First of all, by no means am I a literary expert. In fact, one of my favorite pastimes is to argue with peers over whether a certain book is "good" or not. But if you love young adult novels and want to find a few that are off the beaten track (a.k.a., aren't getting a film adaptation any time soon), you've come to the right place.
You may notice many of these recommendations are actually recommendations for a series or an author, but we need not argue semantics. Young adult is my favorite genre, and I thought I'd share a few of the best of the best with you.
(Disclaimer: These are not the top 10 best young adult novels of all time. That would be impossible for me to judge. These are just the best ones that I own. Also, they are in no particular order.)
1. "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor.
This series was actually recommended to me by a friend, whom I love dearly, but would call a book snob. She and I don't often see eye to eye, so when she recommended me a YA (young adult) series to read, I knew that it had to be a good one. The series follows a girl named Karou, a young art student living in Prague, who's vibrantly blue hair seemed, if one didn't know better, to grow out of her skull naturally that way. The reader must suspend their belief on an incredible level when a world that seems very much like ours suddenly becomes filled with monstrous chimaera, dangerous angels, and wishes made on teeth.
2. "The Book Thief" by Marcus Zusak.
This book means so much to me. Honestly, it is one of those books I think everyone, everywhere should read. This book is just important. And I know, yes, this was made into a movie, but it didn't get nearly the recognition it deserved, and it was surprisingly very good. This is the story of Liesel, a little girl who's mother is forced to give her up to an adoptive family under the reign of Hitler in WWII Germany. As Liesel grows, she goes from being unable to read to truly understanding the power of words.
3. "The Lunar Chronicles" by Marissa Meyer.
This series is one of my current obsessions, even though it just ended and I'm crushed. It's one of those series that you just want to go on forever, even if all the good plot lines have dried up. These books are the most amazing mix of dystopia/sci-fi meets classic fairy tales. The reader follows Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter as they struggle to save Earth from the evil Queen Levana, who rules from the moon colony of Luna. Honestly, I'm not describing it well enough, but if you like creative dystopia, you will love this series!
4. "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz.
This is another one of those books that is important. This book was required reading for a YA Lit class, and after reading it in one day, I was giving it to all my friends. This book explores sexuality, race, family, love, sex, and societal expectations. So pretty much everything that comes with being a teenager. Ari and Dante become fast friends at the pool one summer when they are young boys. Where Ari is shy and reserved, though thoughtful, Dante is open minded, kind and outgoing. Can the two of them discover the secrets of the universe, or is everything that they've been looking for right in front of them?
5. "Shiver Trilogy" by Maggie Stiefvater.
Ugh, if Maggie Stiefvater isn't one of the best writers out there for young adults right now, I don't know who is. Her prose is like poetry or song lyrics. She just has a gift with words I am so jealous of. She is also really active in her fanbase, which is awesome, too. "Shiver" follows Grace, a girl who loves the wolves that attacked her as a child, and Sam, the wolf that saved her, who is also a boy who loves her. The only other thing I'll say is this: it is not your typical werewolf book. Also, read everything else by Maggie Stiefvater, especially her "Raven Cycle" books, which would be on this list if only they were on my shelf.
6. All books by Ellen Hopkins.
OK, I understand I'm cheating a little bit here. But Ellen Hopkins is a special case. The books you see above aren't all in a series, but they're all related. Ellen Hopkins writes novels in poetry. All of those books you see are written with a poem on each page, but they're a novel. And they are also really important. They all deal with issues such as drug abuse, physical abuse, relationships, religion, prostitution, sex, death, mental illness, suicide, physical disabilities, family, and love. They are well researched and are always from the perspective of a teenager. These books are on the sides of the victims of heinous but real-life crimes. I think they should be required reading in high schools, honestly. I feel they could truly help so many people.
7. "Vampire Academy" series by Richelle Mead.
You know that old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover?" Well, normally I disagree with that statement, but in this case I would say that it's an accurate statement. Though they did, unfortunately, get a really bad movie recently (despite good casting), the "Vampire Academy" series is my favorite YA vampire series and Richelle Mead, a Seattle native, is one of my favorite authors. These books are a thrilling urban fantasy series that will make you forget everything you ever thought you knew about vampire fiction.
8. The "Iron Fey" series by Julie Kagawa.
If you love diving head first into an immersive world full of fey, royal courts, and magic that breaks all the rules, this is the series for you! Julie Kagawa masterfully adds her own flair to the legends of summer and winter fey that you may have thought you knew. Meghan Chase lives the life of a normal, small-town girl, until the day her brother is taken by the fey into the world on the other side of the Veil. To save her brother, she must discover who she really is: the one who can unite the three kingdoms of Faery and save their world from destruction.
9. "The Infernal Devices" series by Cassandra Clare.
OK, get ready for an unpopular opinion... I love Cassandra Clare, but do not love the "Mortal Instruments" series. Which is why I am recommending the prequels to the "Mortal Instruments," "The Infernal Devices." The world of the Shadowhunters is amazing and intricate and I love it, but "The Mortal Instruments" should have stopped after book three. In fact, if you feel you must read "Mortal Instruments" before reading "Infernal Devices," just read the original "Mortal Instruments" trilogy. Don't bother with any of the others. I haven't. But anyway, "The Infernal Devices" brings you not only into the magical world of the Shadowhunters, but the realm of the past, as these books are set in a Victorian steam-punk era that is very well researched, I might add. And the last thing I'll say is this: if you've ever wanted a main character to somehow be able to end up with both of the men in her love triangle, this is the closest you will ever get.
10. The "Defy" series by Sara B. Larson.
OK, last, but certainly not least, is the "Defy" series, a truly lucky find for me. I actually judged this book, lo and behold, by its cover in the bookstore one day, and bought it at random. And I was on the hook for over a year until the last book just came out a few months ago. This book is one of my favorite hard fantasies. The series follows Alexa, who has to live as a palace guard, disguised as a boy, so that she will not be thrown into the horrible breeding houses that are the fate for female orphans in her country. Guarded closely by her twin brother and her best friend, how long can her secret last? And will the aloof Prince Damian, who she is sworn to protect, become an ally or an enemy?
These are just a few of the wonderful young adult books that are sitting on my shelf. I strongly encourage everyone to pick up at least one of these books. Despite their differences and their strong roots in the young adult genre, each one of them will take the reader on a wild ride they won't soon forget.
