After a year of celebratory events—including exhibitions, film screenings, live performances, Regency balls, and more—the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth on December 16 draws near. To mark the occasion, we’ve compiled a selection of new and forthcoming YA novels—by both established and debut(ante) authors—that pay homage to the author’s wise and witty works.
Behind Five Willows by June Hur. Feiwel and Friends, $20.99, May 19, 2026 ISBN 978-1-250-34808-1. Ages 13–18. Set in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, this Austen homage stars a young woman transcribing forbidden books and an aloof and affluent young man with a secret of his own, who are caught between decorum and destiny.
The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee. HarperCollins, $19.99 Nov. 18 ISBN 978-0-06-333041-2. Ages 14 and up. Lee’s K-drama remix of Pride and Prejudice follows film student Mia as she produces a reality dating show.
Emiko by Chieri Uegaki. Tundra, $12.99 paper, June 10 ISBN 978-1-77488-573-4. Ages 12 and up. In this contemporary Japanese Canadian twist on Emma, a foodie avoids questions about her own future as she meddles in the love lives of those around her.
Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia. Zando, $19.99, Jan. 28 ISBN 978-1-63893-149-2. Ages 12 and up. Also taking a page from Emma, this queer YA rom-com kicks off after a romantic upset threatens to spoil a teen’s summer of bookselling and matchmaking. That is, until a handsome yet cynical lifeguard enters his bookstore.
Steam by Shaenon K. Garrity, illus. by Emily Holden. McElderry, $24.99 Feb. 3, 2026 ISBN 978-1-5344-9586-9. Ages 14 and up. After a genius humanoid escapes the university lab where she was created, she gets a job at a local coffee shop and starts playing cupid, in yet another Emma retelling—this one from PW contributor Garrity.
Stuck Up and Stupid by Angourie Rice and Kate Rice. Candlewick, $18.99 May 6 ISBN 978-1-5362-3903-4. Ages 14 and up. Mother-and-daughter duo Kate Rice and actor Angourie Rice’s debut YA romance—a Reese’s Book Club pick—is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling in which Australian teens collide with a group of young Hollywood stars and influencers who are visiting for the summer.
Such a Witch by Sarah Henning. Little, Brown, $19.99 hardcover, July 28, 2026 ISBN 978-0-316-58437-1; $12.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-316-58436-4. Ages 12 and up. Wednesday meets Clueless in this rom-com/murder mystery set at Raven’s Head School for the Magically Gifted.
The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards. Little, Brown, $19.99 Apr. 7, 2026 ISBN 978-0-316-59100-3. Ages 12 and up. Mr. Darcy’s sister, Georgiana, and Elizabeth Bennet’s sister Kitty are the central couple in this debut novel about familial duty and societal restrictions vs. true love.
You Pierce My Soul by Jessica Mary Best. Quirk, $12.99 paper, May 5, 2026 ISBN 978-1-68369-500-4. Ages 14 and up. The title of this queer dystopian YA—set in a post-climate crisis America where an algorithm identifies one’s soulmate—is a direct quotation from Captain Wentworth’s cathartic love letter to Anne Elliot in Persuasion.
For a look at some of the prominent Austenian backlist retellings for young readers, click here.
