Curated by: Stacy Stokes
Posted by: ​Susan Azim Boyer

Between Safe and Real by Dannie M. Olguin
Melange Books / Fire and Ice YA March 8, 2022
Fifteen-year-old Zoe Wilkes has ninety-nine problems, and a boring life ain't one. With two hungry siblings, an empty fridge, and a violent mother to tiptoe around, Zoe can't slow down enough to catch a breath. When she discovers Mama’s been reading her diary, Zoe realizes she has to stop writing in it. Trouble is, if she stops, Mama’s sure to think she’s hiding something, and will tear through her room like a tornado—again—to find out what. Her solution: write Mama-safe entries in the first diary, while writing her real thoughts in a plain-old composition book. Oh what a tangled web we weave...
https://www.22debuts.com/dannie-m-olguin.html

Jasmin Zumideh Needs a Win
by Susan Azim Boyer
Wednesday Books November 1, 2022
​​A bitingly funny, Mindy Kaling-esque, Iranian American heroine tells a little, white lie that snowballs into an avalanche when an international incident turns her high school election upside down, forcing her to reckon with her identity in a way she never has before.
https://www.22debuts.com/susan-azim-boyer.html

A History of Fear by ​Luke Dumas
Simon & Schuster/Atria in 2022
​Cover Coming Soon
A literary suspense and horror novel set in Scotland about the psychological unraveling of an American graduate student who fears he is under the Devil's control as he is implicated in the murder of a classmate.
https://www.22debuts.com/luke-dumas.html

Jacquetta Nammar Feldman’s WISHING UPON THE SAME STARS from HarperCollins Children's on 2/1/2022

​A poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut about Yasmeen Khoury, an Arab American girl who befriends the Israeli American girl next door.
​
​https://www.22debuts.com/jacquetta-nammar-feldman.html

Jamar J. Perry’s CAMERON BATTLE AND THE LEGEND OF THE CHIDANI from Bloomsbury on 2/1/2022

​Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness. 
​
​https://www.22debuts.com/dr-jamar-j-perry.html

Alexandria Rogers’ THE WITCH, THE SWORD, AND THE CURSED KNIGHTS MG from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 2/8/2022
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A charming middle-grade fantasy debut that put a new spin on the legend of Camelot, where to break a curse, Ellie and Caedmon must pass a series of deathly trials and reforge the lost, shattered sword of Excalibur.

​https://www.22debuts.com/alexandria-rogers.html

Lisa Stringfellow’s A COMB OF WISHES from HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books on 2/8/2022
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Set against the backdrop of Caribbean folklore, Lisa Stringfellow’s spellbinding middle grade debut tells of a grieving girl and a vengeful mermaid and will enchant readers who loved Kacen Callender’s Hurricane Child or Christian McKay Heidicker’s Scary Stories for Young Foxes.​

​https://www.22debuts.com/lisa-stringfellow.html​

Meera Trehan​’s THE VIEW FROM THE VERY BEST HOUSE IN TOWN from Candlewick/Walker UK on 2/8/2022
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This inventive debut combines the pleasures of a thriller, a school story, and a real estate listing in its witty and insightful exploration of what it means to be—and lose—a friend.​

​https://www.22debuts.com/meera-trehan.html​

Nicole D. Collier’s JUST RIGHT JILLIAN from Clarion Books/Versify on 2/15/2022

In this heartfelt middle-grade novel from debut author Nicole D. Collier, fifth-grader Jillian must learn to speak and break free of her shell to enter her school's academic competition and keep her promise to her grandmother.

​https://www.22debuts.com/nicole-d-collier.html

Erica Martin’s AND WE RISE from Viking Children's / Penguin Random House  on 2/1/2022
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A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/erica-martin.html

Haley Neil’s ONCE MORE WITH CHUTZPAH from Bloomsbury on 2/1/2022
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A moving YA debut about a girl who grapples with questions of her Jewish identity, mental health struggles, and sexuality while on a temple exchange trip through Israel.​
​
https://www.22debuts.com/haley-neil.html

Kristen R. Lee’s REQUIRED READING FOR THE DISENFRANCHISED FRESHMAN from Penguin Random House/ Crown on 2/1/2022
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A striking debut novel about racism on elite college campuses. Fans of Dear White People will embrace this activist-centered contemporary novel about a college freshman grappling with the challenges of attending an elite university with a disturbing racist history, which may not be as distant as it seems.​
​
https://www.22debuts.com/kristen-r-lee.htm

Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren’s HORROR HOTEL from PRH/Underlined on 2/1/2022
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This addictive YA horror about a group of teen ghost hunters who spend the night in a haunted LA hotel is The Blair Witch Project for the TikTok generation.​

Enjoy your stay...​

​https://www.22debuts.com/victoria-fulton-and-faith-mcclaren.html

Angela Velez’s LULU AND MILAGRO'S SEARCH FOR CLARITY from Balzer + Bray /HarperCollins on 2/8/2022
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Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip—from debut author Angela Velez. Perfect for fans of Lilliam Rivera, Jenny Han, and Sandhya Menon.

https://www.22debuts.com/angela-velez.html

​Laila Sabreen’s YOU TRULY ASSUMED from HarperCollins/Inkyard Press on 2/8/2022
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In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths.

