10 Unputdownable YA Books
I have REALLY been vibing with YA (young adult) books lately!! When they're good, they're good, and I can't put it down. Even though they're generally targeted towards the 12-18 year age group, more than half of YA readers are adults.*
I didn't think that I read a lot of YA... but 2022 particularly there's been a spike in my reading of the genre. I think a lot of it is that I'm very easily influenced by some of those I follow on Instagram.
Mystery/Thrillers
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: This is one of my all-time favourite series!! If you can, order the book from a retailer in the UK. I can't stand when publishing companies 'Americanize' a book before it's published in NA.
Pip is a seventeen-year-old who decides that her term project will be investigating the disappearance of Andie Bell - a school girl who went missing five years ago. Everyone thinks it was Andie’s boyfriend at the time Sal Singh, but Pip isn’t so sure. Pip is the coolest Veronica Mars-murderino cross ever. Her character is so likeable and her intentions are so genuine you’re rooting for her the whole time. I loved her budding friendship with Ravi, Sal’s brother, and her craftiness and resourcefulness. I love that there’s multimedia in this book: you get snippets of Pip’s interviews, the murder board, and her journal logs.
The Inheritance Games: If you liked Knives Out, you'll love this. Avery is a teenager and finds out she is the inheritor of a billionaire's fortune, much to his family's chagrin. The catch? To receive the inheritance, she has to go and stay with his family. Also - she has no idea who this guy is or why he left her his fortune. I will say this book has a very weird love triangle BUT it's a very fun read (and, it's part of a trilogy)!
This Golden State: This book is super fast-paced: Poppy's family has been on the run for her whole life and she has no idea why. They move around a lot, sometimes at the drop of a hat, and one time their move brings them to California, and Poppy gets the vibe this move isn't like the others. At summer school, on a whim, she decides to submit a DNA test, then secrets are revealed.
Like the royals? Don't? Read these.
American Royals: I was in a very big book slump when I decided to pick this book up and it HIT. THE. SPOT. It is SOOO good. It's about teenage royals in a world where America is a monarchy. It's fun, a great escape, and some easy breezy beautiful light subject matter, if that's all your brain can take at the moment.
The Selection: This book was so fun and addicting: think Bridgerton meets the Bachelor meets the Hunger Games. This takes place in a dystopian American world where there is basically a Bachelor situation when the kid of the royals gets to marrying age (aka like 17). It was a great audiobook companion during the workweek, and I don’t think I’ve ever got through an entire series start to finish so quickly!
Historical Fiction
I Must Betray You: Without giving too much away, we follow 17-year-old Christian as he navigates his life in communist Romania. His grandfather openly questions their government, while his mom wants them all to keep their head down and not draw any attention to themselves because there are spies and informants everywhere. I learned a lot about a point of time in history I quite honestly didn’t know anything about. This book was also so excellently paced and unputdownable, that it almost reads like a thriller.
Coming of Age
With the Fire On High: Elizabeth Acevedo is a beautiful storyteller and I would recommend all of her books. My favourite of hers is With the Fire on High, which follows a young single mother in high school who is bold, fierce, empathetic, and wants nothing more than to provide her baby girl with the best life possible. Torn between pursuing college, her passion for cooking, or just working any job she can to save up and provide for her daughter, I was rooting *hard* for her.
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine: I loved this book that delved deep into familial relationships (especially between mother and daughter), and is a coming of age story which emphasizes the importance of learning about where you come from. Because the story takes place in Haiti you get to learn more about the country, its customs, and the people that live there. I am a sucker for multi-media books, and this book was in the form of a school report by Alaine; she documented emails, texts, letters, diary entries and interview transcripts, which fleshed out the story so well.
Felix Ever After: Felix Love is a transgender teen who's never been in love before; it seems that everyone around him is able to fall in love, and be loved in return with such ease. This is honestly just a really lovely book to read. My heart felt so full when reading it, and I loved getting to spend so much time with Felix and learning from him and loving him.
Far From the Tree: Three siblings: Grace, Maya, and Joaquin find each other at an important time in their lives. After 16-year-old Grace has a baby and puts her up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family. An only child adopted at birth, Grace is intrigued meeting Maya, her outgoing and sassy younger sister whose adoptive family is going through their own turmoil. And then they meet Joaquin, their “man of few words” older brother who’s over 17 years in the foster system have him doubting if he’s deserving of a family. This serves This Is Us vibes and is equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. The characters are extremely lovable, and the author dealt with a lot of important issues in a really sensitive and eloquent way.
*Please don't ask for a source I just read this on the internet somewhere and I believe it.