This was another banner year for young adult titles and the fans who love them. Fantasy, historical fiction, first love, secret societies, and murder mysteries \u2014 I\u2019ll take one of each, please! This year also provided plenty of richly imagined diverse titles to choose from. No matter what genre you love to read, here are the best and brightest YA books of 2023!<\/p>\n
no no 9780593463338 The Davenports<\/i> by Krystal Marquis <\/p>\n
The girls at the center of Krystal Marquis\u2019s debut novel are based on the real-life daughters of C.R. Patterson, founder of the first Black-owned car company in the United States. The Davenports takes place in 1910 Chicago and is riddled with the hallmarks of turn-of-the-century success, such as grand estates, ball gowns, young love, and ambition. \u201cMarquis perceptively explores the history and momentous impact of Black achievements and wealth during an underreported period in U.S. history,\u201d says Publishers Weekly<\/a><\/i>. The sequel, The Davenports: More Than This<\/i>, will hit shelves in May 2024.<\/p>\n 9780593481653 Silver in the Bone <\/i> by Alexandra Bracken <\/p>\n Buckle up because this fantasy novel from the author of The Darkest Minds<\/i> series will take you on a pulse-pounding thrill ride. When Tamsin hears about a magical ring from the Arthurian legend that can break a curse on her brother, she decides to track it down. Doing so requires her to team up with her rival and face sorceresses, dark magic, and her long-lost foster father.<\/p>\n 9780593619506 The Legacies <\/i> by Jessica Goodman <\/p>\n Get ready for a decidedly different take on elite young women. In The Legacies<\/i>, seniors from New York City\u2019s vaunted prep schools find themselves at the center of a murder. There\u2019s a secret society called the Legacy Club and their ritzy party, the Legacy Ball. And at the end of the night, a body gets removed from the premises. Kirkus<\/i> calls<\/a> The Legacies<\/i> a \u201cskillfully executed thriller with a decadent setting that fans of the genre will adore.\u201d<\/p>\n 9780593527702 House of Marionne <\/i> by J. Elle <\/p>\n House of Marionne<\/i> offers a unique twist on the elite \u2014 the families who send children to a magical finishing school in the South. Seventeen-year-old Raquell Janae Marionne, known as Quell, finds herself there because she has toushana<\/i> (power) in her blood and must learn to control it. Amidst the magic, politics, and intrigue, she also finds forbidden love. This is the first book in an exciting new series.<\/p>\n 9780593482339 Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute <\/i> by Talia Hibbert <\/p>\n The first title from Joy Revolution, a new imprint from bestselling YA authors (and couple) Nicola Yoon and David Yoon, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute<\/i> delivers on their commitment to publishing YA romance by and about people of color. In Hibbert\u2019s novel, two 17-year-old Black, British ex-best friends \u2014 Bradley Graeme and Celine Bangura \u2014 are thrown together in the wilderness as they compete for the same scholarship.<\/p>\n 9780593642962 My Father, The Panda Killer<\/i> by Jamie Jo Hoang <\/p>\n Told in two alternating voices, My Father, The Panda Killer<\/i> is a remarkable coming-of-age story that follows Jane \u2014 a teenager who lives in California and is desperate to go to college and leave her father, his anger, and her Vietnamese culture behind \u2014 and her father \u2014 as he makes the harrowing journey from Vietnam to the United States as an eleven-year-old refugee. A vibrant story of intergenerational trauma, this novel shows the horrors of war, the path toward accepting your heritage, and the need to accept yourself. <\/p>\n 9780593625361 Thieves’ Gambit<\/i> by Kayvion Lewis <\/p>\n Thieves\u2019 Gambit<\/i> is the story of an epic international heist competition of the same name, but it\u2019s also the story of 17-year-old Ross Quest\u2019s journey to finding herself. If Ross wins the Thieves\u2019 Gambit, she will be granted one wish \u2014 and it\u2019s the only way she can save her kidnapped mother. Says Kirkus<\/i><\/a>, \u201cIt\u2019s impossible not to root for Ross as she tries to figure out who she\u2019s meant to be.