Are you a YA fanatic like me? I try to read as many YA novels as I can get my hands on every year. It’s always so hard to pick my favorites, but this year, these are the books that I couldn’t put down and stuck with me long after I had finished them. So get your TBR lists ready!
Here’s my list of the ten best YA books of 2023:
The Davenports
About the Book
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Genre: YA Historical Romance
Book Review
A YA Bridgerton with a social conscience.
It’s 1910 in Chicago, and the Davenports have built a fortune through a carriage business. This gives them entry into wealthy society, a place usually closed to Black families. Though some treat them like they still don’t deserve their fortune, for the most part, the Davenport children live sheltered, privileged lives.
Olivia attends the society’s balls, seeking an approved husband, until a chance meeting with activists leads to sparks flying between her and Washington DeWight, a lawyer and civil rights leader. Sister Helen is content to sneak out to the garage to work as a mechanic on the new-fangled automobiles, until a man catches her attention. Unfortunately, he’s already courting someone else in her circle. Olivia’s best friend Ruby longs for Olivia’s brother John to notice her, but John spends more time staring at the maid, Amy-Rose.
The course of true love never runs smooth, and this book provides dishy entanglements and crossed wires as the young, wealthy Black children seek their love matches. Each couple sparkles and delights, but as in real life, some matches turn out better than others.
This book also shows its characters grappling with the real-life issues of the day. Olivia struggles with her parents’ choice to give money to the cause, but not march themselves. Entranced by the young activist DeWight, she reads everything she can get her hands on about civil rights and attends protests, venturing out of her wealthy circle to learn what life is like for those who work for a living. Ruby struggles with her father’s decision to run to try to become the first Black mayor, believing that he can make a difference, but feeling resentful as it almost bankrupts the family.
This book provides a unique perspective, as it was inspired by the true story of the C.R. Patterson dynasty. It made me want to find some nonfiction about the same topic.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Breakup from Hell
About the Book
Breakup from Hell by Ann Dávila Cardinal
Genre: Paranormal romance
Book Review
An utterly delightful, darkly humorous romp through Hell and back.
Mica – short for Micaela – feels smothered by her three best friends, her small town in Vermont, but most of all, by her abuela. When she has a meet-cute with hot newcomer Sam in a bookstore, where he borrows a book from her, Mica quickly feels like Sam’s the only one who supports her dreams.
The only problem is – ever since Sam and his sister moved to town – strange things have been happening. Mica and her best friend, Zee, have been having visions of literal hellfire, and seeing creatures that shouldn’t exist in the shadows. Plus, all four friends seem to be developing magical abilities. Mica’s sure it has something to do with the death of her mother, yet another thing her abuela won’t talk to her about.
This paranormal fantasy borrows heavily from Biblical, Catholic tradition, including starting chapters with verses from the book of Revelations. The first half of the book builds characters and chemistry, while the second half dives into nonstop action as Mica tries to save her town from whatever’s come their way.
Mica’s dark humor made me think of another recent phenomenon: Wednesday Addams from the Netflix series. I loved seeing the events through Mica’s eyes. Plus, Mica has smoldering chemistry with two different boys – hottie bad boy Sam and loyal best friend Rage. She says: “What startles me most is the realization that when I’m with Sam, it’s like there’s a tunnel and everything blurs so all I can see is him. But in that moment with Rage, nothing faded away, but the only person I wanted to see was him.” Mica will have to decide which boy – and which future – is right for her.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wildblood
About the Book
Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Review
This book was an instant favorite!
Simmering romantic tensions bring the heat to a jungle where anything from ghosts to butterflies to the river itself may be trying to kill you.
When a group hunting for gold hires the Wildbloods – wielders of blood magic – to protect their journey, Victoria is determined to be the expedition leader, and not just because of the charming investor Thorn. She desperately needs the money to help her brother Bunny escape the cruel life filled with beatings and torture that they are held in by the Boss. But her ex-best friend and rival, Dean, gets himself named expedition leader.
Victoria convinced him to let her help lead the expedition through the haunted, dangerous jungle, where everything’s trying to kill them. They get two warnings to turn back, and the jungle doesn’t normally give a third.
The author has brought an unforgettable, haunting jungle world to life. From the pickney ghosts to the beautiful, venomous butterflies, I wanted to see this world so badly, but from the safety of a movie screen! No way I’d brave the jungle myself.
