Book Lists

New Releases by Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is the author of MindWorks (Signed Deluxe Edition) (2025), All Better Now (2025), Shock the Monkey (2024), Cumulus (2022), Game Changer (2021).

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MindWorks (Signed Deluxe Edition)

release date: Nov 18, 2025
MindWorks (Signed Deluxe Edition)
This limited deluxe edition features a decorative slip-case and a ribbon marker, and is signed by the author! The complete collection of uncanny and unforgettable short stories from the mind of award-winner Neal Shusterman best-sellingauthor of The Arc of a Scythe.[Bokinfo].

All Better Now

release date: Feb 04, 2025
All Better Now
An Instant New York Times Bestseller From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a “thought-provoking and grimly enjoyable” (Kirkus Reviews) “epic biological thriller” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about a world where happiness is contagious but the risks of catching it may be just as dangerous as the cure. A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading. But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone. More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening. But not everyone. People in power—who depend on malcontents and prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince others they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos. Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous. The race to find a vaccine begins. Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plans ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world. It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda. Three teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever.

Shock the Monkey

release date: May 07, 2024
Shock the Monkey
Noah Prime must set out to save his friends and the universe once again in this action-packed, alien-filled, hilarious novel in the New York Times bestselling The N.O.A.H. Files series. Noah Prime never expected to wind up a fugitive hunted by aliens. To be honest, he had never even believed in aliens…until a team of them blew up his house. He escaped—and managed to save the world—by using his mysterious ability to harness the traits of every animal on earth. Now he’s in hiding, and thinks all is well.… …Until his friend Ogden buys a star for Claire, the most popular girl in school. However, instead of a quaint romantic notion, it turns out to be an actual real estate deal—and aliens from that star system abduct Claire to take her to the nasty, trash-filled planet she now owns. It’s up to Noah, Sahara, and Ogden to cross the cosmos in search of Claire to save her and her strange new world from the evilest body-snatching worms in the galaxy. This time it’s going to take a lot more than walrus blubber, cheetah speed, or skunk funk to save the day…it’s going to take friendship of the most extraordinary and extraterrestrial variety. Read all The N.O.A.H. Files: I Am the Walrus Shock the Monkey The Dog Days Are Over

Game Changer

release date: Feb 09, 2021
Game Changer
"A timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity." —Kirkus "The conceit behind Shusterman’s latest is truly unique. While it exhibits the author’s usual storytelling aplomb, it also manages to delve into more serious and timely subject matter, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace and, thanks to a zany sci-fi twist, manages to pack in a few laughs as well." —Booklist All it takes is one hit on the football field, and suddenly Ash’s life doesn’t look quite the way he remembers it. Impossible though it seems, he’s been hit into another dimension—and keeps on bouncing through worlds that are almost-but-not-really his own. The changes start small, but they quickly spiral out of control as Ash slides into universes where he has everything he’s ever wanted, universes where society is stuck in the past…universes where he finds himself looking at life through entirely different eyes. And if he isn’t careful, the world he’s learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence… This high-concept novel from the National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Arc of a Scythe series tackles the most urgent themes of our time, making this a must-buy for readers who are starting to ask big questions about their own role in the universe.

Thunderhead

release date: Jan 09, 2018
Thunderhead
Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology. The Thunderhead cannot interfere in the affairs of the Scythedom. All it can do is observe—it does not like what it sees. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent. As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change. Will the Thunderhead intervene? Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

