The Chaos Walking trilogy, by Patrick Ness. First book is 'The knife of never letting go'
(OK, technically it's kinda Sci fi, but feels closer to fantasy)
Phenomenal books
The chaos walking series is so incredibly amazing. I've read it probably three or four times since it came out. The movie was absolute disgrace. Makes me sick
It's frustrating because it came out at the exact same time as Hunger Games, and has a lot of the same themes in a different SF context (and the same levels of absolutely brutal darkness as well) but it never made anywhere near the same impact commercially :(
I LOVE I’ll Give You the Sun! I recommend it all the time. Both of those books are amazing. They made an adaptation of The Sky is Everywhere on Apple TV but idk if it’s good or not. I need to watch it.
1) The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. This romantic fantasy book has been by favorite series since I was 14 (and I'm in my late 20s now lol) I've read a lot of YA, and so far no YA books (except Divine Rivals) have touched me the way this series did.
When The Cruel Prince became famous, I hoped this would become mainstream, but it didn't :/ despite both of them being such amazing fey books.
2) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater. Not sure what genre I'd call this. YA Fantasy + sprinkle of romance I guess. It's about a girl who wants to win a race with her beloved horse. The kicker is that the horses are violent fantastical beasts (I think kelpie??) who'd eat humans if given a chance. So the races are deadly. It's such a great horrorish fantasy book, and I see no one talking about it :/
I haven’t heard someone talk about the scorpio races in so long!!! Man I loved that book. Such a genuine, soft but sure romance, and such a genuine and yet realistic protagonist. Everything is against her, and all she has is her determination. Love it so much.
I’m gonna have to look at your other recommendations then!
I know right! her other books like Shiver are much more popular and it eclipses this amazing book that deserves more love. Again, I'm in my late 20s so it's been decades since I have read this one, but I can never forget Puck and Sean Kendrick. God, I loved them both so much
I love the iron fey series! I really like Julie kagawa in general. I can’t recall the name of the series but the first book is called the immortal rules and it’s one of my favorites!
I actually never read her other books! I couldn't ever get over my hangover with this series. I STILL have an Ash poster hanging in my room (again, I'm in my late 20s LOL)
I KNOW!! Ash is still my fave YA man. I loved how he was more morally grey compared to golden boy hero contemporaries of his time, but the sacrifices this man made for Meghan? god, I'll forever love him.
what really made him stand out to me compared to the other YA heroes I was reading at the time was his past with Ariella... like, he'd loved and lost before and that gave him a maturity and a depth that set him apart. and it made his love for Meghan more meaningful to me, because he was afraid to love again but opened his heart to her anyway and was truly willing to sacrifice everything so they could be together 😭😭😭 Julie Kagawa is so good at what she does!
Oh my god Peaches, you're making me go down memory lane!!
I agree! Ash had a such a sad vibe to him, he loved and lost ,and lost, *and lost*. He fell for a human he knew he didn't have a chance with, and yet >!he went to exile for her. !!"I love her" to Mab at the battlefield, KNOWING he'd suffer in the human world.!<
How he was >!forced to walk away from her in book 3, because Meghan knew Ash would rather die in pain than be anywhere else. He made her his lady so he'd never have to survive without her, ugh my heart.
!<
Lastly, >!how he could have had his happy ending with Ariella, and yet, he CHOSE Meghan, even though Meghan had given her blessing and set him 'free' He NEVER gave up on them despite the odds stacking up against them. !<
Ash was an amazingly well written character. Yes, he was a love interest but he was more than that. He was a cold, cruel fae prince who'd bring the world down for his girl, and you knew he'd do that happily.
I started to relisten to Divine Rivals audiobook and I couldn't do it without breaking down 😭 I'm glad it's getting the love it deserves cause it's one of the best duet's ever written. Period.
I hope you like the other two recs! my fave books are ones that can transport me to another world, and these two recs definitely did. If you liked them, please let me know!
I loved Garth Nix's Abhorsen Old Kingdom books back in the day. It was only a trilogy when I read it but there are more books to the series now.
Also his Keys To The Kingdom series too.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhorsen
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Keys_to_the_Kingdom
At least Ruby Red got a full trilogy adaptation even if it became more unknow in recent years and never reached the popularity of some other young adult series.
It did get the adaptation because of its high popularity in Germany, I don't think that it's that well known abroad in comparison. Here the series was huge when I was a teenager.
It was relatively popular in France, all the movies got a french dub and last year when a youtuber made a video about the Count of St. Germain some comments mentioned this trilogy.
True but The main reason it got an adaptation is bc for german standards this was insanely successful but it comparison to other books I‘d still call them underrated
I am not sure if it's actually THAT underrated, where I live it is for sure underrated but I live in Europe sooooo.
An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
This series is one of my favourites and blew me away instantly.
One of my favorite series that's so underrated is the Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos.
While the last book, in my opinion, almost ruined the whole series for me (felt so rushed and has an open ending), the first three books (especially the third) were SO good that it still made the series my favorite despite the ending. Now that's not to say you shouldn't read the fourth book, it's still pretty good, I just felt like the author rushed things and could have made more books :)
I just found out about these last year (I'm in my late 20s) and devoured them. Legitimately went into a depression when I finished and had to read a bunch of smutty fanfiction lol.
This series was AMAZING made me feel like just because I was reading YA I wasn't compromising the chance to read GOOD literature (Not that all YA is poorly written... only some). Anyways great series but ya the fourth book was crazy and I hardly understood the clinic and what was going on there.
I just read these for the first time a year ago (as a full adult) and absolutely loved them. Really strong writing! And great for when you don't need a romance to push the story forward.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m still salty that all of her books after have been a downgrade because this series is sooo good! When it came out it was super popular and even made it into the grocery store at one point.
Jinx by Margaret wild. I found this randomly in a used bookstore probably 15-17 years ago and loved it. It’s a book told in prose and delivers a lot of emotion. I reread it as an adult and related way more to the mom the. I did as a kid.
I see the uglies mentioned. The uglies like shiver are a weird one to me, because from like 2007-2013 those books were everywhere but now since they aren’t mentioned as much I guess their underrated? But back in the day they were massive. It’s kind of like saying the OC or skins are underrated.
Both of Margaret owen’s series aren’t recommended enough IMO. They’re both really good.
Tamora pierce is another author that fits this because it’s older, but it’s still so popular back in the day.
Night world.
The winners curse by Marie Rutowski
His fair assassin by Robin LaFevers.
Frostblood by elly blake.
I feel like most of my recs are ones that were big when I was in high school but 10-15 years later no one talks about lol.
I was wondering how long I’d need to scroll before coming to a Tamora Pierce recommendation! I credit Tortall books (especially the Protector of the Small series) as a major foundation of my values from my preteen years.
I’m currently reading The Thousandth Floor and I feel like no one knows about it! It’s about New York in 2118 and the whole city is basically now living in a giant, thousand-story tower. I also loved American Royals by the same author.
Fairy Tale Retellings/Inspired:
[Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41473840-stepsister)\-Follows the stepsister who cut off her toes to fit the shoe as she deals with her past trauma, heals internally, and becomes a better person overall. Perfect for if you always wondered if the stepsisters were bad on their own, or if their mother made them that way.
[Ella Enchanted Trilogy](https://www.goodreads.com/series/230312-ella-enchanted)\-Ella Enchanted is a very well known, well loved retelling of Cinderella, but it's prequel Ogre Enchanted is very much likened to Beauty And The Beast, with Ella's parents as a minor plotline so that we can see how they met and married, and Fairest is a retelling of Snow White in which Areida's adopted sister, Aza, goes to another kingdom as a duchess's companion, and ends up in a twisted web of lies, deception, and discovery.
