Many of us discovered our love of reading through young adult books. Examining themes like friendship, loss, puberty, mental health, and sex, their stories reinforced our own, gently letting us know we weren’t alone in our thoughts or experiences. To revisit those books now is to return to a time when life seemed both simple and way more complicated.
Below, a curated list of the the best young adult books across genres—whether you’d like to recommend one to the young readers in your life, tap into a little childhood nostalgia of your own, or find newness in the ever-evolving world of YA.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Abike-Iyimide (2024)
A heady thriller to be absorbed in one sitting, Where Sleeping Girls Lie finds us at a prestigious boarding school with former homeschooler Sade Hussein. When her roommate Elizabeth disappears on Sade’s first night, rumors begin to fester—until the popular girls, known as the Unholy Trinity, take Sade under their wing. Then, a student is found dead. Will Sade uncover the Alfred Noble Academy’s rot and bring about justice—or will her own web of secrets catch her first?
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (2022)
All My Rage weaves together the stories of three compelling characters: Noor, Salahudin (Sal), and Misbah. Noor and Sal, once inseparable best friends, find their paths diverging as they pursue different aspirations. Noor is secretly applying to college while evading her bad-tempered guardian, and Sal is attempting to save his parents’ debt-laden motel as his father battles alcoholism. We’re also whisked back in time to Sal’s mom Misbah’s past in Pakistan, unraveling the events that led her to Juniper, California.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (2019)
Currently dominating #booktok, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the first in a series of three novels and a novella. Perfectly poised as an introduction to the worlds of mystery and true crime for young adults, the story follows Pippa, a 17-year-old convinced that the true killer of Andie Bell is still roaming free, five years after her death. With the help of an unexpected ally, Pippa launches an investigation that she masks as a school project—but every step closer to the truth propels her deeper into dangerous territory.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (2019)
Originally a celebrated webcomic series on Tumblr, Heartstopper is another trending #booktok favorite, now an LGBTQ+ graphic series written and illustrated by the talented Oseman. The story unfolds at the fictional Truham Grammar School, centering on the endearing connection between British schoolboys Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson. With each volume, Heartstopper navigates the rollercoaster of first love, the nuances of friendship, the journey of coming out, and mental health—the essence of a great YA read.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (2018)
Slam poet Acevedo’s debut novel chronicles the life of Xiomara Batista—a.k.a. X—a Black, Latinx 15-year-old living in Harlem with her very Catholic parents. Feeling unheard, X begins to express herself through poetry—but keeps it a secret from her family. Acevedo penned the book after her former eighth-grade students complained about the lack of relatable characters in YA literature. Problem solved with this award-winning masterpiece.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017)
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter’s life already feels like a tightrope walk, with her disadvantaged neighborhood on one side and a fancy private school on the other. Then, she enters a living nightmare when she witnesses her friend Khalil get shot by a white police officer.
Later made into an acclaimed film starring Amandla Stenberg, Angie Thomas’s debut novel follows Starr’s quest for justice, community, and collective action. As her mother Lisa puts it in one striking scene: “Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012)
“It’s a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.” If that quote doesn’t immediately transport you to 2012, here’s a refresher: Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old with stage IV thyroid cancer, finds herself in a cancer patient support group where she meets 17-year-old Augustus Waters, a survivor of osteosarcoma. Their intense love story, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, grapples with the weightiness of illness and grief, which Green handles with a rare blend of sensitivity and wit.
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (2008)
In The Hunger Games, Collins transports us to the dystopian realm of Panem, a North American nation characterized by the greedy Capitol and 13 districts grappling with poverty. Each year, a lottery selects children from the first 12 districts to participate in a televised Battle Royale-style death match. The first three novels form a trilogy centered around protagonist Katniss Everdeen, while the fourth book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is a prequel, delving 64 years into the past.
With her books, Collins not only gave young girls a formidable female lead (and this, during the less-than-inspiring Twilight era), but also crafted a vivid and unsettling portrayal of a future rife with economic sabotage, an unforgiving caste system, and youthful carnage reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005)
Narrated by Death itself, The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old in Nazi Germany. Residing with her German foster parents on the outskirts of Munich, Liesel forges a close bond with her foster father, Hans Hubermann, who teaches her how to read and write, kindling a passion for books. Trapped between the innocence of childhood and the grave realities imposed by World War II, Liesel finds refuge in literature and her own burgeoning manuscript. It’s a lyrical and heart-breaking read that celebrates the power of words and empathy.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (2005)
The six-volume fantasy series Percy Jackson & the Olympians follows Perseus “Percy” Jackson, a 12-year-old New Yorker who discovers his divine lineage as the son of Poseidon. The first book, The Lightning Thief, covers his adventures at Camp Half-Blood, a training refuge for demigods like him, alongside best friends, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood. Their mission? To save the world from the Titans.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (2000)
Leo Borlock is just another junior at Mica High until Susan “Stargirl” Caraway comes along. With her fondness for the ukulele and a pet rat named Cinnamon, she rattles Mica High’s social rhythms (you try cheering for both sides in a school football game), bringing Leo out of his shell. But when, in time, her popularity begins to nosedive, Leo is forced to confront his own insecurities and need for approval. It’s an aching, vividly arcing love story, and a celebration of nonconformity by a big-hearted master of the YA genre. To be immediately followed up by its sequel, Love, Stargirl, written from Stargirl’s perspective.
Holes by Louis Sachar (1998)
Like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him, Stanley Yelnats is cursed, stuck at a juvenile detention facility for a crime he didn’t commit. Yet in time, the five-by-five-foot holes that he and his peers are condemed to dig in the ground yield clues to the source of Stanley’s family’s misfortunes. A twisty, wacky page-turner that interpolates themes of boyhood, friendship, racism, and labor.
The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)
Meet Jonas, a 12-year-old boy navigating a world void of conflict, hatred, or pain—a utopia, in other words, or so it seems. When Jonas assumes his post as the “Receiver of Memory,” he quickly understands what drastic sacrifices have been made in the pursuit of “Sameness.” In writing The Giver, Lowry was initially inspired by her father’s senility, as he continually forgot her sister’s death. She imagined a world where people didn’t have to remember their suffering and pain, provocatively asking: If you were to take all of those memories away, what would you be left with?
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume (1970)
Margaret Simon is a sixth grader who, tired of waiting (and waiting) for her period, finally appeals to God. (She’s not religious, per se, but the girl needs answers!) More than 50 years later, her awkward but deeply charming coming-of-age story is still richly resonant.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)
A galactic coming-of-age classic from the formidable Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea is the first book in the Earthsea Cycle series, following the young, prickly wizard Ged as he learns to master his magical powers. Even nearly 50 years on, its focus on self-discovery and the honing personal principles feels important and fresh.
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