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  1. Genres
  2. ›Young Adult

Best Young Adult Books

Books for teenage readers

3,173 summaries

Showing 1–24 of 3,173

  1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

    J.K. Rowling

    ★ 4.5 (7M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    Rescued from a miserable life under the stairs, an orphaned boy discovers he's a wizard destined for a magical school, where he uncovers a dangerous secret tied to the dark wizard who murdered his parents.

  2. The Hunger Games

    Suzanne Collins

    ★ 4.3 (6.4M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    In a future where children fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the arena, turning a death sentence into a fight for survival and a spark of rebellion.

  3. To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee

    ★ 4.3 (4.5M) average on GoodreadsHistorical Fiction

    In the 1930s Jim Crow South, Harper Lee writes about racial injustice, moral growth, and the quiet courage of a lawyer father, Atticus Finch, as seen through his young daughter's eyes.

  4. The Fault in Our Stars

    John Green

    ★ 4.2 (3.6M) average on GoodreadsRomance

    A girl with a terminal illness finds her story rewritten when a charming boy with a similar past enters her life at a cancer support group, leading to a star-crossed romance.

  5. Divergent

    Veronica Roth

    ★ 4.2 (2.9M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    In a society divided by virtues, a sixteen-year-old's difference from the norm starts a rebellion that threatens her world.

  6. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

    J.R.R. Tolkien

    ★ 4.3 (2.9M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    A comfort-loving hobbit named Bilbo Baggins is whisked away by a mischievous wizard and a band of dwarves on an unexpected journey to reclaim stolen treasure from a fearsome dragon, discovering courage and a magical ring along the way.

  7. The Catcher in the Rye

    J.D. Salinger

    ★ 3.8 (2.7M) average on Goodreads

    Haunted by the phoniness of the adult world, a disillusioned teenager named Holden Caulfield flees his prep school for a raw, introspective three-day odyssey through the bewildering heart of New York City.

  8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

    J.K. Rowling

    ★ 4.6 (2.6M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    A bewildered Harry Potter, underage and thrust into a deadly Triwizard Tournament, must brave dragons, mermaids, and a resurgent dark magic to survive a year that will forever alter the wizarding world.

  9. Catching Fire

    Suzanne Collins

    ★ 4.3 (2.5M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    After defying the Capitol and starting a rebellion, Katniss and Peeta are forced on a dangerous Victory Tour, navigating political schemes, a fake romance, and the constant threat of a government eager to crush the uprising they began.

  10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

    J.K. Rowling

    ★ 4.5 (2.5M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    In a year of oppressive secrets and the threat of Voldemort, Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army secretly train for war, shown through Jim Kay and Neil Packer's dark illustrations.

  11. The Fellowship of the Ring

    J.R.R. Tolkien

    ★ 4.4 (2.4M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    A timid hobbit inherits a powerful, evil ring and must go on a dangerous quest across Middle-earth to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom before the Dark Lord reclaims his ultimate weapon.

  12. Mockingjay

    Suzanne Collins

    ★ 4.0 (2.3M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    Haunted by the Games and driven by a need for justice, Katniss Everdeen becomes the Mockingjay, leading a rebellion against the Capitol to save Panem and those she loves.

  13. Lord of the Flies

    William Golding

    ★ 3.7 (2.3M) average on Goodreads

    Stranded on an island, British schoolboys become savage, showing the darkness within people without civilization.

  14. The Lovely Bones

    Alice Sebold

    ★ 3.8 (2M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    A murdered teenage girl watches from the afterlife as her family struggles with grief and her killer remains free, wanting to bridge the gap between worlds to bring him to justice.

  15. The Lightning Thief

    Rick Riordan

    ★ 4.3 (2M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    Thrust into a world of mythological monsters and divine treachery, an ordinary boy discovers he's the son of Poseidon and must embark on a perilous quest across modern America to prevent an Olympian war.

  16. The Book Thief

    Markus Zusak

    ★ 4.4 (1.8M) average on GoodreadsHistorical Fiction

    Narrated by Death, a young German girl steals books and shares their power, showing the human spirit's strength during Nazi Germany.

  17. The Giver

    Lois Lowry

    ★ 4.1 (1.8M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    In a world where everyone is the same, a young boy named Jonas learns about true memory, forcing him to see the cost of his community's peaceful ignorance.

  18. Eragon

    Christopher Paolini

    ★ 3.9 (1.4M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    A farm boy's life is shattered when a mysterious blue stone hatches a dragon, thrusting him into a perilous destiny as a Dragon Rider to challenge an evil Empire.

  19. Breaking Dawn

    Stephenie Meyer

    ★ 3.7 (1.3M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    In the final Twilight Saga book, Bella Swan becomes immortal, marries Edward Cullen, and faces global consequences when their child sparks a conflict between supernatural factions.

  20. The Golden Compass

    Philip Pullman

    ★ 4.0 (1.3M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    In a world where souls appear as animal daemons, an orphan named Lyra races to the frozen North to rescue her abducted friend and uncover a conspiracy that links stolen children, parallel worlds, and existence itself.

  21. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    Stephen Chbosky

    ★ 4.2 (1.3M) average on GoodreadsPsychology

    Through letters, a shy high school freshman learns to navigate first love, trauma, and self-discovery, stepping off the sidelines and into life.

  22. Where the Sidewalk Ends

    Shel Silverstein

    ★ 4.3 (1.2M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    Enter a whimsical world where shadows are washed, diamond gardens grow, and outlandish characters come to life through Shel Silverstein's memorable poems and quirky drawings.

  23. Insurgent

    Veronica Roth

    ★ 4.0 (1.2M) average on GoodreadsFantasy

    Tris Prior faces the consequences of her past choices and embraces her unique Divergence during a brewing war and the unraveling of her dystopian society, even if it means sacrificing everything.

  24. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    Mark Twain

    ★ 3.8 (1.2M) average on GoodreadsHistorical Fiction

    A boy and a runaway slave travel the Mississippi River, outsmarting feuding families, con artists, and prejudice in a search for freedom.

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