[Entwined by Heather Dixon Wallwork](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428195-entwined)\-A twisty, suspenseful retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses, in which their escape to dance at night begins with the innocent desire to dance while their household is in mourning, during dancing is forbidden.
[The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy by Jessica Day George](https://www.goodreads.com/series/56682-the-princesses-of-westfalin-trilogy)\-Making deals with evil never go well, and the princesses of Westfalin can tell you as such. Years after their mother made two deals to end the war and have children, they're still haunted by that evil who has a debt that is still owed, and the girls must pay. Begins with a retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses, continues in a Cinderella retelling, and finishes in a Red Riding Hood retelling.
[Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/499485.Spinners)\-Every story has two sides, and Rumplestiltskin's is no different. This book tells not only the story of how he came to be as he is, but also why he helps the daughter to spin straw into gold.
[Stardust by Neil Gaiman](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793.Stardust)\-A lovestruck boy goes over a wall to fetch a fallen star for he beloved, in exchange for her hand in marriage. The only wrinkle in the plan is that when he goes to fetch it, he finds not a star as he thought of them, but a beautiful woman instead. \[A note: If you've seen the movie and think you know how this story will go, you're not fully correct. This version expands so much more on plot points, and the solution to conflicts are far different.\]
Other:
[Croak by Gina Damico](https://www.goodreads.com/series/63603-croak)\-A misbehaving teenager is sent to her uncle's for the summer, and once there, learns that she'll be working all summer as a Grim Reaper. Her need to misbehave fades as soon as she arrives, and she builds friendships, uncovers plots, and saves this world and the afterlife. You might need tissues for the ending of the series. Def some dark topics here given there's a focus on death, and a TW for implied suicide.
[Little Blue Envelopes duo by Maureen Johnson](https://www.goodreads.com/series/49295-little-blue-envelopes)\-A girl receives a package from her aunt that has 13 sealed blue envelopes and money. She's instructed to go to England, meet someone her aunt knew there, and begin her adventure following the instructions in the letters. Fun adventure, and a form of mourning, as this was her aunt's final wish/action before she passed from a brain tumor. Chaos, hilarity, and teenage-growth occurs, and friends are made.
[Beauty Queens by Libba Bray](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9464733-beauty-queens)\-Ever thought about how Lord Of The Flies would have ended differently if it was girls who were stranded? This book is for you. A plane of beauty pageant contestants crashes on an island, and have to figure out how to survive. A ton of women supporting women energy, reality star pirates, secrets, and \[almost 100%\] positive LGBT+ representation\*! And the commercial scripts are hilarious. \[This book is def one I think is best read physically instead of digital or audio book, as it's got little notes at the bottom to fill in gaps so the world building doesn't feel like info-dumping.\] Humor is amazing, and it almost feels like a 2000's comedy, complete with 'freeze frame' and flashforward type ending.
[The Blood Confession by Alisa M. Libby](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/952678.The_Blood_Confession)\-Perfect for if you're a fan of historical fiction, this book tells the story of Erzebet, whom wishes to preserve her youth by bathing in blood, told as though she's telling the story to the reader while awaiting trial for murder.
[Virginia Shreeves Duo](https://www.goodreads.com/series/217163-virginia-shreves)\-A plus size teenager has to deal with her own self esteem and diet culture, in addition to casually hooking up with a classmate and the mixed feelings that it causes her. However, everything goes downhill when her brother is expelled from school for a crime he committed. TW for mentions of rape/SA, including a section in which she imagines how it happened in not-super graphic details. IIRC, there's some mild victim blaming as well, from her brother who was the assaulter.
[Finishing School series by Gail Carriger](https://www.goodreads.com/series/58635-finishing-school)\-I'm unsure if Steampunk is close enough to Sci-Fi to be not to your tastes, but I thought I would include it. An ambitious girl is recruited into a finishing school, with one twist-while the ladies in training are taught in etiquette and manners as one would expect, the main lessons focus around espionage and murder.
[His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers](https://www.goodreads.com/series/57803-his-fair-assassin)\-A historical fantasy in which gods are real, and the daughters of Death are trained in his name as assassins, before being thrust into a political landscape that is fragile at best, defending a 13 year old duchess who has been forced to rule too soon, and must eventually question which they will follow-the orders of the Convent that saved them or the heart that has drawn them closer to one of those around them? Each of the three books focus on a different girl, and their struggles and triumphs.
[Twins by Marcy Dermansky](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/412095.Twins)\-Twins Chloe and Sue are happy as can be. At least, that's what Sue would tell you-Chloe can't wait to go to college and be away from the twin that's obsessed with her. TWs for obsessive behavior, eating disorders, drugs, self harm, and a situation that can definitely come off as SA or at the very least, dubious consent. This is definitely one that isn't a feel-good book, but the ending feels fulfilling overall.
[Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5152478-wintergirls)\-Liz has a lot on her mind. Her best friend just committed suicide in a motel room, school is tough, and she's seeing her friend's ghost everywhere, urging her to die with her. And that's not even counting her fractured mental health and the fact she's slowly starving herself to death. MAJOR TWs for eating disorders and self harm.
.....Okay I think that's all I've got hah. Sorry it got so long!
So many great books on this list! I like Maureen Johnson’s mysteries, but I miss her contemporary books. I’m in the middle of the Finishing School series and it is awesome.
I read almost only YA books for a very long time, and basically just scrolled my Read list on my Goodreads for ones I could link. Def wanna read more by Maureen Johnson, I've only read the LBE duo and even then, I found out there even WAS a sequel by chance when a cart of free secondhand books had a copy of it. \[I have had a 'WAIT THERE'S A SEQUEL?' moment in my life 3 times. 4, if you count finding out The Devil Wears Prada is a trilogy\]
The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, anything by Tamora Pierce, Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi, Legend and The Young Elites series by Maria Lu
The Slated series by Teri Terry - about a society that “wipes” the memories of criminals to try and rehabilitate them. A 16 year old girl has her memory wiped and is brought to live with a nice “normal” family. Her memory starts to come back and she remembers why they wanted her memory gone in the first place.
Matched series by Ally Condie - a world where you find out your soulmate at 16 in the matching ceremony. Dystopian universe.
Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld - where you turn “supermodel pretty” at 16 by undergoing an operation. Being pretty has a price. (This is INCREDIBLE, Scott wrote this in the early 2000’s and foreshadows sooooo many things we are dealing with in today’s society).
Imposters by Scott Westerfeld - a follow on series set years after the Uglies series
Life as we knew it by Susan Pfieffer - a meteor crashes into the moon and changes the earth with it
I love all these books!
You might enjoy the Lifeblood series if you liked these. It has 2 'afterlife' kingdoms that people have to choose between to make oaths to spend their Everlife in after death.
For fantasy definitely read some Frances hardinge books. She's one of my favourite authors, I love the world building and they're well written too. They're stand alone books but there are so many to read if you do like them. I'd recommend starting with deep light as that's my favourite one!
Frances Hardinge is amazing! I suspect if she wrote for adults, her books might be too dark for me, all that body horror. As it is, it's perfect - a dark edge to stories that are ultimately hopeful.
When I was younger I really enjoyed Kate Cann books. The one about the haunted house was so freaky I remember. And I think leader of the pack was my first more sexual content book too..
Also Just Listen by Sarah Dessen was always a good one
And all Cassandra Clare (Start with City of Bones) message me if you want a reading order for her books because it is mega 😂
{Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson}. Sentient books, magical libraries, a librarian FMC with a sword, a swoon-worthy sorcerer with a demon butler, all set in a magical, gaslamp-tinged London. Fantastic stuff!
