August 12 is International Youth Day, an event created in 1999 by the United Nations as a way for governments to focus on issues and programs that affect young people. We’re also celebrating Youth Day here at BookTrib by bringing you all the best youth-driven novels we’re obsessed with at the moment. Remember, just because it’s a book written for teens doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it as an adult. Actually, you may even enjoy it more, safe in the knowledge that your high school days are long behind you.
Regardless of age, embrace your youthful side today by diving into these 10 awesome YA novels:
Tales of the Peculiar, Ransom Riggs (Dutton Books for Young Readers, September 3, 2016)
Riggs is the author of the uber-popular Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which combines creepy photography with an even creepier story about an abandoned orphanage. The movie adaptation, directed by Tim Burton and starring Eva Green, is scheduled to come out in September. Tales of the Peculiar is a book within the book (think J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard), a collection of fairytales and peculiar stories that are part of the Miss Peregrine’s mythology.
The Memory Book, Lara Avery (Poppy, July 5, 2016)
When teen Sammie McCoy is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, she’s determined to hold onto her memories despite her fatal prognosis. Sammie’s bright, relatable voice and her over-achieving dreams make her decline that much harder to read. A painful but beautiful novel perfect for fans of John Green.
And I Darken, Kiersten White (Delacorte Press, June 28, 2016)
Veteran YA author White returns with a new fantasy series set in the Ottoman empire. Lada Dragwlya is a displaced princess, determined to do whatever it takes to survive in the Ottoman courts until she can bring her brother back to their rightful lands. But when she starts to fall for the son of the sultan she hates, things get infinitely more complicated.
Learning to Swear in America, Katie Kennedy (Bloomsbury USA Childrens, July 5, 2016)
Prodigy Yuri is the only one who can stop the asteroid that’s headed straight for Earth. The only problem is that at age 17, NASA refuses to take his advice, despite recruiting him in the first place. But when he meets the wild and alive Dovie, saving the Earth takes on a whole new meaning.
The Beauty of Darkness: The Remnant Chronicles Book 3, Mary E. Pearson (Henry Holt and Co, August 2, 2016)
Pearson wraps up her Remnant Chronicles fantasy series with The Beauty of Darkness. After finally escaping Venda, Lia and Rafe are gearing up for the final battle and making some tough decisions about their futures.
P.S. I Like You, Kasie West (Scholastic, July 26, 2016)
West is quickly becoming a YA romance powerhouse, which is why we can’t wait to read P.S. I Like You. When Lily writes some song lyrics on her desk in Chemistry, she’s surprised to find a response the next day. Soon she has a secret pen-pal, only she can’t figure out who it is. Hot hipster Lucas? Or maybe even her sworn enemy, Cade?
Crooked Kingdom: Six of Crows, Book 2, Leigh Bardugo (Henry Holt and Co, September 27, 2016)
Any fan of YA Fantasy has to read Bardugo’s Six of Crows series, which is continued in this second book. After Kaz and the gang pull off an impossible heist, they realize that the true danger is only just starting.
The Killer in Me, Margot Harrison (Disney-Hyperion, July 12, 2016)
Harrison’s debut novel is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers where the line between reality and fiction is endlessly blurry. Nina is convinced that her dreams about a murderous ‘Thief’ are real, but when she sets out on a road trip to meet the possible murderer, she’s forced to question everything she thought was real.
Enter Title Here, Rahul Kanakia (Disney-Hyperion, August 2, 2016)
In his hilarious debut, Kanakia explores just how far an overachiever will go to secure her future. As he notes: it’s pretty far. Main character Reshma is determined to get into Stanford, get a book deal, be Valedictorian, and live like a ‘normal’ teenage girl. But as she’ll soon discover, things rarely go as planned.
Signs of You, Emily France (Soho Teen, July 19, 2016)
After losing her mother, teen Riley is understandably confused when she sees her shopping in the grocery store. When her friends from her grief group start seeing their dead relatives too, it sends them all on a quest to uncover a mysterious relic and discover clues about the afterlife.
