I love reading the Young Adult genre. Sure, it’s aimed at people younger than me but so many of them are written in such a way that people of all ages can enjoy them. They’re stories of characters who are just coming out from under the umbrella of their parents and learning not only who they are as a person but their place in the world. They struggle deeply, love fiercely and aren’t afraid to take a risk. Over and over, I find myself lost in their world, albeit the real one or a fantasy one of the author’s making.
I wrote a list of my favorites back in 2019 (find it here) but think it’s definitely time for an update.
These are, for the most part, romances (because it’s by far my favorite genre) but there are some that aren’t. And some of the series (like the Medoran Chronicles and Winter Souls), the romance doesn’t come in until later books. That said, they’re ALL ‘clean’ and devoid of anything more than kisses (when it comes to spice) and language. I’ve tried to say what ages I’d recommend them to but, as with all books, that’s very much up to the reader.
Without further ado, here are my some of my current favourite books/series/authors in the Young Adult genre. Click on the covers for more details.
The Medoran Chronicles (series) – Lynette Noni
With just one step, sixteen-year-old Alexandra Jennings’s world changes—literally.
When I heard this series described as X-Men meets Harry Potter meets Narnia, I thought the reviewer was over-exaggerating. They weren’t. It is absolutely incredible. I laughed, I cried. I full on sobbed. I wrote down quotes and fell in love with characters. And as soon as I finished the series (within two weeks), I started it all over again. And loved it even more the second time.
Lynette Noni has a couple of other series published too which are also amazing (but The Medoran Chronicles is my favorite!).
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 12+
Heirs of Neverland (duology) – Kara Swanson
The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale.
I’m not a huge fan of Peter Pan but this duology had me utterly captivated. And moved. And challenged. And captivated. It was, as I’d expected, deep. Entertaining, and rich and beautiful but deep. It cuts to the heart of a person but in a way that offers healing and hope.
Life isn’t a fairytale. It’s deep and real and painful at times. But there is beauty amid the shadows and hope behind the dust. And such a story to be told.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 14+
Love and Other Great Expectations – Becky Dean
An American girl embarks on a competitive scavenger hunt in England—and along the way, meets up with a bookish British boy who can’t help her with the clues . . . but might make the trip take some unexpected turns.
This one is fun and sweet and fascinating (like taking a literary tour of the UK!) and deeper than I thought it would be as the main character struggles to find new purpose after losing the future she’d planned to an injury, but I really loved that depth. It also made me want to read more classics, which is a fun side effect.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Recommended for ages: 16+
River of Time (series) – Lisa T Bergren
What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?
Time travel, archaeology, romance, handsome knights and strong female leads – what’s not to love? These five books are written from the point of view of two teenaged sisters who accidentally fall back in time while exploring their parents’ archaeological site, and end up in medieval Italy. So beautifully written it feels like you’ve been tugged back in time along with them.
Lisa’s also written a follow-on series (Oceans of Time), which I haven’t read yet but have no doubt will be just as amazing.
Genre: Historical/Time Travel
Recommended for ages: 12+
The Gifting (series) – K E Ganshert
“If science is right, then I am crazy. And crazy is dangerous.”
I love this series. They’re amazingly written, easy to read, totally captivating and are a really confronting reminder (hidden within a super sweet romance) of the unseen war daily going on around us and how powerful prayer really is. It both charms and challenges me every time I read it (which has been quite a few times since discovering it). So good.
KE (Katie) Ganshert has also written a YA sci-fi series (Eden Pruitt series) and a standalone dystopian with Hunger Games vibes called The Contest, all of which are also amazing.
Genre: Dystopian
Recommended for ages: 12+ (maybe slightly older?)
