her name—dodging unscrupulous guards, a band of thieves, and a powerful, enchanted feather that seems drawn to her. Fast-paced, magical, and unapologetically feminist, Wench is epic fantasy like you’ve never seen it before.
Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, wildfires, adventure
Published by DELTA (out now)
Caught in the Fire by Mike Gould
It’s another dangerously hot day on the south coast of Australia. Flynn and his friends decide to go to the old timber mill in the forest. It’s a great place to hang out and somewhere parents won’t bother them. However, worried about the weather and warnings from his mother, a volunteer firefighter, Flynn decides to leave because of the risks of a wildfire.
Then the worst happens: a wildfire breaks out. The fire threatens the whole town. Flynn, his sister, and his dad are supposed to escape to the east, to safety, while his mum stays to fight the flames. But Flynn’s friends are still at the timber mill in the forest. Flynn decides to go looking for them to warn them. However, when he reaches the mill, his friends have gone, and he suddenly finds himself caught in the fire…
Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Activism
Published by Bloomsbury (out now)
The Summer We Turned Green by William Sutcliffe
It’s the summer holidays, and thirteen-year-old Luke’s life has been turned upside down. First his older sister Rose moved ‘across the road’ – where a community of climate rebels are protesting the planned airport expansion – then his dad followed her. Dad only went to get Rose back, but now he’s out there building totem poles, wearing sandals and drinking mead (whatever that is) with the best of them… Luke is determined to save his family, but his dad and sister only seem to want to save the planet. So how does Luke find himself at the top of a tree refusing to leave until the bulldozers stand down? A fresh, funny, heartfelt look at this generation’s must-win battle: one earth, one chance.
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.
For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.
In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.
In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.
In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.
In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves…before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.
Categories: Young Adult, Witches, Fantasy, Contemporary
Published by Sourcefire Books
Read our interview with Rachel
Categories: sci-fi, time travel, YA
Published by Guernica Books (out now)
Reversing Time: One Boy’s Quest to Change History by Charlotte Mendel
With the intensity of a fast-paced adventure story, Reversing Time tackles vital themes in today’s society—such as the climate crisis—within the context of an exciting page-turner. Reversing Time empowers all young adults, especially those who dream of changing the world, to become heroes.
The odds are definitely against Simon, racing home from school every day a step ahead of the school bullies—until he finds the talisman. Even as the talisman begins to destroy his family, Simon discovers that he belongs to a tribe of people with the power to travel along the length and breadth of their own life lines. Simon is shocked to learn that they expect him to help halt humanity’s destiny: extinction.
Categories: YA, Sci-fi
Published by Brown Books Publishing (out now)
Marcie Horton has a sixth sense. Not in the “I see dead people” way, but . . . well, maybe a little. She feels a sort of knowing about certain things that can’t be explained-an intuition that goes beyond the normal. Then there was that one summer four years ago, when she connected with a long-departed spirit . . . But nothing that incredible has happened to Marcie since.
This summer, Marcie is spending time working at Angel Mounds, the archeological dig her mother heads, along with her brother, Eric, and his girlfriend, Renee. The dig is the site of an ancient indigenous civilization, and things immediately shift into the paranormal when Marcie and her teammates meet Lorraine and Zeke. The two mysterious dig assistants reveal their abilities to access the Universal Energy Field with their minds-something Marcie knows only vaguely that her brother has also had experience with. Marcie learns how our planet will disintegrate if action is not taken, and she and her team must decide if they are brave enough to help Lorraine and Zeke in their plan to save Mother Earth, her resources, and her history. It looks like the summer just got a lot more interesting.
Categories: YA, Sci-fi, thriller, romance
Published by Scholastic (out now)
The Girl Who Broke the Sea by A. Connors
After she gets kicked out of school for her destructive behaviour, Lily agrees to an unusual fresh start: going with her mum to live at Deephaven, an experimental deep-sea mining rig and research station located at the bottom of the ocean.
Lily instantly regrets her decision: claustrophobic and isolated, it’s hardly her idea of home.
Turns out, Deephaven has problems of its own. The head scientist, they quickly learn, has disappeared – just as he was on the brink of a shocking discovery. In the darkness of the deep, something is stirring … something dangerous.
