I’ve been reading young adult novels for as long as I can remember, and there are many books that I still continue to think about even after having read them more than a couple of years ago from today. The magic of YA is that no matter what age you are, you can still enjoy the beauty of fictional worlds and complex characters that YA authors create. Here is a list of my top five young adult novels that I will never, in a million years, get sick of.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder is part of the Lunar Chronicles series, which are loose fairytale retellings of classics such as Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. This book series is what transported me into the world of fantasy novels, and sparked my present love for YA as a whole. Each novel follows a different female heroine, who all end up interacting with one another in a quest to save both Earth and space. Even if you aren’t into fantasy, this series caters to all readers and will make you fall in love with each action-packed moment.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Okay — I know people always say never to judge a book by its cover. But when I first saw the cover of this novel, I wasn’t really interested. Thank goodness I picked the book up anyway. This novel follows the adventures of a young, female science-loving forensic scientist to uncover the horrific murders occurring around her. This novel is the perfect one to read during the spooky season, as Halloween is right around the corner. If you decide to dive into the rest of the series, you surely won’t be disappointed. Audrey-Rose, our main character, then moves to uncover murders revolving around Dracula and Houdini.
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
This pick is actually a graphic novel that will generate all the warm and fuzzy feelings. This graphic novel radiates fairytale energy and explores gender identity in a respectfully brightening way. I actually read this novel in one sitting, and I could read it again and again and never seem to get sick of it!
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
This novel revolves around a female protagonist who suffers from OCD. I never put much thought into how serious, or impactful OCD was for many people, but after reading John Green’s novel, it inspired me to look at OCD with a brand new lens and perspective. The overall adventure of this novel is also fantastic, and it’s definitely a story that is fun to jump into without knowing much about the plot. You’ll be delightfully surprised to read about these characters and the wonderful world John Green has created for readers.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
I absolutely adore this book. It is a historical fiction novel with a dashing LGBTQ+ romance. The main character, Percy, is on a trip around Europe and undergoes multiple adventures with his childhood best friend and headstrong sister. Even if you aren’t a fan of historical fiction, this novel will have you laughing, crying, and experiencing all of the other amazing feelings while traveling around Europe with these characters. (As a side note — I am always a sucker for gorgeous illustrations of maps in books, and this one has the coolest map printed in the beginning few pages!)
I hope this list gives you some good book recommendations for your reading list. YA is such a magical and heartwarming genre for me, and I hope that you will fall in love with it as well.