Jo Salazar’s If We Survive the Night started out as The Dead Weight, released by the author herself, and arrives from Sourcebooks Fire in 2026. In this interview, the YA zombie writer talks about building a protagonist you follow but never trust, writing institutional damage without a diagnosis, and why Quinn will never get the redemption arc readers keep waiting for.
YA Horror Roundup: September 2026’s Darkest Teen Reads
The Young Blood Library returns with eleven YA horror books and dark teen reads, from cult thrillers to post-apocalyptic page-turners. School librarian Tony Jones finds few straight horror novels this month, but plenty of real darkness for any school library.












