Top 25 All Time Favorite YA Books That I’ve Read in the Past 3 Years AKA Here Are The Books That I Recommend The Most

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is dedicated to All Time Favorite Books of the Past 3 Years. I’ve limited the list to YA books (okay, there’s 1 MG book) and extended the list to 25. Now there are an estimated 350 YA books that I have not yet read but of the YA books that I have read, in particular in the past three years, here’s what I absolutely loved and will always recommend to people:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads)
This is hands down the best fairytale retelling there is. Period. In every medium imaginable. This it it. This is a five book series that starts with Cinder based on Cinderella and as the series progresses, more characters are more visibly woven into the story. There’s Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood), Cress (Rapunzel), and finally, Winter (Snow White) which releases this November.

White Cat by Holly Black (Goodreads)
Magic! Holly Black is on my auto-buy list and while the Modern Faerie Tales will always have a special place in my heart since those three books were the first I read from her, I LOVE magic so White Cat was a match made in heaven even before I opened the book. And then I read it. And wow. Love. This was so much fun to read. So much fun!

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick (Goodreads)
This is based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond who survived the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 which, I admit, I didn’t know much about. I was so moved by this novel which you can read about in my review here.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre (Goodreads)
This was sitting on my kindle for a LONG time before I actually got to it and this is one of those books I kicked myself for not getting to sooner. Zombie books are hit or miss and this is a hit. More here in my review.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Goodreads)
I don’t read historical fiction often but I am so glad that the blogging world kept talking about this one, encouraging me to read this. It was definitely worth the read! It’s set in 1943 Nazi-occupied France and follows two best friends who just crashed in a British spy plane in the wrong place. Need I say more?

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (Goodreads)
A middle grade novel about growing up black in two completely different towns and it’s in verse? Am I looking in a mirror or what?! Yes, please! I gushed about this book here.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Goodreads)
Love is a disease. Lena has to get the cure. But should she? This book means SO much to me for so many reasons which I detailed in my love lessons here. If theres one link you click from this entire post, please let it be that one.

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley (Goodreads)
This should be required reading in high schools everywhere. Wow. This was so powerful and is just as powerful just thinking about what I read and wrote about months ago. This is quite the exploration of racism in 1959 Virginia but it’s also a love story. It’s so many things. It’s heartbreaking. It’s beautiful. It’s a must read. And I’m so happy to have the people that I’ve recommended this book to come back to me raving about it! That is the best feeling ever, let me tell you!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Goodreads)
I don’t know why it took me so long to get to this book but better late than never because Lauren’s writing is beautiful and is something you need in your life for sure. She’s a wordsmith and knows how to tell a story with the most disturbing and troubled characters, that’s for sure. What a fascinating, wonderful read.

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey (Goodreads)
When talking about upcoming movie adaptations, I have to say, The Fifth Wave is the one I’m anticipating the most. Sci-fi is my favorite genre and aliens are a favorite subject matter as well so this had everything going for it and while reading, I’m happy to say that it delivered. More here.

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang (Goodreads)
This book follows the attempted suicide of Liz Emerson and what follows with her friends and family as she remains in the hospital as the doctors try to save her. This book is PHENOMENAL. This is Amy Zhang’s debut novel and with it she has become one of my favorite writers ever. I’m speechless thinking about it now, thinking about the talent this woman has. My goodness. I did write a review which you can read here because the words are tripping over each other in my head right now just thinking about how absolutely amazing this is.

This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers (Goodreads)
What is my absolute favorite zombie book now and forever? This Is Not A Test. If you love The Walking Dead or any awesome zombie movie or TV show and are looking for that zombie book that will win you over, this. This is it. This right here. If you are not a fan of zombies but want an amazing story set in that world. This! This is it! Go forth! And you’re welcome. You are not the first convert and you won’t be the last. 🙂

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Goodreads)
Unwanted children!
The Unwind dystology (four book series) is one of the most imaginative and scary pieces of work I have come across in a long tine. It’s disturbing. It’s thrilling. It’s exciting. It’s so, so many things. Neal Shusterman is a genius if I do say so myself. He’s absolutely brilliant. At everything. World building. Character development. Storytelling. Everything. This series is set in a world where parents who don’t want their teens can have them sent to be unwound. If you want to know more, read this book! I’m telling you, you will love it!

