30 debut novels (and counting) to discover this year

Every once in a while, an audiobook comes along that significantly deepens my appreciation for this storytelling medium. For example, this full-cast recording not only elevates a non-speaking author’s first novel, it also shines a light on the rarely examined lives of folks with disabilities who reside in adult day care centers. Upward Bound paints an intimate portrait of what it feels like to not be seen because of disability. And with such voicey prose, this debut is not to be missed. —Haley H.

This Story Might Save Your Life drops us into the lives of two best friends, Benny and Joy, who love to joke that they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they first met. But the joke is suddenly not so funny when Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder. This story is the perfect combination of thriller, mystery, and romance. With performances from Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins, topped with light sound design, This Story Might Save Your Life kept me hooked until the very satisfying ending. —Patty R.

This debut hits differently when you realize the author is a two-time Survivor contestant. Fishbach takes us behind the scenes of a jungle reality show where washed-up winner Kent Duvall gets one last shot at redemption alongside seven other carefully typecast contestants. Producer Beck Bermann, nursing her own public scandal, sees these people as characters in her story—and that's where things spiral. But this isn't just reality TV gossip; it's a psychological deep dive into the obsession with manufactured drama and the cost of chasing relevance. The schemes, sabotage, and competing storylines escalate until survival becomes literal, not just competitive. —Dawn G.

"Black girls don't sell magazines." Fashion editor Nikki Rose has heard it one too many times. So when she's offered the chance to run a struggling hip-hop magazine, she walks away from a prestigious gig to bet on herself—and on the voices the industry refuses to amplify. But nothing in the sleek, sexy, cutthroat world of late-'90s New York comes easy in Amy DuBois Barnett's electrifying debut. The former editor-in-chief of Ebony, Honey, and Teen People infuses Nikki's story with the lived-in authenticity of someone who's been there, survived, and has the scars to prove it. For anyone who's ever had to work twice as hard for half the recognition, this one hits home. —Margaret H.

This brilliantly structured debut tells the story of the Sharaf family, Afghan immigrants living the American dream in suburban Virginia. This is not a traditional narrative; rather, the story unwinds through statements from community members, journalists, teachers, and attorneys, all looking back at events that led to a shocking occurrence. The inciting incident isn’t revealed until halfway through, but you're completely hooked trying to piece together the truth from the beginning. Main characters only exist through others' observations, making them constantly shift in your mind—a puzzle made all the more immersive by the 15-narrator cast. Good People is a haunting exploration of family, perspective, and how truth depends entirely on who's telling the story. —Tricia F.

As a fan of Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died, I couldn’t wait for her debut novel. Half His Age, about a precocious teen who falls for her high school English teacher, is decidedly NOT Nickelodeon material. But despite the skin-crawling plot, I found myself rooting for Waldo (yes, Waldo) and even laughing at the comic moments. McCurdy writes short, propulsive chapters and cutting observations (my favorite, “The lemon verbena is a double-edged sword,” describes how Waldo’s mom’s preferred hand soap eats away at her spray tan), and her narration is at once matter-of-fact, sharp, sad, and funny. Like My Dark Vanessa for the anxious generation, Half His Age is set against a backdrop of frictionless tech and late-stage capitalism. At a lean 4.5 hours, it asks you to sit in discomfort—but no longer than necessary. —Kat J.

From the new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights to Ryan Murphy’s Netflix reimagining of Ed Gein’s killing spree, necrophilia seem to be trendier than ever these days—and if the very thought makes you uncomfortable, imagine how Tom feels. Told through the lens of a venture capital superstar whose company is funding a dating app that encourages singles to embrace the dead as a reasonable alternative to an otherwise grim dating pool, this debut thrives at the intersection of corporate satire (which was very trendy in 2025) and an absurdist modern dating story (the most cathartic micro-genre for any listeners in their single era). After digging in to an advanced reader copy, I knew right away that the matter-of-fact, macabre humor at the heart of this novel would come to life in audio, and narrators Marie Hawkins and Eric Burgher don’t disappoint. —HH

I was already a fan of T Kira Madden's memoir, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, so I was intrigued that this highly skilled writer was turning to fiction. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Whidbey explores the lives of three women who are irrevocably tied to the same man, a child predator whose murder serves as the novel's inciting incident. Madden doesn't shy away from the graphic subject matter of child sexual abuse and assault (thus, the content warnings), and don't expect a standard thriller (there's complex POV shifts and layered, literary leaps into stream-of-consciousness). But it left me shook—which is exactly the point. —Jerry P.

