131 Most popular YA books of the last decade (according to Reddit)

There are so many great YA novels to choose from, but sometimes it’s hard to pick favorites or figure out what should be next on our TBR pile – so we did a deep dive on Reddit and pulled together a big list of popular books you should probably try. We can’t promise you’ll love all of them, but they are some of the strongest contenders for “best YA books” of the past few years.

We’ll follow up with book reviews – a lot of them we’ve already reviewed but we’ll add lists and book cover images soon!

“A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)” by Sabaa Tahir – In the final installment of this series, Laia, Elias, and Helene are set to fight against the Nightbringer in a thrilling, highly-anticipated conclusion.
“These Violent Delights” by Chloe Gong – A Romeo and Juliet-inspired story set in 1920s Shanghai where two rival gangs must set their differences aside to fight a monster in their midst.
“Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn – After her mother’s death, Bree enrolls in a program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill, but after witnessing a magical attack, she must infiltrate a secret society.
“Kingdom of Flesh and Fire” by Jennifer L. Armentrout – A continuation of the “From Blood and Ash” series, Poppy must choose between the life she always wanted and a future she never imagined.
“Midnight Sun” by Stephenie Meyer – The Twilight saga retold from Edward Cullen’s perspective, providing a new insight into the series.
“You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson – Liz Lighty decides to run for prom queen for the scholarship prize, but she didn’t plan on falling in love with her competition.
“Clap When You Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo – A novel-in-verse about two sisters mourning the loss of their father, a man who led a double life with two separate families.
“The Midnight Lie” by Marie Rutkoski – In a society divided by strict class systems, Nirrim keeps her head down and her dangerous secret close to her chest.
“Chain of Gold” by Cassandra Clare – First book in the Last Hours series, set in Edwardian London, it follows a new generation of Shadowhunters.
“Sorcery of Thorns” by Margaret Rogerson – Elisabeth aims to become a warden to protect her kingdom from powerful grimoires that can transform into monsters.
“Queen of Nothing” by Holly Black – The finale to the Folk of the Air series, Jude is exiled and must make her way back to assert her power.
“Call Down the Hawk” by Maggie Stiefvater – This is the first book in a spin-off series from the Raven Cycle, focusing on the character Ronan Lynch.
“Wayward Son” by Rainbow Rowell – Sequel to Carry On, Simon, Baz, and Penny embark on a road trip across America.
“Aurora Rising” by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman – Set in 2380, a misfit space crew uncovers a galaxy-wide conspiracy.
“‘Dance of Thieves’ duology” by Mary E. Pearson – A new set of characters explore the Dallisor kingdom years after the Remnant Chronicles.
“The Rest of the Story” by Sarah Dessen – Emma reconnects with her mother’s family and learns about her past.
“Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston – The First Son of the United States falls in love with the Prince of Wales in this rom-com.
“The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon – An epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons.
“On the Come Up” by Angie Thomas – Bri, a young rapper, uses her music to express her feelings about her personal and community struggles.
“King of Scars (Nikolai Duology #1)” by Leigh Bardugo – Nikolai Lantsov tries to rebuild his war-torn kingdom but grapples with a dark magic within him.

“The Wicked King (Folk of the Air #2)” by Holly Black – Jude must navigate her new position of power while her feelings for Cardan become complicated.
“Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)” by Sarah J. Maas – Aelin fights for her life and her people in this final installment of the Throne of Glass series.
“Bring Me Their Hearts” by Sara Wolf – Zera, a heartless, is tasked by a witch to take the heart of the prince, but finds herself falling for him instead.
“Starry Eyes” by Jenn Bennett – Two former best friends are forced to reconnect when they end up stranded in the wilderness.
“Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi – Zélie Adebola must bring back magic to her people while facing the ruthless monarchy that seeks to eradicate it.
“War Storm” by Victoria Aveyard – The finale to the Red Queen series finds Mare at the heart of an impending war.
“A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas – A novella bridging the original A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy and the upcoming novels.
“The Belles” by Dhonielle Clayton – In a world where beauty is a commodity, Camellia Beauregard, a Belle, must navigate courtly danger to protect herself and her sisters.
“The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black – Jude, a mortal, finds herself embroiled in palace intrigues while dealing with her feelings for a faerie prince.
“One of Us Is Lying” by Karen M. McManus – Five students go to detention, but only four come out alive. Everyone is a suspect.
“Turtles All the Way Down” by John Green – Aza Holmes, a teenager with anxiety disorder, investigates the disappearance of a fugitive billionaire.
“Wonder Woman: Warbringer” by Leigh Bardugo – A standalone novel following Diana Prince as she navigates saving the mortal world from impending war.
“Tower of Dawn” by Sarah J. Maas – This companion novel to the Throne of Glass series follows Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.
“Defy the Stars” by Claudia Gray – A teen soldier from an Earth colony must team up with an enemy android to save her world.
“The Upside of Unrequited” by Becky Albertalli – Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso must navigate her feelings of unrequited love while her twin sister Cassie finds her first real girlfriend.
“Strange the Dreamer” by Laini Taylor – Lazlo Strange, a war orphan and librarian, is obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it’s what he doesn’t know that could be his undoing.
“A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas – Feyre returns to the Spring Court to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees.
“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas – Starr Carter navigates two worlds: her poor neighborhood and her fancy prep school, which collide when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend by a police officer.
“A List of Cages” by Robin Roe – A touching story of Adam, a popular high school senior, who is assigned to be the school psychologist’s aide and discovers that the boy he’s helping is his former foster brother, Julian.
“Caraval” by Stephanie Garber – Scarlett Dragna escapes her powerful, cruel father when she enters the magical world of Caraval, but things turn dangerous when her sister goes missing.

“The Serpent King” by Jeff Zentner – Three friends in rural Tennessee confront the struggles of their final year of high school, each seeking escape from their constricting circumstances.
“The Fate of the Tearling” by Erika Johansen – In the final book of The Queen of the Tearling trilogy, Queen Kelsea Glynn must make impossible decisions to save her kingdom.
“The Midnight Star” by Marie Lu – The conclusion to The Young Elites trilogy finds Adelina Amouteru grappling with the darkness within her and her desire for power.
“Crooked Kingdom” by Leigh Bardugo – The sequel to Six of Crows, Kaz Brekker and his crew face even more dangerous heists in the heart of Ketterdam.
“Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas – In the fifth book of the Throne of Glass series, Aelin Galathynius continues her fight against dark forces threatening her world.
“And I Darken” by Kiersten White – A dark, historical reimagining featuring Lada Dracul, the brutal and unforgiving daughter of Vlad the Impaler.
“The Unexpected Everything” by Morgan Matson – When her summer plans unexpectedly crumble, Andie finds herself embracing the unexpected, including an epic scavenger hunt and a dog-walking job.
“A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas – In the sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre navigates her new life and deals with the aftermath of Under the Mountain.
“The Raven King” by Maggie Stiefvater – The conclusion to The Raven Cycle, where Blue and the Raven Boys face the reality of waking the sleeping Welsh king, Glendower.
“The Truth About Forever” by Sarah Dessen – After her father’s death, Macy Queen’s perfect life begins to unravel and she’s forced to face her fears about love, loss, and the unexpected.