Fantasy books aren’t usually accessible to young people, given their tendency to try and compact a few centuries’ worth of fictional worldbuilding into a couple of hundred pages. Fortunately, a growing number of fantasy books written specifically for younger readers are helping to bridge that gap.
Young adult fantasy books existed before I was even a glimmer in my parent’s eyes, but they started to gain popularity around the time I started seriously getting into reading. Nowadays, YA fantasy isn’t a niche; it’s one of the most popular subgenres of literary fantasy, so I’m here to tell you about the top 15 best books for YA fantasy enthusiasts.
The best young adult (YA) fantasy books
I’ve cobbled together a list of the best YA fantasy books on bookstore shelves. I’m not a literary agent (at least not yet), but I think the most crucial element of a YA fantasy book is accessibility, so I’ve ranked the books below from least to most approachable. All these books would be fantastic gifts for a young fantasy reader who isn’t ready for the works of R.R. Martin or Sanderson, but the higher-ranking ones might become permanent fixtures on their bookshelves.
15. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Witch and Wizard is the punk rocker kid of the YA fantasy classroom, and it proudly wears that fact on its sleeve. One morning, Wisteria “Wisty” and Whitford “Whit” Allgood are yanked out of their beds and accused of witchcraft by agents of a fascistic political party that has seized control of their country and launched an all-out war on the arts.
Upon discovering their oppressors weren’t lying when they said they had supernatural powers, Wisty and Whit bust themselves out of prison and join forces with other magical kids to fight the new regime and its mysterious figurehead, The One Who Is The One. Witch and Wizard is about as subtle as a flaming ice cream truck, but it’s also a gloriously unapologetic celebration of all things youthfully and rebellious.
14. Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is what happens when you put the X-Men, Mary Poppins, and the collages of photographer Dorothea Lang into a blender. We follow Jacob Portman as he discovers his recently deceased grandfather’s tall tales of flesh-eating monsters and a secret home for “peculiar children” weren’t very tall when both factions drag him into a hidden war that’s secretly raged for decades.
The most unique aspect of Mrs. Peregrin’s Home for Peculiar Children is how it incorporates photographs collected by Riggs into the story, turning the book into a pseudo-graphic novel. Through this stylistic choice and its focus on time travel, the book explores powerful themes like the enduring effects of intergenerational trauma and the importance of embracing the present, ideas that are pretty relevant to young people alive today.
13. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
In Gregor the Overlander, alligators aren’t the only things lurking beneath New York City. We follow Gregor and his younger sister “Boots” after they fall through the apartment building’s vents and wind up in “The Underland,” a fantastical realm inhabited by giant roaches, talking rats, and a kingdom of pale-skinned, purple-eyed humans.
Collins wrote Gregor the Overlander and its sequels a few years before she transmuted the YA genre into publishing gold with The Hunger Games, but fans of those books will recognize the two series’ shared ancestry. Action, suspense, and profound commentary on human nature fill the pages of Gregor the Overlander, proving that Collins knew how to hook young readers long before she created the nation of Panem.
12. The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
The Field Guide is a fantastic read for those who grew up foraging through fairy gardens. When Jared Grace’s mother moves him and his siblings to her uncle’s decrepit estate to escape the fallout of a messy divorce, he uncovers “Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You,” a tome that claims the woods around the mansion are full of wonderous and often dangerous, fey creatures.
When Jared becomes the prime suspect in a series of nasty pranks pulled on the rest of his family, he uses what he’s learned from the field guide to track down the creature behind the sabotage and prove his innocence. Mysteries and mischief abound in this endearing ode to the miniature worlds around us.
11. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven takes The Field Guide’s basic premise and expands its scope dramatically. When Kendra and Seth Sorenson’s parents force them to spend the summer with their estranged grandfather Stan, it doesn’t take them long to realize that something’s amiss on his isolated property. Fortunately, their fears that Stan’s a dangerous psychopath are proven wrong when they learn he’s the caretaker of a nature preserve populated by magical creatures from around the world.
Unfortunately, the Sorensons’ worst-summer-ever-turned-best-summer-ever turns rotten again when an ancient witch escapes her prison and throws the preserve into chaos. This book, and the five-book series it spawned, is full of fun twists and terrifying turns, and you’ll want to keep reading to see which one’s waiting around the next corner.
10. Artemis Fowl by Eon Colfer
Artemis Fowl asks, “What if a YA urban fantasy protagonist was a criminal mastermind?” and answers it in the most fantastic way possible. Our titular protagonist enacts a daring plan to reclaim his family’s lost fortune by kidnapping an elven police officer and demanding the secret magical city she serves to pay him a king’s ransom.
The first in the titular series is a suspenseful, character-driven game of wits that constantly leaves you wondering who in this rapidly escalating hostage situation is in the right. Combine this with a dash of fey folklore, and you’ve got a book I’d recommend to young fantasy readers any day.
9. The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
How can you not be interested in a book with a title like The Fairy-Tale Detectives? With their parents missing, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with their grandmother, Relda, who lives in the portside town of Ferryport Landing.
