1. The Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday
The Hollow is about a girl named Abby whose friend, Kristin, mysteriously goes missing. Everyone in Sleepy Hollow comes to the conclusion that she is dead, yet Abby refuses to believe it. In her mourning process, she met a man named Caspian who seems to have secrets of his own. However, he makes her feel normal and special. She starts to feel better and accept her reality of her best friend being gone, as well as falling for a mysterious boy. Right when she thinks she’s gonna be alright, Abby learns something that shakes her whole world and makes her question everything she knows.
This is a pretty easy read! I love it because the author talks about the actual legend of Sleepy Hollow (the headless horseman) that most of us were told when we were young. Also, the main character is a wonderful introverted character that I can relate to.
Buy it here!
2. The Goddess Test Series by Aimee Carter
All Kate Winters wanted to do was take care of her mother in her final days. She moved back to her Mom’s hometown so she could pass away peacefully. Besides taking care of her dying mother, Kate went to school, had friends, and went out. Kate was, for the most part, normal. One night she decides to continue her normal teenage life and go out to a party. Little did she know that night would make her question everything she thought she knew. That night, she meets a mysterious stranger named Henry and makes a deal with him to save her friends life. The terms of the deal were that she would stay with him for 6 months. While staying with Henry she learns things about him, and herself, that will change her life forever.
I love this book because it has a lot of Greek mythology, Roman mythology, and amazing adventures!
Buy it here!
3. Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard
Mare is a Red; she has red blood which makes her ordinary. She is ruled over by Silvers, those who have silver blood and abilities. She steals to get her family by until the day she turns 18 and is conscripted into the never-ending war. Her friend, Kilorn, escaped conscription because he is an apprentice to a fisherman. That is until his boss dies and Kilorn is faced with conscription. In Mare’s attempted to save him, she finds herself working for the crown that hates her blood. During this time, she discovers that she is a Red but also something more. Being labeled as a mutant, she is forced to masquerade as the thing she hates most, a royal Silver. While being “Silver,” she learns more about herself, royalty, and an underlying revolution that promises to overthrow the crown to make Red and Silvers equal. Will they succeed?
If you love a good revolution story, this is the book for you. Mare is the fiercely independent character who you will immediately root for. This book is filled with adventure, revolution, romance, and heart-wrenching decisions that will leave you wanting more.
Buy it here!
4. Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miles “Pudge” Halter leaves his safe life to attend Culver Creek Boarding School to find “The Great Perhaps.” There, he meets a group of friends who will change his life forever. In the countdown to pull off the best prank that Culver Creek has ever seen, Miles is pulled out of his comfort zone by Alaska Young. His school year is filled with laugh, love, and heartbreak.
Two words. Character Development. I love watching Miles grow and do things he would never have done, like fall for a girl like Alaska. She is the ‘rebel without a cause’ girl who takes no shit. I love a powerful, independent female character.
Buy it here!
5. Letting Ana Go by Anonymous
Ana was happy. She was healthy. She was a star ahead. She was. Starting the habit of counting her calories lead Ana down a road of starvation, loneliness, and denial. Will Ana seek help before it’s too late?
Throughout this whole book you’ll be yelling at Ana to open her eyes. To stop. To eat. This is an eye-opening, heartbreaking book that you won’t want to put down.
Buy it here!
6. Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson
Nothing is better than a winter wonderland. Let it Snow tells three love stories that take place during a magical blizzard night. John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson work together to create the most romantic winter wonderland story that has ever been told.
I bought this solely because I am a huge admirer of John Green (as you can probably tell from this list). John Green’s part was amazing, but Maureen and Lauren did just an incredibly. Each story was very unique, but the book still flowed very beautifully. Once December hits, this is the book you need to read.
Buy it here!
7. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Offred is a handmaid. She lives with the commander and his wife. She goes shopping, assists the woman of the household, and lies down once a month to be raped by the commander. The handmaid’s main job is to bear children. In this post-civil war society, Gilead steals fertile women, brainwashes them, and assigns them to households to bear children for the important women who cannot. Eventually Offered snaps and attempts the impossible.
Not only is this an amazing read, but it’s also a scary one. This book has so much reality in it that it’s scary to think that this future has a slight possibility of happening. The Handmaid’s Tale is a classic and is an amazing book for the feminist activist in you.
Buy it here!
8. Turtles All the way Down by John Green
Aza was a *somewhat* normal girl. She has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but she doesn’t let that hold her back. She goes to school, has friends, and does what is expected of her. Until one day the friendly neighborhood millionaire goes missing. In the pursuit to find him to receive the $100,000 reward, she learns about love, loss, and the severity of her OCD.
When this book came out, I was very eager to buy it because the protagonist has OCD. My brother has severe OCD, so I know how challenging it is, so I was curious to see how accurately Green portrayed the mental illness. I was not disappointed. He represented the illness in the seriousness it needs to be looked at but also how it is possible to overcome it. And the love story was a nice plus. I recommend you read this so you can get a better understanding of how serious OCD actually is.
Buy it here!
9. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Two misfits. One love. Eleanor and Park are two misfit high schoolers who happened to meet on the bus. Over the course of a year, they fall hopelessly and deeply in love. They both know that first love never last, but they will fight like hell to try.
I loved this book because it’s your classic teenage love story. Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl fall in love. Boy and Girl have their heart broken. Ah, young love.
Buy it here!
10. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hannah Baker. The new girl. The easy one. The dramatic one. The dead one. Clay Jensen is given a suspicion package which changes his life forever. Hearing her voice and her story ruins Clay. The suspense, hate, and heartbreak make Clay crazy. He can’t help her. He can’t save her. Clay liked Hannah, and they were friends. He wanted to be with her. Hannah gives 13 reasons why she committed suicide, so why is Clay on the tapes?
Everyone knows about the Netflix adaptation of this novel, and the controversy behind it. Even though the miniseries was amazing, I encourage you to read this novel. In the book, Clay listens to all the tapes in one night, unlike the series. And the ending is not the same as the miniseries, but it is just as important.
Buy it here!