For those new to YA, this list provides an introduction to YA. Which
books on the list would you pick up? For avid YA readers, what are your
must-reads? Do we share ten, five or possibly even none?
Anna and the French Kiss: Stephanie Perkins
(new)
Anna’s senior year in a Parisian boarding school is an adventure,
especially when she meets Etienne St. Clair, a Parisian/English boy with a
great accent. Their friendship and budding romance is a swoon-worthy YA
relationship with an equal balance of realism and fairy tale. This is Anna’s
first year on the list.
Boy Meets Boy: David Levithan
This is an expertly crafted book about a boy who
loves another boy and the crazy unique high school that they attend. Its
ground-breaking impact continues to be felt in YA, especially as it reached the 10th anniversary of it's publication last year! This is Boy
Meets Boy’s second year on the list.
Code Name Verity: Elizabeth Wein (new)
This historical fiction novel isn’t your
typical WWII tale. A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France with two
best friends, the pilot and the passenger, on board. What follows in this
Printz Honor Book is a fierce, forward, expertly plotted story. Code Name Verity is a new
addition to this year’s must-read list.
Divergent: Veronica Roth
When Tris Pryor chooses to leave her family
behind for the danger of the Dauntless, she has no idea the hard work,
controversy and consequences that will come. Roth creates a magnificent
dystopian tale where Tris, Four and others are not only in the midst of the
action, they are the action. This is Divergent’s
second year on this list.
Eleanor & Park: Rainbow Rowell
The relationship of Eleanor and Park is not only
moving, but makes for an astounding and unputdownable read. It's
ground-breaking in its realness and their love is relatable in its
imperfection. A Printz Honor Book and the newest book on this list (published
in early 2013), Eleanor & Park is
a YA gem.
Graceling: Kristin Cashore
Katsa is a strong, Graced but flawed girl
struggling to break from her uncle's control. Her world is medieval fantasy and
full of magic and mystery. This novel is one of my favorite YA reads, and due
to the fact that I’ve loved it for over four years,
Graceling has graced this list since
the beginning.
Heist Society: Ally
Carter
Kat Bishop is from a family of thieves but
strives to use her skills for good, which equals an intriguing yet mischievous
female Robin Hood. Carter writes light-hearted novels that are fun yet entrancing
reads. Heist Society is the first in her second series and has been on this
list since its conception.
If I Stay: Gayle Forman
Mia is in a coma after a devastating car
accident that took the lives of her family. In an out-of-body experience, she
relives past events and watches her friends and family gather around her. Will
she join her family on the other side or wake to the everyday struggle that is
life? This is a profound, moving YA book about the importance of choices and
the will to fight. The movie adaptation's coming to theaters on August 22!
Levithan: Scott Westerfeld
Westerfeld writes an alternate version of WWI in
a story that pits the Darwinists (British, French) and their living creatures
against the Clankers (Austro-Hungarians, Germans) and their war machines.
Imaginative, full of action with sprinkles of history, this tale is on the
forefront of YA steampunk and has been on this list three years running.
Shadow and Bone: Leigh Bardugo
When Alina, a lowly mapmaker in the nation of
Ravka, discovers an ancient and terrifying power, she's whisked away by the
mysterious yet alluring Darkling. Bardugo crafts an intriguing, new tale with
layers of Russian legend and lore. This debut for Bardugo is the first in a
trilogy and it’s appearing on this list for the second time.
The Book Thief: Marcus Zusak
This historical fiction novel has quickly become
a modern classic. Narrated by Death during the Holocaust, the story follows
Liesel and her life in Nazi Germany. This is a fascinating, powerful tale and a
new take on this time in history. The
Book Thief has been on my must-read list since the beginning.
The Fault in Our Stars: John Green
Hazel and Augustus are both teens dealing with
cancer. Theirs is a love story for the ages and is already
a record-setting bestseller for YA. With the movie release just over a month
ago, this novel has cleared a place in pop culture history. I added TFIOS to this list last year, shortly
after I read it for the first time.
The Giver: Lois Lowry
A classic dystopian novel, this is a quick,
intriguing read that leaves the reader thinking. A precursor to today's
dystopia and a permanent fixture on this list, Lowry created a
classic in her telling of Jonas and his seemingly perfect world. The movie
adaption will be in theaters next month.
The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins
The
Hunger Games will likely be
immortalized as the poster-child for YA dystopia. In a televised fight to the
death in a futuristic world where the U.S. has fallen and the Capitol controls
twelve districts in a grueling manner, one girl starts a revolution. With the
Mockingjay: Part I in theaters this November, this series is now a household
name. It’s been on this list three years running.
Throne of Glass: Sarah J. Maas (new)
Celaena Sardothien is an assassin brought
before the king not to be sentenced to death, but for a chance to win her
freedom in a competition to become the king’s champion. But there’s evil
lurking at the edges of the castle, and possibly even inside. Throne of Glass is one of my favorite YA
fantasies and I’m thrilled that the third book in the series is less than two
months from publication! It’s new to the list this year.
Thanks for reading!
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