​
https://www.22debuts.com/laila-sabreen.html

Navdeep Singh Dhillon’s SUNNY G'S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS from Dial Books | Penguin Random House on 2/8/2022
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For fans of Sandhya Menon and Adam Silvera, a prom-night coming of age story with romantic-comedy elements about a Sikh teen’s search for love and identity, full of rash, wonderful, romantic, stupid, life-changing decisions.

​
https://www.22debuts.com/navdeep-singh-dhillon.html​

Racquel Marie’s OPHELIA AFTER ALL from Macmillan / Feiwel and Friends on 2/8/2022
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A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in this hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut. Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she's always imagined or upending everyone's expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/racquel-marie.html​

Dannie M. Olguin’s BETWEEN SAFE AND REAL from Melange Books / Fire and Ice YA on 2/8/2022
​THIS BOOK'S RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN MOVED DOWN FROM 3/8/2022
With two hungry siblings, an empty fridge, and a violent mother to tip-toe around, Zoe can't slow down enough to catch a breath. Zoe must face reality in order to keep herself and siblings safe. But facing reality means taking steps that could shatter her family. 

https://www.22debuts.com/dannie-m-olguin.html​

Amelia Loken’s UNRAVEL from Sword and Silk Books on 2/15/2022
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Deaf. Princess. Witch.

Some Identities You Embrace. Some Will Get You Killed. Deaf princess, Marguerite, uses embroidery magic to defend her kingdom against her abusive uncle while trying not to fall for the hot acrobat who knows sign language.​
​
https://www.22debuts.com/amelia-loken.htm

Carolyn Tara O'Neil’s DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE from Roaring Brook/ Macmillan on 2/22/2022
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From debut author Carolyn Tara O'Neil comes a thrilling alternate history Anastasia retelling set during the Russian Revolution — about class warfare and friendship across enemy lines. 
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​https://www.22debuts.com/carolyn-tara-oneil.htm

Vanessa L. Torres’ THE TURNING POINTE from Knopf BYFR on 2/22/2022
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A bold and emotionally gripping novel about a teenage Latinx girl finding freedom through dance and breaking expectations. THE TURNING POINTE follows Rosa Dominguez, a ballet dancer in 1980s Minneapolis navigating complex family expectations, a new love, and her own aspirations to dance for The Purple One himself, Prince. ​​
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​https://www.22debuts.com/vanessa-l-torres.html

Vanessa Len’s ONLY A MONSTER from HarperTeen on 2/22/2022
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The sweeping romance of Passenger meets the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song in this stunning contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, where the line between monster and hero is razor thin. Hidden worlds dwell in the shadows, beautiful monsters with untold powers walk among humans, and secrets are the most powerful weapon of all.​
​
​https://www.22debuts.com/vanessa-len.html

Allison Buccola’s CATCH HER WHEN SHE FALLS from Random House on 2/1/2022
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In this “propulsive” (Kimberly McCreight) debut thriller, a young woman questions everything she thought she knew about the shocking murder that changed her life when she was in high school, ten years after her boyfriend killed her best friend.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/allison-buccola.htm

Jessica P. Pryde’s BLACK LOVE MATTERS: REAL TALK ON ROMANCE, BEING SEEN, AND HAPPILY EVER AFTERS from Penguin Random House/Berkley on 2/1/2022
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An incisive, intersectional essay anthology that celebrates and examines romance and romantic media through the lens of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators, edited by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/jessica-p-pryde.html

Kai Harris’ WHAT THE FIREFLIES KNEW from Tiny Rep Books/Dutton/PRH on 2/1/2022
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In the vein of Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones and Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, a coming-of-age novel told by almost-eleven-year-old Kenyatta Bernice (KB), as she and her sister try to make sense of their new life with their estranged grandfather in the wake of their father's death and their mother's disappearance.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/kai-harris.htm

Falon Ballard’s LEASE ON LOVE from GP Putnam’s Sons on 2/1/2022
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She wasn't looking for love until it landed on her doorstep.

Beach Read meets The Flatshare in this warmly funny and delightfully sharp debut rom-com about a down-on-her-luck young woman who turns an innocent mix-up between a dating app and a roommate app into a new chance at love.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/falon-ballard.htm

Ciel Rafael Pierlot’s BLUEBIRD from Angry Robot on 2/8/2022
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Lesbian gunslinger fights spies in space! 

