Best of 2025: Teen

Suzanne Collins has never ever written a bad sentence, much less a bad book. She can do no wrong. This is the saddest and most harrowing Hunger Games books, but one you must read to understand the series. It is the origin story of Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Games and eventual mentor to every tribute from District 12. Read it before the movie comes out next year.

Excellent third installment where Bree has to work with the Shadow King, but after witnessing a kidnapping, she must head out on another mission. It will keep you turning pages deep into the night.

A realistic look at living with zombies while having OCD and intrusive thoughts. Absolutely riveting.

Alternating chapters about disappearances in a rural Georgia town. What are those screams you can hear in the middle of the night? Read and find out.

With gorgeous art at the beginning and end, Selznick writes an ethereal romance about two boys who fall in love in Rome over their summer break. Once you delve into the gorgeous prose and heartfelt journey, you won’t surface till the last page.

Hurricanes, mutated animals, and surviving a deadly boss, the mystery in the water may rise up to meet you. Queer, haunting, and mysterious.

Teen witch tries to save her family's apothecary business from the clutches of big business, but her grandmother ends up hiring her ex-best friend and potential romantic partner. Quickly, they're thrust into a mystery filled with poison, love, and forgiveness in this cozy romantasy.

A house with children sits in the middle of nowhere. Poor children are taken in and undergo the procedure, never to be seen again. Birdie joins the staff to find her sister. Will she find love or danger?

A small town murder mystery set in the 1990s involving high school rival prank wars, an age-old blood curse, family secrets, the supernatural, and, of course, an enemies-to-lovers romance.

This is a charming read full of surprises and many 90s references (e.g., The X-Files, Backstreet Boys vs. NSYNC debates, Nokia cell phones) that warmed my aging millennial heart, which means that it would likely be amusing to young readers yearning for the before times.

The latest installment in the excellent Inheritance Games Saga, the remaining competitors from The Grandest Game attempt to complete more puzzles and riddles. However, forces outside the island start to make the games frighteningly real, and as the characters draw closer and closer to each other, secrets and betrayals begin to occur. I love these books, and this does a great job setting up the final(!!) book in the series next year.

Lo and Teller are best friends who go on a trip to Italy together, where Lo runs into a backpacker named Caleb in a classic meet-cute. Lo is convinced she has found her soulmate because she has a vision of him as "The One," just like all the women in her family have had. However, her feelings for Teller are also strong, and that's becoming increasingly apparent throughout the summer. You won't be able to stop reading this compulsively fun and deeply romantic YA book!

Excellent set of short stories that all overlap and have one location, mysterious and magical Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In in common. Come for the inter-relationships and stay for the food descriptions.

Breathtaking novel spanning three time periods and dealing with secrets, love, and danger. This historical fiction will keep you riveted deep into the night.

Pulse pounding thriller about a teen who is simply trying to survive as her world falls apart. Topical and important, this is a must-read.

Two friends who are walking down two different paths. One, focused on education and improving life for him and his mother, while the other prioritizes quick cash and takes care of today, is all he thinks about. Friendships, loyalty, loss, and love all come to a head in this heart-wrenching novel.

Master of YA, Jackson brings readers into a newfound best friend group of college freshmen. When one of the girl's brothers seems to move in without an invite and charms almost everyone, something sinister might be brewing. It's up to one girl to find the truth before it's too late.

Excellent story of three teens finding found family with smugglers in the 19th century, while being sought by an evil society, while trying to uncover secrets and save a friend.

A dark academia fantasy about a scholarship student who finds a place for herself in an atmospheric school for troubled, but academically gifted, youth in the Scottish moors. The magic system in this book felt earned and interesting, and it was effectively used to explore systems of power and hierarchy in academic settings.

Dragons. Sea Gods. Curses. In order to save her family, art forger Truyan Saigas turns to the Demon Prince for help. In the bargain they strike, she must marry him and help him return to the Dragon Realm. The Demon Prince is none other than Elangui Ta’ginan Yuwong, an exiled and cursed prince determined to defeat his grandfather, the corrupt and cruel Dragon King.

Jolie Lam comes from a long line of psychics, but as her powers start to manifest, her once best friends start bullying her. No one seems to understand what she’s going through except the new girl, Hoang. A beautifully woven story of Vietnamese mythology, with dragons, magic, and reincarnation.

The satisfying conclusion to Pullman's Book of Dust Trilogy.

A western where a teen must escape her murderous husband by turning herself into the law for murder. Twists and turns will have you glued to the page.

Excellent first of a series—Dark academia, a secret society, a missing brother, and... monsters? August must get to the bottom of her family's disappearances and join forces with a mysterious society if she's to find out what's going on.

Excellent addition to the Track series. This tween read delves into the childhood of the series' beloved coach. He knows how to mentor young people in tough situations because he's been through some himself. A look into the beloved mentor will have readers reach for the series all over again.