Kasie West (author)
One of my absolute favorite YA authors. Her books are all standalone (although occasionally a character from one book will sneak in to another!), super sweet, romantic and fun but deal with some pretty deep issues facing teens today – foster care, broken families, friend troubles, bullying, peer pressure, image, social media, fear, anxiety/mental illness, living up to expectations…
My favorites are PS. I Like You, On the Fence, By Your Side and Moment of Truth, but really, they’re all amazing and ones I frequently rave about and recommend.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 12+
The Library of Lost Things – Laura Taylor Namey
This was a lot of fun to read but also had a surprising amount of depth in it for a YA book. One main has a mom with mental illness, the other is struggling to keep hold of his dream. I cried a couple of times – once, because the best friend was just so beautiful, and once because I could just feel how much the main character hurt. I also loved that the issues didn’t just all magically disappear by the end of the book. Made it feel very real.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 16+
The Color Theory (series) – Ashley Bustamante
Danger lurks behind every color.
Crazy, beautiful, vivid, intriguing, captivating, delightful – so many words I could use to describe this book. I’ve only read the first of the trilogy so far but I am totally hooked.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 12+
The Winter Souls (series) – Jennifer Kropf
“Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good fright…”
If you love Christmas and Narnia and Jack Frost and writing that just totally tugs you into another world, definitely go read this series. It’s so whimsical and beautiful and Christmassy and captivating! I love it so much. I haven’t read it out loud but I think it would be pretty cool to read to younger kids too. It has a real musicality and whimsy to it.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 10+
Because of You – Hannah Currie
This would be the summer that changed her life. Or so the brochure promised.
There’s no romance in this one (I know, you’re all shocked!). While it has the same hope and heart as my romances, this one focuses far more on friendship and how everyone – no matter who they are (or how annoying they may be) – has a story. The main character is a 16yo but it would totally be appropriate for younger readers.
Genre: Contemporary/Short Term Missions
Recommended for ages: 10+
The Angel Eyes (series) – Shannon Dittemore
Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through angel eyes.
This series delves deep into spiritual warfare (which shouldn’t really have surprised me, given the premise of the book) and the debate of fate vs free choice, all within a really well told story which kept me guessing till the end. I loved the characters and the way they weren’t perfect. It made them so relatable. It did go into human trafficking and other related crimes which might trigger things in some readers, so probably best to keep that in mind, especially for younger readers.
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Supernatural
Recommended for ages: 16+
Protector – Megan Schaulis
“If you can’t be invisible, be unremarkable.”
I’m not sure if this one is technically YA or not (probably not) but it’s amazing and totally appropriate so I’m including it. A dystopian reimagining of Esther, I loved the journey the two main characters take to discovering not only who they are but their purpose and reason to stand in a world determined to pull them down. The close relationship the main character had with her brother also totally made me smile. I love close brother/sister relationships. They’re so much fun.
Genre: Dystopian
Recommended for ages: 14+
Umblemished (series) – Sara Ella
Eliyana has always recoiled from her own reflection in the mirror. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength? And that was only the beginning…
Epic is the word which comes to mind thinking about this trilogy. One of those ones you get pulled into and struggle to find your way out of – in a really good way. I especially loved the imagery throughout of dark and light and shadows.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 14+
The Curious Realities duology – Sara Ella
Solve the clues. Face your fears. Survive the Trials.
While we’re talking about Sara Ella’s books, this duology is also pretty amazing. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, I love the mix of completely new story with challenges and trials, a sweet slow-burn romance, and familiar worlds, alongside glimpses and pieces of the original story. Names, characters, places, quotes… So cleverly done and I found myself constantly smiling at the brilliance of the author’s imagination as she brought it all to life.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 14+