Rig embarks on a journey across the galaxy to save her twin. If Rig fails and her former faction finds what she stole from them, trillions of lives will be lost--including her sister's. But if she succeeds, she might just pull the whole damn faction system down around their ears.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/ciel-rafael-pierlot.html​

Scott Drakeford's RISE OF THE MAGES from Tor Books on 2/8/2022
​​​THIS BOOK'S RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN MOVED UP FROM 1/25/2022
Emrael Ire wants nothing more than to test to be a weapons master. His final exam will be a bloody insurrection, staged by corrupt nobles and priests, that enslaves his brother. With the aid of his War Master tutor, herself an undercover mage, Emrael discovers his own latent and powerful talents. To rescue his brother, Emrael must embrace not only his abilities as a warrior but also his place as last of the ancient Mage Kings―for the Fallen God has returned. And he is hungry.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/scott-drakeford.html​

Megan Van Dyke’s SECOND STAR TO THE LEFT from City Owl Press on 2/15/2022
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Banished for doing the unthinkable, selling the hottest drug in Neverland—pixie dust, Tinker Bell wants absolution. Determined to find a way home, Tink doesn’t hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his…hook.​
​
https://www.22debuts.com/megan-van-dyke.html

Sara Goudarzi’s THE ALMOND IN THE APRICOT from Deep Vellum Publishing on 2/15/2022
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The Almond in the Apricot, a debut novel by Iranian-American Goudarzi, is about two individuals whose paths cross in the most unusual of ways: a woman coming to terms with the wreckage of her once-orderly life and a tween girl struggling to live an everyday in a war-torn country.​
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https://www.22debuts.com/sara-goudarzi.html​

Sandra L. Young’s DIVINE VINTAGE from The Wild Rose Press on 2/21/2022
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Vintage boutique owner Tess Burton is more intrigued than spooked when modeling an Edwardian trousseau gown opens her mind to witness a century-old murder. Fellow model Trey Dunmore isn’t as thrilled. Aided by vintage clothing and titillating diary confessions, the couple seeks the truth about the crime of passion as aftershocks of emotions from the past threaten their own budding relationship.
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https://www.22debuts.com/sandra-l-young.htm

Kit Mayquist’s TRIPPING ARCADIA from Dutton (PRH) on 2/22/2022
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A propulsive and atmospheric modern Gothic with all the splendor of The Great Gatsby . . . and all the secrets, lies, and darkness that opulence can hide. Tripping Arcadia is a page-turning and shocking tale with an unforgettable protagonist that explores family legacy and inheritance, the sacrifices we must make to get by in today’s world, and the intoxicating, dangerous power of wealth.
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https://www.22debuts.com/kit-mayquist.html​

Carolyne Topdjian’s THE HITMAN'S DAUGHTER from Agora/Polis Books on 2/22/2022
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An homage to classic gothic horror, that proves that the ghosts of family and classism are alive and well. Trapped and framed for murder in a haunted hotel, Mave Michael can no longer deny her father's lessons in survival. To save herself, she must unearth the eerie secrets of the hotel and its elite guests...one deadly sin at a time. 
​
https://www.22debuts.com/carolyne-topdjian.htm

Jennifer Fawcett’s BENEATH THE STAIRS from Atria Books/Simon & Schuster on 2/22/2022
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In this spine-tingling, atmospheric debut, a woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at a local haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago. An eerie page-turner, Beneath the Stairs is about the trauma that follows us from childhood to adulthood and returning to the beginning to reach the end.
​
https://www.22debuts.com/jennifer-fawcett.html​

Robert Gwaltney's THE CICADA TREE from Moonshine Cove Publishing on 2/22/2022
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It’s the summer of 1956, and a brood of cicadas descends upon Providence, Georgia. It’s a natural event with supernatural repercussions, and unhinges the life of Analeise Newell, an eleven-year-old piano prodigy. Amidst this emergence, dark obsessions are stirred, uncanny gifts provoked, and secrets unearthed.  ​
​
https://www.22debuts.com/robert-gwaltney.html

​Which books are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments or on social media @22Debuts. 

​Post author and curator: Anna Kopp

LOVE AT FIRST SPITE by Anna E. Collins
January 4th, 2022 at HarperCollins
They say living well is the best revenge. But sometimes, spreading the misery seems a whole lot more satisfying. That’s interior designer Dani Porter’s justification for buying the vacant lot next to her ex-fiancé's house…the house they were supposed to live in together, before he cheated on her with their realtor. Dani plans to build a vacation rental that will a) mess with his view and his peace of mind and b) prove that Dani is not someone to be stepped on. Welcome to project Spite House.That plan quickly becomes complicated when Dani is forced to team up with Wyatt Montego, the handsome, haughty architect at her firm, and the only person available to draw up blueprints. Wyatt is terse and stern, the kind of man who eats his sandwich with a knife and fork. But as they spend time together on-site and off, Dani glimpses something deeper beneath that hard veneer, something surprising, vulnerable, and real. And the closer she gets to her goal, the more she wonders if winning revenge could mean losing something infinitely sweeter...