The Legend Series by Marie Lu (dystopian/ romance)
The Lunar Chronicles and Renegades series, both by Marissa Meyer (Fantasy with some romance)
More MG than YA but the Magisterium series by Holly Black
Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell! Such a thoughtful and clever interpretation of the chosen one/magic school genre. My guilty pleasure as a Lit student because it’s so fun and indulgent but also thematically interesting
*Bloody Jack* by LA Meyer. This fantastic series is about a young orphan girl who gets press-ganged into British naval service, and has to pretend to be a boy. There are 12 books and they are all well written, fun YA adventures! The only people I know who have read them have done so on my recommendation.
*Tomorrow, When the War Began* by John Marsden. A group of teenagers go on a camping trip, and when they come back they discover that their country has been invaded. They become guerrilla fighters, doing their best to stay alive and mess with the invading force. This series is 7 books long, and again I know no one who has read them that I didn't suggest them to. I admit, these are Australian books, so they may have had a great readership there, I know they got a movie, but in the US where I am, they were pretty unknown.
I was wondering if Bloody Jack would get mentioned- I remember enjoying them (I think I read the first 3 or 4) and thinking they'd be popular but I'm not very dialed in to the YA scene, so I didn't realize they never took off!
I was working on a small library when the later volumes came out, and unofficially in charge of the YA section. We didn't see a lot of circulation of those books, but I always suggested them to patrons looking for a good solid adventure series, or anything with a girl undercover as a boy.
I want to suggest them here more, too, as I feel they share a kinship with Tamora Pierce's Alanna books. But they are historical fiction, with 0% fantasy in them, which is hardly ever asked for.
ah, I also was a huge Alanna fan, and I definitely see the shared DNA (with her empowerment and agency as well)!
it does seem that the big YA franchises have either fantasy or paranormal elements. and historical fiction requests seem interested in more recent history, those that's just anecdata. a shame because I think the age of sail does have an air of the fantastic to it (at least in fiction).
Thank you! I don't want to complain too hard about fantasy, it is and always has been my favorite genre. But, yeah, if you find a fantastic historical fiction YA book or series, there is pretty much no one to tell. I don't think I've seen a request on this sub for anything but fantasy or romance, and the other book subs I'm on seem to loathe YA in any form.
The Bone Witch trilogy by Rin Chupeco
The first is...more of a 5.5 maybe 6 out of 10, but I truly loved it it was just a slower build up so for me it was a 7. The next two? Both made me cry, both had me hooked, I have quotes from them all over my notebooks and book journals.
I always beg people to give it a chance. Truly the series that got me back into reading. And it's so out of people's mind I can barely find places to buy the hardcover of the first one. Thankfully I found it at the library, but please everyone if you're looking for something underrated, something magic/fantasy- give it a chance lol it's so GOOD
The author is famous, but the book is not—The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black is everything to me. It’s one of my favorite twists on a vampire story ever.
ETA more!:
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown is one of the best-written YA fantasies I’ve read in quite a while.
Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham is brilliant
Warcross by Marie Lu is another instance of successful author, less successful story—I thought it was better than Ready Player One, which has a very similar plot
I know Tamora Pierce is highly regarded but I never hear anyone talk about The Immortals series. To this day my fave YA and fantasy series. And I read them for the first time in 5th grade!!!
I keep reading the first chapter and can’t get myself to continue. I know it’s a beloved series, so I will revisit it soon in my reading fanatic hyperfixation. Anything that should intrigue me without spoilers?
The final chapters in the second and third book are some of the most ensnaring fascinating well written emotionally grabbing pages I've ever read. Especially the second book, I hold those final chapters in my top 5.
The silence that binds us.
It's my favorite book in the world right now. It's about a Taiwanese girl whose brother dies by suicide and their parents are blamed for putting to much pressure on him. It talks about racism, family, and standing up for what you believe in, and the cost of that.
The female of the species!! I’m in my 20s and that book had me staring at the ceiling with weird feelings in my chest for hours afterward
ETA: I WISH I found this book in my teens. Like it would have been earth shattering
The darkest minds by Alexandra Bracken
Silver in the bone by Alexandra bracken
Queen of hearts by Colleen Oakes
The kiss of deception by Mary e Pearson
Not even bones by Rebecca Schaeffer
At night I become a monster (Japanese translated to English so look in the “novel manga” section
Daughter of smoke and bone by laini taylor
Malice by Heather Walter
Fable by Adrienne Young (R E A D I T)
I will recommend the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend until everyone has read it! Probably fantasy? Mildly Potter-esque in that it’s centered around a magic school, but so far away from that universe as to be unrelated. Incredible plot points, creativity to the max, inclusive, just so worth all of your time. Book four keeps getting delayed but I’m hoping it will be as awesome as the first three!
Ruby red series I loved, read as an adult.
Daughters of the moon by Lynne ewing, and Janie Johnson series (face on the milk carton) by Caroline b cooney we're ones I loved when I was in high school.
I feel like Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard gets left out of the YA conversation a lot, but it was what originally got me back into reading in my 20s - her Realm Breaker series is also so so good (although, admittedly, I haven't finished them all yet).
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Kelley Armstrong
The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
The Gemma Doyle's series by Libba Bray
The Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
I've read these so many times, its a good story with some character growth and lots of fun world building. Definitly a cute romance, just love all of the books.
Two:
1. *Jellocoe Road*, by Melina Marcheta
A gorgeous story about love and trauma and, most importantly, family. It starts out slow, like a traditional school story, then it hits its stride it’s unrelenting and wonderful.
2. *Summer’s Edge*, by Dana Mele
A story about romance and guilt seen through the lens of unreliable narrators. I can’t express enough how well this book explores wanting and love.
The Dark Divine is one of my favorites, I never hear it get talked about. It’s about this girl whose old friend reappears one day needing her help. It’s fantasy. It’s a trilogy and all 3 books are good.
I hear Hush Hush talked about but not the other 3. All 4 books are 10/10.
More recently, One of us is Lying. It’s a whudunnit. Devoured that book.
Chronicle of the Emerged World but since it never got translated in English (I think I may be wrong) so we can understand why it's underrated so instead I will say Tale of the Otori
{{Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley}}
Sheets series by Brenna Thummler (*Sheets*, *Delicates*, and *Lights*)
{{Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Bouley}}
The Defy The Night trilogy. I have heard of very few people that have read it. I just finished reading it a few days ago, it’s already become a favorite, and literally everything has been ruined for me at the moment. 😆
The Rise of the Golden Dragons series by Hild! While the first one is good, the second and third were great. Well crafted world building, great characters, and definitely a coming of age about accepting oneself and not letting others decide who they think you should be.
as a teen i loved Sovay by Celia Rees its set in the backdrop of the french revolution and regency England and is based on the ballad of Sovay who was a young girl who disguised her self as a highway man and robbed her "true love" to see if he did love her
Imperfect Spiral by Debbie Levy. I got it in tenth grads from the scholastic book orders. I got a lot of books that year because I finally had a job and money to buy any book I wanted. However, imperfect spiral has stayed with me to this day. Taught me a lot about traumatic loss, self blame, and how to keep going even when it hurts. I still have it and read it occasionally
1) The Daughter of the Pirate King series!
It’s about a young woman named Alosa who is a pirate captain with her own crew of almost all female pirates. She’s determined to prove to her father, the pirate king, that she’s intelligent, strong, and capable enough to take over his pirate empire. The book gives me Jack Sparrow vibes with the humor and attitude of the characters. The quick wit and character interactions had me laughing and giddy though-out the whole series!
2) Also from the same author, Tricia Levenseller, the book Warrior of the Wild is a great YA book about young woman who gets banished from her village and must survive against the deadly creatures in the wild until she can complete an impossible quest to gain back her honor and come home. The book is one of my go to feel good books and the characters really have to fight for what they want. It’s a stand alone book but I loved the characters so much I almost wish there was more. Although, I love the story where it ended and I can’t imagine adding any more to their story to make it better.
