12 Sensational Young Adult Books That We Couldn’t Put Down

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes–Young Adult Adventure

Kira was a lost girl found living in the woods by a search and rescue dog.

She grew up with that same dog and her adopted mother Cady Bennett.

Now another girl is missing and as Kira searches for her, she may just find herself and her past.

See also: Books Amy Always Recommends

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen–Young Adult Adventure

Robie was visiting her aunt in Honolulu when her trip was cut short.

The cargo plane that was taking her back to Midway Atoll has crashed and she and the co-pilot struggle to survive in shark-infested waters.

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger–Young Adult Steampunk

Sophronia has never fit in and her mother has finally had enough of her antics.

She is enrolled in a finishing school, but when she arrives she learns that this school will teach her not only etiquette but espionage as well.

Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter–Young Adult Adventure

Maddie’s father was with the Secret Service and her best friend Logan was the President’s son.

All that changed when her father got shot during an attempted kidnapping.

Now Maddie and her father live as far from civilization as they can get in the remote Alaskan wilderness.

And Logan, well she hasn’t heard from him until now when he shows up on her doorstep bringing loads of trouble with him.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge–Young Adult Historical Fantasy

Faith is desperate to find out how her father died.

On a small island in Victorian England, she discovers a tree that feeds upon lies and gives the liar visions of the truth.

Will this lead her to discover what happened to her father or will she share his fate?

The Body in the Woods by April Henry–Young Adult Mystery

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby come from very different backgrounds but are brought together when they find a body in the woods.

Can they catch a killer before one of them becomes the next victim?

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart–Young Adult Contemporary

Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer as she spends another summer on her family’s private island.

(Note: Don’t put this book down! Even if you think you aren’t into it, keep reading!)

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather–Young Adult Fantasy, Paranormal

Samantha Mather moved to Salem 300 years after her family held the witch trials.

She feels alone and outcast as descendants of the witches want nothing to do with someone named Mather.

A curse, a ghost, and a little bit of romance.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer–Young Adult Science Fiction, Survival

When a meteor hits the moon, worldwide disaster strikes.

Miranda and her family fight to survive the severe changes in weather and the life-altering changes to their everyday lives.

See also: Books Amy Always Recommends 

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz–Young Adult Historical

After her mother dies, Joan is the only one left to do the woman’s work on the 1911 farm.

Her father hates any talk of books or education and burns Joan’s precious books thinking that will burn any idea of escaping the drudgery of her life.

Instead, this sparks a flame that has Joan leaving the farm and setting off to find a new life.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys–Young Adult Historical

Four refugees in the winter of 1945 struggle to flee the Soviet advance.

Four people hoping for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustolff, passage to safety and freedom.

This story tells the tale of people that history has almost forgotten and will leave you desperate to follow their fates wherever they may lead.

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan–Young Adult Contemporary

Emily and Sam are from very different worlds and Sam hopes to keep his world hidden for as long as he can.

When Emily first meets Sam they form an immediate connection.

Sam’s homelife is unstable and he struggles to keep himself and his younger brother safe and fed. Emily brings with her the normalcy that Sam has craved his whole life.

This book explores friendship, romance, and family in a way that will break your heart.