Don’t know what to read next? Looking for YA book recommendations? Welcome to the Book Chat with the Young Adult Team. Every month, the YA Team each recommends a favorite book from our YA collection. We cover fiction, non-fiction, manga, comics, and graphic novels, so there is something for everyone! There is also a mixture of new releases and old favorites, so keep an eye on our posts for books to add to your TBR.

GENEVIEVRE RECOMMENDS RENEGADE GIRLS BY NORA NEUS AND JULIE ROBINE

Helena “Nell” Cusack is a young woman staying with her aunt and uncle in their NYC home during the summer of 1888, while they try to introduce her to the city’s social elite in hopes of securing her future. But Nell has no interest in small talk with fashionable ladies or in finding an eligible husband.

Nell lands a job as a society reporter for one of the prominent newspapers, but what she really wants to be is a “stunt girl” investigative journalist. When she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Lucia, a servant in her uncle’s house, she begins to uncover the darker side of 1880s society for working class people.

Around the same time, Nell meets the charismatic Alice Austen, a young photographer, who challenges traditional gender roles with her photographs. Alice introduces her to a world of intimate female friendships, encourages her to push back against societal expectations and to fight for what she wants in life, which inspires her to pursue stunt girl work for real.

But as Nell goes undercover, can she unmask the person responsible for the factory worker’s harsh treatment or will she only get hurt in the process? Can she find autonomy in a world that tries to mold her to their standards? Or is she doomed to be a society girl forever? And is there more to her friendship with Alice?

NICOLE RECOMMENDS BASIL AND OREGANO BY MELISSA CAPRIGLIONE

If you’ve ever wished The Great British Bake Off had more magic and romance, Basil and Oregano is the graphic novel for you! Set at the whimsical Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy, this charming YA story follows ambitious Basil Eyres as she navigates magical recipes, fierce competition, and unexpected feelings. When the mysterious and captivating Arabella Oregano transfers in, sparks fly—both literal and emotional. But as secrets simmer beneath the surface, Basil must decide if following her heart means sacrificing her dreams. If you’re looking for a lighthearted read that’s served with a diverse cast and a happily ever after, definitely give this story a try!

KAYLEIGH RECOMMENDS THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL BY SONORA REYES

After losing her best friend (and ex-crush) when coming out goes wrong, Yamilet Flores is ready to start over at her new expensive, mostly-white Catholic school. She’s going to stick to what she needs to in order to get by—get good grades, keep her younger brother Cesar out of trouble, make enough money to afford an apartment in case her mom finds out she’s gay and kicks her out, and most importantly—be as straight as possible. But it’s not as easy as it seems—Cesar is getting into fewer fights but growing quiet and distant in a way she doesn’t understand, she’s struggling to keep up with her business, and cute, smart, Bo is making is really hard to act straight. As things spiral out of control, Yami has to figure out how to love who she truly is, and let the people in her life love her too.

KELLI RECOMMENDS THE HENNA WARS BY ADIBA JAIGIRDAR

The Henna Wars is a wonderfully crafted story about two girls falling
in love in this coming of age story about staying true to yourself.
Culturally rich and diverse, this story brings the struggle of old tradition
and expectation to a head in this beautiful romantic contemporary. Whether looking for a romance or a focus on cultural expectations and family dynamics, this book will appeal to many.

LAUREN RECOMMENDS MIRROR GIRLS BY KELLY MCWILLIAMS

This book puts a science fiction twist on historical fiction and throws in a dash of ghost thriller. The base of the story is tragic: two twins are separated at birth and only brought back together by the passing of their respective grandmothers that raised them. However, the story that happens along the way and the path that the characters take brings hope and restores your faith that even if you are raised very differently from your sibling, family is always family and will preserve. Great way to learn about the past with the story feeling current.

ADRIANE RECOMMENDS AFTER LIFE BY GAYLE FOREMAN

When Amber arrives home one afternoon it sets her entire world off kilter. Amber was killed in a hit and run accident seven years ago. This was the catalyst that set her entire family and friends’ world into a tailspin. Nothing seems the same as she remembered it and Amber is trying to determine why she was given this chance at setting some things right. Can she help her struggling loved ones and herself find closure?

RACHEL RECOMMENDS FABLE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD BY AVA REID

       New Amsterdam exists as a society of haves and have-nots. In Esopus, Inesa scrapes a living from the taxidermy shop she and her brother run while her community drowns: literally in water and figuratively in debt. If you rack up enough debt, you (or a family member) become a Lamb: a contestant in a live-streamed survival contest called the Gauntlet.

            In the City, Melinoë is an Angel: an assassin-soldier raised from childhood to be a living weapon in Gauntlets, then Wiped of selfhood when she’s no longer useful. After breaking down during her last Gauntlet, Melinoë is given one chance to redeem herself. If her next Gauntlet is anything less than perfect, she will receive her Final Wipe.

            Inesa’s mother offers her up as a Lamb to pay off an enormous debt, and Melinoë is the Angel assigned to the Gauntlet. Everything that can go wrong does, and the two begin—impossibly—to bond. Inesa and Melinoë start to question if there is a way both can survive, and if not, is the death of one too high a price for the other to pay?

            Be aware this story handles topics that some readers may find disturbing. Readers who are particularly sensitive to abuse (domestic, sexual, and medical), violation of autonomy (including coercion and gaslighting), exploitation, and child murder should precede carefully.

TEEN RECOMMENDATION: PRANSHU RECOMMENDS HOUSE OF ROBOTS BY JAMES PATTERSON

If you are anything like me you will love this book for its sci-fi wonkiness and its mysteries that they would have to find clues to solve. I love how they portray the Robots as family not as tools. I see E as a crime fighting hero who doesn’t fake his cat rescues unlike ss-10k. I think Robots going to school for sick children is an awesome idea and I can see scientific development make it possible. I give this book a solid 10/10, I think many people like me will enjoy this book.

Want more book suggestions? Stay tuned for future recommendations from our team! If you’re a teen who likes to read, you can also submit book recommendations from our collection. Find out more here.