The 17 Most Buzzworthy YA Books of 2019

Pet

There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question—How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

Acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi makes their riveting and timely young adult debut with a book that asks difficult questions about what choices you can make when the society around you is in denial.

Starsight

Jump back into Spensa’s story as she navigates her new life as a pilot, grapples with the secrets she’s uncovered, and continues her quest to save mankind. This highly anticipated sequel to Skyward is a fast-paced adventure set among the stars. If you haven’t started this YA book series yet, now is the perfect time to dive in!

The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth (Book of Dust, Volume 2)

In this new story set after the conclusion of the His Dark Materials book series, Lyra is a grown woman who has lost her connection to her dæmon, Pan. Feeling adrift and alone, Lyra strikes out across Europe looking for him and the mysterious Dust. Want to find out what animal your dæmon is? Take our quiz! 

Jackpot

Rico is smart, responsible, and poor. While working at a gas station, she sells a winning lottery ticket to a customer, but the prize goes unclaimed. Hoping to receive a portion of the winnings, Rico enlists the help of a wealthy (and handsome) classmate to help her locate the winner. This YA novel is a can’t-miss story of money, privilege, friendship, and luck.

The Guinevere Deception

Get swept up in the magical world of Camelot and the legend of King Arthur—but this time from Guinevere’s point of view. Magic is threatening Camelot. In order to save the kingdom, Merlin sends Princess Guinevere to marry and protect King Arthur. Filled with magic, romance, mystery, and adventure, this is one YA book from 2019 you won’t want to skip!

American Royals

What if George Washington had become king instead of president? Follow the lives of three royal American teenagers in this alternate reality YA novel. See how these teens deal with the pressure, glamour, and secrets that come with being royal in America.

House of Salt and Sorrows

If you love curses, conspiracies, ghosts, and magic, grab a copy of this retelling of “Twelve Dancing Princesses.” After her mother and four of her sisters die, everyone thinks Annaleigh’s family is cursed. But Annaleigh knows there’s something else behind the deaths plaguing her family. While her remaining sisters spend every night dancing at magical balls, Annaleigh searches for answers in this haunting fairy tale.

Spin the Dawn

Maia knows her father’s health is too frail for him to answer a summons from the palace. With her father’s blessing and her brother’s identity, she goes to the palace to vie for the coveted position of royal tailor. She competes against the best in the land and journeys to the far reaches of the kingdom to collect magical elements to create three legendary dresses. If you want a fairy tale you can get lost in for days, don’t pass this one up!

Scars Like Wings

Get ready for a seriously moving and inspiring story about Ava Lee, who has lost everything there is to lose: Her parents. Her best friend. Her home. Even her face. A year after the fire that destroyed her world, her aunt and uncle have decided she should go back to high school, but it turns out that no one wants to be seen with the “Burned Girl.” When Ava meets a fellow survivor named Piper, she begins to feel like maybe she doesn’t have to face this nightmare alone.

Wilder Girls

In the mood for a creepy book you won’t be able to stop thinking about? Read Wilder Girls. On a remote island that houses an all-girls boarding school, a strange virus is spreading. The trees turn wild, the animals become vicious, and the people grow claws and scales. There are terrible secrets on the island, which sixteen-year-old Hetty discovers when her best friend goes missing without a trace.

Hope and Other Punch Lines

As a baby, Abbi Hope was immortalized in a famous picture of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Now that she’s a teenager, Abbi wants nothing more than to escape her fame and live a normal life, so she takes a summer job in another town. There, she meets a boy who convinces her to help him find answers about that fateful day and the people in the photo that made “Baby Hope” famous.

Aurora Rising

When cadet Tyler rescues a mysterious girl from a long-lost spaceship, he unknowingly sets in motion a series of events that could destroy the world. So Auri, Tyler, and a team of outcasts set out across the galaxy on a secret mission to thwart an age-old conspiracy. This bestselling young adult novel is being adapted for television by MGM Television and is a must-read YA book of the year.

The Babysitters Coven

We’re so excited about the 2019 witch trend and this funny and spooky novel is right on it. When Esme and Cassandra discover that babysitting means a lot more than diaper changes and bedtime stories, they must use their new found witchy powers to save the world from evil…all before the parents get home.

How to Make Friends with the Dark

One of the most emotional YA books of 2019 is How to Make Friends with the Dark. When her mother dies unexpectedly, Tiger is left alone in the world. She is placed in foster care and must process her grief while navigating her turbulent new life. Interested in how the author created such realistic characters? Read Kathleen Glasgow’s writing prompts to help you create dynamic characters. There are some tips on dealing with heavy emotions in there, too.

Full Disclosure

This is an uplifting story about an HIV-positive teen falling in love and learning to live her truth. It’s honest, heartfelt, and will be sure to get you talking. Perfect for book clubs!

Lady Smoke

This sequel to the buzzworthy YA book Ash Princess is filled with as much action, romance, and intrigue as its predecessor. After escaping imprisonment, Theo is determined to liberate her people from the tyranny of the Kaiser. But in order to raise an army, Theo must marry—something she refuses to do. If you haven’t started this heart-pounding series yet, now is the perfect time to read the first two books before the finale is published in 2020.

Two Can Keep a Secret

Ellery and her brother are forced to move in with their grandmother in a charming small town that was put on the map when its homecoming queen was murdered. When a mysterious message threatens to make this homecoming as deadly as the one five years ago, Ellery taps into her love for true-crime mysteries to figure out who is behind it. As bodies and secrets pile up, it’s a race to find the culprit before they claim a new victim.