No More Kidding Around: Here's a List of 25 Bestselling Young Adult Books 

Set between City of Heavenly Fire and Lady Midnight, the second book in the Eldest Curses series finds Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood having the time of their lives. After exploring Magnus’ past in the first book in the series, The Red Scrolls of Magic, The Lost Book of the White hones in on Alec’s narrative more closely.  

Magnus and Alec find themselves living as normal a life as they possibly can. What should be a typical evening for them ends in tragedy when their home is broken into. Magnus is attacked, and the thieves steal the coveted Book of the White. 

The Sleepwalker is an excellent pick for fans of James Bond and the Alex Rider series. The ninth book in the Cherub series has the team investigating a suspicious claim around a violent and possibly terroristic plane crash. 

A young boy named Fahim overhears his parents talking about the crash of a jet that killed 345 people, and calls the police, suspicious that they may have had some involvement. When the former headmaster of C.H.E.R.U.B., or Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit B, learns that he lost three family members in the crash, he’s determined to learn who set the plot in motion.  

When Sloane, a typically reserved and quiet teen, loses her outgoing best friend Emily, she finds herself at a loss. But when she discovers a mysterious list of thirteen challenges left by Emily, Sloane explores a side of herself that she didn’t know existed. 

This list includes challenges that push Sloane out of her comfort zone, like kiss a stranger, dance until dawn, and go skinny-dipping. Over the course of the summer, Sloane finds herself becoming far less shy, and even develops a budding romance. 

The final book in the Song of the Lioness quartet follows the adventures of Alanna of Trebond, a young woman who has defied societal norms to become a knight in the kingdom of Tortall. Alanna is on a quest to find the Dominion Jewel, a powerful artifact that can bring prosperity to her kingdom. Her journey takes her to the Roof of the World, where she faces trials that seem insurmountable.  

Upon retrieving the Dominion Jewel, Alanna returns to Tortall to find her homeland in turmoil. Roger of Conte, a powerful sorcerer she had once defeated, has been resurrected and is plotting to seize the throne. With the kingdom's stability at risk, Alanna must navigate political intrigue and gather support to thwart Roger's plans. 

Emily Carrol’s graphic novel collection contains five eerie illustrated short stories that delve into the macabre and supernatural.  

“Our Neighbor's House” follows three sisters who are left alone when their father goes hunting and never returns. As days pass, a mysterious figure appears, luring the sisters away from safety.  

“A Lady's Hands Are Cold” tells the tale of a young bride who moves into her new husband’s grand, isolated mansion. She is haunted by eerie songs and the ghost of her husband’s former wife.  

In "His Face All Red”, a man recounts his jealousy and subsequent murder of his successful brother. He thinks that all of his problems should be solved—until his brother suddenly returns.  

“My Friend Janna” is focused on two friends, one of whom pretends to commune with spirits to comfort people. But as innocent as the ruse may be, it attracts real and unavoidable  supernatural attention.  

The final story, “The Nesting Place,” is about a young girl visiting her brother and his oddly-tempered fiancé. The longer that the young girl stays, the more she comes to understand about the woman’s horrifying condition.  

Raised by his father in seclusion, Rigg is taught to use his unique abilities with precision and care. When his father suddenly dies, Rigg is tasked with his father’s final wish: that he find the sister that he never knew existed. Rigg discovers that he is not an ordinary boy, but the son of the former Queen of Aressa Sessamo. 

He learns that his sister, Param, possesses the ability to slow down time. Together they must navigate a web of political intrigue and danger to reclaim their rightful places.  

Anyone who’s watched an episode of MTV’s Catfished (or used a dating app) knows the nerves that come with having a crush on somebody that you only know from the other side of your screen. Bailey has had a crush on a fellow online film nerd, Alex, who lives in the same California coastal town as her dad. Unbeknownst to Alex, Bailey moves in with her dad, but decides to keep her move a secret until she meets Alex in person. She doesn’t want to scare him off, you know?  

Settling into life in this new town, Bailey secures a job at the local museum and initially locks horns with Porter Roth, an irritating yet undeniably attractive security guard. As they grow closer, Bailey is torn between her blossoming feelings for Porter and her crush on Alex. 

Ashton Gray is a preacher’s daughter who has always strived to be a good girl. She’s been dating Sawyer Vincent, the town’s golden boy and her long-time crush, a charming and respectable young man. But things go a little pear-shaped when Sawyer leaves town for the summer.  