The Archived by Victoria Schwab (Goodreads)
This is my favorite from Schwab so far. If you want a ghost story like no other, this is the one you want to read. She’s another wordsmith, another author on my auto-buy list so I’d say just buy her entire catalogue at once because you will want to read not only the sequel but everything else she’s written after, including her adult novels writing as V.E. Schwab. Every single person I’ve recommended her books to has loved them and I’m positive you will too.

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown (Goodreads)
Wow, I did not know what I was getting myself into when I was picking up this one but I am so glad that I did. This follows a girl whose life is torn apart after a tornado and it’s heartbreaking. I don’t read a ton of contemporary but this one really grabbed me and moved me so. More here in my review.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Goodreads)
Gosh, I loved this so much! I know many of you just need to hear “space opera” and you are in but this. Oh my goodness. This is just so freaking good oh my goodness. Check out my review here.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (Goodreads)
I don’t read many angel books but this one really got to me. It was so well done. I really enjoyed this one so if you’re looking for a gripping angel read, I’d say this is it.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Goodreads)
I am so, so, so, so, so glad that I read this book. I am so glad that I took a chance on this because at first it didn’t seem like my kind of read but I took a chance and I cannot stress enough how happy that makes me. This story is so imaginative and so moving and so beautiful. It’s hard to describe and frankly, I don’t want to. Go in blind. Just let the words, this world, these characters envelop you because they will grip you and they won’t let go until the end. I suggest buying the entire trilogy at once.

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (Goodreads)
Zombies in Philadelphia 1876. Now if that’s not intriguing, I don’t know what is! This was such a fun read, oh my goodness. I’ve gushed about this trilogy many times before on the blog, you can click the Strange & Ever After review and click back through all of the links if you want. Plainly put, if you’re looking for a super fun read that’s very well crafted with characters you’ll love, this is it!

In the After by Demitria Lunetta (Goodreads)
I read this book through the night in one sitting, it was SO GOOD. Oh. My. God. Post-Apocalyptic. Aliens. Thrilling. Surprises. One of the best books I’ve ever read ever ever ever. My review is here.

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton (Goodreads)
Some Quiet Place is probably the most underrated book I’ve read in the past three years. Read my review here. Elizabeth can’t feel emotions but she can see them and Fear is on a mission to find out why. This is truly one of the most haunting pieces, one of the most beautiful pieces of work I’ve ever read.

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Goodreads)
I don’t know why I didn’t get to read this in high school while other English classes did but I’m so happy that I finally read this because it truly is one of the most compelling, thought provoking reads there is. More in my review here.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (Goodreads)
Tahereh Mafi is one of my favorite writers ever after having read Shatter Me. Wow. She is a master with words and has greatly impacted me. I love her writing style. I love the story she has to tell here. I love the characters who are so incredibly broken, even more broken than the world they live in. I love everything about the Shatter Me trilogy and hope that you will too.

Pivot Point by Kasie West (Goodreads)
Alternate realities and superpowers? Yes, please! I mean really, need I say more? Actually, I did, here in my review. This was so much fun to read! What a trippy ride! As I said there, if you loved the movies, Sliding Doors, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and/or The Butterfly Effect, you will love, love, love this book.

Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler (Goodreads)
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t read a ton of contemporary but this is one that captivated me. It was so much fun. I loved every single moment reading this book which is set in Hollywood (heeeeyyyy!!!). You guys know I’m in for a great Hollywood story. And this is it. More in my review here.

What are some of your all time favorite reads from the past three years?

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