Debutiful’s Adam Vitcavage recommends noteworthy debut books for readers to discover each month.
Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyễn (July 1)
Meet Six and Green, two trans women volleyball players who are romantically entangled, and rising social media stars who balance jealousy, transphobia, and social media throughout this terrific and sidesplitting satire. It’s the type of novel that is effortlessly laugh-out-loud funny while also taking a sharp lens to the politics of gender and identity where two transwoman are forced to play in a men’s volleyball league. Nguyễn highlights how people hiding behind screens with parasocial relationships, obsession, and toxic transphobia can cruelly shape lives in a satirical novel fueled by social media comments.antici
Wanting by Claire Jia (July 1)
Through keen observations about friendship and (friendly) rivalry, Jia explores how friends ebb and flow through each other’s lives despite mismatched wealth and desire. As secrets of the past come to a head, two friends must balance marriages, cultural expectations, and keeping up with the modern noise infiltrating their peace. In the end, it’s an unforgettable friendship between Ye Lian and Luo Wenyu that readers will not soon forget.
Archive of Unknown Universes by Ruben Reyes Jr. (July 1)
The novel debut from Reyes Jr. follows up on one of the best debut short story collections from 2024. Here, he leans full tilt into speculative fiction in two timelines that explore the ramifications of war in El Salvador. A deliciously written novel with rich history, memorable characters, and heart.
Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams (July 8)
A thrilling and seductive read about a younger woman and a powerful man working in the publishing industry. Williams, who worked for years in publishing, brings insights to the behind-the-scenes workings of the world that are so on the nose it hurts. It is a strongly written exposé on power, romance, and the ties that bind us.
No Sense in Wishing by Lawrence Burney (July 8)
No writer knows a city and its culture better than Burney knows and writes about Baltimore. His debut essay collection touches on everything from the intimacy of how music touches a soul to the global impact of Black culture from continent to continent. Burney is a voice we should all be listening to.
House of Beth by Kerry Cullen (July 15)
An undeniable force that I couldn’t stop reading. It’s a modern gothic ghost story about getting over a break-up while maintaining your mental health and becoming a stepmother. Reading it reminded me of when I read Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt. It’s eerie with a modern twist. It’s quite possibly the most perfect book for Debutiful readers: it’s sad, it’s weird, and it’s horny.
Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore (July 15)
Here is a short story collection ready to enter the pantheon of Best Short Story Collections of All Time. Moore’s collection proves debut books can arrive fully realized and perfectly written. Her stories about Black men and women across the American South as they confront the complexities of home, identity, legacy, and love are immersive and hypnotic. All eleven will knock your socks off.
My Train Leaves at Three by Natalie Guerrero (July 15)
The balance between ambition and authenticity swirls throughout Guerrero’s coming-of-age debut as Xiomara strives to break out and become a star while grappling with the loss of her sister. The book is set against the lively backdrop of Washington Heights, which feels as much of a character as any of the people in the book. It’s as equally soft and sweet as it is biting. Guerrero’s writing is fully charged from the jump.
Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee (July 22)
I haven’t stopped thinking about how easily Yee balanced the ups and downs of life – jumping from laugh-out-loud humor to sobbing into your pillow – throughout this debut. After the main character learns of a cancerous tumour (aka Maggie), Yee explores how one finds oneself, finds love, and finds humor in the darkest of times. Reading this was like riding an emotional rollercoaster.
First Time, Long Time by Amy Silverberg (July 22)
A hilarious and cringe-filled novel about a love triangle between a young woman falling in love with an older man and then his daughter. Silverberg packs a punch and gifts readers the funniest debut book of the year.
Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez (July 22)
This book lived with me for so long, I thought it had already come out, and the world had discovered its brilliance. Lucky for you all, you get to experience the deliciously wicked debut novel from Nicky Gonzalez for the first time. It’s a modern Gothic horror set in the swamplands of Florida that follows two estranged friends who reunite in a house in the Everglades. Each page will haunt you.
Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu (July 29)
Wambugu’s writing about the ups and downs of friendship and jealousy is breathtaking. As the decades progress in Ruth and Maria’s friendship, so does the tension. She’s able to bring characters to life with such ease and makes the world feel so alive. Reading this gave me a full-body buzz for days.
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