Learn more

SECOND STAR TO THE LEFT by Megan Van Dyke
February 15th, 2022 at City Owl Press
Banished for doing the unthinkable, selling the hottest drug in Neverland—pixie dust, Tinker Bell wants absolution. Determined to find a way home, Tink doesn’t hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his…hook. Captain Hook believes he’s found a real treasure in Tink. That is, until he recovers from her pixie dust laced kiss with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation at the mercy of raging storms, he tracks down the little minx and demands she remove the curse. Too bad she can’t.
Learn More

THE ALMOND IN THE APRICOT by Sara Goudarzi
February 15th, 2022 at Deep Vellum Publishing
Emma had the perfect trifecta: a long-term job as an engineer designing sewers; a steady relationship with her reliable boyfriend; and an adoring and creative best friend (about whom she wasn’t quite ready to admit her unrequited feelings). Then early one morning, a phone call changed her world forever. Now she’s having nightmares that threaten to disrupt the space-time continuum –– nightmares of hiding from bombs in basements, of glass shattering from nearby explosions. But these disturbing dreams, in which she inhabits the body of a young girl named Lily, seem all too real, and Emma’s waking life begins to be affected by the events that transpire in this mysterious wartime landscape. Convinced she has been given a chance to save a life, Emma tries to rescue Lily from heartache, but ultimately it is through Lily that Emma finds her way back.
​
Learn more

PORTRAIT OF A THIEF by Grace D. Li
April 5th, 2022 at PRH
A senior at Harvard, Will fits comfortably in his carefully curated roles: a perfect student, an art history major and sometimes artist, the eldest son that has always been his parents’ American Dream. But when a shadowy Chinese corporation reaches out with an impossible—and illegal—job offer, Will finds himself something else as well: the leader of a heist to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures, looted from Beijing centuries ago. Learn more

LOVE, HATE, & CLICKBAIT by Liz Bowery
April 26th, 2022 at Harlequin
Cutthroat political consultant Thom Morgan is thriving, working on the governor of California’s presidential campaign. If only he didn’t have to deal with Clay Parker, the infuriatingly smug data analyst who gets under Thom’s skin like it’s his job. In the midst of one of their heated and very public arguments, a journalist snaps a photo, but the image makes it look like they’re kissing. As if that weren’t already worst-nightmare territory, the photo goes viral—and in a bid to secure the liberal vote, the governor asks them to lean into it. Hard. Thom knows all about damage control—he practically invented it. Ever the professional, he’ll grin and bear this challenge as he does all others. But as the loyal staffers push the boundaries of “giving the people what they want,” the animosity between them blooms into something deeper and far more dangerous: desire. Soon their fake relationship is hurtling toward something very real, which could derail the campaign and cost them both their jobs…and their hearts. Learn more

FREDDIE VS. THE FAMILY CURSE by Tracy Badua
May 3rd, 2022 at Clarion Books
In this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations. . .or be trapped in an amulet forever.

​Learn more

THE SUMMER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jen Ferguson
May 10th, 2022 at HarperCollins
Lou is dealing with enough complications under the roof of her family's ice-cream shack this summer. But when she gets a letter from her white biological father--a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life--Lou knows that he poses a danger to her and her family. Unless she can face him down.
​Learn more

THE LOST RYŪ by Emi Watanabe Cohen
June 7th, 2022 at Levine Querido
In post-WWII Japan, Kohei Fujiwara must team up with his new neighbor, a mixed Jewish/Japanese girl, to search for the truth behind his family history and the disappearance of the giant dragons that fought in the war.
​
​Learn more

AS SEEN ON TV by Meredith Schorr
June 7th, 2022 at Forever/Grand Central Publishing
Meredith Schorr's AS SEEN ON TV is a rom-com about a hopeful journalist obsessed with Hallmark movies who leaves NYC for a quaint small town only to discover it’s nothing like TV led her to believe—no homemade pie, no fall festival, and the guy working for the real estate magnate she wanted to bring down is surprisingly charming. Learn more

Curated by: Emi Watanabe Cohen
Posted by: ​Susan Azim Boyer

 THE HITMAN'S DAUGHTER  by Carolyne Topdjian
Agora Books February 22, 2022
Beautiful dress? Check. Weapon on cover? Check. Mysterious title that promises lots of stabbiness? CHECK! An homage to classic gothic horror, that proves that the ghosts of family and classism are alive and well.

https://www.22debuts.com/carolyne-topdjian.html

List curated by: Lillie Lainoff
Posted to the blog by: ​Susan Azim Boyer

Remember Me Gone by Stacy Stokes
Penguin Random House / Viking March 22, 2022
People come from everywhere to forget. At The Memory House, in Tumble Tree, Texas, Lucy’s father can literally erase folks’ heartache and tragic memories. Lucy can’t wait to learn the family trade and help alleviate others’ pain, and now, at 16, she finally can. But everything is not as it seems. When Lucy practices memory-taking on her dad, his memory won’t come loose, and in the bit that Lucy sees, there’s a flash of Mama on the day she died, tinged red with guilt. Then Lucy wakes up the next morning with a bruised knee, a pocketful of desert sand, and no memory of what happened. She has no choice but to listen to Marco Warman—a local boy she’s always wondered about who seems to know more than he should. As Lucy and Marco realize there are gaps in their own memories, they team up to fill in the missing pieces—to figure out what’s really going on in their town, and to uncover their own stolen history along the way. But as the mysteries pile up one thing becomes certain: there are some secrets in Tumble Tree people will do anything to keep. Publisher: 
https://www.22debuts.com/stacy-stokes.html

