Mystery 11+
The Reel Wish (2024) by Yamile Saied Méndez follows Flor, a twelve-year-old Argentine American girl whose greatest dream is to become a figure skater. When an unexpected opportunity brings her closer to achieving that dream, Flor must balance ambition with family responsibilities, friendship, and learning to believe in herself. The novel celebrates perseverance, creativity, and finding joy in pursuing what you love.
Yamile Saied Méndez was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, before immigrating to the United States. She is one of the most prominent contemporary Argentine-born authors writing for children and young adults in English. Her work often explores family, identity, resilience, and Latin American heritage.
Mystery 14+
They're Watching You (2024) by Chelsea Ichaso is a suspenseful YA thriller centered on Joss, a scholarship student at an elite boarding school. After joining an exclusive secret society, she discovers that its traditions conceal dangerous secrets. As surveillance, manipulation, and mysterious events escalate, Joss must decide whom she can trust before becoming the society's next victim.
Chelsea Ichaso is an American YA author known for tightly plotted mysteries and psychological thrillers, including Little Creeping Things, Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets, and The Summer She Went Missing.
Science Fiction / Dystopian 13+
Divergent (2011) by Veronica Roth is set in a future Chicago where society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to a particular virtue: Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Erudite (knowledge), Amity (peace), and Candor (honesty). Sixteen-year-old Beatrice "Tris" Prior must choose between staying with her family or joining another faction. During her initiation, she discovers that she is Divergent—someone who doesn't fit neatly into one category—and becomes the target of those who fear people who cannot be controlled.
Veronica Roth is an American author whose debut novel became an international bestseller and was adapted into a successful film series. Divergent helped define the wave of YA dystopian fiction that followed The Hunger Games.
Mystery 14+
A Tempest of Tea (2024) by Hafsah Faizal is a dark fantasy heist novel set in a glittering, dangerous city inspired by Victorian-era and South Asian influences. The story follows Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who runs an exclusive tearoom by day and an illegal bloodhouse for vampires by night. When her business is threatened, Arthie assembles a crew of outcasts, thieves, and misfits to pull off an impossible heist that could expose the city's most powerful secrets.
Hafsah Faizal is a Pakistani American author best known for We Hunt the Flame. Her work is celebrated for bringing Muslim and South Asian influences into epic fantasy while delivering strong character-driven adventures.
Historical Fiction / Thriller 13+
ASAP (2024) by Axie Oh follows Sori and Nathaniel, two Korean American teenagers living in Seoul who unexpectedly reconnect after a chance encounter. As they navigate school, friendships, family expectations, and questions about their futures, their relationship begins to deepen. Set against the vibrant backdrop of contemporary Seoul, the novel explores identity, belonging, first love, and the challenges of balancing personal dreams with the expectations of others.
Axie Oh is a Korean American author known for writing young adult novels that blend romance, contemporary life, and Korean culture. Her books, including The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and XOXO, have gained international popularity for their engaging characters and vivid settings.
Fantasy 12+
Rebel Skies (2022) by Ann Sei Lin is the first book in a fantasy trilogy inspired by East Asian mythology and folklore. Set in a world where giant paper spirits, magical origami creatures, and sky cities exist, the story follows Kurara, a girl who becomes caught in a struggle between powerful factions after discovering secrets that could reshape her world. Filled with aerial adventures, political intrigue, and imaginative magic, the novel offers a fresh fantasy setting unlike most Western fantasy series.
Ann Sei Lin is a British author of Chinese heritage whose work draws on East Asian cultural influences, mythology, and visual traditions.
Fantasy 14+
Girls of Storm and Shadow (2019) by Natasha Ngan is the second book in the Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy. The story continues the journey of Lei and Wren, two young women who escaped the oppressive royal court at the end of Girls of Paper and Fire. Now fugitives, they travel across the kingdom seeking allies while confronting political corruption, rebellion, and the consequences of challenging a brutal system. As they encounter new cultures, magical traditions, and threats, their relationship is tested by secrets, trauma, and the demands of revolution.
Natasha Ngan is a British author of Malaysian-Chinese and Indonesian heritage. Her Indonesian ancestry comes through her father's family, making her one of the few internationally successful YA fantasy authors with Indonesian roots.