Holiday Challenge: 31 Days of YA Books

It's time to put your passion to the test.

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You’ve read The Hunger Games more times than you can count, you have the whole Divergent series memorized, and you flipped for The Maze Runner. You devoured all of these books in a matter of days, and your loyalty to the genre makes you one of its most voracious of readers. Now, it’s time to put your passion to the test.

We put together a list of 31 page-turning YA books with a variety of themes–from eating disorders and parental loss to magical discovery and first love–and we’re challenging you to try to read a book a day for the month of December. See how many of these books you can skate through this month. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Related: 9 Addictive Young Adult Historical Fiction Novels 

Day 1: The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley

Aerin, a princess and an outcast in her own kingdom, must find a way to prove herself both to the king, and to the realm. With the help of a horse she nurses back to health and some dragon magic of her own, Aerin is ready to be the hero she always knew she could be.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 2: In Search of Goliathus Hercules, by Jennifer Angus

After being sent to live with his great-aunt, orphan Henri Bell discovers his unique gift of being able to talk to insects. Soon Henri and his friends, both insect and human, find themselves on a fantastic journey to find the mythical giant insect known as Goliathus Hercules.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 3: Being Henry David, by Cal Armistead

Alone and with no memory of who he is or where he came from, 17-year-old Hank has found himself at Penn Station in New York. Inspired by a copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Hank begins to piece together his memory and come to terms with the tragedy of his past, in the hopes he can finally stop running and find his way home.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 4: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, by Varsha Bajaj

At 13 years old, what Abby Spencer wants most in the world is to meet her father. After finding out he happens to be one of Bollywood’s biggest movie stars, Abby travels to Mumbai where she must learn how to cope with fame, culture clash, and connecting with her famous dad.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 5: I Can Hear the Mourning Dove, by James Bennett

After the death of her father completely shakes her world, Grace finds herself in a hospital room battling depression. As she attempts to cope with this loss—and a constant confusion between what is real and what is her imagination—Grace hopes to find happiness with the help from a rebellious friend.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 6: Holly in Love, by Caroline B. Cooney

All Holly Caroll wanted her senior year of high school was a boyfriend. When she finds love with a younger boy named Jamie, Holly’s friends are concerned. Now she must decide between sweet younger Jamie or one of the cool guys her friends insist on setting her up with.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 7: The Mall, by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Trish and her two best friends all work at their town’s mall, and in between flirting with hot guys and trying to stave of boredom, Trish starts to get creepy phone calls from a stranger. This stalker is lurking in the mall’s dark passages, waiting to terrorize Trish and her friends.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 8: Annerton Pit, by Peter Dickinson

Jake cannot see, but he can feel his brother’s disappointment at getting rejected from every college he applied to. However, adventure awaits the brothers as they take their new motorcycle out on a journey to find their ghost-hunter grandfather.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 9: Gallows Hill, by Lois Duncan

After moving to a small town in Missouri, Sarah Zoltanne fears she will never fit in. But when she’s offered the chance to tell “fortunes” at the school fair, Sarah jumps at the opportunity to be a part of something. When her outlandish predictions start to come true, Sarah must figure out how to face a terrified town and her new magic abilities.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 10: The Eternal Tomb, by Kevin Emerson

In book 5 of the Oliver Nocturne series, Oliver has already come to terms with being a teenage vampire and all the chaos that comes with it. But after learning about his prophecy in connection with the end of the world, Oliver and his two best friends, Dean and Emalie, must race to pull off a dangerous plan and hopefully save the ones they love.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 11: The Real Question, by Adrian Fogelin

After his mother suddenly leaves him and his father, Fisher Brown tries to prove himself to be more than an underachiever. But not long after he commits himself to his school work, a new friend, troubled and carless Lonnie Taylor, attempts to steer Fisher in the wrong direction.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 12: The Principles of Love, by Emily Franklin

Raised by her single dad, Love Bukowski is a new sophomore at Hadley Hall, where her father is now principal. At 16 years old, Love learns to navigate life amongst the cool kids and hot guys, as she tries to find herself along the way.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 13: The Summer of the Falcon, by Jean Craighead George

Thirteen-year-old June Pritchard is given a sparrow hawk, named Zander, to take care of for the summer. As June adjusts to more responsibility in the adult world, she and Zander trail blaze their own path to freedom, while still playing by the rules.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 14: Donorboy, by Brendan Halpin

After losing both of her mothers, Rosalind finds herself living with Sean, her biological father. Although resistant at first, Rosalind and her father slowly get to know each other and find that they have more than just their genes in common.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 15: Titanic: The Long Night, by Diane Hoh

First-class passenger Elizabeth Farr is on her way back to America for an arranged marriage, while Katie Hanrahan in third class dreams of finding a fortune of her own in the United States. During their travels, the two girls both find love and make plans for the future, but the tragedy of the Titanic may intervene.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 16: Samphire Song, by Jill Hucklesby

