Many YA books take place in big cities like New York or Los Angeles, and those are awesome! But when you’re in the mood for a quieter setting, nothing beats a YA book set in a small town or rural community. From heartfelt romances to haunting thrillers, these books about small towns will keep you reading from dusk to dawn.
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
Small town romances are the best! Spend a few hours falling in love on a remote island off Georgia’s coast with Claudine and Jeremiah. Claude wants to find out who she is after her parents split up, and when she meets the free-spirited and Earth-loving Miah, sparks fly between them.
The Breathless by Tara Goedjen
Escape to an old manor in the South with this spooky YA novel! When her dead sister’s boyfriend shows up at her house with no memory of the past year, Mae thinks he’s lying. But as she digs into her sister’s past, she discovers dark secrets, spells gone wrong, and magic with a dreadful price. This hair-raising story will send shivers down your spine!
Don’t Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller
A crumbling mansion, a girl running from scandal, and a small town full of ghosts and secrets—this spooky novel has everything to keep you reading all night long. If you love chilling stories about small towns and mysteries, add this book to your reading list.
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
This book reminds us of Miranda Lambert’s hit song “Famous in a Small Town.” Both the song and the book explore the connections between young people who live in rural areas. If you want a good book about teens in small towns all over America, don’t miss this heartfelt novel!
Fade into the Bright by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz
When life gets you down and you need a time-out, small towns have your back. After learning about a fatal degenerative disorder that runs in her family, Abby escapes to an island town for the summer. There, she meets new friends and an outdoorsy boy named Ben, who instantly complicates her life. If you’re in the mood for a small town tear-jerker, this novel is a must-read!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Small towns have a reputation of being sleepy places where nothing happens. But nothing could be further from the truth in Fairview. Five years after a murder-suicide shook up her small town, Pip decides to dig up the old case as part of her senior project. But someone doesn’t want her to find out the truth about the tragedy, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stop her.
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
If you live in a small town, you’ll know how difficult it is to leave. Small towns have tight-knit communities that support each other through difficult times. When Cash gets a full-ride scholarship to an elite prep school in Connecticut, he faces the most challenging decision of his life—stay in the town he loves or leave and chase his dreams.
The Lake by Natasha Preston
Even if you live in a big city, you’ve probably spent time in rural areas. For Esme and Kayla, summer camp was their escape every year . . . until something terrible happened. The girls vowed to never speak about it again, but when they return to their childhood camp as counselors, the past comes back to haunt them. You’ll love this thriller about two girls and a lake with dark secrets.
Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romasco-Moore
If you live in a rural area, you know how common it is to hear noises outside your window at night—especially if you live near the woods. Most people learn to ignore them, but for a girl named Jo, that’s impossible. Her twin sister runs wild in the woods, and Jo joins her every night. But when her twin attacks a boy from town, Jo must expose her sister or take the fall for her crime.
The Wild by Owen Laukkanen
Could you survive an ordeal in the wilderness? After a string of bad choices, Dawn’s parents send her to a remote wilderness boot camp. They’re hoping she’ll get her life straightened out, and this camp promises results. But once Dawn is alone in the woods, things veer wildly off course, and she finds herself fighting for her life.