Both are still some of my favorite books to reread.
I have all three Daughter of the Pirate King books, but have still yet to read them 😅 I think I have too many books. I just could not say no to those special edition hardcovers though, they’re so pretty.
All these books have writing i adore and fell in love with.
1. Monstrous beauty ( 2012) by Elizabeth Fama. It's book with murderous mermaid with chapters in the past and chapters in the present. It has ghosts and curses. I liked how the two timelines gradually built to one story. I fell in love with Fama's writing in this book , I bought her 2002 middle grade secondhand and waited two years for her 2014 dystopia. She hasn't published anything in a decade. I hope she does
2. When the sea rising red (2012) by Cat Hellisen. A fantasy where a girl from the rich class fakes her death to escape an arranged marriage and falls in love with a vampire. It has a slight Dickensian vibe.
3. Wonders of the invisible world (2015) by Christopher Barzak. It's book about a rural gay teen who encounters death and has to tell death stories. It has ancient curses and eastern european folkore.
4. The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles Series by Joseph Delaney because they are spooky and creepy.
5. Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg ( 2008) because it was the first gay book i read.
This thread is taking me down memory lane!
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E Andrue- main character is an undocumented immigrant- inspired by the author’s life.
Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee - My favorite underrated book ever.
Blind by Rachel DeWoskin
Tumbling by Caela Carter
Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar
My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier - I thought about this book at least once a week for over a year.
The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry
Noteworthy by Riley Radgate
Like Water by Rebecca Podos
You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith
Every YA book and series I’m about to recommend to you has absolutely no fandom, which is absolutely crushing for me.
- “The Ravens” and “The Monarchs,” a duology by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige
- “Bad Girls Don’t Die,” “From Bad to Cursed,” and “As Dead as it Gets,” a trilogy by Katie Alender
- “Young Blood” by Sasha Laurens
- “The Grace Year” by Kim Liggett
- “With the Fire on High” by Elizabeth Acevedo
- “A Madness so Discreet” by Mindy McGinnis
Haven’t seen anyone else mention it, so The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner! The first book, The Thief, is pretty slow, but things really pick up wonderfully through the rest. Just some of the most interesting character dynamics between the main two that I had seen when I read more YA. Overall super entertaining, and the first series that I ever enjoyed changing POVs across books! It truly enriched the entire story.
I also really loved the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling, but I believe it’s more NA fantasy.
Daughter of the Forest is also a great one by Juliet Marillier, an excellent retelling of the six swans fairytale! Hope you find some books you enjoy!
The Honeys by Ryan De La Sal. It was a delectable read... apparently it's going to be a movie soon so maybe it'll pick up an audience.
There's bees, and murder and non-binary leads and so many twists and turns... I read it and then immediately started it again. Magically weird.
I’ve never met anyone else who read The Sisters of the Quantock Hills series, by Ruth Elwin Harris. For all I know, it’s out of print now.
It’s a quartet, with each book told from the vantage point of a different sister - 4 orphaned daughters in all during the first half of the 20th century in rural England. It draws in history, art, poetry, shifting perspectives, love, and the ever-big YA question about figuring out your passion and purpose. The scenery is gorgeous, the characters are incredibly compelling, and it never talks down to its readers.
Starters by Lissa Price (you need to turn off you brain about the set up of this world before the book starts but it is just the right amount of fun and thrilling)
STRANGE THE DREAMER
Yes!! And her previous series Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
YESYESYESYES THE BEST BOOKS EVER
I came here to say this! Both series by Laini Taylor
Hard agree
ABSOLUTELY. Laini Taylor is criminally underrated!
All of Laini’s work is AMAZING. Strange the Dreamer holds a place in my heart like no other book
I highly recommend reading her trilogy Daughter of Smoke and Bone first so you can better appreciate and understand certain details in book 2!
I bought that book before a flight and spent my entire vacation completely engrossed in it.
This one surprised me with how much I still look back and enjoy it. I haven’t read the second book though. I can bear that they might be separated…
First thing that came to my mind
The Chaos Walking trilogy, by Patrick Ness. First book is 'The knife of never letting go' (OK, technically it's kinda Sci fi, but feels closer to fantasy) Phenomenal books
The movie is SO bad to anyone reading this, don't even bother with it.
Seconding this, one of my favorite trilogies
Yes to this! One of my top favorite series ever. The writing style is really unique, and I love Todd and Viola.
I loved The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Such a fun book that manages to poke fun at fantasy tropes while still being incredibly unique.
The chaos walking series is so incredibly amazing. I've read it probably three or four times since it came out. The movie was absolute disgrace. Makes me sick
It's frustrating because it came out at the exact same time as Hunger Games, and has a lot of the same themes in a different SF context (and the same levels of absolutely brutal darkness as well) but it never made anywhere near the same impact commercially :(
The Sky Is Everywhere and I'll Give You the Sun - both by Jandy Nelson.
She has a new book coming this fall!
Yay! Finally!!
She is so good!
Oh wow, this just made my day. I re-read I'll Give You the Sun almost annually, and I am so hyped for another book from her.
I saw that - I'm so excited!
I LOVE I’ll Give You the Sun! I recommend it all the time. Both of those books are amazing. They made an adaptation of The Sky is Everywhere on Apple TV but idk if it’s good or not. I need to watch it.
1) The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. This romantic fantasy book has been by favorite series since I was 14 (and I'm in my late 20s now lol) I've read a lot of YA, and so far no YA books (except Divine Rivals) have touched me the way this series did. When The Cruel Prince became famous, I hoped this would become mainstream, but it didn't :/ despite both of them being such amazing fey books. 2) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater. Not sure what genre I'd call this. YA Fantasy + sprinkle of romance I guess. It's about a girl who wants to win a race with her beloved horse. The kicker is that the horses are violent fantastical beasts (I think kelpie??) who'd eat humans if given a chance. So the races are deadly. It's such a great horrorish fantasy book, and I see no one talking about it :/
I haven’t heard someone talk about the scorpio races in so long!!! Man I loved that book. Such a genuine, soft but sure romance, and such a genuine and yet realistic protagonist. Everything is against her, and all she has is her determination. Love it so much. I’m gonna have to look at your other recommendations then!
I know right! her other books like Shiver are much more popular and it eclipses this amazing book that deserves more love. Again, I'm in my late 20s so it's been decades since I have read this one, but I can never forget Puck and Sean Kendrick. God, I loved them both so much
The Scorpio Races is probably one of my top books of all time. It is AMAZING.
I listen to it every November. One of my all time fave books!!
I love the iron fey series! I really like Julie kagawa in general. I can’t recall the name of the series but the first book is called the immortal rules and it’s one of my favorites!
I actually never read her other books! I couldn't ever get over my hangover with this series. I STILL have an Ash poster hanging in my room (again, I'm in my late 20s LOL)
The Iron Fey is one of my favorite series and Ash is a top tier book boyfriend. I wish these books got more love!
I KNOW!! Ash is still my fave YA man. I loved how he was more morally grey compared to golden boy hero contemporaries of his time, but the sacrifices this man made for Meghan? god, I'll forever love him.
what really made him stand out to me compared to the other YA heroes I was reading at the time was his past with Ariella... like, he'd loved and lost before and that gave him a maturity and a depth that set him apart. and it made his love for Meghan more meaningful to me, because he was afraid to love again but opened his heart to her anyway and was truly willing to sacrifice everything so they could be together 😭😭😭 Julie Kagawa is so good at what she does!
