Itās been a while since I was an avid reader of Young Adult fiction, so this list is more or less based on books that have stuck in my memory or books Iāve reread more recently. And none of them are new releases. But there is something to be said about the fact that Iāve reread some of these books recently and enjoyed them almost as much as I did the first time around. I probably reread them because they were so poignant the first time that I had to revisit them. There are other YA books that I vaguely remember, but I honestly cannot speak on them, because it has been such a long time. So this might be an evergreen and ever-changing list. But thatās okay. All the best things are.
1
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
You may know that Code Name Verity is among my top three favorite books. I’ve mentioned it multiple times on my blog. This book had me bawling when I first read it. Itās a WW2 novel about two female volunteers for the Allied effort.Ā
The book basically treats their friendship like other novels treat romances and I love books that do this. Deep friendships rival romances for my favorite type of relationship in books.Ā
Thereās unreliable narration; thereās a sassy, witty protagonist; thereās a display of strength that isnāt cliche or toxically caricature-like; and thereās a devastating ending that absolutely wrecks you.Ā
2
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Iāve recently read this retelling of āThe Twelve Dancing Princessesā fairy tale, and itās what inspired me to compile this list of my favorite modern YA novels. Itās about twelve princesses who find a secret place to dance even while they are in mourning (which is strictly not allowed by their father the King), but the magical place that seemed to be their haven hides dangerous secrets.
The writing is so easy to read, the characters are so compelling, the setting romantic, and the romances realistic.
Again, the book features familial relationships as heavily, or more heavily, than romantic ones, soā¦ Iām starting to see a pattern. There is no princess who is nothing without her prince, but there also isnāt a male love interest who is only in the book to show that he isnāt needed.Ā
3
Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Everyone has heard of The Hunger Games. I first read this for my eighth grade English class, and I remember being super impressed with my teacherās selection. (Okay, let me rephrase. I was definitely not superior enough to be impressed by my superiors. I was just super excited and grateful to go to class everyday to read and discuss the book. Now as an adult, I have apparently grown superior enough to be impressed in retrospect.) Anyways, I think the first movie also came out at the end of that same year, so I felt ahead of the game.Ā
I was immediately hooked on the novel. Itās about a dystopian world where the reigning capital forces children ages 12-17 to fight to the death as a punishment after an uprising and to keep the world in fear. I know when I first explained it to my mother, she was horrified at the idea of a bunch of kids trying to kill each other, but she walked out of the theater a huge fan. This novel epitomizes how to introduce shock value without devaluing the commentary. I feel like itās easier to dismiss this novel as āpopā culture since itās grown so popular, but I still feel like Suzanne Collins had an amazingly creative idea and wrote it compellingly.Ā
And itās important to weigh in on the controversy surrounding the novel. I know you are all wondering what side Iām onā¦ Team Gale or Team Peeta. My gut and the middle schooler inside of me is strongly saying Team Gale, and the strength of that decision has only been watered down recently (as Iām writing this, in fact). I think I can finally understand why Katniss chose Peeta in the end, choosing his peace instead of Galeās fire. My angsty self wasnāt able to see that before.
4
The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare
Iāve written about The Shadowhunter world by Cassandra Clare before, but I still want to stress that I am in no way including The Mortal Instrument series in this list. I find that series a bit creepy and badly written. This is ONLY about Tessa, Will, and Jem from the Infernal Devices. Those three characters are so entwined, their connection is palpable through the book. The relationship between Tessa and Will, the relationship between Tessa and Jem, and the friendship between Will and Jem each have their own strengths and their own charm. And also, I love the humor in this book. The series had me laughing one minute and had my heart breaking the next. How Cassandra could write these characters and also write the disaster that is The Mortal Instruments, Iāll never know.Ā
I would give a summary of the book, but the plot is so complicated that I feel like other people would do a better job. The plot is honestly a bit forgettable for me; the characterization is the focus of my love for the books.
5
An Abundance of Katherines/The Fault in Our Stars by John GreenĀ
I had to include John Green in this list. Heās the King of YA. I know a lot of people think his novels sound like a grown man trying to write like a teenager, but I never got that impression when reading his books. Iāve read The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns. The only one out of those four I didnāt enjoy was Paper Towns, which was just meh.Ā
I didnāt know which one of his books to choose. I think a younger me would have chosen Looking for Alaska, but Iām not sure that one speaks to me as much anymore. Out of the other two, The Fault in Our Stars and An Abundance of Katherines, Iāve read the latter more recently. So I donāt think itās fair to choose the latter over the former, but An Abundance of Katherines is rather underrated. I may be the minority here, but it is so light and funny. There isnāt a lot of darkness there, which John Green is kind of known for; itās just an entertaining read. Itās about a high school boy going on a road trip with his best friend. Heās only ever dated people whose name just happened to be Katherineāwith a K, not a C. On this road trip, he encounters a girl not named Katherine who makes him question probability and the trajectory of his life.
But The Fault in Our Stars is just on another level. Itās about a girl with cancer who knows that her time is limited, but is convinced to enter into a relationship with a boy in remission. The plot is heartbreaking, thereās a twist at the end that I actually didnāt see coming, the humor is fantastic (and angsty, naturally), and it introduced me to the world of chronically sick youths, which I hadnāt really explored at that age, and I always appreciate books that give me another perspective. And I also love me some metaphors.
Ultimately, I decided to place them at a tie.
Honorable Mentions
If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Dreamland/Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Help me find this book again:
I donāt think this book would make it onto this list, but trying to think of all the YA books Iāve read made me think of this book that I canāt for the life of me remember the name of. This might be the strangest book summary Iāve ever written, but this is what I remember about it: A strictly conscientious girl goes somewhere ĀæEast? and falls in love with a short boy who wears a cowboy hat, and she learns to ālimā it (live in the moment), and she kisses him for the first time after he guards her while she pees in the jungle-like-place, and she promptly burps in his face.Ā
I have no idea what itās called, and I know thatās not much to go on, lol, but if anyone has any idea what this book is, please let me know. Itās bugging me!