The Accelerati Trilogy Book Three Hawking's Hallway

release date: Feb 07, 2017
The Accelerati Trilogy Book Three Hawking's Hallway
Nick Slate, in order to protect his father and little brother, reluctantly must help the Accelerati complete Tesla''s great device. Their power-mad leader wants nothing less than to control the world''s energy--but there are still three missing objects to track down. Nick''s friends can''t help him, as they are spread across the globe grappling with their own mysteries--with Vince in Scotland, Caitlin and Mitch on their way to New Jersey, and Petula''s whereabouts unknown. On his own, Nick must locate Tesla''s final inventions-- which are the most powerful of all, capable of shattering time and collapsing space. Praise for Tesla''s Attic * "...Shusterman and Elfman have crafted a plot more devious, characters far quirkier, climaxes (yes, there are two) more breathless, and a narration much, much funnier than recent mad-science offerings. Sticking with a third-person narration frees the authors to be as wryly and sophisticatedly witty as they please without compromising the veracity of their middle-school cast, resulting in storytelling as delightful as the story being told." -Bulletin for the Center for Children''s Books (starred review) "Lively, intelligent prose elevates this story of teenagers versus mad scientists, the third-person point of view offering a stage to various players in their play of galactic consequence. A wild tale in the spirit of Back to the Future, with a hint of Malamud''s The Natural tossed in."--Kirkus Reviews "This collaboration between Shusterman and Elfman tempers the scarier elements of Nick''s quest with deft, humorous writing and plenty of the ordinary adventures of a new kid in school finding his niche. Hand this one to fans of Rick Riordan''s Kane Chronicles or Kenneth Oppel''s Airborne."--Booklist 2014 VOYA Magazine Top Shelf Honoree A Junior Library Guild Selection

UnBound

release date: Dec 13, 2016
UnBound
Find out what happens to Connor, Risa, and Lev now that they''ve finally destroyed the Proactive Citizenry in this collection of short stories set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman. Connor Lassiter''s fight to bring down Proactive Citizenry and find a suitable alternative to unwinding concluded in UnDivided. Now Connor, Risa, and Lev are free to live in a peaceful future--or are they? Neal Shusterman brings back his beloved Unwind characters for his fans to see what''s left for those who were destined to be unwound.

Chasing Forgiveness

release date: Oct 13, 2015
Chasing Forgiveness
A teen attempts to forgive the unforgiveable in this “stunning novel” (VOYA) based on a tragic true story from the author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology. Preston Scott was only twelve years old when his father killed his mother. He never saw it coming. Despite his parents’ constant fighting, Preston always thought they were perfect together. He never dreamed his father would be capable of murder. Then again, who could ever predict something like this? Fast forward: Preston is now fourteen. His father has just been released from jail and is moving near his grandparents’ house, where Preston and his younger brother Tyler have been living. His grandparents forgave his dad long ago for killing their daughter, and although Preston tries to feel the same kind of forgiveness, it’s not easy: he’ll never see his mother again, and yet, he still loves his father. How is that possible? Will Preston ever be able to reconcile his dueling feelings for his father, and move past this tragedy? Chasing Forgiveness was originally published in 1991 as What Daddy Did.

Violent Ends

release date: Sep 01, 2015
Violent Ends
In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, seventeen of the most recognizable YA writers—including Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Beth Revis—come together to share the viewpoints of a group of students affected by a school shooting. It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto the school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others. But this isn’t a story about the shooting itself. This isn’t about recounting that one unforgettable day. This is about one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, playing saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing bullets at his classmates. Each chapter is told from a different victim’s viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he’d become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book told from multiple perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—by some of YA’s most recognizable names.

