The days are getting shorter, the nights longer, and a chill will soon be in the air. It\u2019s the perfect time to read books with a bit of magic and mystery, and there\u2019s nothing more magical than witches. Forget what you know about warts and broomsticks \u2014 the witches in these YA books are complex, bold, and unpredictable, whether they\u2019re wearing corsets in 17th century Massachusetts or the coolest mini-skirts in modern times.<\/p>\n
no no 9780451480347 These Witches Don’t Burn<\/i> by Isabel Sterling <\/p>\n
Salem, Massachusetts, has been home to more than one witch story, but Isabel Sterling\u2019s debut novel is anything but predictable. Sterling\u2019s witches are high schoolers hiding their elemental magic from non-witches while tracking down the source of a new dark magic and dealing with complicated love triangles. <\/p>\n
9780593524299 Hellaween: A Graphic Novel<\/i> by Moss Lawton <\/p>\n
Gwen is an aspiring witch who is determined to make this year a magical one! Luckily, she can always rely on her two best friends \u2014 who just happen to be monsters \u2014 for their help. One thing Gwen and her friends didn\u2019t count on was Hiro, a local boy obsessed with hunting the supernatural. But when Gwen accidentally awakens something nightmarish, this group will need to band together to fight this sinister foe. This funny graphic novel is a great reminder of the importance of relying on your friends, especially when you feel alone. <\/p>\n
9780593117279 A Wicked Magic<\/i> by Sasha Laurens <\/p>\n
A powerful book of spells? Ancient demons? Teenage romance? Liss and Dan are dealing with it all and trying desperately to use their fledgling magic to save their friends and stop the darkness from consuming everything around them. <\/p>\n
9780593711927 Blood at the Root<\/i> by LaDarrion Williams <\/p>\n
Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever when his mom vanished and he discovered his uncontrollable powers. Since then, he’s kept his abilities secret while protecting his younger foster brother, Taye. Now 17, Malik is ready for a fresh start. Rescuing Taye leads him to his long-lost grandmother, a legendary conjurer, and Caiman University. There, Malik discovers a future he never imagined. As he searches for answers about his powers and his missing mom, Malik uncovers hidden truths about their magical community and an ancient evil.<\/p>\n
9780525581703 Camelot Rising Trilogy<\/i> by Kiersten White <\/p>\n
Although the Arthurian legends are best known for Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and the doomed romance between Lancelot and Guinevere, Kiersten White reimagines Guinevere\u2019s story in a bold departure from tradition. Here, Guinevere is a changeling who sacrifices everything to protect Arthur and Camelot. Her magic has the power to destroy or save everything she believes in. <\/p>\n
9780593354551 Spells to Forget Us<\/i> by Aislinn Brophy <\/p>\n
Luna \u2014 a powerful witch \u2014 and Aoife \u2014 a non-magical girl \u2014 both meet when they are at their lowest and start a life-changing romance. However, as decreed by magic law, Luna casts a spell that will erase Aoife\u2019s memories of their history if they ever break up. But when the girls end their relationship, both<\/i> of them forget \u2026 that is until they meet again. So begins an endless cycle of meet-cutes and breakups. <\/p>\n
9780593643334 Sinner’s Isle<\/i> by Angel Montaya <\/p>\n
Rosalinda is trapped on Sinner\u2019s Isle, a place for young witches feared for their magic but desired by powerful men. At eighteen, she\u2019s set to be the main attraction at the Offering, a party for the rich. She must escape before her dangerous magic is exploited. Mariano, the Prince of Pirates, ends up stranded on the island with a magical chain meant to guide him to his heart\u2019s desire. Together, they must outsmart their enemies and escape Sinner\u2019s Isle, before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n
9780451478245 Undead Girl Gang<\/i> by Lily Anderson <\/p>\n
If you like a dash of snark and a helping of fun with your witchcraft, Undead Girl Gang<\/i> is for you. Where else could a Doc Martens-wearing teenager bring three girls back to life with a tube of lip gloss? That\u2019s what Mila Flores does when she sets out to solve the suspicious death of her best friend\u2014only to find herself wrangling an uncooperative group of undead mean girls into helping her track down the truth. <\/p>\n
9780142421871 Born Wicked<\/i> by Jessica Spotswood <\/p>\n
Cate Cahill and her sisters live in a New England town run by a puritanical order called the Brotherhood. Here, witches get hunted, and all women over the age of 17 must marry or join the nun-like Sisterhood. The Cahill girls are beautiful, educated, and hiding a deadly secret \u2014 they are witches, and it\u2019s up to eldest sister Cate to keep them safe, no matter the cost. <\/p>\n
9780593813973 Practical Rules for Cursed Witches<\/i> by Kayla Cottingham <\/p>\n