Victoria’s both fierce and vulnerable. Whether she’s fighting monsters, dealing with her past pain from the Boss’s abuse or falling in love, she’s a heroine to root for. Thorn’s sense of humor is a delight, and Dean’s a great antihero with complicated motives.
Though the ending wasn’t quite what I hoped, it was still perfection. After finishing the book, I didn’t see how it could end any other way.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Half-Life of Love
About the Book
The Half-Life of Love by Brianna Bourne
Genre: YA Science Fiction and Dystopian Romance
Book Review
In this beautifully emotional read, the characters capture your heart then rip it into pieces. This gave me a major book hangover and left me with tears in my eyes. What a perfect ending!
In this book, everyone finds out when they’re going to die when they have a seizure at the exact half-way point of their individual life. Sixteen-year-old Flint knows he’s about to die, so he returns to his hometown with his divorced parents to spend some last quality time together. When he meets September, the most alive person he’s ever known, he can’t stop spending time with her, but also can’t bring himself to tell her the truth about his imminent death.
September’s a girl on a mission. After a tragedy nearly destroyed her, she’s found purpose through her internship at the Half-Life Institute. She’s determined to find a cure so that someday, no one will have to lose someone like she did.
Flint’s adorably grumpy, determined not to enjoy what he has left of his life and not to get close to anyone, so it doesn’t hurt them when he leaves. September’s bright, lively and hiding a wounded heart. Together, they’re dynamite, and I loved their shifting dynamics as their secrets are revealed one by one.
This is a book with a heart of gold.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.
Nightbirds
About the Book
Nightbirds by Kate Armstrong
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Book Review
An enchanting, engrossing fairytale that pulls the reader into a world of forbidden magic.
Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer are Nightbirds – girls whose identities are kept secret while they practice magic to benefit the Great Houses. But as power structures weaken, everyone wants to possess the Nightbirds, for both their beauty and their magic. When the girls discover that their magic may be powerful than they were ever led to believe, they begin to shape the destinies of those around them.
Matilde is a rich girl with a perfect family who longs to be friends with her fellow Nightbirds. Sayer’s the daughter of a disgraced Nightbird with secrets of her own, and Æsa longs to return to her Island home and the family that sold her. The secrets unfurl as slowly as a rose, leading the girls into deeper and deeper waters. In a world where every man wants something from a Nightbird, who besides themselves can they trust?
I got lost in the world of this book. The glitz and power of the magic adds an interesting angle, and the book also has some important things to say about how often girls are marginalized and used by those around them.
This book kept me flipping pages as fast as I could. I cannot wait for the sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lying in the Deep
About the Book
Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
Move over, Karen McManus. There’s a new queen of YA thrillers. I’ve been delighted to read all of Diana Urban’s thrillers, and she’s really perfected the art. This twisty, fast-paced thriller provides a unique twist on the locked-room trope.
Lainey always gets what she wants. And what she wants includes her best friend’s boyfriend.
Jade’s going on a semester abroad on a cruise ship to try to forget about her first love leaving her for her best friend, then blocking her number. But when she’s boarding the ship, she sees beautiful, wealthy, free-spirited Lainey boarding with Silas, the boy who’d been the love of Jade’s life. No matter where she goes, Jade keeps seeing them. Not even a hot, brooding boy named Felix can distract her forever. Then, after a boozy night of Monopoly that ends with Jade accidentally stabbing Silas with a letter opener, Lainey goes missing, and Jade’s the number one suspect.
Jade’s convinced she’s not the only person Lainey’s backstabbed, and the deeper she digs into her fellow shipmates’ lives, the more connections she finds. Jade convinces Felix to help her investigate, but their budding romance is complicated by signs that Silas might be having second thoughts about ending things with Jade. This teen thriller simmers with jealousy and passion as more teens meet unfortunate ends, ending in a startling but satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Borrow My Heart
About the Book
Borrow My Heart by Kasie West
Genre: YA Romance
Book Review
The absolutely adorable YA romance your summer reads!
I’ve always loved Kasie West, but this book is my favorite yet. From a kind-hearted introvert who saves the day to a dog that’s persnickety enough that he sabotages his own adoptions, this book warms the heart.
Wren spends her time working at a dog shelter and hanging out with her best friend, Kamala, at the coffee shop where she works. When she hears a boy’s friend roasting him and threatening to humiliate him when his blind date doesn’t turn up, Wren decides to help him save face. She pretends to be his blind date. But all this is complicated when she decides she really likes Asher. She risks losing him by telling him the truth, however.