Ashton finds herself drawn to Sawyer’s cousin, Beau Vincent—a notorious bad-boy. Beau and Ashton share a deep history, having been childhood best friends before life tore them apart. With Sawyer gone, Ashton and Beau reconnect, reigniting old feelings and passions that have long been suppressed. 

As Ashton spends more time with Beau, she begins to question her own identity and the pressures of maintaining her “good girl” image. Beau, who has always harbored feelings for Ashton, challenges her to embrace her true self, igniting an intense and forbidden romance.  

Dealing with the aftermath of a painful breakup and an embarrassing incident, Addie Bennett is stewing in humiliation. Oblivious to her feelings, her family plans a trip to Ireland for her aunt's wedding. 

Her strained relationship with her brother, Ian, is put to the test when Addie discovers that he has secretly planned to ditch the family trip to follow his favorite band’s tour. Addie is reluctantly pulled into Ian's scheme when she discovers "Ireland for the Heartbroken," a guidebook that promises healing and adventure. 

Impulse follows three teens who meet at Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital where they are undergoing treatment after their respective suicide attempts. 

Tony is a gay teenager who has suffered from abuse and drug addiction. Vanessa struggles with bipolar disorder, self-harm, and the emotional fallout from her mother’s own mental illness. Conner is a wealthy and seemingly perfect young man who battles the pressure of high expectations and a dysfunctional family.  

As they undergo therapy and begin to open up about their pasts, Tony, Vanessa, and Conner form a complex and supportive friendship. Through group sessions, personal reflections, and shared experiences, they confront their inner demons and the root causes of their pain. 

Benny Imura has grown up in the safe but oppressive town of Mountainside, protected from the dangers of the zombie-infested wasteland just beyond its borders. At the age of fifteen, he has rarely known peace, and harbors deep resentment toward his brother, Tom, a revered bounty hunter who kills zombies for a living. Benny blames Tom for the death of their parents during the First Night, the initial outbreak of the zombie plague. 

Facing the prospect of his rations being cut if he doesn't find a job, Benny reluctantly agrees to learn from Tom to become a bounty hunter. As Benny accompanies Tom on his missions, he begins to understand the complexities of their world.  

Reed’s novel is set against the backdrop of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Ashley Bennett, a wealthy African-American teenager, lives in a predominantly white, affluent neighborhood. Ashley's life is filled with typical teenage concerns: her friends, parties, and her future, largely insulated from the harsher realities faced by many other Black Americans. 

However, everything changes when four LAPD officers are acquitted of the brutal beating of Rodney King, leading to widespread protests and riots across Los Angeles. As the city erupts, Ashley is forced to confront issues of race, identity, and privilege that she had previously been able to ignore. 

As the riots intensify, Ashley's family faces its own internal struggles. Her parents grapple with protecting their children while coming to terms with their own experiences of racism, and their place within a divided society.  

What should be a joyful summer vacation is marred by sadness for Taylor Edwards. The family returns to their lake house in the Poconos for one last summer before Taylor’s father, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, passes away. 

As Taylor grapples with her father's illness and the impending loss, she is also confronted with the ghosts of her past. Five years earlier, Taylor abruptly left the lake house and severed ties with her childhood friends and first love, Henry Crosby, without explanation. Now, back in the small town of Lake Phoenix, Taylor is forced to confront the fractured relationships that she left behind. 

In this V.C. Andrews classic, Audrina's life is shrouded in mystery and tragedy from the start. Her older sister, also named Audrina, died under mysterious circumstances in the woods near their home before the younger Audrina was born. Audrina's parents are overprotective and controlling, keeping Audrina isolated from the outside world and enforcing strict rules upon her. 

As Audrina grows older, she becomes haunted by her dead sister's memory, feeling as though she is constantly living in her shadow. Audrina's memories are fragmented and unreliable, leading her to question her own sanity and the truth about her family's past. As Audrina struggles to piece together the truth, she forms a relationship with her cousin Vera, who has her own hidden motives and secrets.  

DeStefano’s dystopian young adult novel is set in a future where genetic experimentation has led to a world where women die at the age of 20 and men die at the age of 25. The story follows Rhine Ellery, a 16-year-old girl who is kidnapped and forced into a polygamous marriage by the Gatherers, a kidnapping ring that is desperately try to preserve the human race. 

Rhine finds herself married to Linden Ashby, a wealthy young man living in a luxurious mansion. Alongside her sister wives, Jenna and Cecily, Rhine must navigate the complexities of their unconventional relationship while also dealing with the oppressive rules and surveillance of Housemaster Vaughn, Linden's controlling father. 