After an awkward first night in their new home, the girls discover that Ferryport Landing is home to all the fairy tale characters they’ve read about, and their grandmother is a detective who solves whatever crimes plague the community.
8. Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landry
Skullduggery Pleasant puts a delightfully macabre spin on the “ordinary kid stumbles into a hidden magical world” premise. After she inherits her wealthy, eccentric uncle Gordon’s fortune and estate, Stephanie Edgely becomes the target of a sinister wizard bent on freeing a pantheon of ancient eldritch gods that once ruled the world.
Luckily for Stephanie, she soon finds herself a protector in Skullduggery Pleasant, a magical detective who happens to be a walking, talking skeleton with a miles-long sarcastic streak. Witty prose, memorable characters, and a well-crafted magic system based on names await those who crack open this gift from Ireland’s own Derek Landry.
7. Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Northern Lights is one of the most challenging YA fantasy books out there, and that’s why it’s so great. When her best friend and inventor uncle vanish, Lyra Belacqua sets off on a journey to find them, accompanied by her faithful familiar daemon, Pan.
Lyra’s quest soon brings her into conflict with the Magisterium, the authoritarian theocracy that governs her world. Like its incredibly likable protagonist, this book isn’t afraid to ask hard questions about the blind trust many of us place in organized religion. It is the perfect pick for curious young readers who aren’t afraid to challenge the lessons they’ve learned at school, church, or home.
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Few books, let alone YA ones, start on a note more dour than The Graveyard Book. A mysterious assassin kills nobody “Bod’ Owens’ entire family within the first few pages. However, fate smiles on the infant, who finds sanctuary in the most unlikely place: the local cemetery.
Under the guidance of the community of ghosts and ghouls that haunt the graveyard, Bod grows from boy to man in this powerful coming-of-age tale. Equal parts funny, heartfelt, and terrifying, The Graveyard Book is a memorable meditation on what it means to be alive, one that still makes me stop and think about the kind of life I want to live.
5. Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas
Cemetary Boys is a book about learning to be comfortable in your skin. Yadriel, a transgender man, longs to become a brujo, a witch who can channel the spirits of the dead. Unfortunately, Yadriel’s family and the Latinx community they’re part of are having a hard time accepting his identity.
Determined to prove himself, Yadriel attempts to put the spirit of his recently deceased cousin to rest. However, he instead channels the spirit of local punk Julian Diaz, who refuses to return to the afterlife until he’s resolved his unfinished business.
Cemetery Boys is as engaging of a supernatural mystery as it is a powerful meditation on the trans experience. Any fantasy reader who’s starting to question their assigned sex will find honest representation and positive reinforcement in the pages of this charming LGBTQ+ romance.
4. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone proves that a YA fantasy book can be just as epic as “the classics.” Alina Starkov discovers that she’s a “Grisha,” someone born with the ability to manipulate the elements. Inducted into the ranks of the Kingdom of Ravka’s army, Alina finds herself under the tutelage of” The Darkling,” a powerful Grisha who holds an even more powerful secret.
Bardugo is a worldbuilder who rivals Sanderson, and the world she created for the Shadow and Bone series is one of the finest ever crafted. Of course, Bardugo’s world-building would be nothing but fluff if the story at the heart of the book wasn’t good. Fortunately, a lovable protagonist and a compelling focus on Ravka’s politics keep this book from falling into the pit that’s claimed so many other YA series-starters.
3. Am Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
An Ember in the Ashes is an exercise in suspense. Lala and her family live in the shadows cast by the tyrannical, Rome-inspired Martial Empire, doing everything they can to avoid catching the eyes of those higher on the social ladder than them. All of that changes when Lala’s older brother is accused of treason and sentenced to death.
Desperate to save her brother, Lala makes a dangerous deal with a brewing rebellion, infiltrating the Empire’s most prestigious military academy as a spy. There she meets Elias, the academy’s finest student and a silent critic of the Empire’s growing cruelty. This book has romance, political intrigue, and a healthy dose of action to balance out the slower moments.
2. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief is a modern-day epic. We follow Percy Jackson, a troubled boy with ADHD and dyslexia who discovers that he is the demigod son of Poseidon.
After he’s accused of stealing his uncle Zeus’ Master Bolt, Percy embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve it before a divine civil war breaks out on Mount Olympus. The Lightning Thief’s story is as well-paced as it is well-written, and few characters in fantasy are as relatable as Percy, who is a fantastic role model to neurodivergent kids.
1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd
Siobhan Dowd tragically passed away before she could finish A Monster Calls, but Patrick Ness refused to let her story go untold. Seven minutes after midnight, a towering monster visits thirteen-year-old Conor O’Malley and tells the troubled boy three stories, warning him that he, in turn, must tell “the truth” after the final tale.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried more than a few times while reading A Monster Calls. This book talks plainly, yet beautifully, about the lies we tell ourselves, the pain we all face when we’re powerless to help someone we care about, and the comforting truth that our love for each other will endure long after we’re gone.
Read this book. Just read it.
Published: Jun 15, 2024 11:23 am