Best Teen and Young Adult Books of 2024 So Far, as chosen by the Amazon Editors
![Amazon Editors' Best Books of 2024 So Far seal with covers of Top young adult books: "The Reappearance of Rachel Price," "Twelth Knight," "Road Home," "Children of Anguish and Anarchy" and "The Last Bloodcarver"](https://cdn.statically.io/img/d1ysvut1l4lkly.cloudfront.net/B0D7QSBFFW/6/image-0-0.jpg)
Let me begin by saying, don’t let the words “teen” and “young adult” fool you into thinking these are not books you’ll love if you’re beyond the college years. If you’re after a book that you can’t put down, one that makes your heart pound, or break, or both, then you’re in the right place no matter your age.
Thrillers and rom-coms, fantasy, and memoir—you’ll find it all (and much more) on our list of the top 20 Best Teen and Young Adult Books of 2024 So Far. It was hard to choose (so many great books!) but every one of these titles is a standout that I can’t stop recommending (and raving about). Here’s a look at the first six books on the list, but don’t miss the rest! You can also check out our overall Editors’ Picks for the top 20 Best Books of 2024 So Far, and our picks in other favorite categories, including mystery, fiction, and nonfiction.
I’ve read all of Holly Jackson’s books and I think this might be her best yet! When Bel Price was a toddler, her mother Rachel vanished without a trace. Bel was with Rachel at the time she went missing but has no memory of how it happened, much less why. Now 18, Bel, her father, and their extended family have agreed (some more reluctantly than others) to participate in a true-crime documentary about Rachel’s mysterious disappearance over a decade before. But just as the cameras start rolling, her mother reappears with a story Bel isn’t sure she believes. Why is she back now, where has she been, and—most significantly—can she be trusted? So many questions and Bel wants answers, but she’s going to have to find them herself. This novel is a nesting doll of mysteries and shocking twists, with an ending that made my head spin (in a good way). Perfect for fans of Sadie, Karen McManus, or anyone looking for an unputdownable thriller. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
It feels like we’ve waited forever for this final book in the Legacy of Orisha trilogy, but it was worth the wait! Tomi Adeyemi does a fantastic job of bringing us back into the story, and world, that she created in the first two books. Things have fallen apart since we last saw Zélie, her brother, and the royal siblings, and now there’s a new enemy to battle—the King of the Skulls, who is powerful, terrifying, and merciless. Epic fight scenes, strategy, and magic make the pages fly by. I love the new additions to Adeyemi’s world, and while I’m sad to see this story end, I’m eager to see what this fantastic writer has in store for us next… —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Set in a world that reaches all of your senses, this debut novel of fantasy, mystery, and unexpected romance is not to be missed. Nhika is a skilled heartsooth, crudely referred to as a bloodcarver, who can heal—or harm—a body with her touch. Feared and hunted, she’s kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder—and what follows is a spellbinding story of family, identity, and love that has me breathlessly awaiting book two. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Rex Ogle’s memoir covers an extremely difficult period of his life, and it helps to know he survives it all when you begin. Ogle’s father kicked him out of the house for being gay—a secret Ogle kept from his friends and grandmother as well—so he had no one to turn to. Ogle then drives to the New Orleans home of a man he’d only just met, and what follows is an account of his life that is heartbreaking and powerful. His search for love, belonging—and his experience with homelessness—is profoundly moving, and reading this book gave me gratitude not only for every single thing in my life, but also to Ogle for sharing this story that touched my heart. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
We named Divine Rivals our #1 pick for the Best Young Adult Books of 2023 and Ruthless Vows picks up where that left off (in a jaw-dropping twist). This sequel delivers on the promise of book one, as Ross brings her tale of gods and war, love and loyalty, to a stunning conclusion with even more magic and surprises in store for these characters who stole our hearts earlier in this epic duology—an incredible page-turner that I didn’t want to end. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
You may be familiar with this author’s adult novels under the name Olivie Blake (her trilogy that begins with the best-selling fantasy The Atlas Six is a personal favorite), but this contemporary young adult novel is a funny, coming-of-age rom-com, reminding us that she’s no one-trick pony. Viola Reyes is smart, talented, and could care less about doing what it takes to fit in with the popular crowd. She has good friends and a winning online gaming strategy—her first move being to ditch her female persona (too many crude and rude comments from the mostly all-male players). Her secret identity gets complicated when she realizes that the new guy she’s teamed up with online is really the high school football star who’s been a royal pain in her backside. And she absolutely can’t tell him who she really is. Right? I’m not a gamer and I loved this story—I think you will too. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
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