And it’s calling out to Lily.
A mind-expanding thriller set in the ocean’s depths, a terrifying struggle for survival – and the story of one girl’s path to self-acceptance.
Writer A. Connors is an exciting debut author writing for teens and young adults
Perfect for fans of Wren James, Marie Lu and Marissa Meyer
Categories: graphic novel, superheroes, fantasy, adventure, YA
Published by DK Publishing (out now)
The Renegades: Defenders of the Planet – Arctic Meltdown by Jeremy Brown
Beneath the Arctic ice, the Methanaur is awakening. If this deadly methane monster breaks free, it spells the end of civilization as we know it. Meet Professor Katelyn, Leon, and Mo – also known as The Renegades. Professor Kateyln is a whip-smart scientist who uses her scientific knowledge to develop spectacles that can catch glimpses of the future. Wrestling with his anger at the naysayers who don’t seem to care about the environment, Leon has the ability to become invisible – the perfect spy! And then there’s Mo who, in the wake of his brother’s death in a cyclone, manages to wield a solar shield strong enough to fight the deadliest of foes. Our superheroes grapple with multiple environmental threats, most deadly of all a monster that lurks beneath the melting Arctic ice. If it escapes, this creature of chaos will release huge plumes of methane gas into the atmosphere, changing the balance of our planet’s climate forever. Can the Renegades work together to save Earth before it is too late?
Categories: YA, science fiction, ocean, environmental, adventure, survival
Published by Zephyr (out now)
From killers to conservationists, the story of three generations of the Petersen family, their history as whale hunters and later their mission to save the great whales and our planet.
Summer, the Present.
Fiery and fierce, computer geek and eco-activist, Abby is holidaying with hergrandmother on an island off the Norwegian coast. Having developed and befriendedan AI computer, Moonlight, she hopes to organise a global protest. On the island, she learns her great grandfather rejected the family’s whaling livelihood, instead creating the first whale song recording. Inspired by him, Abby and Moonlight translate thewhales’ songs and discover their stories. Whales are under threat, their numbersrapidly dwindling. Abby is determined to help.
Autumn, 30 years later.
The world’s ecosystems are collapsing. There is no sight or sound of whales. Abby, herdaughter, Tonje, and a now almost conscious Moonlight live on a isolated island in the Atlantic. They search for any sign of whales, but so far there is only silence.
Winter, the future.
Tonje’s search was not in vain. Despite climate crisis and the threat of extinction,there is always hope for the future, as nature and technology combine in acaptivating, action-packed story with a powerful environmental call to arms.
Categories: Witches, Paranormal, Romance, YA
Published by Quercus (out now)
Danny is a fun-loving 16-year-old looking for a father figure and falling in love with a different girl every day. He certainly doesn’t want to follow in his mum’s witchy footsteps. Just as his community is being threatened by gangs intent on finding a lucrative power source to sell to the world, Danny discovers he is stunningly powerful. And when he falls for Saba, a gorgeous but capricious girl sorceress, he thinks maybe the witch thing might not be such a bad idea… But what cost will Danny pay as, with his community on the brink of war, he finds that love and sorcery are more dangerous than he ever imagined? Wickedness and passion combine in this coming-of-age adventure
Categories: Fantasy, Magic, YA
Published by Zephyr (out now)
Born in wolf light, the magical dusk, in Mongolia, Ghana and Cornwall, Zula, Adoma and Linet are custodians of the sacred sites of their homelands.
When copper miners plunder Zula’s desert home in Gobi Altai, and Adoma’s forest and river are polluted by gold prospectors, it is only a matter of time before the lake Linet guards with her life is also in jeopardy. How far will Zula, Adoma and Linet go to defend the well-being of their homes? And when all else fails, will they have the courage to summon the ancient power of their order, to make the landscape speak in a way that everyone will hear?
Rich in elemental magic, myth and the mysterious magical dusk, Wolf Light is Yaba Badoe’s defiant call to protect our environment, to conserve our heritage and to hear the ancient power that connects us.
