11 of the Best Young Adult Books of 2024 Book List
The Children’s Book Review
Are you ready to dive into an incredible lineup of young adult books that will make 2024 a year to remember?
From lyrical poetry collections to edge-of-your-seat thrillers, gripping historical memoirs to magical modern retellings, this year’s YA offerings are absolutely dazzling. Whether you’re drawn to stories of resistance and empowerment, tales of family bonds and first love, or adventures that blur the line between reality and fantasy, these eleven standout books showcase the incredible diversity and creativity that make YA literature such an exciting space. Let’s explore these remarkable stories that are already making waves and captivating readers!
Be sure to check out all our Best Kids’ Books of 2024 for all ages here.
Here are eleven of the best young adult books of 2024:
In this semi-autobiographical poetry collection, Renée Watson explores her experiences growing up Black in Portland through various poetic forms, celebrating Black womanhood and empowering young Black girls to embrace their power and potential.
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In this powerful young adult adaptation of Dr. Edith Eger’s bestselling memoir, she recounts her journey from being a teenage Olympic-hopeful gymnast in Hungary to surviving the horrors of Auschwitz, where her love of dance and her sister’s unwavering support helped her maintain hope and resilience through unimaginable circumstances.
Listen to Dr. Edith Eger discuss The Ballerina of Auschwitz on The Growing Readers Podcast.
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Snowglobe
Written by Soyoung Park
Translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort
Ages: 12-17 | 384 Pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (2024) | ISBN: 978-0593484975
When Chobahm is chosen to replace her favorite deceased TV star in the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe—humanity’s last warm refuge in a frozen world—she discovers the dark truth behind the perfect society’s televised facade.
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This Book Won’t Burn
Written by Samira Ahmed
Ages: 12+ | 384 Pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2024) | ISBN: 978-0316547840
When Noor Khan starts at a new school after her father’s abandonment, she discovers the library is removing books by queer and BIPOC authors—forcing her to choose between keeping a low profile until graduation or standing up against censorship, even as small-town politics and an unexpected romance complicate her fight.
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UK Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho masterfully weaves together two parallel journeys in this innovative verse novel: modern-day teenager Theo’s search for his absent father and the ancient myth of Theseus, creating an interactive narrative that allows readers to help guide both heroes through their intertwining paths toward understanding and identity.
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Don’t Let the Forest In
Written by CG Drews
Ages: 13-18 | 336 Pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (2024) | ISBN: 978-1250895660
When Thomas’s mysterious behavior leads Andrew into the forbidden forest at night, he discovers his best friend battling monsters that have emerged from Thomas’s own artwork—forcing Andrew to choose between protecting the boy he loves and stopping the deadly creatures that threaten everyone around them.
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In Northern California’s wine country, three siblings—twelve-year-old Dizzy who sees spirits, seventeen-year-old Miles seeking love, and nineteen-year-old violinist Wynton—are still reeling from their father’s disappearance when a mysterious rainbow-haired girl arrives, setting off a chain of events that could either heal or further fracture their family.
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Through a countdown of moments—from their first meeting twenty-four months ago to twenty-four seconds from now—Neon reflects on his relationship with Aria as he finds himself locked in her bathroom, wrestling with his thoughts before their planned first time together.
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Diet Soda Club
Written by Chaz Hayden
Ages: 14-17 | 320 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN: 978-1536223125
In this poignant novel, seventeen-year-old Reed must take desperate measures—including making fake IDs—to care for his chronically ill sister Beatrice after their mother abandons them, forcing him to navigate the complicated moral territory between doing what’s legal and doing what’s necessary to protect the person he loves most.
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In this darkly clever contemporary retelling of Richard III, scholarship student Rory ruthlessly pursues the lead role in her high school’s senior musical. Through multiple viewpoints, script excerpts, and musical scores, she draws readers into her deliciously villainous narrative as she proves that ambition knows no bounds in the cutthroat world of high school theater.
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Heir
Written by Sabaa Tahir
Ages: 14-17 | 512 Pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (2024) | ISBN: 978-0593616949
In this return to the world of An Ember in the Ashes, three lives intertwine: Aiz, a vengeful prisoner from the slums; Sirsha, an outcast tracker hunting a child-killer; and Prince Quil, reluctant heir to the Empire—each must face devastating choices between power, love, and the price of their own hearts.
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