10 Best Debut Novels Of August 2021

Debut novels are often the best in literary journeys – they are the tour de force of painstaking efforts, relentless passion and a mind marination of several years. August has seen some powerful debuts, and we’ve listed 10 best debut novels of August 2021.

Fresh by Margot Wood

This tender coming of age novel tells of Elliot’s freshman experience, delving into how her mindless fun soon turns into a nightmare. Her wild life comes back to smack her in the face in the form of finals, a crazy roommate’s boyfriend and more. This book is equal parts funny and equal parts delicate, making it a great read for those in need of laughs and cuddles.

Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

This historical eco-fiction tackles the life of a small forest town in California. At its heart is the Gunderson family, where Rich works for a logging company, Colleen has suffered several miscarriages and they want their child to have a brighter future. And the most mysterious part is, there seems to be a connection between the first two – what if the logging company’s pesticides are reducing the birth rates of the grove? This book is a masterfully told story of family, nature and connection.

Immediate Family by Ashley Nelson Levy

This debut novel is told in the form of a toast at a brother’s wedding. The sister has become estranged from her brother, but when she starts giving a toast, she mulls over the life they have lived together. What emerges is a tender reminiscence of a brother sister bond, deviating into meditations on abortion, rural life, race, infertility, childhood and more.

Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker

Elayne’s YA fantasy is set in a forest where people have magical properties. We see the world from the perspective of Rora, a shifter, who uses her gift to be a spy for the king. However, when an illness spreads like wildfire in the forest and her best friend and prince catches it, she must to all that it takes to help him. She sets out with her brother and the older crown prince to obtain the stardust that will heal her best friend. S

Dangerous Play by Emma Kress

This book follows the story of Zoe Alamander as she works relentlessly with her team to secure a hockey championship and the scholarship that comes with it. However, when she is sexually assaulted at a party, she sets a new goal – to make sure no girl feels unsafe again. And for that, she must be a rebel. This is a charming but also gritty debut.

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

Published posthumously, this is a collection of short stories that captures the Cambodian American experience. Grappling with emotionally complex issues of race and gender as well as with historical burdens of genocide, his characters make their way through life. We meet badminton coaches turned bitter failing grocery shop owners, tech entrepreneurs who fall for a young Moby Dick loving teacher and children with complicated pasts. These stories are strikingly original, and a loving portrait of universal yet culturally unique immigrant life.

She Wouldn’t Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha

This time travel scifi follows the time teleportation of a psychiatrist in Mississippi who wakes up as a seventeen year old. She is in no need of a new life – she is perfectly content with her job, husband, daughters and a to be born son. But she also knows that in a few weeks, tragedy is going to strike her husband which will devastate him and enable him to meet her. And so she must make a choice – to save her husband intolerable pain, or return to her near perfect life.

All Are Welcome by Liz Parker

This feel good book follows the wedding of Tiny McAllister to the love of her life, but there are unforeseen situations that arise. This book is heartwarming and hilarious at the same time, and makes for a great comfort read.

Mrs March by Virginia Feito

This book, as the title suggests, is the story of Mrs March, an Upper East Side housewife who finds her marital life in shambles after her husband’s newest novel is published. A gossipy woman says that the titular character of her husband’s novel, a prostitute, is based on herself. This gossip snowballs into something much bigger and she finds herself estranged from her husband. Full of wry humous, gossip and delicate marital threads, this book is a must read for its great characters.

Skinship by Yoon Choi

This book is the announcement of a brave and beautiful new voice in the short story world, with its delicate crafting of Korean American families. These stories are human centric – from a woman in an arranged marriage struggling to connect with her bastard son to a couple forced to confront a friend’s dark past. There are also stories of heartbreak and disillusionment, of conflict between first and second generation immigrants, of love, loss and labour. This book by Yook Choi is a masterpiece.

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