My Top 5 Most-Anticipated Books of 2022

Okay, so I know we’ve been in 2022 for 3 months already… but I thought it would be fun to do a blog post talking about my most anticipated books of 2022—a little late—anyway!

Without further ado, let’s dive right in!

5. Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho

What would you do if the world's biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.

Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing - she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that's always made her feel like she belonged.

So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven years ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.

Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants - even if she can't stop thinking about Robbie's smile...right?

Release date: May 17, 2022

I haven’t read any of Kat Cho’s books yet… but I follow her on YouTube and Instagram, and she seems really cool! And this book looks like it’ll be such a fun, cute, cozy read—and perfect for the summer. Even though I'm not a huge K-pop fan, I have a feeling I’m really going to enjoy this one!

4. Wishtress by Nadine Brandes

She didn't ask to be the Wishtress.

Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It's a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life--and before the king's militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

Bastiaan's powerful--and rare--Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she's fulfilled her end of the deal, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise his job.

They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.

Everyone seems to need a wish--the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.

Release date: September 13, 2022

I’m such a huge Nadine Brandes fan, so it’s no surprise that I’m ecstatic for this book! My favorite book of hers is Romanov, and this new YA fantasy looks amazing! I mean look at that cover! *heart eyes* Nadine is also an amazing human being, which I can testify to since she’s an Expert in Residence at the Author Conservatory. I attend office hours regularly with her, and she always has so much wisdom to share. I’m excited to read another of her books!

3. The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella

Solve the clues. Face your fears. Survive the Trials.

All Alice Liddell wants is to escape her Normal life in Oxford and find the parents who abandoned her ten years ago. But she gets more than she bargained for when her older sister Charlotte is arrested for having the infamous Wonder Gene—the key to unlocking the curious Wonderland Reality.

Soon, Alice receives a rather cryptic invitation to play for Team Heart in this year’s annual—and often deadly—Wonderland Trials. Now she has less than twenty-four hours to find her way into Wonderland where nothing is impossible . . . or what it seems.

The stakes are raised when she discovers players go missing during the Trials each year. Will she and her team solve the clues and find the missing players? Or will betrayal and distrust win, leaving Alice alone in a world of her own? Follow the White Rabbit into this topsy-turvy fantasy where players become prey, a sip of the wrong tea might as well be poison, and a queen’s ways do not always lead one where they ought to go.

Release date: July 22, 2022

As soon as I read the blurb for this book, I knew it would be right up my alley! Heartless by Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite books and it’s also a Wonderland book (an origin story for the Queen of Hearts to be exact), so I have high hopes for this one!

2. The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

Not every love is meant to be...

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she’ll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .

Release date: September 13, 2022

This YA fantasy is the second in a series, and after falling in love with the first book last year—I’ve been eagerly waiting for this book’s release! (In the meantime, I’ve been coping with the wait by eyeing some special editions of the first book that I just might purchase…) The worldbuilding and descriptions in this series are immaculate, and I can’t wait to see what book 2 has in store!

1.The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.

Release date: August 30, 2022

It was extremely difficult to choose my most anticipated book of 2022… but it has to be The Final Gambit! I’ve been waiting for this YA mystery ever since I read the first book in the trilogy when it was released in 2020--so it’s safe to say I’m absolutely hyped for the third book! The twists and turns of this series kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. I might have to do another reread of the first two in preparation for the third book’s release!

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Well, that’s it! My top 5 most-anticipated releases for 2022. A few honorable mentions I didn't get to include are I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys and Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer.

Now, I want to hear from you! What books are you looking forward to this year? Do we share any of the same ones?

Until next time,

Kayleigh Idea