The Accelerati Trilogy, Book Two Edison's Alley

release date: Feb 10, 2015
The Accelerati Trilogy, Book Two Edison's Alley
Fourteen-year-old Nick has learned that the strange antiques in his attic bedroom were left there by the eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla. They are pieces of Tesla''s Far Range Energy Emitter, capable of transmitting "free energy" to the globe. Some components of the contraption are still missing, but the objects themselves seem to be leading Nick and his friends to their current owners. However, members of the Accelerati, a menacing secret society of physicists, are on the hunt too, and their brazen leader, Dr. Alan Jorgenson, will stop at nothing to foil Nick and steal the objects. It takes a dangerous build-up of electromagnetic energy in the atmosphere to reverse everyone''s fortunes--and lead Nick to his destiny. Readers who enjoyed the strange science, quirky humor, and out-of-this-world plot twists in Tesla''s Attic will be captivated by this second book in the electrifying Accelerati Trilogy. Praise for Tesla''s Attic "Lively, intelligent prose elevates this story of teenagers versus mad scientists, the third-person point of view offering a stage to various players in their play of galactic consequence. A wild tale in the spirit of Back to the Future, with a hint of Malamud''s The Natural tossed in."--Kirkus Reviews "This collaboration between Shusterman and Elfman tempers the scarier elements of Nick''s quest with deft, humorous writing and plenty of the ordinary adventures of a new kid in school finding his niche. Hand this one to fans of Rick Riordan''s Kane Chronicles or Kenneth Oppel''s Airborne."--Booklist * ..".Shusterman and Elfman have crafted a plot more devious, characters far quirkier, climaxes (yes, there are two) more breathless, and a narration much, much funnier than recent mad-science offerings. Sticking with a third-person narration frees the authors to be as wryly and sophisticatedly witty as they please without compromising the veracity of their middle-school cast, resulting in storytelling as delightful as the story being told." -Bulletin for the Center for Children''s Books (starred review)

Challenger Deep

release date: Jan 01, 2015
Challenger Deep
A brilliant but troubled high school student pretends to engage in sports activities and uses his artistic talents to document his voyage to the world''s most southern point while his friends observe his increasingly unbalanced behavior.

UnSouled

release date: Dec 05, 2014
UnSouled
After the destruction of the Graveyard, Connor and Lev are on the run, seeking a woman who may be the key to bringing down unwinding forever while Cam, the rewound boy, tries to prove his love for Risa by bringing Proactive Citizenry to its knees.

Undivided

release date: Nov 06, 2014
Undivided
Proactive Citizenry, the company which created Cam from the parts of unwound teens, has a plan: to mass produce Rewound teens like Cam for military purposes. But below the surface is of that horror lies another shocking level of intrigue: Proactive Citizenry has been suppressing technology that could make unwinding completely unnecessary. As Conner, Risa and Lev uncover these shocking secrets, enraged teens begin to march on Washington to demand justice and a better future. But more trouble is brewing. Starkey''s group of storked teens are growing more powerful and militant with each new recruit. And if they have their way, they''ll burn the harvest camps to the group, and put every adult in them before a firing squad-which could destroy any chance America has for a peaceful future. Praise for UNWIND: "This is the kind of rare book that makes the hairs on your neck rise up. It is written with a sense of drama that should get it instantly snapped up for film." The Times "Gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller… The issues raised could not be more provocative - the sanctity of life, the meaning of being human - while the delivery could hardly be more engrossing or better aimed to teens." Publishers Weekly, starred review "a powerful, shocking, and intelligent novel... It''s wonderful, wonderful stuff." thebookbag.co.uk "This book challenges ones ideas about life, about morality, about religion, about fanatics. It is not a comfortable read but it is thought-provoking." Carousel

The Complete Unwind Dystology

release date: Oct 21, 2014
The Complete Unwind Dystology
Don’t miss a moment of the complete New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology from Neal Shusterman, now available as a collectible boxed set. After the Second Civil War, the Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, a loophole allows parents to retroactively get rid of a teenager through a process called “unwinding.” Three teens defy the system and run away from their unwinding: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents’ tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Connor, Risa, and Lev must work together to survive—and they may change the fate of America in the process. This complete boxed set includes hardcover editions of Unwind, UnWholly, UnSouled, and UnDivided.

