Written by contributor Lauren Marie
“What all these YA novels share is a universal coming of age experience.” – Jennifer Loja, President of Penguin Young Readers, 2017, The Atlantic.
Young adult (YA) books at the moment are the most read book category. In 2018, 80.9 million children and young adult fiction books were sold in the U.S in comparison to 47.9 million adult fiction (including adult general fiction, classics, graphic novels, romance, and suspense/thriller genres) sold in the U.S. in the same year.
With so many YA books out there, there’s also so many authors to love! So in this post, I round up five of my favourite young adult authors!
1. Alice Oseman
Books I’ve read by Alice: Heartstopper Vol.1, Heartstopper Vol. 2, Heartstopper Vol. 3 (All 10/10)
I only discovered Alice and her Heartstopper series this year and I was blown away. It’s very tender, real, and wholesome. I read each book in one sitting (keep in mind these are graphic novels), and I was stupidly smiley the whole way through each one. Nick and Charlie’s story is really beautiful. Whilst an LGBT+ romance story like this is usually presented in a novel, I found the graphic novel format a refreshing change.
2. Sarah J. Maas
Books I’ve read by Sarah: The Throne Of Glass Series (Rating: 9/10), A Court Of Thorns and Roses Series (Rating: 10/10)
I first read Sarah J. Maas after the recommendation from a friend and to put it mildly, it changed my life. It slowed down my contemporary reading and kick-started my obsession with YA fantasy. I began to crave high stakes adventure in stories and I was so inspired by both of her series that I began writing my own fantasy novel. The images of warrior princesses (she never calls them this, but they essentially are) fighting for their freedom and the freedom of their people was more exciting to me than reading about young girls feeling mopey and forlorn about jerky guys and sucky circumstances. All the contemporary girls problems paled in comparison to lost magic and Tyrant Kings.
If you prefer fast-paced, suspenseful fantasies with kick-ass warrior princesses, you need to check out Sarah’s books. And if you’re not sure this is what you like, pick up one of her books anyway, Sarah is a master of opening hooks.
3. Jenny Han
Books I’ve read by Jenny: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy (Rating: 10/10)
I only read this series this year after realising I was way behind with the release of the second movie on Netflix (it’s okay: I’m all caught up now). Once, I got my hands on them, I read all three books in under a week: a new record for me! I was completely obsessed (to be honest, I still am). Also, the books are way better than the movie. So, if you liked the movie, you’d love the books. While, the events of the first book have a level of absurdity to them, Jenny Han manages to make them seem completely natural. Her characters are very realistic and lovable, especially the main characters, who have just the perfect amount of awkwardness that you would experience in real life, which is something I find other contemporary authors don’t often convey, and pretend that awkwardness isn’t a thing. This trilogy is such a comfort read, which makes it the perfect isolation read!
4. Rainbow Rowell
Books I’ve read by Rainbow: Carry On (Simon Snow #1), Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2), Eleanor and Park (All 10/10)
If you love well written teenage love stories, Rainbow Rowell is your one-stop-author. Rowell doesn’t just write contemporary romances (Eleanor and Park), she also writes fantasy romances, (Simon Snow series). The Rainbow Rowell books I’ve read showcase beautiful romances that flourish over time, along side some dark themes, usually poor mental health. While, there can be these dark aspects surrounding Rowell’s books, her stories are fun and up beat. Rowell’s characters are unique, well crafted, and would be the true definition of quirky.
5. V.E. Schwab
Books I’ve read by V.E.: A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy (Rating: 10/10)
Schwab’s writing is just beautiful and spellbinding. Her word choice is incredible, something I’ve never seen another author match. It’s ornate, but every sentence is carefully crafted, so there are no superfluous words. Her fantasies are dark and adventurous. Schwab’s characters are deep and flawed and their backstories are different to those of other fantasy characters, which is why she stood out so much for me.