When Asher starts volunteering at the animal shelter where Wren works, he gets the stamp of approval from Bean, the dog who hardly likes anyone but Wren. Asher agrees to help her get Bean adopted, leading to all kinds of fun shenanigans. Bean is an absolutely adorable grouch. From turning his back on potential adopters to peeing in the pool at an adoption event, he’s his own worst enemy. But maybe he’s just holding out for the right person?
Each and every character is absolutely delightful. There’s Asher, who helps Wren overcome her fears. Dale, the rich kid who pretends to be a bigger jerk than he really is. Kamala, who loves Wren through all her faults and quirks. There’s Wren’s flaky mom, whose free-spirited lifestyle causes chaos for her children, and Wren’s dependable dad, who picks up all the slack. I loved each character, except for maybe her mom, instantly.
This book left me with a huge smile on my face.
The Prince and the Apocalypse
About the Book
The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell
Genre: YA Romance
Book Review
The perfect romantic comedy! This book drew me in right away.
Wren’s had a terrible time in London. First she had food poisoning, then her best friend didn’t want to follow her timed itinerary and checklist of attractions, preferring to wing it with new friends. Wren decides she’ll make one last memory and get it right: eat breakfast at The End of the World on her last day of the trip, but it’s closed.
When Wren sees a boy dodging paparazzi, she helps him escape with a kiss. He turns out to be Prince Theo, who gives her his number in case she needs anything in the next nine days. Wren misses her flight right as news of the world-ending comet spreads. Unable to get a flight out, she contacts Prince Theo. They make a deal: she helps him hide, and he takes her to their private plane in Greece. Together, can they figure out a way to make their last days on earth meaningful?
These characters are adorable! Perfect, blonde Prince Theo’s on the run from his family because of a moral crisis about his royal status and the end of the world. I loved their sarcastic banter. Wren’s struggling to be flexible on a trip across Europe as everything falls apart. There’s some hysterical moments along the way, including a hair dye situation gone wrong as Wren tries to spread her wings.
This book ends with a cliffhanger that sets it up nicely for book two. I cannot wait!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thin Air
About the Book
Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
This chilling and engaging thriller is set on a luxurious private jet flying across the Atlantic Ocean.
When Emily cheats her way into a scholarship competition, she’s already feeling guilty. Twelve students from six boarding schools are competing for a prestigious position at a nonprofit along with a full-ride scholarship. But when one student has an allergic reaction to peanuts, Emily and the others soon suspect it may not be an accident. As the bodies stack up, it appears someone may be trying to frame Emily, and she doesn’t know who to trust.
Should she trust brooding Liam, who always seems to be looking out for her? Dylan, her best friend’s boyfriend, who seems to be a little too friendly on this trip? Simon, who’s antisocial and refuses to work in a team? Lily, who dreams of being a famous novelist?
When everyone’s top three secrets began playing over the airplane intercom, it gave me chills! Talk about drama! This book keeps you on your toes finding out who has it in for these boarding school students.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What the River Knows
About the Book
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Book Review
This book was an instant favorite.
Magic, archeology and a simmering romance combine to make a five-star read in this YA historical fantasy.
When Inez’s parents mysteriously disappear, she travels to the one place they’d never allowed her to go: their archeological digs in Egypt. Her only clue’s a mysterious ring filled with magic that her father sent to her shortly before his death. It’s importance is confirmed when it’s immediately stolen from her on the train as soon as she arrives in Egypt. Suspicious of everyone, but most of all her uncle, Inez is determined that no one will send her home until she finds out the truth. She’s almost met her match in the handsome Whit, assigned to get her on the boat back to Peru, but she bests him at every turn.
Whit’s relationship with Inez makes the book. He’s mysterious, with a shady past, and so protective of her. They can’t stop bickering and bantering, even after he saves her life. Inez’s ability to see through his mask allows him to find room for her in his heart of gold. But his die-hard loyalty to
Inez’s uncle often puts them on opposite sides.
This has a great cast of suspects – Inez’s uncle, gem merchants, a potential artifact smuggling ring, and a challenging race to be the first to find the tomb of Cleopatra, a secret Inez’s parents may have died for.
This is the perfect Indiana Jones retelling with a strong female heroine.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Need more recommendations? Find the ten best books of 2022 here.
