Due to this YA explosion I thought it would be nice to share some of my top favorite young adult books I read last year, and if you think you're too old to still be reading YA, think again. Publishers Weekly released a study in 2012 showing that even though the YA genre is geared towards children aged 12-17, 55% of YA book buyers are over the age of 18, with a large chunk of that number being 30-44 years old.
You might think that these are just adults buying books for their teens, but the study also showed that the buyers claimed that 78% of the time the purchases were for their own reading pleasure. If you are still convinced that YA is still too young for you, I also included some New Adult books (intended for college aged readers) on my list as well.
So far there has only been word of my number one pick being optioned for an upcoming film or TV series, but you never know what the future holds.
Here are my top ten young adult and new adult books I read in 2014.
10. "Blankets" By Craig ThompsonBlankets is a young adult graphic novel that explores sibling rivalry, young love, and self discovery. The artwork in this novel is breathtaking and plays a huge role in delivering the story, as the drawings are the main focus. Since there are very few written words in the story, due to it being a graphic novel, the artwork really needed to be spot on to make sure the reader got everything out of the story that the author intended. Luckily, Craig Thompson is both the author and illustrator, so the artwork is exactly on point. This novel is about 592 pages long, which may be intimidating to most, but it can easily be read in one day. This amazing story will help get your foot in the door of the graphic novel world.
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9. "Adam" By Ariel Schrag
Adam is truly an extraordinary young adult book. Adam Freedman is an awkward, inexperienced teenage boy who goes to New York to visit his older sister Casey, who happens to be a lesbian. The book takes place in 2006 where gay marriage and transgender rights are becoming a hot topic. In the story, Adam gets introduced to the underground lesbian clubs in New York and since Adam still looks very young, most of the people in the clubs think he is a transgendered guy. Because why else would a guy be in a lesbian club? The book then follows Adam's journey as he embraces the assumptions in order to get close to a girl he likes. This book is definitely out of the ordinary and does have some mature situations happening in it, but it is a perfect coming of age story. The writing style is funny, inviting, and never holds back.
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8. "REM" By Cheryl AbbottREM is a young adult paranormal story about a girl named Bradalynn who has the ability to enter people's dreams without their knowledge. Bradalynn soon meets a boy she likes names Alexander, but his dreams are filled with nightmares. Now she must learn how to control her ability, figure out what is going on with Alexander, and try and understand her feelings for him. What made this such a great book is that Bradalynn is such an easy character to relate to. The tension is also done very well in this book which keeps you reading till the end. Oh, and beware, future readers, as there is a big cliffhanger ending.
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7. "Red Ridge Pack 3: Web of Lies" By Sara Dailey & Staci Weber
This is another young adult paranormal, but this series deals with werewolves. Since Web of Lies is the second to last book in the series, we won't go into specifics and give away spoilers, but we will comment on how great the series is. Each book in the series focuses on a new set of characters at different places in time. The best thing about this series is how invested and attached the reader becomes with the characters. The writing is very inviting and really draws the reader right into the characters lives as the chapters alternate between the points of view from both of the main characters. We will admit there are times when the series gets a little predictable, but overall it is fantastic!
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6. "Ten Tiny Breaths 3: Four Seconds to Lose" By K.A. TuckerFour Seconds to Lose is part of a new adult series called Ten Tiny Breaths, which is also the title of the first book in the series. Like the Red Ridge Pack series mentioned before, each book in the series follows a different set of characters at different points in time. This series is about less than perfect characters who have had rough lives that learn to cope and heal. We must warn you, once you start reading this series, you will become addicted. Four Seconds to Lose follows Cain and Charlie. Cain has always been a secondary character in the earlier books, but don't be fooled into thinking he isn't an important character with a great story, because you will be proven completely wrong.
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5. "Night Huntress 1: Halfway to the Grave" By Jeaniene Frost
Halfway to the Grave is a paranormal new adult about a girl named Cat who is half vampire/half human. The thing is, though, she hunts vampires. Cat was conceived after a vampire raped her mother and she is now determined to hunt down her father to seek revenge. This is a very fast paced book and is loaded with action. Cat puts herself into some pretty dangerous and crazy positions, but she always seems to come out on top. She is a great example of a female protagonist who has power and drive.
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4. "Georgina Kincaid 1: Succubus Blues" By Richelle MeadThis book is another new adult paranormal about a succubus. Although you may think this book should be intended for a more mature audience, the bulk of this book is not about sex, even though the main character is a demon who gets life force from sexual encounters. This is a great example of a book for those into young adult paranormal wanting to ease their way into new adult paranormal.
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3. "Ivy Granger 3: Burning Bright" By E.J. Stevens
The Ivy Granger series is a new adult fantasy that follows a woman named Ivy who is a psychic detective with the gift of seeing the past through the objects she touches. Ivy's clients aren't run of the mill human, though. She deals with other paranormal entities such as demons, the fae, and vampires. Ivy must help find out who the killer is that is murdering innocent paranormals. This series is so interesting because it allows the reader to discover so many more paranormals than they might have thought existed. It is a fast paced novel, but it still allows the reader to connect with Ivy and learn to care about her personal life.
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2. "Pivot Point" By Kasie WestPivot Point is an amazing, fast paced, and innovative young adult novel. Kasie West definitely has a huge, imaginative, and unique imagination, and the reader will easily pick up on that as early as chapter one. The book follows a girl named Addie who can look into the future and see both outcomes when faced with a choice. Addie's parents' get a divorce and face her with the decision of what parent she would like to live with. Addie uses her gift to visit alternate realities, but there really isn't a clear choice on which option is the best. Addie must decide whom from each future she can't live without. This book is so addicting, you will be up all hours of the night trying to finish it. You will not regret reading this one, unless you regret losing sleep of course.
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1. "Lux 5: Opposition" By Jennifer L. Armentrout
It shouldn't be surprising to young adult fans that the Lux series made it on to this list, especially at number one. For those of you who may not have heard about this series, it is about a girl named Katy who moves to West Virginia her senior year of high school and soon learns her neighbors aren't as normal as they first appear. They happen to be aliens called Luxen. The other problem is that the brother who lives next door, Daemon (who just so happens to be drop dead sexy!), but he also happens to be an arrogant jerk. Katy must learn to navigate her life without getting caught by the Arum (the Luxen's enemies) now that she knows their secret. This is an absolutely fantastic series! You may think there is no way aliens could be sexy, but just wait till you try this book. You will see them in a whole new light.
I hope you enjoyed my top ten reads for last year. For more information on any of the books make sure to check out the links located underneath each book. I'd love to hear if you've read any of these books so comment below with what you think/thought about them, or if you plan on picking one up!