\u201d The cinematic thriller has already been optioned for a motion picture. <\/p>\n 9780593650868 Murtagh <\/i> by Christopher Paolini <\/p>\n Fans of The Inheritance Cycle will welcome a return to the world of Eragon<\/i><\/a>. Murtagh<\/i> takes place a year after the end of Paolini\u2019s bestselling series and features the dragon-rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. As Paolini himself wrote on Reddit<\/a>. \u201cTo be clear, Murtagh<\/i> isn\u2019t a spin-off. It isn\u2019t a retelling. And it isn\u2019t a one-off that won\u2019t connect to later events. It\u2019s a direct-line sequel to The Inheritance Cycle and an essential and necessary part of what I\u2019m doing in Alaga\u00ebsia.\u201d<\/p>\n 9780593643334 Sinner’s Isle<\/i> by Angela Montoya <\/p>\n This enchanting tale of romance and fantasy, follows the story of a powerful witch who is captive on a remote island and desperate to escape. To achieve her freedom, she resorts to blackmailing a charming pirate named Mariano. The two must work together to outwit their enemies and each other before the Offering ends, and they are trapped forever on the perilous Sinner’s Isle. <\/p>\n 9780593619919 Check & Mate <\/i> by Ali Hazelwood <\/p>\n As you might guess from the title, Ali Hazelwood\u2019s YA debut is about love and chess. When 18-year-old \u201cex\u201d chess player Mallory Greenleaf unexpectedly beats the world chess champion, Nolan Sawyer, at a charity tournament, she\u2019s drawn back into the game \u2014 in more ways than one. Kirkus<\/i> calls<\/a> Check & Mate<\/i> a \u201cswoon-worthy romance.\u201d <\/p>\n 9780593429747 American Royals IV: Reign <\/i> by Katharine McGee <\/p>\n In the fourth and final installment of the New York Times<\/i> bestselling American Royals series<\/a>, Queen Beatrice is in a coma, Princess Samantha is missing, and somehow, Prince Jefferson sits on the throne. \u201cThis might be the most unexpected and maybe even the most emotional title in the series,\u201d says Cosmopolitan<\/i><\/a>. \u201cWhat can win between heart and country?\u201d<\/p>\n 9780593528716 Threads That Bind<\/i> by Kika Hatzopoulou <\/p>\n The first of two books, Threads That Bind<\/i>, introduces us to the orphaned Ora sisters \u2014 descendants of the Fates who wield magical abilities to build, manipulate, and sever the threads that bind people together. The youngest sister, Io, a private detective, uncovers a plot to murder women in Alante. The conspiracy grows stronger when her estranged sister appears on the arm of one of her prime suspects. \u201cClassical mythology, police procedural, and romance combine in this imaginative, intriguing post-apocalyptic story,\u201d says Kirkus<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n 9780593463277 Nightbirds <\/i> by Kate J. Armstrong <\/p>\n Common Sense Media<\/i> calls Nightbirds<\/i> \u201can empowering read for teen girls.\u201d But any fan of young adult fantasy will devour the story of Matilde, Sayer, and \u00c6sa. These three Nightbirds have descended from the mystical Fyrebirds and wield subtle magic. They rely on the Great Houses to keep them safe. An attack on their inner sanctum also reveals long-held secrets about their history. <\/p>\n 9780593300992 Her Radiant Curse <\/i> by Elizabeth Lim <\/p>\n Elizabeth Lim, author of the bestseller, Six Crimson Cranes<\/i><\/a>, once again weaves together the best of Eastern and Western folktales and fairy tales for Her Radiant Curse<\/i>. It\u2019s the tale of two sisters \u2014 one beautiful and one not \u2014 who must save one another.<\/p>\n 9780593482544 House of Roots and Ruin <\/i> by Erin A. Craig <\/p>\n In this haunting sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows<\/i><\/a>, 17-year-old Verity Thaumas and her older sister Camille remain at their family\u2019s estate by the sea while the other sisters have spread across Arcannia. When Verity hopes to join another sister in Bloem, Camille forbids it: Verity still sees ghosts, after all. Verity ignores her sister and flees into a lush world undercut with a dark side.<\/p>\n 9780593527603 Lying in the Deep <\/i> by Diana Urban <\/p>\n This clever YA murder mystery is set on a Semester-at-Sea cruise ship. When Jade\u2019s boyfriend, Silas, takes up with her best friend, Lainey, Jade wants to escape. But there they are, on the same ship, for an entire semester. When Lainey disappears, Jade becomes the primary suspect and must piece together the clues to clear her name.