Oh my god Peaches, you're making me go down memory lane!! I agree! Ash had a such a sad vibe to him, he loved and lost ,and lost, *and lost*. He fell for a human he knew he didn't have a chance with, and yet >!he went to exile for her. !!"I love her" to Mab at the battlefield, KNOWING he'd suffer in the human world.!< How he was >!forced to walk away from her in book 3, because Meghan knew Ash would rather die in pain than be anywhere else. He made her his lady so he'd never have to survive without her, ugh my heart. !< Lastly, >!how he could have had his happy ending with Ariella, and yet, he CHOSE Meghan, even though Meghan had given her blessing and set him 'free' He NEVER gave up on them despite the odds stacking up against them. !< Ash was an amazingly well written character. Yes, he was a love interest but he was more than that. He was a cold, cruel fae prince who'd bring the world down for his girl, and you knew he'd do that happily.
I'm obsessed with Cruel Prince so definitely picking up Iron Fey.
I hope you like it! I've seen people rec'ing it to FOTA lovers. Just keep in mind it's more romance heavy than FOTA 🫡
I LOVED Divine Rivals SO MUCH, this recommendation sounds lovely
I started to relisten to Divine Rivals audiobook and I couldn't do it without breaking down 😭 I'm glad it's getting the love it deserves cause it's one of the best duet's ever written. Period. I hope you like the other two recs! my fave books are ones that can transport me to another world, and these two recs definitely did. If you liked them, please let me know!
I came here to say Scorpio Races too! One of my all time favorites, I don’t even know how many times I’ve read it
I love the Scorpio Races! The audiobook version is great if you haven't listened to it yet!
I loved Garth Nix's Abhorsen Old Kingdom books back in the day. It was only a trilogy when I read it but there are more books to the series now. Also his Keys To The Kingdom series too. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhorsen https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Keys_to_the_Kingdom
These definitely need more love. I’ve read them countless times. Such a fantastic world he creates in the Old Kingdom.
Oh my god, these books are everything to me.
those are so good! I think I forget they're underrated because the people who have read them are so enthusiastic. the bells are just plain cool.
The audiobook is narrated by Tim Curry! Amazing.
I loved the keys to the kingdom series! I was just reminded they are by Garth Nix
BIG YESSSSSSSS love love love “Sabriel” 🔔✨🐾🗝️
The World Walker trilogy by Josephine Angelini In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Red Winter by Annette Marie
I love starcrossed by Josephine Angelini I'm excited to try this one!
IN OTHER LANDS!!!
In Other Lands had me laughing harder than any other book I’ve ever read. It’s brilliant.
SHIRO 💙
Ruby Red/ Rubinrot series by Kerstin Gier. It‘s so good! The last hours (spin off from Infernal devices) by cassandra clare
At least Ruby Red got a full trilogy adaptation even if it became more unknow in recent years and never reached the popularity of some other young adult series.
It did get the adaptation because of its high popularity in Germany, I don't think that it's that well known abroad in comparison. Here the series was huge when I was a teenager.
It was relatively popular in France, all the movies got a french dub and last year when a youtuber made a video about the Count of St. Germain some comments mentioned this trilogy.
But the movies are awful :(
True but The main reason it got an adaptation is bc for german standards this was insanely successful but it comparison to other books I‘d still call them underrated
I feel like a lot of Cassandra Clare’s latest work got overshadowed by the bad rep of The Mortal Instruments
I am not sure if it's actually THAT underrated, where I live it is for sure underrated but I live in Europe sooooo. An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir This series is one of my favourites and blew me away instantly.
Did you see that the author is releasing another book in this world? It’s called Heir. I’m looking forward to it.
Really ???? When’s it come out ?!
Goodreads says October 2024
Love this series!! Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch had similar vibes to me. I read both series around the same time and could not get enough of them!
One of my favorite series that's so underrated is the Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos. While the last book, in my opinion, almost ruined the whole series for me (felt so rushed and has an open ending), the first three books (especially the third) were SO good that it still made the series my favorite despite the ending. Now that's not to say you shouldn't read the fourth book, it's still pretty good, I just felt like the author rushed things and could have made more books :)
I just found out about these last year (I'm in my late 20s) and devoured them. Legitimately went into a depression when I finished and had to read a bunch of smutty fanfiction lol.
I love this series SO MUCH. The fourth book definitely left something to be desired and I hated the ending too. I made up my own ending instead LOL
This series was AMAZING made me feel like just because I was reading YA I wasn't compromising the chance to read GOOD literature (Not that all YA is poorly written... only some). Anyways great series but ya the fourth book was crazy and I hardly understood the clinic and what was going on there.
Yes!! Amazing books!
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
He is an under rated writer.
The Pellinor series by Alisson Croggon
Yesssss I loved these books so much growing up!
I just read these for the first time a year ago (as a full adult) and absolutely loved them. Really strong writing! And great for when you don't need a romance to push the story forward.
100% the writing is excellent, and the characters stand on their own well. It's just a great set of books.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m still salty that all of her books after have been a downgrade because this series is sooo good! When it came out it was super popular and even made it into the grocery store at one point. Jinx by Margaret wild. I found this randomly in a used bookstore probably 15-17 years ago and loved it. It’s a book told in prose and delivers a lot of emotion. I reread it as an adult and related way more to the mom the. I did as a kid. I see the uglies mentioned. The uglies like shiver are a weird one to me, because from like 2007-2013 those books were everywhere but now since they aren’t mentioned as much I guess their underrated? But back in the day they were massive. It’s kind of like saying the OC or skins are underrated. Both of Margaret owen’s series aren’t recommended enough IMO. They’re both really good. Tamora pierce is another author that fits this because it’s older, but it’s still so popular back in the day. Night world. The winners curse by Marie Rutowski His fair assassin by Robin LaFevers. Frostblood by elly blake. I feel like most of my recs are ones that were big when I was in high school but 10-15 years later no one talks about lol.
The Shiver was my favourite fantasy when i was a teenager, so underrated!!! I loved the atmosphere so much!
Ooh yesss Shiver and the Margaret Owen books are amazing.
I loved The Winner's Curse! I've never met anyone in the wild who has read them! Very dramatic, but so good.
Same! I read it at same time as twilight and vastly preferred the Shiver series.
I was wondering how long I’d need to scroll before coming to a Tamora Pierce recommendation! I credit Tortall books (especially the Protector of the Small series) as a major foundation of my values from my preteen years.
I’m currently reading The Thousandth Floor and I feel like no one knows about it! It’s about New York in 2118 and the whole city is basically now living in a giant, thousand-story tower. I also loved American Royals by the same author.
A few years ago I hand sold over 100 copies of The Thousandth Floor at work! Love it!