When Jodie buys Samphire, a wild horse, at an auction, she starts to heal after losing her father two years prior. However, costs associated with her brother’s sudden illness force Jodie to give up her beloved horse. Jodie begins to fear Samphire may be in danger and sets out to keep her promise that she will find him again.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 17: Night Kites, by M. E. Kerr

During his senior year, Erik Rudd risks his best friend, his girlfriend, and his path to college, as he enters as affair with Nicki Marr. But when he finds out that his older brother Pete has been diagnosed with AIDS, Erick is forced to come to terms with with his brother’s illness and his illicit relationship with Nicki sooner than he’d like.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 18: The Great Dimpole Oak, by Janet Taylor Lisle

In a small East Cost town, the Dimpole Oak tree has been the site of many events over its 1,000-year existence. Serving as an historical landmark, this Oak tree brings together various characters and plots, acting as a witness to some of the best stories.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 19: Sins of the Fathers, by Susan Howatch

In this sequel to the bestselling novel The Rich Are Different, Cornelius Van Zale finds himself taking over his great-uncle’s bank. However, while trying to repress memories of his less than ideal past, Cornelius comes to realize his daughter is being used a pawn in a plot for revenge against him.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 20: Missing Since Monday, by Ann M. Martin

After the disappearance of her four year-old sister shakes Maggie’s world, she soon begins to suspect she’s being followed and in danger herself. Having lived with her father and stepmother for most of her life, Maggie soon finds that her missing sister may be connected to her estranged mother, who after all this time, suddenly reaches out to Maggie.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 21: I Love You, Stupid! by Harry Mazer

At 17 years old, Marcus Rosenbloom has one thing on his mind: losing his virginity. After reconnecting with Alice, a childhood friend who just moved back home, Marcus feels the two could help each other out with their dating woes. However, Marcus soon comes to realize sex and love are much more complicated than he could have ever imagined.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 22: Beauty, by Robin McKinley

Based on the classic French fairy tale, author Robin McKinley breathes new life into the story of a “Beauty” and her Beast.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 23: Sybil at Sixteen, by Susan Beth Pfeffer

After years of therapy to learn how to walk again, Sybil feels that at 16 her life will change for the better. Yet, even with her father claiming he has a solution for all the family’s troubles, her sister Evvie has a secret she can no longer hold in. Soon Sybil must decide whether some betrayals can be forgiven.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 24: The Horror, by Rodman Philbrick and Lynn Harnett

Jason and his younger sister Sally have already had to deal with their fair share of hauntings, but when their parents go away for a week, it’s their babysitter Katie who has to deal with the wrath of Bobby: The ghost of a child who was murdered in the house and who seeks vengeance on babysitters.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 25: Wind Dancer, by Chris Platt

After suffering an injury during an accident that resulted in the death of her pony, Ali quit horseback riding. That is until her brother Danny returns home from war with a prosthetic leg and so much anger that he can’t control. Now with the help of a rescued horse, Ali must face her fears and encourage Danny rediscover the meaning of life.

Download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 26: Seventeen’s Shocking True Teen Stories, by The Editors of Seventeen

From a girl who was secretly homeless for years, to another brave teen surviving a tornado, these 12 stories of strength in the face of adversity first printed in Seventeen Magazine will inspire and amaze you.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 27: Skin and Bones, by Sherry Shahan

At 16, Jack (a.k.a. “Bones”) finds himself in an eating disorder program, sharing a room with his friend “Lard.” Bones is hesitant to accept his disorder and believes he could stand to lose more weight, but when his obsession for an anorexic dancer named Alice puts both their lives at risk, Bones must decide whether his love and his life are worth it.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 28: To Hawaii, with Love, by Michael P. Spradlin

Rachel spends most of her time training at Blackthorn Academy, a boarding school for future spies. But when a super villain thinks that Rachel is in his way of world domination, she must ignore her headmaster’s orders and head to Hawaii to kick some butt … and catch some sun, of course.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 29: Returner’s Wealth, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Micah is a bandit intent on making a fortune off of an wyrme egg (incredibly valuable dragon-like egg); Thrace is a trained guard of wyrmeweald (where the eggs are from); Eli is a tough inhabitant of wyrmeweald, who knows the treacherous world like the back of his hand. Together these three join forces to protect the rare wyrme and battle evil forces that encroach on their native habitat.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 30: The Winter Prince, by Elizabeth Wein

Medraut is the eldest son of High King Artos, but it is his unskilled half-brother, Lleu who will be successor to the throne. Overcome with jealousy, Medraut teams up with the King’s sinister sister, who secretly wants the throne for herself. However, its not long before Medraut sees the strength and goodness of his half brother and is forced to choose a side.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.

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Day 31: Ancient Appetites, by Oisin McGann

When 18-year-old Nate Wildenstern returns home from Africa, he finds that his brother, heir to the Wildenstern Empire, has died. Nate and his sister-in law, Daisy, team up to find out the true cause of his brother’s death and, along the way, discover an old family secret. Filled with living machines, vicious relatives, and a magical family, Ancient Appetites is the first book in this exciting steampunk trilogy.

Download on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and iTunes.