Holiday Book Buying Guide: YA Fiction

The holidays are fast-approaching. If you’re anything like me, you may have sincerely tried to get all of your shopping done in October… But then procrastinated and now it’s December and thankfully, Amazon Prime is a thing.

In October of this year, Publisher’s Weekly confirmed that sales of physical books are on the rise. And whether you’re a fan of YA, nail-biting mysteries, or just like to read what’s on the NY Times Bestseller List, everyone deserves a book this year. Okay, well, maybe not everyone. Maybe just the bookworms in your life. Or even the casual readers. You know who I’m talking about. The people who will appreciate a good story, regardless of the size of their shelves or the status of their TBR (to-be-read) pile. So without further ado, here’s a holiday guide to buying YA fiction*.

(*with the caveat that some of these are new, some are old, and some swept right under the radar):

For the romantic: Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

I read this at the very end of last year, not expecting much more than a fluffy little distraction for a few hours. Instead, I got what was arguably my favourite book of 2017. I don’t know why people don’t rave about this more.

During the last party of the summer, Claudia accidentally (and then kind of on purpose) overhears the biggest breakup since Jelena. Genial friend of the world Paige and local ice queen Iris have called it quits. When Iris discovers Claudia eavesdropped, the girl made of steel promises to rain hell down upon our shy, awkward main character… A threat that is so kindly made a reality when the girls are forced to write an English paper together, and subsequently ordered to participate in the school’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

As Claudia becomes more involved with the play, an unlikely alliance rears its scary head. And a budding romance with an eccentric, dimpled boy named Gideon takes center stage in Claudia’s previously quiet, neat little life. Honestly, after reading Foolish Hearts, I felt like I was made of marshmallows. All fluff and swooning stuff, ready to give and receive hugs at superhuman speed.

For the fantasy lover: Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

I wrote a NovelTEA column on debut novelist Laura Sebastian’s Ash Princess. But if you don’t want to read through it and get distracted by the mug brownie recipe, just know this:

Ash Princess takes a lot of familiar tropes and gleefully runs with them, while Sebastian weaves a magical world where classism, racism, jingoism, and stockholm syndrome burrow into the reader’s head, and stay there for weeks afterwards. In main character Theodosia, Sebastian has given readers a protagonist that is both vulnerable and tough, aware and naive, a precarious balance of nature and nurture as she discovers what it means to carry her mother’s legacy and become a true queen.

As Seen on TV: Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez

I was really debating between Jenny Han’s P.S. I Love You and Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’ for this. But everyone is already buzzing about those books. What I don’t see people raving about is the source material for DC Universe’s Titans series, which has already been renewed for a second season, to much fanfare.

If you can’t wait to dive into the comics after watching the action-packed series, check out the legendary run by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. If you’re a little intimidated by the sheer volume of stories by the team— don’t be! It’s totally worth the dedication to dive in. If you want a completely alternate look at the Titans, check out Jeff Lemire’s Teen Titans: Earth One.

For the aspiring detective: Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson’s sophomoric novel, Monday’s Not Coming, follows high school student Claudia whose best friend, Monday, has inexplicably disappeared, and no one can pinpoint exactly when they saw her last. But how can a teenage girl just vanish into thin air? And why isn’t anyone making the effort to find her? Desperate to locate her best— really, her only— friend, Claudia digs deep into Monday’s life, in the hope of bringing her home once and for all.

Best Overall: Sadie by Courtney Summers

Released in September of this year, Sadie is the newest thing on this list. It’s also probably the most surprising thing I’ve read this year.

adie has had a hard life; raising her little sister Mattie, the teenager is trying to give them both a normal life— a dream that shatters when Mattie is found dead. Blinded by grief and rage, Sadie sets out to avenge her sister by making her killer(s) pay. When West McCray, a radio personality, hears about Mattie’s murder, he digs his heels in and begins a broadcast investigation, searching for Sadie and the truth. This solemn, explosive novel stuck with me for weeks after I read it, and months later, I can honestly say it still haunts me. Summers has crafted a story not just for teens, but for anyone who enjoys gritty, spellbinding mysteries.