From the author of My Dearest Darkest<\/i> comes a cozy fantasy romance! Teen witch Delilah Bea must break a powerful family’s curse to complete her magical training. But her own curse \u2014 to never find true love \u2014 complicates things when she falls for Briar, the girl she\u2019s trying to save. Together, they battle hunters and dark magic, racing against time to break the curse and find their happily ever after.<\/p>\n
9780553539509 How to Hang a Witch<\/i> by Adriana Mather <\/p>\n
How to Hang a Witch<\/i> tells the story of Samantha Mather, who moves with her stepmother to Salem, Massachusetts, after her father becomes ill. Samantha (like the author, Adriana Mather) is a descendant of Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister who advocated for persecuting men and women during the Salem Witch trials, which makes Samantha less than popular at her new school. And as Samantha discovers, dark forces are once again at work in Salem. She can\u2019t fight them alone, but thankfully, she has a 324-year-old ghost on her side. <\/p>\n
9780142420911 Akata Witch<\/i> by Nnedi Okorafor <\/p>\n
Sunny was born in America, lives in Nigeria, and just discovered that she\u2019s a witch. Or, more accurately, a \u201cfree agent\u201d with magical powers. As she explores her talents, Sunny must team up with fellow free agents to stop a far more powerful criminal force. A rich exploration of African magic and mythology, Akata Witch<\/i> is also an imaginative and extraordinary story of belonging and finding one\u2019s place in the world. <\/p>\n
9780593177389 Bad Witch Burning<\/i> by Jessica Lewis <\/p>\n
Until now, Katrell has been using her ability to talk to the dead to make ends meet. She doesn\u2019t have much choice \u2014 it\u2019s that, or she starves. But when Katrell goes a step too far and raises someone from the dead, things get a lot more complicated. <\/p>\n
9780525707400 The Babysitters Coven Series by Kate M. Williams <\/p>\n
If you think babysitters are just bored teenagers with nothing better to do on a Saturday night, think again. As Esme and Cassandra find out, some babysitters are powerful witches responsible for protecting the innocent from a host of evils. <\/p>\n
9781682558058 Sabrina the Teenage Witch<\/i> by Kelly Thompson, illustrated by Veronica Fish <\/p>\n
I first met Sabrina as a kid reading comic books, then again when she appeared in her television show in the \u201890s, and again in the revamped Netflix series. Loyal fans will adore Kelly Thompson\u2019s latest comic\/graphic novel that captures the unique charms of our favorite teenage witch as she navigates her magical powers, boyfriends, best friends, and life with two witchy aunts. <\/p>\n
9780763642280 Witch Child<\/i> by Celia Rees <\/p>\n
Set in the 17th century, Witch Child<\/i> tells the story of Mary Newbury, a powerful healer whose grandmother gets murdered for being a witch and who must flee to the New World for a chance at a better life. As Mary is about to learn, however, intolerance can reach across oceans. <\/p>\n
9780147511461 Half Bad<\/i> by Sally Green <\/p>\n
The first book in the Half Bad<\/i> trilogy takes place in modern-day England and follows 16-year-old Nathan who is half White witch (good) and half Black witch (evil). His mother is dead and his father is the world\u2019s most powerful Black witch. Both sides are hunting him and there is no one he can trust. Trapped in a cage, Nathan has to find a way to escape before his 17th birthday, when his father will give him three gifts and he will come into his own as a witch \u2014 or he\u2019ll die.<\/p>\n
9780763680169 Egg and Spoon<\/i> by Gregory Maguire <\/p>\n
Fans of Maguire\u2019s unique spin on class fairy tales (think Wicked<\/i>) will love this marvelous take on the Russian witch Baba Yaga. Set in Tsarist Russia, Egg and Spoon<\/i> follows the lives of Elena and Ekaterina as they set out on an adventure that brings them into the orbit of the salty Baba Yaga, complete with her chicken-leg house and a plethora of magical creatures. <\/p>\n
9781536204315 The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea<\/i> by Maggie Tokuda-Hall <\/p>\n
This book has it all \u2014 mermaids, witches, pirates, dangerous ocean journeys, and forbidden love. Flora has been living as the pirate Florian for years, just trying to survive. When she meets and falls in love with Lady Evelyn, the two will do anything to be together, even if that means challenging the Sea itself. <\/p>\n
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2024.<\/small><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Forget what you know about warts and broomsticks \u2014 the witches in these YA books are complex, bold, and unpredictable, whether they\u2019re wearing corsets in 17th century Massachusetts or the coolest mini-skirts in modern times<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":62155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[75,585],"coauthors":[26],"class_list":["post-61678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fantasy","tag-witches","ages_stages-teen"],"yoast_head":"\n