As readers who enjoy young adult books look back on 2021, they’ll see that it was a year packed with truly amazing new books. Here are the 15 titles BookPage readers loved most.
15. The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
This novel’s easy charm, strong mother-daughter relationship and romantic elements recall the best moments of “Gilmore Girls” or “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
14. The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
Joan He’s eco-science fiction romance asks, if we are the cause of humanity’s problems, how can we possibly be the solution?
13. The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold
The Electric Kingdom is a mind-blowing blend of post-apocalyptic fantasy, science fiction and time-travel saga.
12. Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
Stacey Lee’s latest novel was prompted by a little-known fact: Of the eight Chinese passengers aboard the Titanic, six survived.
11. The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
In Rachel Griffin’s debut YA novel, witches have become key players in the global fight against climate change.
10. Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
Longtime Enola Holmes fans as well as those who met Sherlock’s irrepressible younger sister via the hit film adaptation will devour this brisk, stylish mystery.
9. A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams-Garcia
A Sitting in St. James is a mesmerizing multigenerational saga that brilliantly depicts Southern plantation life and systemic rot.
8. The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
This murder mystery set against the Gilded Age’s grand ambitions and gory underbelly is a gorgeous, visceral and mystical experience.
7. Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
When townsfolk go missing and Amity Falls starts to crumble, Ellerie must uncover what’s really haunting her home in Erin A. Craig’s haunting second novel.
6. The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
Not since “Veronica Mars” have hardscrabble swagger, enormous grief and teenage noir been combined into such a satisfying piece of storytelling.
5. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Though it both shocks and thrills, in the end, what leaves you breathless is Firekeeper’s Daughter’s blazing heart.
4. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Princess Shiori must rely on her wit and determination to save her brothers and break her stepmother’s curse in this classical yet fresh fantasy.
3. Switch by A.S. King
Readers should settle into Switch‘s bizarre, provocative premise—a world where time has stopped—and follow A.S. King where she leads them.
2. Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Readers who love complex, mythology-based fantasies will quickly find in Lore a worthy new obsession.
1. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
This beautiful, brave work of historical fiction is as meticulously researched as it is full of raw, authentic emotion.
This list was compiled based on analytics from BookPage.com between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2021.
