10 Young Adult Books You Need to Read

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

The Betrothed was published in May of 2020. Author of The Selection series, Kiera Cass has made a rebound with another royal romance book. In a world of kingdoms and royalty, Hollis Brite is a daughter of nobility, trained her whole life to find a man of high ranking. The Keresken king has fallen in love with Hollis and they become betrothed. But for this soon-to-be-queen, another captivates her heart- Silas. Silas is a commoner from another realm called Isolte, fleeing to escape his dictator. He and Hollis gradually reveal their feelings for one another. Unfortunately, Hollis’s family is ambushed by Isolte soldiers soon after Silas and Hollis wed. She decides to travel to Isolte and see with her own eyes why the kingdom is so violent and insufferable. Although there was a strong connection between Silas and Hollis, I loved how much the king admired Hollis in the beginning. Overall, I ended up torn between Silas and the king, making this book an engaging read. The Betrayed, a sequel to The Betrothed, is planned for a release in July of 2021, and this novel will continue Hollis's travels and reveal the stunning secrets of the Kingdom.

House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess

Published in May of 2020, House of Dragons is about five outcasts who are chosen to participate in a number of trials with their dragons after the emperor dies. A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will compete against each other in hopes of becoming the next ruler. The question that leaves everyone on the edge of their seats in this thrilling novel is: who will win? Thrilling and action-packed, you won’t want to blink! This book's sequel, War of Dragons, is planned for a release early this year, continuing the edging quest of death or victory.

Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder

This book was published in January of this year and is the first book of a brand new series! This is a fantasy read that focuses on multiple perspectives. In this enchanting world, nine realms rule and each person is assigned one of three fates: a savant, a non-savant, or to be sacrificed to the deadly sea. Ash is a non-savant but is best friends with Marcus, who is a savant. Savants have the ability to raise a phantom that is an entity of higher existence, reflecting themselves. Each savant has their own phantom with different abilities that defines their role in society. Marcus is the heir to the realm Baiseen but struggles to raise his phantom. After finally doing so, Marcus brings Ash and a cast of other characters to an island where he can train it. Overall, the book focuses on the magical dangers of their journey. The story leaves off a cliffhanger which leaves many readers anticipating the sequel, which has no set release date.

Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke

A century before the events of Of Silver and Shadow, all the silver wielders in the kingdom of Erdis were executed by the ruthless king. But one remains. Ren is a silver wielder who hides in the shadows, trying to avoid anyone who might discover her secret. That is, until she’s noticed by a group of rebels who want to overthrow the cruel king. They see her as a useful alibi to rally the crowds into joining the cause. However, a rebellion is a dangerous thing. A war is simmering and the King has started a competition to hunt Ren and the rebels. Time is running out. Of Silver and Shadow was just recently released this February.

An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir

This series has been in production since 2015! They most recently published the last book of the series, A Sky Beyond the Storm, in December of 2020. In order, the series starts with An Ember in the Ashes and continues with A Torch Against the Night, A Reaper at the Gates, and finally A Sky Beyond the Storm. In this brutal world, Laia is a slave and Elias is a soldier. Nobody is free under the Martial Empire. When Laia’s brother is arrested, she negotiates with a group of rebels. They will save her brother in exchange for Laia spying within the Empire's greatest military. There, Laia meets Elias, who wants to escape the empire just as much as she does. Laia's perilous journey brings along unexpected battles and grievances throughout the series.

Ash Princess Trilogy by Laura Sebastian

This series began in 2018 and has finally come to an end. The trilogy books include Ash Princess, Lady Smoke, and finally Ember Queen, which was released in 2020. This story is about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight for her country back. Theodosia is a princess in the kingdom of Astrea. One fateful day, everything was stripped from her. Astrea is one of the only kingdoms that has magic, which is just what the Kalovaxians want. They invade the country and murder the queen. Kaiser, the leader, keeps Theodosia alive as a trophy prisoner to remind the imprisoned people that there is no hope left for them. She is renamed Ash Princess as a title of shame and is abused by the Kaiser for 10 years. She realizes that surviving is no longer an option. Although physically weak, Theodosia has a sharp mind, which is the ultimate weapon. And when she finally escapes from the Kaiser, she knows she must raise an army and return to free her people.

The Legend series by Marie Lu

Legend, Prodigy, and Champion are the completed books in order. Rebel is an additional book that goes further into the characters' lives as adults. What was once North America is now split into two nations at war with each other: the Republic and the Colonies. The Republic is heavily fortified, while not much is known about the Colonies and their strengths. June is an incredible military prodigy who belongs to a wealthy district in the Republic. Day is a wanted criminal who lives in the Republic’s slums. These two have no reason to cross paths with each other. That is, until June’s brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. In a shocking turn of events, June and Day slowly discover the truth about their nation and who their real enemies are. The theme follows a corrupt totalitarian government and romance. Although I was crushed by the ending, this is by far one of my favorite series. Be prepared to grab some tissues!

The Young Elites series by Marie Lu

This is one of those series that has so much to take in, it's hard to summarize. In most books, the heroes are the main characters who always save the day. Though for this series, the author wanted something different. The Young Elites book starts off with a deadly plague, killing most and leaving survivors with markings and, for some, powers. The survivors, called malfettos, are disgraced by the kingdom and especially by the Queen, who executes them any chance she gets. Adelina survived the plague but was left with gruesome markings. Her father neglects Adelina throughout her childhood due to her imperfections. But one night, Adelina discovers that the plague left her with supernatural powers. Kingdom officials hear of this and she is captured and set to be executed. However, the Young Elites take notice of her magic and save her. The Young Elites are a group of malfettos, each with different powers. Also a malfetto is the Prince, who started the Young Elites after being banished by the Queen. They discover that Adelina's power is fed by hatred and fear and can be very dangerous. After being trained to control her ability, she becomes a part of the Young Elites and tries to work with them to rebel against the kingdom so that the prince can take his rightful throne. However, matters change when Adelina's powers spin out of control. She's shunned by the Young Elites and travels to another kingdom to create her own elite group as revenge. The story continues in The Rose Society and The Midnight Star. This story really speaks to the saying that villains aren't evil, just broken. I definitely recommend reading this series!

Matched trilogy by Ally Condie

Matched, Crossed, and Reached are the completed books in order. This dystopian trilogy has an interesting concept. Cassia lives in a tightly-controlled society where the government makes all decisions for its citizens, including in their love lives. In this world, people are “matched” with their partners at the age of 17. On the night of the banquet, Cassia is matched with her best friend, Xander. She receives a micro-card with her partner's information but notices that it momentarily flashes the face of another boy. Officials tell her it was a malfunction, but Cassia is already intrigued by the boy, Ky Markham. She discovers that he is an aberration and can’t be matched. However, after spending time with him, Cassia falls in love with Ky. He is soon taken away by the government. Cassia becomes disillusioned with the government and begins to search for Ky.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Published in 2012, Cinder is part of The Lunar Chronicles series. All of the books have the same storyline but are told from different peoples perspectives. Cinder in particular is the story of Cinderella, but retold in an intriguing way that makes the novel a page-turner. Cinder is a cyborg, a human-robot hybrid, as her foot was replaced with a robotic prosthesis after a mysterious childhood accident. Problems abound in Cinder's world- the kingdom in which she lives is overrun with a deadly plague, and the Lunar queen makes sly plans to annex Earth for her rule. After meeting and falling for the Prince of the kingdom, Cinder must find a way to save those she loves from the plague and save the Prince from the insidious plans of the Lunar queen. Scarlet is the sequel. Cinder has readers immersed, so be sure to mark this book on your reading list!