As Rhine adjusts to her new life, she becomes increasingly determined to escape and find her twin brother, Rowan, whom she was separated from when they were taken by the Gatherers. Despite the dangers and risks involved, Rhine forms alliances with fellow two servants who help her plan her escape.  

Kiera Johnson is a young black girl living a double life. By day, she’s a high school student, and by night, she's the developer of a virtual reality game called SLAY. 

SLAY is a safe haven for Black gamers, offering them a space to express themselves authentically without fear of discrimination or prejudice. But when a real-life dispute between two players turns deadly, SLAY comes under scrutiny, and Kiera must navigate the complexities of protecting her creation while also defending its purpose and value. 

As Kiera grapples with the fallout from the incident, she faces pressure from various sources, including her family, who are unaware of her involvement in SLAY, and the media, which sensationalizes the story and perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Black culture. Meanwhile, within the SLAY community, tensions rise as some members question the game's ability to divide them rather than bring them together.  

Jayne Baek, a young Korean American woman living in New York City, is estranged from her older sister June. Jayne and June have always had a strained relationship, but when June is diagnosed with cancer, their lives are thrown back together. 

As June's illness progresses, Jayne is forced to confront her own insecurities and shortcomings. Despite their rocky history, Jayne is determined to support June through her treatment, and the two sisters slowly begin to reconnect.  

Alek, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Deryn, a girl disguised as a boy serving in the British Air Service, embark on a dangerous globe-trotting adventure in the final installment of the Leviathan series. As tensions between the Clanker and Darwinist powers escalate, Alek and Deryn board the Leviathan, a massive airship, bound for the Ottoman Empire. Their mission is to deliver a mysterious package to the sultan that could potentially shift the balance of power. 

Meanwhile, the world is on the brink of all-out war. As Alek and Deryn uncover the truth behind the sultan's plans and the secrets of the mysterious Goliath, they must make difficult choices that will determine the fate of nations and the future of civilization. 

Teen Trailblazers celebrates the remarkable achievements of young people who have made a significant impact on the world. Through inspiring stories of courage, innovation, and activism, readers are introduced to a diverse group of teenagers who have defied expectations and pushed boundaries in various fields.  

From Malala Yousafzai's advocacy for girls' education to Greta Thunberg's climate activism, these teens prove that age is no barrier to creating positive change. Teen Trailblazers inspires readers to pursue their passions, stand up for what they believe in, and make a difference in the world. 

This story revolves around Steffi, a selective mute who struggles with anxiety, and Rhys, a deaf boy who communicates through sign language. When Steffi and Rhys are paired together as communication partners at school, they form a unique bond based on understanding and mutual support. As Steffi navigates the challenges of high school and her anxiety, Rhys becomes her lifeline, helping her find her voice and confidence.  

Reynolds shares his own personal journey and offers encouragement and wisdom for those facing challenges and setbacks on the path to achieving their goals. The book serves as a rallying cry for resilience and perseverance, urging readers to embrace their passions and pursue their dreams. 

Reynolds speaks directly to the struggles and doubts that accompany the pursuit of creative endeavors, acknowledging the fears of failure and rejection while also celebrating the triumphs of self-discovery and growth. 

In Breakaway, Alex Morgan recounts the ups and downs, challenges and triumphs that have defined her life and career. Her memoir showcases her resilience, perseverance, and intellect as she explores the factors that led her to such successes as winning an Olympic gold medal.  

Young’s dystopian novel is set in a harsh and unforgiving world where survival is the only law. The story follows Saba, a fierce and determined young woman, as she embarks on a treacherous journey across the desert to rescue her kidnapped twin brother, Lugh. 

When Lugh is abducted by mysterious horsemen, Saba sets out on a treacherous quest across the Dustlands, accompanied by her younger sister, Emmi.  

Tooley’s debut fantasy novel revolves around Tamsin, a bitter and powerful witch who has been banished from her village for using dark magic, and Wren, a sweet and naïve healer who seeks Tamsin's help to save her dying father. When a deadly curse threatens 

 Wren's village, she seeks out Tamsin, believing that only dark magic can break the curse. Reluctantly, Tamsin agrees to help Wren, but on one condition: Wren must accompany her on a journey to retrieve a magical object that holds the key to Tamsin’s freedom. 

Forbidden depicts a romance in the vein of Nabokov’s Lolita, exploring the darker, complicated sides of taboo relationships.