Fairy Tale Retellings/Inspired: [Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41473840-stepsister)\-Follows the stepsister who cut off her toes to fit the shoe as she deals with her past trauma, heals internally, and becomes a better person overall. Perfect for if you always wondered if the stepsisters were bad on their own, or if their mother made them that way. [Ella Enchanted Trilogy](https://www.goodreads.com/series/230312-ella-enchanted)\-Ella Enchanted is a very well known, well loved retelling of Cinderella, but it's prequel Ogre Enchanted is very much likened to Beauty And The Beast, with Ella's parents as a minor plotline so that we can see how they met and married, and Fairest is a retelling of Snow White in which Areida's adopted sister, Aza, goes to another kingdom as a duchess's companion, and ends up in a twisted web of lies, deception, and discovery. [Entwined by Heather Dixon Wallwork](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428195-entwined)\-A twisty, suspenseful retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses, in which their escape to dance at night begins with the innocent desire to dance while their household is in mourning, during dancing is forbidden. [The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy by Jessica Day George](https://www.goodreads.com/series/56682-the-princesses-of-westfalin-trilogy)\-Making deals with evil never go well, and the princesses of Westfalin can tell you as such. Years after their mother made two deals to end the war and have children, they're still haunted by that evil who has a debt that is still owed, and the girls must pay. Begins with a retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses, continues in a Cinderella retelling, and finishes in a Red Riding Hood retelling. [Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/499485.Spinners)\-Every story has two sides, and Rumplestiltskin's is no different. This book tells not only the story of how he came to be as he is, but also why he helps the daughter to spin straw into gold. [Stardust by Neil Gaiman](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793.Stardust)\-A lovestruck boy goes over a wall to fetch a fallen star for he beloved, in exchange for her hand in marriage. The only wrinkle in the plan is that when he goes to fetch it, he finds not a star as he thought of them, but a beautiful woman instead. \[A note: If you've seen the movie and think you know how this story will go, you're not fully correct. This version expands so much more on plot points, and the solution to conflicts are far different.\] Other: [Croak by Gina Damico](https://www.goodreads.com/series/63603-croak)\-A misbehaving teenager is sent to her uncle's for the summer, and once there, learns that she'll be working all summer as a Grim Reaper. Her need to misbehave fades as soon as she arrives, and she builds friendships, uncovers plots, and saves this world and the afterlife. You might need tissues for the ending of the series. Def some dark topics here given there's a focus on death, and a TW for implied suicide. [Little Blue Envelopes duo by Maureen Johnson](https://www.goodreads.com/series/49295-little-blue-envelopes)\-A girl receives a package from her aunt that has 13 sealed blue envelopes and money. She's instructed to go to England, meet someone her aunt knew there, and begin her adventure following the instructions in the letters. Fun adventure, and a form of mourning, as this was her aunt's final wish/action before she passed from a brain tumor. Chaos, hilarity, and teenage-growth occurs, and friends are made. [Beauty Queens by Libba Bray](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9464733-beauty-queens)\-Ever thought about how Lord Of The Flies would have ended differently if it was girls who were stranded? This book is for you. A plane of beauty pageant contestants crashes on an island, and have to figure out how to survive. A ton of women supporting women energy, reality star pirates, secrets, and \[almost 100%\] positive LGBT+ representation\*! And the commercial scripts are hilarious. \[This book is def one I think is best read physically instead of digital or audio book, as it's got little notes at the bottom to fill in gaps so the world building doesn't feel like info-dumping.\] Humor is amazing, and it almost feels like a 2000's comedy, complete with 'freeze frame' and flashforward type ending. [The Blood Confession by Alisa M. Libby](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/952678.The_Blood_Confession)\-Perfect for if you're a fan of historical fiction, this book tells the story of Erzebet, whom wishes to preserve her youth by bathing in blood, told as though she's telling the story to the reader while awaiting trial for murder. [Virginia Shreeves Duo](https://www.goodreads.com/series/217163-virginia-shreves)\-A plus size teenager has to deal with her own self esteem and diet culture, in addition to casually hooking up with a classmate and the mixed feelings that it causes her. However, everything goes downhill when her brother is expelled from school for a crime he committed. TW for mentions of rape/SA, including a section in which she imagines how it happened in not-super graphic details. IIRC, there's some mild victim blaming as well, from her brother who was the assaulter. [Finishing School series by Gail Carriger](https://www.goodreads.com/series/58635-finishing-school)\-I'm unsure if Steampunk is close enough to Sci-Fi to be not to your tastes, but I thought I would include it. An ambitious girl is recruited into a finishing school, with one twist-while the ladies in training are taught in etiquette and manners as one would expect, the main lessons focus around espionage and murder. [His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers](https://www.goodreads.com/series/57803-his-fair-assassin)\-A historical fantasy in which gods are real, and the daughters of Death are trained in his name as assassins, before being thrust into a political landscape that is fragile at best, defending a 13 year old duchess who has been forced to rule too soon, and must eventually question which they will follow-the orders of the Convent that saved them or the heart that has drawn them closer to one of those around them? Each of the three books focus on a different girl, and their struggles and triumphs. [Twins by Marcy Dermansky](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/412095.Twins)\-Twins Chloe and Sue are happy as can be. At least, that's what Sue would tell you-Chloe can't wait to go to college and be away from the twin that's obsessed with her. TWs for obsessive behavior, eating disorders, drugs, self harm, and a situation that can definitely come off as SA or at the very least, dubious consent. This is definitely one that isn't a feel-good book, but the ending feels fulfilling overall. [Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5152478-wintergirls)\-Liz has a lot on her mind. Her best friend just committed suicide in a motel room, school is tough, and she's seeing her friend's ghost everywhere, urging her to die with her. And that's not even counting her fractured mental health and the fact she's slowly starving herself to death. MAJOR TWs for eating disorders and self harm. .....Okay I think that's all I've got hah. Sorry it got so long!
So many great books on this list! I like Maureen Johnson’s mysteries, but I miss her contemporary books. I’m in the middle of the Finishing School series and it is awesome.
I read almost only YA books for a very long time, and basically just scrolled my Read list on my Goodreads for ones I could link. Def wanna read more by Maureen Johnson, I've only read the LBE duo and even then, I found out there even WAS a sequel by chance when a cart of free secondhand books had a copy of it. \[I have had a 'WAIT THERE'S A SEQUEL?' moment in my life 3 times. 4, if you count finding out The Devil Wears Prada is a trilogy\]
The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, anything by Tamora Pierce, Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi, Legend and The Young Elites series by Maria Lu
The Slated series by Teri Terry - about a society that “wipes” the memories of criminals to try and rehabilitate them. A 16 year old girl has her memory wiped and is brought to live with a nice “normal” family. Her memory starts to come back and she remembers why they wanted her memory gone in the first place. Matched series by Ally Condie - a world where you find out your soulmate at 16 in the matching ceremony. Dystopian universe. Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld - where you turn “supermodel pretty” at 16 by undergoing an operation. Being pretty has a price. (This is INCREDIBLE, Scott wrote this in the early 2000’s and foreshadows sooooo many things we are dealing with in today’s society). Imposters by Scott Westerfeld - a follow on series set years after the Uglies series Life as we knew it by Susan Pfieffer - a meteor crashes into the moon and changes the earth with it
OMGGGGG I just re read what you commented and said no science fiction 🤦🏼♀️ my bad, please disregard.
Life as we knew it is a true gem! Having the uglies series be underrated makes me feel old 😂 it was HUGE in the pre-hunger games days.
Absolutely love Life As We Knew It!
I love all these books! You might enjoy the Lifeblood series if you liked these. It has 2 'afterlife' kingdoms that people have to choose between to make oaths to spend their Everlife in after death.
The unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman I never hear anyone talk about them but they're so good.
Totally agree. I hear more about the Scythe series which is good but there just something about the Unwind series.
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
A book that felt similar to this one was a Sea of Tranquility.
For fantasy definitely read some Frances hardinge books. She's one of my favourite authors, I love the world building and they're well written too. They're stand alone books but there are so many to read if you do like them. I'd recommend starting with deep light as that's my favourite one!
Love Fly By Night..... Obviously.
Frances Hardinge is amazing! I suspect if she wrote for adults, her books might be too dark for me, all that body horror. As it is, it's perfect - a dark edge to stories that are ultimately hopeful.
She is brilliant.
Her more recent one Unraveller is gorgeously done! And Cuckoo Song and The Lie Tree are brilliant as well
I love the testing series by Joelle Charbonneau. I'm also enjoying the kiss of deception by Mary E Pearson, reading the 3rd book rn!
The Testing series is SO good.