Unwind Unboxed: Unwind; Unstrung: an Unwind Story; Unwholly

release date: Nov 21, 2013
Unwind Unboxed: Unwind; Unstrung: an Unwind Story; Unwholly
Unwinding - the process by which a child is both terminated yet kept alive. With breath-taking suspense Unwindis a chilling futuristic tale of ethics and morality combined with fast-paced non-stop action. This ebook boxed set includes Unwind, and Unwholly, plus a bonus companion story, Unstrung. In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would ''unwind'' them. Connor''s parents want to be rid of him because he''s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs and Lev''s unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family''s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together through desperation, these unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing all the while that their lives are hanging in the balance…

Resurrection Bay

release date: Oct 01, 2013
Resurrection Bay
From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a thrilling, spine-tingling 32-page original short story that''s perfect for fans of Unwind and UnWholly. Bones. They know the call of the ice. Anika knows the call of the ice, too. Living in an isolated port town in Alaska with her father and younger brother, Anika is practically steps away from the Harding Icefield, and Exit Glacier has always been her favorite place.But after a couple tragically dies there, Exit Glacier seems to come alive and begins moving toward the town with unnatural speed. Anika feels deep in her bones that the ice wants something. . . . After the glacier finally stops in the town''s cemetery, Anika and her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Rav, face a sinister truth: The soul of the glacier is looking for bodies to inhabit . . . and where better to find them than the graveyard? This fast-paced, eerie short story is a deft blend of suspense and horror that will leave readers breathless . . . and chilled to the bone. Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

Guys Read: Other Worlds

release date: Sep 17, 2013
Guys Read: Other Worlds
Other Worlds, the fourth volume in Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read anthology series for tween boys, features ten thrilling new tales of science fiction and fantasy from some of the biggest names in children’s literature. Prepare yourself for ten trips into the unknown, as ten of your favorite writers—Rick Riordan, who has written an all-new and exclusive Percy Jackson tale, Tom Angleberger of Origami Yoda fame, Newbery medalist Rebecca Stead, Shannon Hale, D. J. MacHale, Eric Nylund, Kenneth Oppel, Neal Shusterman, Shaun Tan, and none other than the late Ray Bradbury—spin tales of fantasy and science fiction the likes of which you have never imagined. Compiled by National Ambassador for Children’s Literature (and Secret Ambassador for the Intergalactic Alliance) Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Other Worlds is sure to boldly take you where no reader has gone before.

Ship Out of Luck

release date: Jun 13, 2013
Ship Out of Luck
The uproarius companion to "The Schwa was Here" and "Antsy Does Time" In honor of Old Man Crawley’s eightieth birthday, the Bonano family has been invited to celebrate with a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean aboard the world’s largest, grandest ship. But whether on land or at sea, Antsy can’t manage to stay out of trouble: He quickly finds himself the accomplice of stowaway and thief Tilde, whose self-made mission it is to smuggle onto the ship and across the U.S. border illegal immigrants from her native Mexico. When Antsy steps in to take the fall for Tilde, he becomes the focus of a major international incident and the poster child for questionable decisions. Equal parts clever and riotous, Ship Out of Luck brings back the beloved cast of characters from Neal Shusterman’s acclaimed The Schwa Was Here and Antsy Does Time.

Scorpion Shards

release date: May 07, 2013
Scorpion Shards
Six teenagers, each tormented by what seems to be an exaggerated adolescent affliction, come together to try to stop the "beasts" that threaten to destroy them and the world.

The Skinjacker Trilogy

release date: Jun 14, 2011
The Skinjacker Trilogy
Not every child who dies goes on to the afterlife. Some are caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It’s a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost kids run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth. Allie and Nick don''t survive the car crash, and end up in Everlost, where coins are more valuable than anyone knows, fortune cookies tell the truth, monsters are real, and the queen of lost souls lives in a once-beloved tower. Nick and Allie have to learn to survive in a world with different rules, and figure out who they can trust--and who they must oppose at all costs. At stake is nothing less than the fate of Everlost and the living world they have left behind. In this gripping trilogy, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.