Florida Woman by Deb Rogers
Hanover Square Press/HarperCollins July 5, 2022
A gleefully dark and entertaining debut for fans of Kevin Wilson and Karen Russell about a young woman’s summer spent working at a Floridian wildlife center for exotic monkeys. Jamie is a Florida Woman. She wears cutoffs, thrives in humidity, has been slapped by palm frond more times than she can count and now, after going viral for an outrageous crime she never meant to commit in the first place, she has the requisite headline to her name. But when the chance comes for her to escape viral infamy and imminent jail time through a community service placement at Atlas, a wildlife refuge for rescued monkeys, it seems like just the fresh start Jamie needs to finally get her life back on track—until it’s not. Something sinister stirs in the palmetto woods, and secrets lurk among the three beguiling women who run the refuge and affectionately take Jamie under their wing for the summer. She hears the distant screams of monkeys each night, the staff forgo food in the name of sacrifice, and the land, which has long been abandoned by local farmers and resort developers, now proves to be dangerously, relentlessly untamed. As Jamie ventures deeper into the offbeat world and rituals of Atlas, her summer is soon set to become material for an even stranger Florida headline than she ever could’ve imagined.  
https://www.22debuts.com/deb-rogers.html

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Tor Macmillan  August 9, 2022
Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon--like all other book eater women--is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories. But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger--not for books, but for human minds. THE BOOK EATERS is a contemporary fantasy debut. It's a story of motherhood, sacrifice, and hope; of queer identity and learning to accept who you are; of gilded lies and the danger of believing the narratives others create for you.
https://www.22debuts.com/sunyi-dean.html

Once More With Chutzpah by Haley Neil
Bloomsbury February 1, 2022
A moving YA debut about a girl who grapples with questions of her Jewish identity, mental health struggles, and sexuality while on a temple exchange trip through Israel. When high school senior Tally and her twin brother Max head off on an exchange trip to Israel over their winter break, Tally thinks it will be a good distraction for Max; he might be trying to hide it, but she knows he's still struggling in the wake of a car crash that injured him and killed the driver. Maybe this will help him get back on track and apply to college the way he and Tally always planned. But as the group travels across the country, Tally realizes her plan might not be working, and that her brother might not be the only one with a lot on his mind. When a new relationship gets complicated in the face of her own anxiety-about her future, her sexual and romantic identity, and her place within the Jewish diaspora-Tally must grapple not only with the past, but also with what life will be like when they get back home. Debut author Haley Neil offers a relatable and deeply felt story about identity on the cusp of adulthood.
https://www.22debuts.com/haley-neil.html

The Hitman's Daughter by Carolyne Topdjian
Agora/Polis Books February 22, 2022
The Château du Ciel was once the destination for the rich and famous to play, drink and ski—complete with a luxurious railway to shuttle those desiring extra privacy. Now, however, the guests are few and far between. The New Year's Eve party was supposed to hoist the rundown hotel back to its former status, until a massive blizzard hits, trapping the guests who've come to celebrate the grand hotel's last hurrah. The circumstances might even be romantic, if the Château wasn't reputed to be haunted. When hotel employee Mave Michael finds the resident artist dead, and shortly thereafter security finds Mave alone with the body, the reputation that Mave has fought long and hard to outrun comes back to haunt her: Her father is a notorious hitman serving multiple-life sentences in prison. She has changed her name and location dozens of times, but he somehow manages to track her down—even sending her a postcard on the eve of her birthday, January 1st. She's the perfect choice to frame for murder, and now the number one suspect. Mave can no longer deny the lessons in survival her father taught her, or her uncanny sixth-sense in “finding” lost objects. To save herself, she not only has to stop running from her own past, she must unearth the history of the hotel, its elite guests and buried secrets—one deadly sin at a time.
https://www.22debuts.com/carolyne-topdjian.html

The Sleepless by Victor Manibo
Erewhon Books June 21, 2022
A mysterious outbreak robs certain people of their ability to sleep, creating a new class that is feared and ostracized—but also able to capitalize on the extra hours to earn more money. Jamie Vega, a reporter by day and hobby collector by night, discovers a new obsession when his boss commits suicide. He wants to know why. And in the process he uncovers a startling truth about what it means to be Sleepless.
https://www.22debuts.com/victor-manibo.html

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch
Penguin Random House March 15, 2022
A wry and bold debut novel, which is at once an irresistible catastrophe waiting to happen and an unflinching exploration of how we narrate the stories of our lives, as an aspiring novelist finds herself stalking—and writing about—her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.
https://www.22debuts.com/caitlin-barasch.html

Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah
Sourcebooks/Fire September 6, 2022
Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve. In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers―the ruling elite, have indentured Koral's family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others―if they're lucky―survive. When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family's financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can't afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral's only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race. But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against contenders who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. When riots break out and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose―her life or her sister's―before the whole island burns.
https://www.22debuts.com/tanvi-berwah.html