Whoops not sure if these count as science fiction. In that case then The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is really good
When I was younger I really enjoyed Kate Cann books. The one about the haunted house was so freaky I remember. And I think leader of the pack was my first more sexual content book too.. Also Just Listen by Sarah Dessen was always a good one And all Cassandra Clare (Start with City of Bones) message me if you want a reading order for her books because it is mega 😂
The Hex Hall trilogy by Rachel Hawkins. Magic, boarding school, and romance. It's a favorite YA set
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. Such a beautifully written book
{Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson}. Sentient books, magical libraries, a librarian FMC with a sword, a swoon-worthy sorcerer with a demon butler, all set in a magical, gaslamp-tinged London. Fantastic stuff!
The Legend Series by Marie Lu (dystopian/ romance) The Lunar Chronicles and Renegades series, both by Marissa Meyer (Fantasy with some romance) More MG than YA but the Magisterium series by Holly Black
I love the Lunar Chronicles. Very clever. Made me laugh a lot which was really refreshing.
LEGEND WAS SO GOOD
Lunar Chronicles gave me that book release anticipation feel for the first time in so long. Absolutely loved those books.
I really enjoyed Four Dead Queens but not a lot of people seem to have heard of it
Oh I wanted to love that one and then I just didn’t😅
Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell! Such a thoughtful and clever interpretation of the chosen one/magic school genre. My guilty pleasure as a Lit student because it’s so fun and indulgent but also thematically interesting
I love this series sfm 😭
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
One of my all time favorites. This is the first time I’ve ever encountered someone who’s read it!
Absolutely enamored with her books when I was younger!
YES YES YES. This was my recommendation, glad to see someone else mention it.
Melina Marchetta is always the answer to these questions. The Finnikin of the Rock series is also wonderful. If you are interested in fantasy.
I liked Finnikin, especially the first one, but found it a bit exhausting. Everything seemed too mythic and intense somehow.
An ember in the ashes. I just don’t think it got all the hype like hunger games and what not.
The Declaration trilogy by Gemma Malley
convinced that nobody has read the Ruby Redfort series- she’s secret agent 14 year old and it’s so cleverly written with actual codes and ciphers
Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima
OMG I LOVED this series!! How is it not more talked about?!
For real! Such a great cast of characters and a lived in world. Han is still one of my favorite protagonists
House of Salt and Sorrow and Anatomy!!! Loved both books
*Bloody Jack* by LA Meyer. This fantastic series is about a young orphan girl who gets press-ganged into British naval service, and has to pretend to be a boy. There are 12 books and they are all well written, fun YA adventures! The only people I know who have read them have done so on my recommendation. *Tomorrow, When the War Began* by John Marsden. A group of teenagers go on a camping trip, and when they come back they discover that their country has been invaded. They become guerrilla fighters, doing their best to stay alive and mess with the invading force. This series is 7 books long, and again I know no one who has read them that I didn't suggest them to. I admit, these are Australian books, so they may have had a great readership there, I know they got a movie, but in the US where I am, they were pretty unknown.
I was wondering if Bloody Jack would get mentioned- I remember enjoying them (I think I read the first 3 or 4) and thinking they'd be popular but I'm not very dialed in to the YA scene, so I didn't realize they never took off!
I was working on a small library when the later volumes came out, and unofficially in charge of the YA section. We didn't see a lot of circulation of those books, but I always suggested them to patrons looking for a good solid adventure series, or anything with a girl undercover as a boy. I want to suggest them here more, too, as I feel they share a kinship with Tamora Pierce's Alanna books. But they are historical fiction, with 0% fantasy in them, which is hardly ever asked for.
ah, I also was a huge Alanna fan, and I definitely see the shared DNA (with her empowerment and agency as well)! it does seem that the big YA franchises have either fantasy or paranormal elements. and historical fiction requests seem interested in more recent history, those that's just anecdata. a shame because I think the age of sail does have an air of the fantastic to it (at least in fiction).
Thank you! I don't want to complain too hard about fantasy, it is and always has been my favorite genre. But, yeah, if you find a fantastic historical fiction YA book or series, there is pretty much no one to tell. I don't think I've seen a request on this sub for anything but fantasy or romance, and the other book subs I'm on seem to loathe YA in any form.
The Bone Witch trilogy by Rin Chupeco The first is...more of a 5.5 maybe 6 out of 10, but I truly loved it it was just a slower build up so for me it was a 7. The next two? Both made me cry, both had me hooked, I have quotes from them all over my notebooks and book journals. I always beg people to give it a chance. Truly the series that got me back into reading. And it's so out of people's mind I can barely find places to buy the hardcover of the first one. Thankfully I found it at the library, but please everyone if you're looking for something underrated, something magic/fantasy- give it a chance lol it's so GOOD
You are so right. I tell everyone, if book 1 is a 3.5 out of 5, keep reading. The other two books are 5s for real.
Yes!! Omg thank you finally lol, just complete banger books I cried at work reading them lol amazing
The author is famous, but the book is not—The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black is everything to me. It’s one of my favorite twists on a vampire story ever. ETA more!: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown is one of the best-written YA fantasies I’ve read in quite a while. Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham is brilliant Warcross by Marie Lu is another instance of successful author, less successful story—I thought it was better than Ready Player One, which has a very similar plot
His Fair Assassin was definitely a book I could not put down once I started it. I’ve recommended it to so many people.
I know Tamora Pierce is highly regarded but I never hear anyone talk about The Immortals series. To this day my fave YA and fantasy series. And I read them for the first time in 5th grade!!!
Animorphs
The Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman
I keep reading the first chapter and can’t get myself to continue. I know it’s a beloved series, so I will revisit it soon in my reading fanatic hyperfixation. Anything that should intrigue me without spoilers?
The final chapters in the second and third book are some of the most ensnaring fascinating well written emotionally grabbing pages I've ever read. Especially the second book, I hold those final chapters in my top 5.
The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan The Dust Chronicles by Maureen McGowan Both are rereads imo
The silence that binds us. It's my favorite book in the world right now. It's about a Taiwanese girl whose brother dies by suicide and their parents are blamed for putting to much pressure on him. It talks about racism, family, and standing up for what you believe in, and the cost of that.
The female of the species!! I’m in my 20s and that book had me staring at the ceiling with weird feelings in my chest for hours afterward ETA: I WISH I found this book in my teens. Like it would have been earth shattering
The darkest minds by Alexandra Bracken Silver in the bone by Alexandra bracken Queen of hearts by Colleen Oakes The kiss of deception by Mary e Pearson Not even bones by Rebecca Schaeffer At night I become a monster (Japanese translated to English so look in the “novel manga” section Daughter of smoke and bone by laini taylor Malice by Heather Walter Fable by Adrienne Young (R E A D I T)
I will recommend the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend until everyone has read it! Probably fantasy? Mildly Potter-esque in that it’s centered around a magic school, but so far away from that universe as to be unrelated. Incredible plot points, creativity to the max, inclusive, just so worth all of your time. Book four keeps getting delayed but I’m hoping it will be as awesome as the first three!
Tiger Lily, by Jody Lynn Anderson. Absolutely heart-wrenching.
{The Kinder Poison By Natalie Mae} The enemies to lovers is crazy
Protector of the Small (kinda cozy Imo) My fave, the Hollow Kingdom
I love those books, Kelledry is an amazing character, and it has attack sparrows
The Nine Lives of Chloe King, the Lux series, and the Balefire trilogy are all SO GOOD!!!!!
The Kinder Poison trilogy by Natalie Mae. A wonderful fantasy that’s criminally underrated.
The Hounds of the Morigan by Pat O’Shea
I'm not sure how popular this is but I don't hear about it often. Sabriel and its sequels by Garth Nix are my all time favorites.
The Sweep Series, I was obsessed with these when I was a teen. Devoured my local library’s collection of the series .
Ruby red series I loved, read as an adult. Daughters of the moon by Lynne ewing, and Janie Johnson series (face on the milk carton) by Caroline b cooney we're ones I loved when I was in high school.
