The 50 best young adult (YA) books
The best young adult books ranked: YA fantasy, dystopian, contemporary and romance novels for teens and adults alike. Top 50 with where to read each one.
Young adult books are written for teenagers, and many adults read them too. This list includes the series that defined the genre, such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter, along with contemporary stories on friendship, identity and growing up.
These are editorial picks, ranked for readability and lasting appeal, and nobody pays to be on the list. Not sure where to start? Try the book finder and get three picks for your mood.
Top 50 young adult books, ranked
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The Hunger Games
Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised fight to the death.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
A boy learns he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts.
- Cozy
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Fault in Our Stars
Two teenagers with cancer meet at a support group and fall in love.
- Moving
- Funny
Where to read
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The Giver
A boy in a seemingly perfect community is chosen to hold its memories.
- Thoughtful
- Gripping
Where to read
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Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
A boy discovers he is the son of a Greek god.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Hate U Give
A teenager finds her voice after seeing a police officer shoot her friend.
- Moving
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Divergent
In a society divided into factions, a girl discovers she fits none of them.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Six of Crows
A crew of outcasts plans an impossible heist.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Eragon
A farm boy finds a dragon egg and joins a rebellion.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Ender's Game
A gifted child is trained at a military school to fight an alien threat.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Wonder
A boy with a facial difference starts school for the first time.
- Moving
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Looking for Alaska
A boarding-school student is drawn to a magnetic, unpredictable girl.
- Moving
- Funny
Where to read
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Eleanor & Park
Two misfit teenagers fall in love on a school bus in 1986.
- Moving
Where to read
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Anne of Green Gables
An orphan girl with a big imagination comes to a farm in Prince Edward Island.
- Cozy
- Funny
Where to read
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Holes
A boy at a detention camp is made to dig holes in the desert.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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Hatchet
A boy survives alone in the Canadian wilderness.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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The Outsiders
Two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, clash in 1960s Oklahoma.
- Moving
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
A shy freshman writes letters about friendship, first love and pain.
- Thoughtful
- Moving
Where to read
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Speak
A teenager stops speaking after a traumatic event and slowly finds her voice.
- Moving
- Inspiring
Where to read
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A Court of Thorns and Roses
A huntress is taken to a faerie land and discovers a dangerous romance.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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The Golden Compass
A girl travels north to rescue kidnapped children in a world with daemons.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Thirteen Reasons Why
A teenager receives tapes from a classmate explaining why she ended her life.
- Moving
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Maze Runner
A boy wakes up in a glade surrounded by a deadly maze.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Twilight
A teenager moves to a rainy town and falls for a mysterious classmate.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Catching Fire
Katniss is forced back into the arena.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Mockingjay
The rebellion against the Capitol reaches its final stage.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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The Selection
Thirty-five girls compete to marry the prince.
- Cozy
- Gripping
Where to read
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Shatter Me
A girl whose touch is lethal is recruited by a totalitarian regime.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Legend
A prodigy soldier and a young criminal are on a collision course.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Cinder
A cyborg mechanic in New Beijing becomes entangled with a prince.
- Gripping
- Cozy
Where to read
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Throne of Glass
An assassin competes to become the king's champion.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Shadow and Bone
An orphaned soldier discovers a power that could save her country.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Children of Blood and Bone
A girl fights to bring magic back to a land where it was destroyed.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Serpent & Dove
A witch and a witch hunter are forced into marriage.
- Gripping
- Funny
Where to read
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They Both Die at the End
Two teenagers spend their last day together after getting a death notice.
- Moving
Where to read
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Two Mexican-American boys in 1980s El Paso find friendship and love.
- Moving
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Red, White & Royal Blue
The son of the US president falls for a British prince.
- Funny
- Moving
Where to read
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Heartstopper
Two boys at a British school discover they are more than friends.
- Cozy
- Moving
Where to read
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
A closeted teenager is blackmailed over emails to an anonymous boy.
- Funny
- Moving
Where to read
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To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Lara Jean's secret love letters get sent to every boy she has ever had a crush on.
- Cozy
- Funny
Where to read
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One of Us Is Lying
Five students go into detention and one leaves dead.
- Gripping
Where to read
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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
A student reinvestigates a closed murder case for a school project.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Scythe
In a world without death, teenagers are trained to be scythes.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Paper Towns
A boy searches for the neighbour who vanished after a night of pranks.
- Funny
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Insurgent
Tris faces the consequences of her choices in a divided Chicago.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Uglies
In a world where everyone is made pretty at sixteen, a girl discovers the cost.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Carry On
The Chosen One and his roommate-nemesis return for a final year at a magic school.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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Fangirl
A shy fan-fiction writer starts college and learns to open up.
- Cozy
- Moving
Where to read
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Dumplin'
A plus-size teen enters her mother's beauty pageant.
- Funny
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Turtles All the Way Down
A girl with anxiety hunts for a missing billionaire.
- Thoughtful
- Moving
Where to read
Each link opens that store’s search for the book. Availability and prices vary by store and country. We may earn a commission from some stores, which never changes the ranking.
Types of young adult books
Looking for something more specific? These are the main kinds of young adult, with the sort of story or subject each one covers.
YA fantasy
Magic schools, chosen ones and new worlds.
YA dystopian
Teen heroes against corrupt systems.
YA contemporary
School, friendship and first love.
YA romance
Crushes, heartbreak and everything between.
YA mystery and thriller
Whodunits set in schools and small towns.
Books for reluctant readers
Short chapters and strong hooks.
Want to write and publish your own young adult book?
Many readers of this page are also writers. The stores in the lists above are where readers find books, while Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital are the tools authors use to publish and distribute a book to those stores. You can also publish to Barnes & Noble Press and Google Play Books directly.
Our free KDP calculators help with print cost, royalties and cover size, and our publishing services can take care of setup for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best YA book series?
The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are among the best-loved. Divergent and Six of Crows are also widely read.
Are young adult books only for teenagers?
No. A large share of YA readers are adults, drawn by quick pacing and strong characters.
Where can I read or buy the best young adult books?
Each of the 50 books has links to Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble and Google Play Books. Authors who want to publish their own young adult book can start with our free guides to Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital.
Not sure what to read next?
Pick a genre and a mood and the book finder will suggest three books to try.