New Adult Book Prize shortlist


Aria Aber Good Girl Bloomsbury Nila is trying to carve her own path while navigating her family history, art, drugs and nightclubs.


I believe I have grown up too quickly and too slowly and not at all. “I think it’s important to talk


about the pressure to have your whole life mapped out at 20 and how that is not only a practical impossibility but a way of setting yourself up for failure. I think there’s especially a conversation to be had about what this means for young women. Life comes in waves and we are – all of us – always growing and changing. The idea of ‘new adulthood’ and the space that creates feels right to me.” Wood’s Under Your Spell (Simon & Schuster)


Pictured from top left: Aria Aber, Nikkitha Bakshani, Nicola Dinan, Maiga Doocy, Seth Insua, Casey McQuiston, Silvia Saunders, Sabaa Tahir, Laura Wood and Rebecca Yarros


is plagued by dysphoria and a history of failed relationships. Is a new relationship with Vincent possibly the start of a new era for Max or will their pasts sabotage them both? Silvia Saunders’ witty and


incisive debut Homesick (HarperFiction) joins her fellow nominees. Set in east London,


and Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing (Macmillan) make up the romance offerings on the list. McQuiston’s spicy, heartfelt second-chance romance takes in Europe’s best food and wine as two exes, Theo and Kit, unwittingly find themselves on the same tour. Swapping conti- nental Europe for the Northumberland coast, Wood’s Under Your Spell is a joyous tale where, in one fell swoop, academic Clemmie is now single and redundant. Desperate not to move home, she takes a job looking after global rock- star Theo Eliott to make sure he finishes his new album.


L


ittle, Brown makes the list with four titles: Yarros’ Onyx Storm (Piatkus), the third in the Empyrean series; Maiga Doocy’s cosy fantasy debut Sorcery and Small Magics (Orbit);


Sabaa Tahir’s Heir (Atom); and Nikkitha Bakshani’s debut, Ghost Chilli (Fleet). Doocy’s tale tells the story of academic rivals


and sorcerers Leovander and Sebastian who must work together to break the curse binding them together. From enchanted woods to the brutal world of the Empire, Tahir’s Heir weaves together the lives of three characters who must grapple with the weight of power and the conse- quences of betrayal. Meanwhile, in Onyx Storm Violet must contend with the fallout from the wyvern attack on Basgiath War College, travel beyond the wards that keep her safe to find new allies and discover a way to save Xaden. Bakshani’s darkly humorous Ghost Chilli


finds protagonist Muskan wondering why she feels discontent when her life in New York is seemingly going so well. She has a creative job, friends and a canny ability to get first dates – but something is missing. Feelings of disillusion- ment also permeate Dinan’s Disappoint Me (Doubleday), an acute look at modern dating and life in England’s capital; published poet Max is working as overpaid legal counsel but


Saunders’ novel follows librarian Mara coming to terms with her changing relationships and property ownership as she leans into her inde- pendence. “It can be tempting in your 20s to really focus on everything you stand to gain, but it’s a decade that also involves a lot of shedding, and I think there can be real beauty in that,” said Saunders in response to her shortlisting. “It's such a rich seam to explore as a writer.” Aber made the shortlist with her Women’s


Prize-shortlisted Good Girl (Bloomsbury), a sharp meditation on the intersection of heritage, culture, literature and selfood. Nineteen-year- old protagonist Nila is feeling adrift from her family, friends and a coherent sense of self, finding solace in Berlin’s party scene and Marlowe Woods, a novelist who opens Nila’s eyes to a new world of possibility. However, tensions roil beneath the surface and Nila must reconfigure everything she hopes for, hates and believes in. Seth Insua’s Human, Animal (Verve) completes the shortlist’s full complement. The novel was previously selected as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick and was called “impressive” by the Financial Times. Tom, the youngest son of dairy farmer George, is not like his brother. Rather than mucking in on the farm, Tom hides in his room and secretly wears make-up. When an animal rights group break into the farm, the relationship between father and son is put under strain. “I’m so honoured to have been shortlisted for this amazing prize and alongside such phenom- enal company,” wrote Insua on social media following the announcement. Editor of The Bookseller Philip Jones commented: “This is an incredible shortlist that speaks to the range of writing, talent of the authors and diverse demands of the readers within this surprising and rewarding genre. My congratulations to them all, and the publishers behind them.” The New Adult Book Prize is run by The


Bookseller in association with Cheltenham Literature Festival. The winner will be announced at the festival as part of their VOICEBOX programme on 18th October 2025.


Nikkitha Bakshani Ghost Chilli Fleet Something is missing in Muskan’s life and she is determined to discover what.


Nicola Dinan Disappoint Me Doubleday Max’s new romance with Vincent could be everything she wants, but their past relationships loom large.


Maiga Doocy


Sorcery and Small Magics Orbit Rivals Leovander and Sebastian must work together to find a way to break the curse binding them together.


Seth Insua


Human, Animal Verve Tensions mount between dairy farmer George and his son Tom, newly returned from university.


Casey McQuiston The Pairing Macmillan Exes Theo and Kit unwittingly find themselves on the same European food and wine tour.


Silvia Saunders Homesick HarperFiction Librarian Mara is trying to navigate life as a new flat owner alongside her turbulent relationship and nosy neighbours.


Sabaa Tahir Heir Atom Heir interweaves the lives of prisoner Aiz, tracker Sirsha and Quil, the crown prince of the Empire.


Laura Wood Under Your Spell Simon & Schuster A witty romance following down-on-her-luck Clemmie who takes a job looking after rockstar Theo Eliott.


Rebecca Yarros Onyx Storm Piatkus Violet must venture further than she ever has before to find allies and save Xaden.


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DAVID BANCE


AYESHA AHMAD


KATIE MARIE SENIORS


News Shortlist Announcement


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