The Surviving Sky by Kritika H Rao
DAW/ Penguin Random House in 2022
Ahilya is a second-class citizen in a floating city made of plants, high above a storm-ravaged planet, campaigning for change that will benefit all classes. Complicating her goals is her rocky marriage to Iravan, the most revered leader of their magical society, responsible for psychically manipulating the floating city’s architecture. But the Earthrage storms below are growing longer and deadlier. And as Iravan falls under investigation for being too powerful, truths emerge that challenge everything Ahilya believes about their privileged society and the origin of the storms. Now Ahilya faces a choice: expose her society’s secrets and destroy her marriage and culture? Or keep silent and perpetuate the inequality that has held her back her entire life? As the floating city’s architecture fails and they begin to plummet into the storm, the consequences of Ahilya’s choice will ripple not only across her heart, but her entire civilization.

The Things We Lost by Maggie Giles
Rising Action Publishing Collective  April 19, 2022
Maddie Butler has been haunted for fourteen years. After the suspicious death of a friend when she was twenty-two, Maddie tried to move on, convincing herself there was nothing she could have done. Now in an unfulfilling marriage, she realizes how much the guilt has led to an unhappy life. When she runs into her ex-boyfriend, the memories come flying back in full force. Burdened with regret and unhappiness, Maddie wonders how her life could have been different. The next morning, she wakes up twenty-six years old and in a completely different life. Her daughters don’t exist, her husband is nowhere to be found, and her friend is still alive, four years after her funeral. As Maddie navigates this new world, she realizes she is the product of her own unhappiness. But is this new do-over exactly what she needs, even if it means never seeing her daughters again? For fans of Amy Impellizzeri's Lemongrass Hope and Taylor Jenkins Reid's Maybe In Another Life, that will have you wondering, what if?
https://www.22debuts.com/maggie-giles.html

Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria
by George Jreije
HarperCollins Publication in 2022
Twelve-year-old Shad Hadid is an aspiring baker who’s life is uprooted when he discovers he’s descended from a long line of alchemists and sent to the mysterious Alexandria Academy. Only, his arrival at the school awakens a nefarious force long lurking in the shadows, and he’ll soon learn he holds the key to either stopping—or unleashing—their evil plot.
https://www.22debuts.com/george-jreije.html

The Sleepers by KM Kelly
Bloodhound Books April 22, 2022
Sylvie is running. Running from the memories of a terrorist attack in which her brother died, running from her abusive boyfriend, and running because of a warning, given to her by a stranger on a station platform in Nantes – someone is trying to kill her! Corran is a somewhat inept secret agent working undercover to infiltrate a political organisation which stands poised to win the forthcoming election. But he’s messed up and all he has is a list of names – a hit list – and Sylvie’s is one of the names. Thrown together by this hit list Corran and Sylvie form a reluctant partnership. But can they overcome their mutual dislike for long enough to expose the political conspiracy and save the world?
https://www.22debuts.com/km-kelly.html

Mindwalker by Kate Dylan
Hodder & Stoughton Publication in 2022
In twelve months, the supercomputer grafted to Sil Sarrah’s brain will kill her—unless the Syntex Corporation kills her first. As their top-ranked Mindwalker, Sil rescues the company’s imperilled field agents by commandeering their minds from afar and leading them to safety. But when a mission goes south, she is horrified to learn that her employer is illegally mindjacking civilians. With a price on her head and her tech rapidly degrading, Sil must find a way to stop the mindjackings in order to save her friends, her reputation—and maybe even herself.
https://www.22debuts.com/kate-dylan.html

List curated by: Stacy Stokes
Posted to the blog by: ​Susan Azim Boyer

LOVE AT FIRST SPITE by Anna E. Collins
January 4, 2022 Graydon/Harper Collins
They say living well is the best revenge. But sometimes, spreading the misery seems a whole lot more satisfying. That’s interior designer Dani Porter’s justification for buying the vacant lot next to her ex-fiancé's house…the house they were supposed to live in together, before he cheated on her with their realtor. Dani plans to build a vacation rental that will a) mess with his view and his peace of mind and b) prove that Dani is not someone to be stepped on. Welcome to project Spite House.
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.
https://www.22debuts.com/anna-e-collins.html

LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS by Anita Kelly
January 18, 2022 Hachette/Forever
Dahlia Woodson's culinary dreams are coming true. Sure, her marriage ended in a hideous explosion of misery, and she’s quit her job for the gamble of a lifetime, but she's finally a contestant on the cooking show Chef's Special. London Parker is fighting for more than just a cooking title. Not only did they just come out as nonbinary on national television, but this is an opportunity for London to raise some support—and a ton of cash—for the queer community. No pressure. Can London and Dahlia’s growing relationship take the heat, or are they about to get burned?
​Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here:
​https://www.22debuts.com/anita-kelly.html

​ICEBREAKER by A. L. Graziadei
January 18, 2022 Macmillan/Henry Holt
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot. The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey's infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he's willing to risk for it.
​Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here: https://www.22debuts.com/a-l-graziadei.html