I have to be careful when I listen to a mystery. I scare easily, and sometimes a thriller just isn’t worth the disruption to my psyche. But a contemporary retelling of Little Women in which Beth has been murdered? Thrill me. Terrorize me. I am all in. Katie Bernet’s debut will suck you in immediately with its campy cover and bold, declarative title: Beth Is Dead. Alternating between then (i.e., before the titular incident) and now, the clever narrative unfurls from the point of view of all four March sisters, brilliantly brought to life (and, ahem, death) by Caitlin Kelly, Emily Tremaine, Ferdelle Capistrano, and Piper Goodeve. I don’t know that I’ve ever enjoyed a retelling more. It’s witty, propulsive, layered, meta, and there are not one but two nested narratives that old and new acquaintances of the March sisters alike will relish. —Katie O.

Maria Morillo delivers a standout debut set in Venezuela that reads like a romantic comedy with full telenovela-level drama. Marianto, whose life was perfectly planned, is forced into a messy reset, and decides to turn the fallout into a high-stakes dating experiment meant to win back her ex. Enter Simón Arreaza, lead singer of her favorite indie band, new boss, and her unexpected co-conspirator who pushes her plan (and her heart) in a completely new direction. As Marianto falls for Simón, she starts choosing herself, and that shift ripples into everything else. Sofia Palmero’s performance was perfection, leaving me ready to hear more from Morillo. —PR

I’m a sucker for a speculative story that drops you right into its universe, in medias res, as if to say, keep up—and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu’s debut novel did just that. Or, in this case, I should say universes, plural. In this story, the fate of reality may very well depend on confronting familial obligation, cultural expectations, and generational trauma: not exactly low-stakes stuff. I can’t wait to hear Katharine Chin’s bright, emotive voice take on this deeply layered and genre-bending story. —Sam D.

I can’t believe I’m calling my favorite debut of 2026 this early, but I haven’t stopped thinking about Yesteryear since devouring an advance copy months ago. The premise had me from the jump: A tradwife influencer is suddenly dropped into the mid-1800s, where she must learn to survive without her phone and staff of minions, let alone electricity and indoor plumbing. Is this a barely legal reality show, a revenge plot, or something supernatural? Author Caro Claire Burke, cohost of the Dangerous Lies podcast, kept me guessing until the final reveal, while her indelible main character and assured prose had my jaw on the floor throughout. I can’t wait to discuss the themes and that ending (!!!) with my entire group chat when it finally comes out in April. The great tradwife novel has landed! —KJ

Patricia Finn delivers an extraordinary debut with The Golden Boy. It’s an immersive, profoundly moving, multi-generational tale that explores friendship, marriage, betrayal, and redemption. Finn's screenwriting skills shine through in her characters, who feel utterly real. Add a stellar performance by narrator Jason Culp and the result is storytelling that's deeply meaningful and thoroughly entertaining. —TF

It feels like we’re in the midst of a queer horror renaissance, and He’s the Devil is the perfect addition to that canon. Blending camp, gore, lust, and a flat-sharing scenario that’s straight out of hell, this book is queer horror at its finest. Beautifully brought to life in audio by English actor Omari Douglas (best known as Roscoe on It’s a Sin), He's the Devil is propulsive, funny, and genuinely touching beneath its gore. As a debut from Tobi Coventry, a literary scout for book-to-screen adaptations, we’re left with a cinematic tale from a bold new voice. —Michael C.

I admit it was the bold Pop Art cover of Jen Saenz’s debut novel that initially got my attention, but it was the promise of a "horny fever dream" of a dark comedy that sealed the deal. The story follows Arvy, a college senior who must sell 200 rare, orgasm-inducing pills (nicknamed "Monas") left behind by her deceased mother to settle a debt with dangerous drug dealers. I’m ready to get strapped in for this propulsive romp narrated by Vanessa Moyen and see where it takes me. —JP

A Vow in Vengeance sank its claws into me fast and never really let go. It delivers everything I look for in a fantasy romance, from a magic system steeped in lore to high-stakes conflict and characters that feel layered and real. Rune and Draven had me completely obsessed. Their connection feels earned through pain, sacrifice, and growth, and I loved how both of them hold their own in every scene. What really sets this book apart is how emotionally rich it is, especially within the royal court and all its betrayals. The twists had me gasping out loud. I need the next book immediately! —PR

My goal this year is to continue to explore outside my typical genres, so Cameron Sullivan's dark historical fantasy—with a queer love story at its center—felt like the best way to leap back into the world of magic and adventure. I was a huge fantasy reader as a kid, but I drifted into more litfic territory as an adult and missed how the genre had exploded in the past few decades. I love the sardonic humor of this debut, and narrators Rory Barnett and Imogen Church add even more flair to this gritty reimagining of the Beast of Gévaudan legend set during pre-revolutionary France. I don't need happy endings—give me more tragic, star-crossed lovers instead! —JP

I’ve been reading Reena Shah’s phenomenal short stories for years and have been eagerly awaiting her first novel. Every Happiness follows the lives of Deepa and Ruchi, two friends whose entangled desires and resentments span decades across India and America. The story unfolds in quiet moments and freighted gestures as Deepa and Ruchi navigate migration, marriage, and motherhood. They and their families face the pitfalls of the American dream, but each character's deeper struggle is in bearing the heartbreak of being a mystery even to yourself. Shah creates complex characters through incisive, elegant prose steeped in the specificity of the Indian American experience and the universal human desire for love, belonging, and self-actualization. —Phoebe N.