<\/p>\n 9781984812643 The Ruined<\/i> by Ren\u00e9e Ahdieh <\/p>\n Fans of The Beautiful series will find a certain kind of closure in The Ruined<\/i>, the thrilling final installment of Ren\u00e9e Ahdieh\u2019s YA vampire romance centered around on the Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld. \u201cNo one escapes unscathed, but time may heal some wounds,\u201d says Kirkus<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n 9780593482100 Invisible Son<\/i> by Kim Johnson <\/p>\n Invisible Son<\/i> is the story of Andre Jackson, a boy fresh out of juvenile hall for a crime he did not commit. He is trying to rebuild his life in the rapidly changing landscape of Portland, Oregon. Set during the onset of the pandemic and the protests around the murder of George Floyd, Invisible Son is one part social commentary, one part coming-of-age, and one part thriller. \u201cIt\u2019s a layered novel, and the main core is about Black boyhood,\u201d Johnson said in an interview with Shondaland. \u201cIt\u2019s about a time capsule of a particular community in Portland that I know very well, and a young boy who\u2019s really navigating it.\u201d<\/p>\n 9780593307700 Chaos Theory <\/i> by Nic Stone <\/p>\n Acclaimed YA author Nic Stone returns with the story of 18-year-old Andy Criddle, the son of a politician, whose life intersects with 16-year-old Shelbi Augustine, a high school genius, after a drunken car crash. Amid addiction, grief, and mental disorders, they find each other and themselves. \u201cA thoughtful, realistically messy emotional wallop that destigmatizes mental disorders,\u201d says Kirkus<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n 9780593485019 One of Us Is Back <\/i> by Karen M. McManus <\/p>\n History threatens to repeat itself in the third book in McManus\u2019s bestselling One of Us Is Lying<\/a> series. The Bayview Crew \u2014 Bronwyn, Cooper, Addy, Nate, Maeve, Phoebe, Knox, Luis, and Kris \u2014 is back for the summer. When a digital billboard proclaims, \u201cTime for a new game, Bayview,\u201d and one of the crew disappears, it\u2019s clear a deadly new game has started, and they don\u2019t know the rules.<\/p>\n 9780593485545 Plan A <\/i> by Deb Caletti <\/p>\n With abortion politics playing out in the headlines almost daily since the fall of the Roe v. Wade ruling, Deb Caletti\u2019s story of 16-year-old Ivy brings the reality of abortion to light. Ivy finds herself pregnant in Paris, Texas, and takes off on a road trip to Oregon, where abortion is legal. Says Kirkus<\/i>, \u201cThe book offers a powerful argument for choice, bolstered by an exploration of women\u2019s oppression and strength, told through a personal lens.\u201d<\/p>\n 9780593126967 Spice Road <\/i> by Maiya Ibrahim <\/p>\n Seventeen-year-old Imani is a young warrior who uses the power of Spice, a special tea, to protect the city of Qalia. When she learns that her presumed-dead brother is alive and spreading the secret of Spice to others, she sets off on a quest to find him in the Forbidden Wastes and bring him to justice. Says Kirkus<\/i>, \u201cIbrahim\u2019s worldbuilding is fresh, with an exciting premise that not only promises a tantalizing romance, but explores classism, privilege, and a debate on the human responsibility to support those who are powerless.\u201d<\/p>\n 9780593461617 How to Be a (Young) Antiracist <\/i> by Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone <\/p>\n In this YA version of the 2019 bestseller How to Be an Antiracist<\/i>, Ibram X. Kendi collaborates with beloved YA author Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin<\/i><\/a>, to teach young people to think critically about race. Stone is the narrator, while Kendi\u2019s life story provides the plot points. Says Common Sense Media<\/i><\/a>, \u201cIn tracing Kendi’s gradual awakening to the strains of racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism in his own thinking, they defuse the discomfort that might arise when they ask readers to acknowledge these thoughts and beliefs in themselves.\u201d <\/p>\n 9780593524381 You: The Story <\/i> by Ruta Sepetys <\/p>\n