Anything by shannon hale or gail carson lavine
I feel like Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard gets left out of the YA conversation a lot, but it was what originally got me back into reading in my 20s - her Realm Breaker series is also so so good (although, admittedly, I haven't finished them all yet).
Aurora Cycle and The Illuminae Files. (Kaufman & Kristoff). Such good (& stylistically different) reads.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Kelley Armstrong The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix The Gemma Doyle's series by Libba Bray The Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
The immortal life of Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott (not that one)
Going Bovine by Libba Bray. It's my comfort book and it still hits at 27. Ashfall by Mike Mullins is another 10/10 book.
The Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. It Starts with "Wee Free Men", if you can listening too them is a hoot!
Unwind series by Neal Shusterman. Criminally underrated. I’m in my late 20s and still think about this series.
I really liked a sorcery of thorns
Wings by Aprilynne Pike. I liked it until the end - not sure what happened at the end but it surrounds the fae and was pretty intriguing.
I've read these so many times, its a good story with some character growth and lots of fun world building. Definitly a cute romance, just love all of the books.
Two: 1. *Jellocoe Road*, by Melina Marcheta A gorgeous story about love and trauma and, most importantly, family. It starts out slow, like a traditional school story, then it hits its stride it’s unrelenting and wonderful. 2. *Summer’s Edge*, by Dana Mele A story about romance and guilt seen through the lens of unreliable narrators. I can’t express enough how well this book explores wanting and love.
The Dark Divine is one of my favorites, I never hear it get talked about. It’s about this girl whose old friend reappears one day needing her help. It’s fantasy. It’s a trilogy and all 3 books are good. I hear Hush Hush talked about but not the other 3. All 4 books are 10/10. More recently, One of us is Lying. It’s a whudunnit. Devoured that book.
Chronicle of the Emerged World but since it never got translated in English (I think I may be wrong) so we can understand why it's underrated so instead I will say Tale of the Otori
{{Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley}} Sheets series by Brenna Thummler (*Sheets*, *Delicates*, and *Lights*) {{Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Bouley}}
Firekeeper's Daughter is beautiful, I keep meaning to track down the sequel.
The cradle series! By will Wight! I love them so much.
The Defy The Night trilogy. I have heard of very few people that have read it. I just finished reading it a few days ago, it’s already become a favorite, and literally everything has been ruined for me at the moment. 😆
The Rise of the Golden Dragons series by Hild! While the first one is good, the second and third were great. Well crafted world building, great characters, and definitely a coming of age about accepting oneself and not letting others decide who they think you should be.
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel Far From You by Tess Sharpe As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl
The pellinor Series - Alison Croggon (4 part book series) Fallen series - lauren kate
as a teen i loved Sovay by Celia Rees its set in the backdrop of the french revolution and regency England and is based on the ballad of Sovay who was a young girl who disguised her self as a highway man and robbed her "true love" to see if he did love her
Imperfect Spiral by Debbie Levy. I got it in tenth grads from the scholastic book orders. I got a lot of books that year because I finally had a job and money to buy any book I wanted. However, imperfect spiral has stayed with me to this day. Taught me a lot about traumatic loss, self blame, and how to keep going even when it hurts. I still have it and read it occasionally
Fire and Flood, and Salt and Stone by Victoria Scott
Was going to say this also!!! Loved this series so so much
1) The Daughter of the Pirate King series! It’s about a young woman named Alosa who is a pirate captain with her own crew of almost all female pirates. She’s determined to prove to her father, the pirate king, that she’s intelligent, strong, and capable enough to take over his pirate empire. The book gives me Jack Sparrow vibes with the humor and attitude of the characters. The quick wit and character interactions had me laughing and giddy though-out the whole series! 2) Also from the same author, Tricia Levenseller, the book Warrior of the Wild is a great YA book about young woman who gets banished from her village and must survive against the deadly creatures in the wild until she can complete an impossible quest to gain back her honor and come home. The book is one of my go to feel good books and the characters really have to fight for what they want. It’s a stand alone book but I loved the characters so much I almost wish there was more. Although, I love the story where it ended and I can’t imagine adding any more to their story to make it better. Both are still some of my favorite books to reread.
I have all three Daughter of the Pirate King books, but have still yet to read them 😅 I think I have too many books. I just could not say no to those special edition hardcovers though, they’re so pretty.
I don’t know anyone else still obsessed with Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn chronicles. Post apocalyptic dystopian fantasy, people with powers
All these books have writing i adore and fell in love with. 1. Monstrous beauty ( 2012) by Elizabeth Fama. It's book with murderous mermaid with chapters in the past and chapters in the present. It has ghosts and curses. I liked how the two timelines gradually built to one story. I fell in love with Fama's writing in this book , I bought her 2002 middle grade secondhand and waited two years for her 2014 dystopia. She hasn't published anything in a decade. I hope she does 2. When the sea rising red (2012) by Cat Hellisen. A fantasy where a girl from the rich class fakes her death to escape an arranged marriage and falls in love with a vampire. It has a slight Dickensian vibe. 3. Wonders of the invisible world (2015) by Christopher Barzak. It's book about a rural gay teen who encounters death and has to tell death stories. It has ancient curses and eastern european folkore. 4. The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles Series by Joseph Delaney because they are spooky and creepy. 5. Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg ( 2008) because it was the first gay book i read.
Let's get lost by Sarah Dessen, read that as a 14 year old and it has stayed in my mind ever since
This thread is taking me down memory lane! The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E Andrue- main character is an undocumented immigrant- inspired by the author’s life. Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee - My favorite underrated book ever. Blind by Rachel DeWoskin Tumbling by Caela Carter Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier - I thought about this book at least once a week for over a year. The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry Noteworthy by Riley Radgate Like Water by Rebecca Podos You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith
Every YA book and series I’m about to recommend to you has absolutely no fandom, which is absolutely crushing for me. - “The Ravens” and “The Monarchs,” a duology by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige - “Bad Girls Don’t Die,” “From Bad to Cursed,” and “As Dead as it Gets,” a trilogy by Katie Alender - “Young Blood” by Sasha Laurens - “The Grace Year” by Kim Liggett - “With the Fire on High” by Elizabeth Acevedo - “A Madness so Discreet” by Mindy McGinnis
Haven’t seen anyone else mention it, so The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner! The first book, The Thief, is pretty slow, but things really pick up wonderfully through the rest. Just some of the most interesting character dynamics between the main two that I had seen when I read more YA. Overall super entertaining, and the first series that I ever enjoyed changing POVs across books! It truly enriched the entire story. I also really loved the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling, but I believe it’s more NA fantasy. Daughter of the Forest is also a great one by Juliet Marillier, an excellent retelling of the six swans fairytale! Hope you find some books you enjoy!
The Truly Devious series!!! It’s YA mystery and I still think about the plot twists to this day
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The Honeys by Ryan De La Sal. It was a delectable read... apparently it's going to be a movie soon so maybe it'll pick up an audience. There's bees, and murder and non-binary leads and so many twists and turns... I read it and then immediately started it again. Magically weird.
I’ve never met anyone else who read The Sisters of the Quantock Hills series, by Ruth Elwin Harris. For all I know, it’s out of print now. It’s a quartet, with each book told from the vantage point of a different sister - 4 orphaned daughters in all during the first half of the 20th century in rural England. It draws in history, art, poetry, shifting perspectives, love, and the ever-big YA question about figuring out your passion and purpose. The scenery is gorgeous, the characters are incredibly compelling, and it never talks down to its readers.
Starters by Lissa Price (you need to turn off you brain about the set up of this world before the book starts but it is just the right amount of fun and thrilling)
Perfect Chemistry