Yesterday I released my Best Books of 2021. Today I return with my best YA books of 2021. All these books were published this year and worth all your attention. I hope you find sometime to read and love. If you want an easy one page printable, click here.
1. Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson
I could go on and on about how much I love this book. It manages to capture teenage love and teenage apathy like none other. It’s in a class all its own this year (it also appeared on my best books of the year overall). So many books are trying to be so grand, but sometimes the most intimate stories are the most important ones. This is why I read YA fiction.
If they decided to turn Harvey Weinstein’s story, serial rapist and atrocious human being, into a YA novel, it would be this. But the book is so much more as you meet Josie, an aspiring journalist, who is thrown into the adult world. These are books that teens need, but everyone will be better for reading this.
My students love historical fiction. In truth, I find it’s a genre that rarely delivers on its premises. They end up being too long and students always get to the halfway point and go, “I’m bored.” Not Malinda Lo’s National Book Award winning Last Night at the Telegraph Club. This book hits all the right notes from the McCarthy era. The anti-Asian sentiments feel all too present. And in terms of writing, this is the best written YA novel I’ve ever read, hands down.
While friend John Green has had some missteps with Turtles All The Way Down and the totally unnecessary Anthropocene Reviewed, Leviathan doesn’t ever make a misstep and Take Me With You When You Go delivers on all levels. When Ezra wakes to find that his sister has vanished without a trace, a story of mystery and intrigue is delivered with delightful precision. No matter which character you're navigating through, you won’t be able to stop reading Leviathan and Niven’s exhilarating title.
The best graphic novel of the year comes courtesy of Harmony Becker (illustrator of Takei’s They Called Us Enemy). This story is for all those BIPOC people who are trying to discover who they really are. The fact that it features beautiful writing, three amazing Asian protagonists and a story that feels like a warm hug is only a bonus
Yolk is a book about messy people making bad decisions. And I am here for every moment of it. When two estranged sisters are reunited, the one once viewed as “glamorous” and “greater than” suddenly finds herself needing the sister that doesn’t quite have herself pulled together. This emotional roller coaster isn’t afraid to hit a myriad of topics, but it captures the ideas of complicated families better than any other book this year.
7. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon can do no wrong. This anti-love story love story has a brilliant conceit: our main character knows the fate of couples when she sees them make physical affection. The stories are always full of devastation. But when she finds herself swooning over a person, she knows getting too close will only lead to heart break. This is a charming and fun read, and serves a nice emotional punch in true Yoon fashion.
I feel like Albertalli should feel less relevant over time. With the rise of more authentic voices, what could a cisgender white woman add to the conversation? The answer is a lot. Albertalli continually circumvents expectations. In this delightful dramady, Albertalli captures those early Glee seasons with pizazz and style. Any drama kid or kid who ever felt on the outskirts needs this book in their life.
9. Chlorine Sky by Mahogany Browne
This book has received little fanfare, and it’s a damn shame. So many books tell stories about falling in or out of love or starting revolutions. But Chlorine Sky is totally different. It’s a book about falling out of friendship. Written with lyrical language that is reminiscent of Cisneros and Anderson, Chlorine Sky is the book we all needed when we lost those who we thought we would have forever.
10. White Smoke by Tiffany Jackson
Tiffany Jackson’s first jump into the horror genre is a wild success. Reminiscent of pulp writers of the 90s like R.L. Stein, this creepy book will haunt you in your house as you start to worry about every bump and creek in the house. Few books feel genuinely scary, Jackson nails it on her first attempt. Let’s hope this ushers in a whole new group of authors jumping into horror fiction because this oft-neglected genre feels resuscitated with her latest triumph.
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