The evil stepmother speaks and does she have a story to tell! Like Madeline Miller and Gregory Maguire, Rachel Hochhauser conjures an astonishing new world from a tale that’s been burned into the cultural consciousness—in this case, Cinderella. A jaw-dropping work of historical fiction, Lady Tremaine is as resourceful, imaginative, and fully realized as its titular character. With her peregrine falcon named Lucy and a crumbling estate as her sole assets, this single mother must hunt, pawn, scrape, and connive for her family’s survival and future. When the invite goes out to a life-changing royal ball, and a suspicious but handsome palace aide starts sniffing around, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lady Tremaine. I savored every last line of this richly detailed, gorgeously written and narrated novel—it’s truly a fairy tale debut! —KJ

I had the privilege of interviewing debut author Petra Lord about her novel Queen of Faces, and given the layered, intricate world that envelops this twisty, dark-academia fantasy, it was no surprise to learn that she has been working on the world-building since 2017. The detail involved is that of a seasoned author, and the intersection of gender and identity and how the magic system can bind or fracture the two feels wholly original despite its cyberpunk origins. Queen of Faces shuns a chosen-one narrative; instead, we see our heroine Ana capitalize on rejection, and it is this relatable human experience that ultimately lays the groundwork for the series. Performed by Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, E.A. Castillo, and Nicky Endres, Queen of Faces is poised to take you on a transformative, albeit morally gray, journey. —KO

I love a story that takes place over a short, specific period of time. Think Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, narrated over the course of a single day, or Jenny Han’s wistful YA novel The Summer I Turned Pretty. These contained snapshots serve as a reminder of just how pivotal and evocative certain chapters of our existence can be, and how they play out, in some essence, for the rest of our lives. I’m hoping that Sonia Feldman’s dreamy debut, Girl’s Girl, follows in the footsteps of these works. It takes place over the course of one Midwestern summer and zeroes in on the distinct realities of girlhood, specifically queer girlhood, as 15-year-old Mina examines what it means—and what it changes—to love another person with all your heart. —Madeline A.

Westward Women begins with a breadcrumb trail: Young women are getting sick. Why? No one knows. But they are traveling, zombie-like, to the west. Where are they going? Again, no one knows. Told through the eyes of multiple women, young and old, infected and not infected, this eerie epidemic is a metaphor about womanhood and desire that wormed its way into my brain. Why do we want the things we’ve been told we can’t have? Good question. Narrator trio Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Mia Wurgaft, and Saskia Maarleveld lulled me along into Alice Martin’s lilting, slippery prose—and then they left me reeling. —Melissa B.

Gothic horror isn't a genre I typically gravitate toward, but the stunning cover art for Gabrielle Sher's debut grabbed me. Then I found out the author wanted to explore the idea of her ancestors as "Terrifying Women" in this blend of historical drama and Jewish folklore. Sold! Given what some early reviews have described as the "quietly devastating" nature of Sher's prose, I expect Gilli Messer's narration to lean into the emotional intensity of the family's grief and the eerie, supernatural elements of the golem tale to deliver a scary story that I'll never forget. —JP

Anger inspired Lisa Lee to write her debut—a searing, funny portrait of a Korean American family, which skewers the model-minority myth as it follows two siblings that veer from the path of perfection down a road that erupts in violence. From Homeseeking to The Lotus Shoes to How to End a Love Story, I can always count on Katherine Chin to narrate one of the strongest debuts of the year. American Han is a cathartic listen that challenges assumptions about the immigrant experience. —HH

I feel like this is a bit of a cruel pick, since Soft Spots doesn’t come out until August. But it’s not every day that a first novel gets compared to Raven Leilani’s instant-classic Luster AND manages to earn the distinction. Robin has fled home for South Bend, Indiana, where she’s decided to become “the best teacher” at a dysfunctional high school, despite the fact that she’d rather get stoned than write lesson plans—and that her picture-perfect roommate, Naomi, is the odds-on favorite for the title. When her brother shares devastating news about their dad’s health, Robin’s spiraling issues come to a head. It’s a gloriously messy ride that gradually reveals the deep complexity and growth of a young woman who’s trying, almost in spite of herself, to do more than just survive. —KJ