The allure of books that go beyond everyday realism is undeniable. When we’re very young, the line between real and magical is delightfully hazy and ever-shifting, so it’s no wonder that as we grow up, and the mundane details of life consume us, we’d crave a return to that state of mind where anything is possible. Teens have plenty of classic science fiction and fantasy worlds to explore—books with advanced technology, epic battles, intricate maps, invented languages, magical creatures, and other beloved genre elements. Alongside these on the shelves, they’ll find speculative fiction encompassing more variety than ever, including fantastical romance, thriller, historical, coming-of-age, and superhero stories, like the must-read titles below.

It’s You Every Time by Charlene Thomas (Scholastic, May 6): A simple act—stopping at Dunkin’ for breakfast on the way to school—turns into a life-changing meet-cute that transports two teens on journeys through grief and into love. Before closing with a surprising twist, Thomas takes readers on a time-loop adventure in which Sydney and Marcus grow through and with one another.

The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed (Little, Brown, May 13): STEM-loving Aria travels through parallel universes, experiencing different iterations of her life—ones in which her father is still alive or she’s still with ex-boyfriend Rohan. Readers will sympathize with the anxious Chicago high school senior—and her desire for control in a chaotic world—in this high-stakes story of learning to trust and let go.

Then There Was One by Wendy Cross (Puffin/Penguin Random House UK, May 20): Readers needn’t be Agatha Christie fans to appreciate this suspenseful debut inspired by And Then There Were None, in which 10 contestants compete in a reality TV show for a large cash prize. The teens live on planets that were terraformed by people from Earth centuries ago, adding to the novel’s deliciously off-kilter vibes.

Salvación by Sandra Proudman (Wednesday Books, May 20): In this gender-swapped El Zorro–inspired page-turner set in mid-19^th-century Mexico, Lola disguises herself as the vigilante Salvación. She risks everything to help protect the people of Alta California from white colonizers who have an interest in sal negra, the magical substance mined in the area that her mother uses for healing.

Family Force V: Book One by Matt Braly, illustrated by Ainsworth Lin (Image Comics, June 10): When your family business is fighting aliens, there’s pressure to continue the legacy. But Maise just wants to do normal teen things, like grab dinner with her crush, without having to drop everything and save the world. Braly’s charming text and Lin’s enchanting art give this graphic novel plenty of reader appeal.

The Yomigaeri Tunnel by Kelly Murashige (Soho Teen, July 1): In this poignant, beautifully realized work, recent high school graduate Monika is struggling with the tragic death of her classmate Shun. Monika and Shiori, a girl who’s grieving the loss of her mother, enter the Yomigaeri Tunnel, said to allow anyone who walks through it to bring someone back to life.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.