Everwild

release date: Nov 10, 2009
Everwild
After the events of Everlost, Nick and Allie are on separate paths—and Everlost, the limbo land of dead children, is at war in this riveting novel from New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Neal Shusterman. Nick wants to help the dead reach the light at the end of the tunnel, but Mary Hightower, their self-proclaimed queen and a dangerous fanatic, is determined to keep them trapped in Everlost for all of eternity. Traveling in the memory of the Hindenburg, Mary is spreading her propaganda and attracting Afterlights to her cause at a frightening speed. Allie travels home to seek out her parents, along with Mikey, who was once the terrifying monster the McGill. Allie is tempted by the seductive thrill of skinjacking the living, until she discovers the shocking truth about skinjackers that makes her question her place in both worlds.

Unwind

release date: Jun 02, 2009
Unwind
In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them Connor''s parents want to be rid of him because he''s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev''s unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family''s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can''t be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away. In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers'' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

Everlost

release date: Jun 20, 2008
Everlost
Nick and Allie don''t survive the car accident... ...but their souls don''t exactly get where they''re supposed to get either. Instead, they''re caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no onger exist. It''s a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth. When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he he''s found a home, but allie isn''t satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost. In this imaginative novel, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.

Dread Locks #1

release date: Aug 03, 2006
Dread Locks #1
Dread Locks is the first entry in the Dark Fusion series from master storyteller Neal Shusterman. He cleverly weaves together familiar parts of fairy tales and Greek mythology to tell the story of fourteen-year-old Parker Bear, rich and utterly bored with life—until a new girl arrives in town. Tara''s eyes are always hidden behind designer sunglasses, and her hair, blond with glimmering spirals, seems almost alive. Parker watches, fascinated, as one by one Tara chooses high school students to befriend; he even helps her by making the necessary introductions. Over time, her “friends” develop strange quirks, such as drinking gallons of milk, eating dirt, and becoming lethargic. By the time Parker realizes what Tara is doing, he is too embroiled to stop her. In fact, she has endowed him with certain cravings of his own. . . .To say more would spoil the spooky fun of this wild thriller—let the twist speak for itself and leave you still as a statue.

Red Rider's Hood

release date: Aug 03, 2006
Red Rider's Hood
In this second entry in Neal Shusterman''s Dark Fusion series, he twists the familiar fairy tale "Red Riding Hood" into a brooding story about a city plagued by gangs. Red, a boy famous for cruising around in a bloodcolored Mustang, takes on the Wolves after they rob his grandmother. He decides to beat them by joining them, to learn their weaknesses. After a while, however, he finds himself drawn to the pack. At the next full moon, will Red take up their murderous ways, or will he take them down? Ingenious twists and turns come fast and furious in this urban thriller.

The Schwa was Here

release date: Mar 02, 2006
The Schwa was Here
They say his clothes blend into the background, no matter where he stands. They say a lot of things about the Schwa, but one thing’s for sure: no one ever noticed him. Except me. My name is Antsy Bonano, and I was the one who realized the Schwa was “functionally invisible” and used him to make some big bucks. But I was also the one who caused him more grief than a friend should. So if you all just shut up and listen, I’ll tell you everything there is to know about the Schwa, from how he got his name, to what really happened with his mom. I’ll spill everything. Unless, of course, “the Schwa Effect” wipes him out of my brain before I’m done….

Shattered Sky

release date: Nov 17, 2003
Shattered Sky
The triumphant conclusion to the acclaimed Star Shards Chronicles trilogy that began with "Scorpion Shards" and "Thief of Souls."

Full Tilt

release date: Jun 01, 2003
Full Tilt
When sixteen-year-old Blake goes to a mysterious, by-invitation-only carnival he somehow knows that it could save his comatose brother, but soon learns that much more is at stake if he fails to meet the challenge presented there by the beautiful Cass

The Dark Side of Nowhere

release date: Jul 14, 2002
The Dark Side of Nowhere
Fourteen-year-old Jason faces an identity crisis after discovering that he is the son of aliens who stayed on earth following a botched invasion mission.
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