Young Adult
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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!

  1. “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.
  2. “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.
  3. “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.
  4. “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.
  5. “Midnight Sun” by Stephenie Meyer – The Twilight saga retold from Edward Cullen’s perspective, providing a new insight into the series.
  6. “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.
  7. “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.
  8. “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.
  9. “Chain of Gold” by Cassandra Clare – First book in the Last Hours series, set in Edwardian London, it follows a new generation of Shadowhunters.
  10. “Sorcery of Thorns” by Margaret Rogerson – Elisabeth aims to become a warden to protect her kingdom from powerful grimoires that can transform into monsters.
  11. “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.
  12. “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.
  13. “Wayward Son” by Rainbow Rowell – Sequel to Carry On, Simon, Baz, and Penny embark on a road trip across America.
  14. “Aurora Rising” by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman – Set in 2380, a misfit space crew uncovers a galaxy-wide conspiracy.
  15. “‘Dance of Thieves’ duology” by Mary E. Pearson – A new set of characters explore the Dallisor kingdom years after the Remnant Chronicles.
  16. “The Rest of the Story” by Sarah Dessen – Emma reconnects with her mother’s family and learns about her past.
  17. “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.
  18. “The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon – An epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons.
  19. “On the Come Up” by Angie Thomas – Bri, a young rapper, uses her music to express her feelings about her personal and community struggles.
  20. “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.
  1. “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.
  2. “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.
  3. “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.
  4. “Starry Eyes” by Jenn Bennett – Two former best friends are forced to reconnect when they end up stranded in the wilderness.
  5. “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.
  6. “War Storm” by Victoria Aveyard – The finale to the Red Queen series finds Mare at the heart of an impending war.
  7. “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.
  8. “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.
  9. “The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black – Jude, a mortal, finds herself embroiled in palace intrigues while dealing with her feelings for a faerie prince.
  10. “One of Us Is Lying” by Karen M. McManus – Five students go to detention, but only four come out alive. Everyone is a suspect.
  11. “Turtles All the Way Down” by John Green – Aza Holmes, a teenager with anxiety disorder, investigates the disappearance of a fugitive billionaire.
  12. “Wonder Woman: Warbringer” by Leigh Bardugo – A standalone novel following Diana Prince as she navigates saving the mortal world from impending war.
  13. “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.
  14. “Defy the Stars” by Claudia Gray – A teen soldier from an Earth colony must team up with an enemy android to save her world.
  15. “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.
  16. “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.
  17. “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.
  18. “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.
  19. “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.
  20. “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.
  1. “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.
  2. “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.
  3. “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.
  4. “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.
  5. “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.
  6. “And I Darken” by Kiersten White – A dark, historical reimagining featuring Lada Dracul, the brutal and unforgiving daughter of Vlad the Impaler.
  7. “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.
  8. “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.
  9. “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.
  10. “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.

Here’s a list of popular YA books with featured discussions:

These books have had a featured discussion posted on Reddit, so you can quickly check out what people are saying about them. Hope it’s useful!

  1. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
  2. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
  3. Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  4. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
  5. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  6. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
  7. The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
  8. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
  9. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
  10. Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
  11. Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
  12. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
  13. Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
  14. ‘Dance of Thieves’ duology by Mary E. Pearson
  15. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
  16. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQusiton
  17. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
  18. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  19. King of Scars (Nikolai Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo
  20. The Wicked King (Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black
  21. Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas
  22. Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf
  23. Starry Eyes by Jean Bennett
  24. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
  25. War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
  26. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
  27. The Belles by Dohnielle Clayton
  28. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  29. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
  30. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  31. Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo
  32. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
  33. Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
  34. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
  35. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
  36. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
  37. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  38. A List of Cages by Robin Roe
  39. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
  40. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
  41. The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
  42. The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
  43. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
  44. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
  45. And I Darken by Kiersten White
  46. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
  47. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
  48. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
  49. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
  50. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  51. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
  52. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
  53. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
  54. Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
  55. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
  56. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  57. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
  58. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
  59. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
  60. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
  61. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
  62. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
  63. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
  64. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
  65. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  66. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
  67. The Giver by Lois Lowry
  68. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
  69. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
  70. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
  71. The Well’s End by Seth Fishman
  72. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
  73. Every Day by David Levithan
  74. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
  75. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
  76. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  77. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
  78. Legend by Marie Lu
  79. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
  80. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  81. Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee
  82. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
  83. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  84. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
  85. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
  86. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
  87. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
  88. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
  89. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
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