SECOND STAR TO THE LEFT by Megan van Dyke
February 15, 2022 City Owl Press
Banished for selling the hottest drug in Neverland—pixie dust, Tinker Bell wants absolution. Determined to find a way home, Tink doesn’t hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his…hook. Captain Hook believes he’s found a real treasure in Tink. That is, until he recovers from her pixie dust laced kiss with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation at the mercy of raging storms, he tracks down the little minx and demands she remove the curse. Too bad she can’t.
​Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here:
https://www.22debuts.com/megan-van-dyke.html

​UNRAVEL by Amelia Loken
February 15, 2022 Sword and Silk Books
Sixteen-year-old deaf princess, Marguerite, keeps away from her uncle, Reichard, ever since he broke her hand to keep her from using sign language. He believes her disability makes her unworthy to precede him in line for the throne. Yet it's his role as Bishop-Princep, ""cleansing"" the kingdom through witch-burnings, that keeps Marguerite hiding her gift of embroidery magic, called Skeincraft. Then one day, Marguerite risks discovery by rescuing a child from the flames. Assisted by Tys, an itinerant acrobat, they flee her uncle's ""justice,"" setting her on a path that will keep her safe. But can she stay hidden, strengthening her Skeincraft skills when Reichard moves to take the throne? Marguerite is an unlikely challenger, relying on her homemade invisibility cloak, a few allies who use sign language, and Tys, the one boy she never should have trusted.
​Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here:
https://www.22debuts.com/amelia-loken.html

Curated by: Liz Bowery
Posted by: ​Susan Azim Boyer

PIRATE QUEENS: DAUNTLESS WOMEN WHO DARED TO RULE THE HIGH SEAS by Leigh Lewis
January 11, 2022 from National Geographic
This wow-worthy book proves that women have been making their mark in all aspects of history―even the high seas! Vetted by the world’s leading pirate experts and historians, this book is a cool and edgy gift. It’s also perfect for any curious kid who dreams of adventure and for parents who are eager to show their tweens and teens that history is more diverse, daring, and surprising than what is typically found in textbooks.​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

THE UNFORGETTABLE LOGAN FOSTER by Shawn Peters
January 18, 2022 from Harper Collins
Logan Foster is an undersized, neurodivergent 12-year-old orphan with a photographic memory and zero filter. He has no expectations of ever being adopted and spends his spare time searching for the younger sibling he believes is still out there. But when he’s fostered by a kind, suburban couple who are clearly hiding something from him, Logan’s logical mind won’t stop until he uncovers the super-secret truth; superheroes are real… and his new foster folks are actual superhumans.​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

THE WAY I SAY IT by Nancy Tandon
January 18, 2022 from Charlesbridge
Rory still can't say his r's, but that's just the beginning of his troubles. First Rory's ex-best-friend Brent started hanging out with the mean lacrosse kids. But then, a terrible accident takes Brent out of school, and Rory struggles with how to feel. Rory and his new speech teacher put their heads together on Rory's r's (as well as a serious love of hard rock and boxing legend Muhammad Ali), but nobody seems to be able to solve the problem of Rory's complicated feelings about Brent. Brent's accident left him with a brain injury and he's struggling. Should Rory stand up for his old friend at school--even after Brent failed to do the same for him?
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark
January 25, 2022 from Jolly Fish Press / North Star Editions
THIS BOOK'S RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN PUSHED TO FEBRUARY 15
Brave the sour to taste the sweet. 
Mom's last words: Keep them safe. Help them be happy. Morgan promised, so she sacrifices soccer, free time, and friendships for her younger siblings. But when Dad's “talk therapy” campout ignites Morgan's anxiety, she makes a reckless decision to prove she can fill Mom's shoes . . . which leaves her literally fighting for survival.

Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

THE IVORY KEY by Akshaya Raman
January 4, 2022 from Harper Collins/Clarion Books
​In this epic YA fantasy debut, magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war.

​When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology that’s perfect for fans of There Will Come a Darkness, The Gilded Wolves, and We Hunt the Flame.
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Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

THE BONE SPINDLE by Leslie Vedder
January 11, 2022 from Penguin/Razorbill
Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and All the Stars and Teeth.

THE BONE SPINDLE is a genderflipped Sleeping Beauty starring two girl partners: Fi, a bookish treasure hunter destined to wake the sleeping prince, and Shane, a queer ax-wielding mercenary falling for a mysterious witch. 
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Traps, ruins, riddles, curses, a little bit of true love and a whole lot of snark!​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES by Meg Long
January 11, 2022 from Wednesday Books / St. Martin's Press
Meg Long's Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a captivating debut about survival, found family, and the bond between a girl and a wolf that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories and frontier myths.

On a frozen wasteland of a planet, a girl is on the run with a wolf who is born to be a killer but bound to be her guide. As they fight to escape ice goblins, giant bears, and a ruthless leader intent on trapping them both, one question drives them relentlessly forward: where do you turn when there is nowhere to hide?​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

ICEBREAKER by A. L. Graziadei
January 18, 2022 from Macmillan/Henry Holt
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot. The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey's infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he's willing to risk for it. This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU by Brian Zepka
January 25, 2022 from Disney-Hyperion
Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who's literally too hot to handle.

THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU is the story of first love, and the lengths we'll go to figure out our hearts. What starts as an electric, chance encounter at a Dairy Queen quickly evolves into a heated romance, a journey of trust and identity, and a ticking clock for survival.​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

JUST FOR SHOW by Julie Hamilton
December 28, 2021 from Harlequin/Carina Press
(Yes, we know it's a few days shy, but with an unexpected release date push back, it'd be a crime not to include this book as an honorary #22Debut!)

An aspiring photographer and a home renovation TV star have their airplane meet-cute go viral and realize fake dating can boost their careers—if they stick to the rules: cute selfies, fun dates, no kissing, and definitely no sex. They'll fake a relationship for the social media exposure, but can they be more than a hashtag?
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

DEEP DIVE by Ron Walters
January 11, 2022 from  Angry Robot
Still reeling from the failure of his last project, videogame developer Peter Banuk is working hard to ensure his next game doesn’t meet the same fate. So when Peter’s tech-genius partner offers him the chance to beta-test a new state-of-the-art virtual reality headset, he jumps at it. But something goes wrong during the trial, and Peter wakes to find himself trapped in an eerily familiar world where his children no longer exist. As the lines between the real and virtual worlds begin to blur, Peter is forced to reckon with what truly matters to him. But can he escape his virtual prison before he loses his family forever?​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

WAHALA by Nikki May
January 11, 2022 from HARPER COLLINS (US), TRANSWORLD PRH (UK)
An incisive and exhilarating debut novel of female friendship following three Anglo-Nigerian best friends and the lethally glamorous fourth woman who infiltrates their group—the most unforgettable girls since Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda.

A sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal, Wahala (trouble) is an unforgettable novel from a brilliant new voice.
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Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by Sue Lynn Tan​
January 11, 2022 from Harper Voyager
​An enthralling debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother sets her on a dangerous path and pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. 
​
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

SHIT CASSANDRA SAW by Gwen E. Kirby​​
January 11, 2022 from Penguin Books
Margaret Atwood meets Buffy in these funny, warm, and furious stories of women at their breaking points, from Hellenic times to today.

Cassandra may have seen the future, but it doesn't mean she's resigned to telling the Trojans everything she knows. From "The Best and Only Whore of Cym Hyfryd, 1886" to the "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories," Kirby is playing and laughing with the women who have come before her and they are telling her, we have always been this way. You just had to know where to look.
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

ALL THE SALT IN THE SEA by Tammy L. Harrow
January 11, 2022 from Red Adept
Abby West's goals to become a physician were derailed by an unexpected pregnancy, and after 19 years of being a dutiful wife and mother she discovers her husband's secret - a child from an old affair. Devastated, she flees to her grandmother's hometown on the Amalfi coast, where she meets Daniel Quinn, a former American soldier turned travel photographer. As she travels across Europe with him, she begins to imagine a new life, one without a controlling and unfaithful husband. Empowered by a newfound sense of freedom and courage, Abby returns to St. Augustine to settle things with her husband. But nothing goes as planned, and what awaits may very well destroy her.
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS by Anita Kelly
January 18, 2022 from Hachette/Forever
Dahlia Woodson's culinary dreams are coming true. Sure, her marriage ended in a hideous explosion of misery, and she’s quit her job for the gamble of a lifetime, but she's finally a contestant on the cooking show Chef's Special. London Parker is fighting for more than just a cooking title. Not only did they just come out as nonbinary on national television, but this is an opportunity for London to raise some support—and a ton of cash—for the queer community. No pressure. Getting distracted by a tiny and adorable tornado like Dahlia could be disastrous. Can London and Dahlia’s growing relationship take the heat, or are they about to get burned?​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

MUST LOVE BOOKS by Shauna Robinson
January 18, 2022 from Sourcebooks​
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill meets Younger in a heartfelt debut following a young woman who discovers she'll have to ditch the ""dream job"" and write her own story to find her happy ending.

Your next book club read touching on mental health, happiness, and the peaks and perils of being a young woman just trying to figure it all out. Nora Hughes is the perfect heroine for anyone looking to get past their own chapter twenty-something and build their storybook life.
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Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK by Sequoia Nagamatsu
January 18, 2022 from William Morrow/Harper Collins and Bloomsbury
A spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague—a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resilience of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.​
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

RISE OF THE MAGES by Scott Drakeford
January 25, 2022 from Tor Books
THIS BOOK'S RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN PUSHED TO FEBRUARY 8
Emrael Ire wants nothing more than to test to be a weapons master. His final exam will be a bloody insurrection, staged by corrupt nobles and priests, that enslaves his brother. With the aid of his War Master tutor, herself an undercover mage, Emrael discovers his own latent and powerful talents. To rescue his brother, Emrael must embrace not only his abilities as a warrior but also his place as last of the ancient Mage Kings―for the Fallen God has returned. 
And he is hungry.
Learn more about this book and where to preorder it here.

Which books are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments or on social media @22Debuts.