YA novels

This edge-of-your-seat-suspense thriller stars teenagers in a serene small town as they navigate that quintessential coming-of-age experience: homecoming.

A prior homecoming queen was murdered years ago, and that haunting event seems to be repeating itself as mysterious threats come to light.

Author Karen McManus is an established name in this genre, and this award-winner shows teens in a situation that was supposed to be safe and happy but becomes twisted and terrifying.

This almost-instant bestseller caused a tremendous stir in the literary world. Both mysterious and heartbreaking, “13 Reasons Why” is a story that gets right to the heart of what it means to be a teenager.

The book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities that protagonist Hannah faced while alive: from sexual assault to bullying to her own guilt at how she responded to certain events.

The book became a Netflix series and incited a discussion of the disturbing prevalence of mental health problems in society, especially among teenagers.

Hadley’s best friend, Magda, committed suicide after months of bullying for being gang-raped at a party by four popular boys from school.

After all the boys are let off, Hadley can’t stand idly by and let them get away with it. She finds an old pink ski mask Magda bought for her, covers her face and seeks revenge on her own.

Romy Grey is raped, and her whole town refuses to believe her story and subjects her to bullying, mockery and their long-held prejudices. Others start to fall victim, and Romy knows she could help if only she could be heard.

“All the Rage” prompts a necessary discussion about one of the most difficult topics to talk about.

The star quarterback of St. Benedict High — a golden boy in the eyes of his small Louisiana town — spends his weekends hanging out by a secluded river. Seems lovely, doesn’t it? Well, don’t judge a book by its cover (though this book’s cover actually does allude to the monstrousness within its pages).

A dark thriller about a psychopath and the depraved acts he commits on young women, the authors implore you “get loud, get angry, and fight back” against violence and assault.

It’s a horrifying tale of the unthinkable things that can happen right next door — and a master manipulator who must be stopped.

Drawing heavily on recent political events and the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas tells us the story of Starr Carter, a teen who witnesses a horrific tragedy.

Torn between two worlds, Starr attends an elite prep school during the day, but goes home each evening to her more impoverished neighborhood. When she sees her unarmed friend, Khalil, shot and killed by a police officer, Starr finds herself caught in the middle of a national debate. Between the institutional racism that she faces on a daily basis, her own rage and the demands of both her communities, Starr is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.

It was adapted as a movie in 2018 starring Amandla Stenberg.

In this story, adult Jo is looking back on her teenage self and the trauma she experienced, and it brings up the #metoo movement and hidden illicit affairs. Jo’s best friend dies in a horrible accident, after which our narrator goes to boarding school, where she finds herself growing closer and closer to her 34-year-old English teacher, becoming his “favorite.”

It’s a simultaneously appealing and disturbing bond, and it opens the door to a singularly complex story.