Categories: speculative fiction, Magical realism, YA
Published by Impress Books (out now)
Tree Magic by Harriet Springbett
A life fractured into parallel worlds. A quiet magic to accept or ignore. A decision to make. Escape from difficult family dynamics is teenager Rainbow’s desire. When she discovers a strange gift for communicating with trees, she thinks she’s found her salvation. Even better, a mysterious but gentle man living in her Dorset village helps develop her powers. But when tragedy strikes, Rainbow’s life is torn apart, creating parallel worlds in the process. In one life, the vulnerable Rainbow strives to salvage her family. In the other, her alter-ego, Mary, flees her past. Over the next few years the two versions of Rainbow follow very different lives. The source of their grief, however, is the same – a confession buried deep within their memories. Could France offer more than a mere escape? As the two worlds draw closer and memories resurface, Rainbow and Mary’s futures must be determined. Can they receive the healing they need? Or will the renewed pain be too much to bear? Only by risking their lives will they know.
Categories: Fantasy, Folklore, Young Adult
Published by Cambria Books (out now)
This bewitching drama for young adults set in the very near future entwines Celtic myth and climate-changed destinies to answer the fundamental question: can we escape our apparent fate? If our lives are governed by forces outside our control, where can we find hope? When a storm surge destroys Tomos’ luxury home and his parents die, and Bryn’s eco-home is torched and his parents killed by starving marauders, these two rivals for the same girl, Eira are forced to rely upon each other for survival in the wild uplands of Wales. One of them will die, but not before they discover the astonishing bond that joins them together. And none of these three teenagers are aware that they are living out an ancient rivalry between fabulous beings – such as Ceridwen, the Welsh Goddess of Inspiration – who are seeking to rewrite the endings of their own stories.
Categories: Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult
Published by Melange Books (out now)
Mermaids are real! Teen environmental activist Juniper Sawfeather rescues three of them from dying in an oil spill. She thinks sharing news of them will convince people to fight against oil pollution, but she’s wrong. Even with the help of a handsome young intern, her parents, and some friends from high school, everything quickly spirals out of control. How can she prevent the mermaids from being exploited by the media? Or murdered by the oil company?
Categories: Coming of age, Contemporary YA, Philosophy
Published by Eminent Productions Ltd (April 2022)
Home: My Life in the Universe by Mark Ballabon
14-year-old Leah loves wilderness survival books. In fact, sometimes she wishes she could escape into the wild. Then she could get away from the body image obsession at school and the bullies who pick on her little brother, Aiden. As long as she could still braid her hair, she could definitely survive without home comforts… and she could explore her passion for stargazing. But alone in the woods one night, Leah’s life is transformed. She has the strangest sensation of gliding across the night sky, among millions of dazzling stars. This profound experience sparks a burning question in Leah that no one seems able to answer. Desperate to broaden her horizons, Leah challenges herself to attend an international summer camp. Will the people she meets there, from her first love Sean, to formidable climate activist Kayleigh, help Leah find the answer to her question: what is ‘Home’?
Categories: Young Adult, YA Sci-Fi, YA Fantasy, Fairytale Re-telling, Romance, Little Mermaid
Published by Amulet Books/Abrams Books (June 2025)
A girl torn between two worlds . . .
Turtle is scavenging a drowned town when she saves a stranger’s life. There’s something special about Kai—an attraction she’s never felt before. She would do anything to see him again.
But Turtle can never truly be with Kai, because Kai is Normal, and Turtle is one of the Mer, kids whose genes were illegally hacked before birth and who now have working gills as well as lungs. Turtle lives on an old cruise ship with the other Mer in order to be close to the water she needs to survive.
Yet she sneaks away and lies to her friends to spend more time on land with Kai. And the pull of the shore grows even stronger when Turtle reconnects with her sisters and learns that her father, who has been in prison for having her genes modified, has escaped and may be hiding out nearby.
When scientists come up with a way for the Mer to surrender their gills and live as Normals, Turtle faces a terrible choice. Turtle loves her life with her Mer friends, but she desperately misses her family. And then there’s Kai . . .
Should she give up her Mer community and their way of life, along with the joy of living freely under the sea? Or give up the guy she’s falling for . . . and any hope of reconnecting with her family?
Climate Fiction Writers League 