Best Books
Best Young Adult Books to Read
Quick answer
Read The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton first. Written by Hinton when she was a teenager herself, it's widely credited as one of the books that created young adult fiction as a category, and it still reads like it was written from inside the experience rather than about it.
This list covers contemporary and classic YA outside fantasy and dystopia specifically; for those, see our best dystopian books for teens and books like Harry Potter lists.
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"Best YA books" gets flooded with fantasy and dystopia lists, so the seven picks below are specifically contemporary and realistic fiction: books about real adolescence, trauma, identity and grief, written for teen readers but genuinely worth an adult's time too.
How We Chose
Every pick had to be published as YA, handle real adolescent experience directly, and have lasting critical reputation or a major award. We verified every author and year against Wikipedia as of October 2026.
The classics that built the genre
1. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Ponyboy Curtis, a member of the working-class "Greasers," navigates a violent rivalry with the wealthier "Socs" after a fight turns deadly.
- Who it's for: readers who want the book that's often credited with starting YA as a genre.
- Where to start: it's a standalone. The Outsiders (1967).
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect community that has eliminated pain, war and choice — until he's selected for a role that reveals what the community actually gave up to get there.
- Who it's for: readers who want the original YA dystopia, the template later books like The Hunger Games built on.
- Where to start: it's a standalone that later gained three loosely connected companion books. The Giver (1993), winner of the Newbery Medal.
Coming of age, head-on
3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda becomes a social outcast at her high school after calling the police to break up a party, and the novel slowly reveals why she called — and why she's stopped speaking.
- Who it's for: readers who want a serious, unflinching treatment of sexual assault and its aftermath, told with real craft.
- Where to start: it's a standalone. Speak (1999).
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Told through letters to an anonymous recipient, a quiet freshman named Charlie navigates his first year of high school, new friendships, and memories he's not ready to face.
- Who it's for: readers who want an intimate, epistolary coming-of-age story about an outsider finding his people.
- Where to start: it's a standalone. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999).
5. Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miles Halter transfers to a boarding school searching for what he calls the "Great Perhaps," falls for a magnetic, self-destructive girl named Alaska, and the book splits around a pivotal tragedy.
- Who it's for: readers who want John Green's voice before The Fault in Our Stars, with heavier, messier themes around grief and guilt.
- Where to start: it's a standalone. Looking for Alaska (2005).
Hard realities, honestly told
6. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Steve Harmon, a teenager on trial for felony murder, narrates his own case partly as a screenplay he's writing, trying to understand how he ended up here and whether the label "monster" fits.
- Who it's for: readers who want a formally inventive, morally complicated look at the criminal justice system from inside it.
- Where to start: it's a standalone. Monster (1999).
7. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Written entirely in verse, the novel takes place inside a single elevator ride as fifteen-year-old Will, carrying a gun to avenge his brother's murder, is visited floor by floor by ghosts from his past.
- Who it's for: readers who want a fast, formally striking read about the cycle of violence, finishable in a sitting.
- Where to start: it's a standalone. Long Way Down (2017).
If you only read one from each group
- The classics: The Outsiders.
- Coming of age: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
- Hard realities: Long Way Down.
Want more YA beyond this list? See our best romance books for teens list, or browse every list on our best book lists hub.
FAQ
What is the best young adult book of all time?
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (1967), written when Hinton herself was a teenager, is widely credited as one of the books that created the YA genre as we know it.
What is a classic dystopian YA book, not Hunger Games or Divergent?
The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993), winner of the Newbery Medal, predates both and is the book most later YA dystopias built on.
What YA book deals with sexual assault?
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson follows a high school freshman who becomes a social outcast after calling the police to a party where she was assaulted, and gradually finds her voice again.
What is a YA novel written in verse?
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (2017) is written entirely in verse and follows a teenager riding an elevator down to confront the person he believes killed his brother.
What YA book deals with the criminal justice system?
Monster by Walter Dean Myers (1999) follows a teenager on trial for murder, told partly as a screenplay he's writing about his own case.
Seven books, real adolescence on every page. Start with The Outsiders.
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