10 Young Adult Books Teens Must Read

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10 YA Books Your Teen Should Read

10 YA Books Your Teen Should Read

Encourage your teen to read more with exciting new YA books from HMH^®.Young-adult fiction is written and published specifically for teens aged 13–18 with adolescent protagonists and story lines consistent with teenage experience. Themes range from relationships and coming-of-age, to peer pressure and loss. YA books are fun for the young and the young-at-heart, so pick up a copy for yourself too, and enjoy discussing it with your teen!

#10: The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude

"It will appeal to readers of traditional horror titles as well as the more casual fan looking for an exciting, creepy read. The macabre descriptions sprinkled throughout are haunting and edgy and will thrill readers who like to be spooked."―School Library Journal

When Heather goes missing after a May Day celebration, sixteen-year-old Ivy Templeton discovers both her best friend and her community are as full of secrets as the woods that surround them.

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#9: Zac and Mia by A. J. Betts

"Betts portrays cancer as hard, scary, and isolating, but beatable—or at least bearable—if one isn't facing it alone, and her depiction of a boy trying to hold onto a normal life and a girl realizing she can't keep hers from changing has power."―Publishers Weekly

Winner of the 2012 Australian Text Prize

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#8: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

"Laure’s debut stands out for her keen understanding of the spectrum of human emotions, and her ability to put tough feelings into beautiful prose."―Horn Book

A teenage girl falls for her best friend’s brother in Estelle Laure’s soulful debut that’s perfect for fans of Gayle Forman, Jandy Nelson, and Rainbow Rowell.

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#7: How It Ends by Catherine Lo

"...How It Ends feels, at points, both painfully tragic and true. Lo’s lucid treatment of mental illness and risky behavior is refreshing, hard, and necessary."―Booklist

The story of two best friends’ tumultuous sophomore year of bullying, boys and backstabbing. A wildly fast but deeply moving read about what can happen when friends choose assumptions and fear over each other.

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#6: The Bad Decisions Playlist by Michael Rubens

"Funny and painful, it’s a sharply etched portrait of fallible human beings living, loving, screwing up, and making do—and a fine look at the Twin Cities music scene."―Publishers Weekly

Austin, 16, a self-described screwup, finds out that his father isn’t dead. He’s alive, and moreover he’s Shane Tyler, a famous singer/guitarist/song writer—Austin’s dream for himself. But Shane is battling his own demons, and Austin must figure out how to grow up on his own terms.

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#5: Black River Falls by Jeff Hirsch

"In this fast-paced novel, Hirsch (The Darkest Path) has created a terrifying reality that explores identity, memory, morality, and what it means to be a family."―Publishers Weekly

An entire town has been robbed of its memories—and its humanity. But there is one teenage boy who remembers it all. A gripping YA novel from bestselling author Jeff Hirsch.

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#4: Mirage by Tracy Clark

"Readers will be easily swept along in this fast-paced thriller, unsure whether Ryan’s narration will reveal that she is supernaturally possessed or insane."―Booklist

After a brush with death, a thrill-seeking teenager becomes withdrawn and antagonistic. As her relationships crumble, she must fight the person she has become—or lose herself forever.

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#3: Suffer Love by Ashley Blake

"A strong choice for YA collections, especially where romance is popular."―School Library Journal

A teenage girl falls for the wrong guy in this romantic young adult debut that’s perfect for fans of Susane Colasanti, Kasie West, and Lauren Barnholt.

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#2: The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander

"Narrated in a crisp, unvarnished voice, Elsie's frightening and alluring tale shows that even while in the depths one can reach for light. In a breathtaking setting, this is a fresh and vivid take on the long-term effects of a child's death on a family."―Kirkus Reviews

Five years after the drowning of her twin brother, Scottish teenager Elsie Main confronts the tempestuous sea—and her family’s tragic past.

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#1: With Malice by Eileen Cook

"Cinematic scene breaks and propulsive reveals will keep the pages furiously turning in this slow-burning but explosive thriller."―Booklist, STARRED review

A chilling, addictive, compulsive read about a teenage girl who wakes up in a hospital bed and cannot remember the last six weeks of her life, including the accident that killed her best friend--only what if the accident wasn't an accident?

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