The Great Date Experiment – Ashley Mays
21 Days, 21 Dates, 1000 Views. How hard can it be?
This is a super cute romance with great banter but also (as you’re probably coming to expect by now) has a lot more depth in it than you’d expect, delving not only into themes of friendship, dating and social media, but self-worth, broken lives and bullying as well. Fun, challenging, and so beautifully written.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 14+
Jenny B Jones (author)
There You’ll Find Me (pictured) is my favorite of Jenny’s young adult books but she’s written lots and all of them are incredible. These are contemporary and deal with very real issues – family breakdowns, grief, eating disorders, faith crises, gritty relationships – but in a way that’s just really beautiful and really shows the hugeness of God’s grace. Warning though, I cry every time I read There You’ll Find Me. I laugh too, through lots of really funny scenes, but yeah, bring tissues.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 16+
Melanie Dickerson (author)
Melanie Dickerson has written heaps of books in the young adult genre (although these are totally for all ages!). Her fairytale retellings are so vividly beautiful, my favorites being The Warrior Maiden (Mulan), The Healer’s Apprentice (Sleeping Beauty) and The Merchant’s Daughter (Beauty and the Beast). If you love fairytales, the medieval time period, action stories, romance or retellings, you’ll love these.
Genre: Medieval romance/fairytale retellings
Recommended for ages: 13+
Robin Jones Gunn (author)
What can I say about Robin Jones Gunn except that she’s truly amazing and one of my biggest inspirations. Oh yeah, and she writes great books for teens 🙂 I started reading her Christy Miller series as a young teen and grew up with the characters – following them through high school (Christy Miller series books 1-12, Sierra Jensen series books 1-12), college (Christy and Todd: The College Years, Katie Weldon series), marriage (Christy and Todd: The Married Years), kids (Christy and Todd: The Baby Years) and beyond (The Havenmakers series). There are a couple of spin off series too, in case all those weren’t enough.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 12+
Krista McGee (author)
Easy reads, beautiful characters, real issues, sweet romances.
First Date, Right Where I Belong and Starring Me are my favorites of Krista’s (although she’s also written a sci-fi series for YA which is also great). If you’re looking for subtle Christianity, don’t go for these but if you’re wanting to be stretched and challenged in your faith, these are great! I love the spiritual conversations speckled throughout.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 12+
Chronicles of Narnia – C S Lewis
Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil…
Hard to go past Narnia for incredible storytelling and a world I find myself pulled into time and time again. I once read this whole series in one week. I think it took about a month following to find my way back to reality. Hard to put an age recommendation on these since they really do appeal to readers of all ages. I first had the stories read to me as a 5yo, read them again as a teen, and then again as an adult and every time, loved them in a new way. There’s a reason they’re an absolute classic.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for ages: 5-100
How to Speak Boy – Tiana Smith
I really enjoy stories where the two main characters get to know (and appreciate) each other through anonymous letters, while not particularly liking each other in real life. It makes for a really fun story with an extra level of depth/amusement/intrigue since you, as the reader, know who the letter writers are as you’re reading the letters but the characters themselves don’t. I also found the debate/public speaking aspect pretty interesting. They weren’t your typical sporty high school characters.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 14+
Daughters of Peverell (series) – Hannah Currie
Yes, I’m recommending my own books. What can I say, I think they’d be perfect for teens to read – especially those who love romance and royals. While the characters are royals and might appear perfect from the outside, they have such relatable struggles – searching for purpose, struggling through mental illness, hiding behind a facade, wondering if past mistakes have destroyed their future and if it’s too late for a second chance – all within swoony romances and royal settings. I wish I’d had these as a teen 🙂 I love them as an adult but would have read them over and over as a teen.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 13+
The Selection Series – Kiera Cass
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare.
Dystopian world meets Biblical Esther in the Bachelor show of a lifetime as a prince tries to narrow down his choice of a bride from thirty-five potentials, in a challenge just as much political as it is romantic. I loved this series – the romance/s, the characters, the storyline, the ‘moments’. I’m not usually a fan of love triangles but I really enjoyed this one.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Recommended for ages: 14+
So there you have it, my current favourite Young Adult books and authors (of which I’m sure I’ve missed some!). How about you? What would you add to the list? What amazing YA books have I totally missed? Any recommendations for me? I’d love to hear them!
Hannah Currie 