Over this past year, the pandemic has affected all of our lives greatly. While it did bring about some negative consequences, there is also a brighter outlook to this challenging year. For one, we have been given an abundance of time that is valuable in this fast-paced world. In my experience, I found that I often put my interests or happiness on the back-burner when it came to academics. However, this past year has allowed me to explore my existing interests and discover new ones. As a result, I have rekindled my love for reading and hope to share this wonderful pastime with you! Here is a list of my top 5 YA book recommendations!
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
This book is absolutely stunning, whimsical and heartbreaking! I like to think of it as sort of a prologue to the Queen of Hearts that gives this beloved antagonist a heart-wrenching backstory. It takes place in Wonderland and follows a naive, young girl named Catherine as she meets Jest, a handsome court jester. However, her future is uncertain as a monster called the Jabberwock attacks Wonderland. A fearless female protagonist, a beautiful romance, a dangerous threat, all surrounded by the whimsical world of Wonderland. What more could a reader ask for?? I cannot do this book justice, so go read it!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Also abbreviated to ACOTAR, this series is full of plot twists, romance and a world divided between humans and fae. The books follow a courageous, yet stubborn human girl as she is taken by the faeries as punishment for killing one. However, the world is dangerous and it is up to her to save it. A heroic character, a fiery romance and a great plot, one of my favorite series! Warning though, it does contain some explicit content.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
This fantasy, young adult series is set in Ketterdam, a place full of merchants, tourists and of course, gangs. These books are based on Kaz, a cunning thief and his talented crew as they pull of an (almost) impossible heist. To raise the stakes higher, their success will decide the future of their world and more importantly, whether or not they get a large sum of money. Told through several perspectives, this action-packed story is a page-turner and definitely worth a read!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
This trilogy is amazing! This fantasy, romance series is about two sisters, a magical show that allows the audience to participate and a mystery that threatens everything our characters hold dear. These book feature daring characters, a beautiful world full of magic and a captivating plot. Highly recommend this one!
The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon
This contemporary, romance is a heart-warming story that made me extremely emotional. The Sun is Also a Star takes place over one day in New York City and focuses on the short, yet beautiful love story of two individuals. However, their story is told in conjunction with the lives and experiences of the people they interact with throughout this day. By doing so, the author truly shows the drastic impact that a small, meaningless interaction can have on the course of someone’s life. I cried on several occasions of this novel and it is truly one of the best, SO GO READ IT!!
That’s it! Those are the top 5 YA books that must be on your TBR list! I hope that you read at least one of these books and love them as much as I did. I also love ranting about books so feel free to share your opinions about any of these and let me know what you thought! You can connect with me through my email, which is: shraavni.patankar@gmail.com!
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