In the book world, 2025 was a big year! There were some must reads for the Young Audience Literature from all different genres, giving all types of readers their favorite new obsessions. Below are the top 20 books based on New York Public Library, BookTok Viral, Goodreads Choice Award or The New York Times Bestseller list from last year. I have given my top picks in each genre that I have read and some that I can’t wait to dig into.
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My Top Pick: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai; New York Times 10 Bes
When I read, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, I felt as though I was right there beside each of the characters. As they tried to build meaningful lives while dealing with their individual ambitions, I was engrossed in how they were also trying to find their identity. This story touches upon that deep sense of not fully belonging, people are constantly in search of themselves. What really stayed with me was how real all of their emotions felt.The book follows two Indian outsiders trying to build their own meaningful lives, dealing with their loneliness, their hope, and the complicated relationships they must navigate as they find their true identities.
Some of my other top favorites in this genre are:
This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph; Kirkus Prize; NYPL Best Books
This Thing of Ours is about a boy who was basically a basketball prodigy that was destined for the NBA, but an injury completely wrecks his entire plan for the future. He has to change his dream and ends up in this super prestigious, high-pressure writing program at a private high school where he’s one of the only Black students. He gets caught up in a situation where he tries to call out the school's subtle racism, but his plan backfires in a way that actually hurts the people he was trying to help.
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley; Goodreads Nominee
Sisters in the Wind is about Lucy, who is on the run after escaping a super sketchy foster home. In her journey, she realizes that she has an Ojibwe family she never even knew about. She ends up on this intense journey across the Midwest to find her roots, but she’s not just traveling, she’s literally being hunted by people from her past who want to keep her quiet.
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Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray; Goodreads Award; NYT Notable Book.
Under the Same Stars is set in the 1930s during the Dust Bowl. This story follows two sisters who flee their failing Texas farm to find a legendary "oasis" in California they only heard about in their mother’s stories. Their journey across a broken America is told through a mix of prose and haunting, atmospheric "radio transcripts" that capture the voices of the people they meet. The book is really about how we create our own "stars" to follow when the world goes dark.
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan; NYPL Top 10 for Teens.
Where the Heart Should Be is a poetry novel that is set in Ireland during the Great Famine of 1847. It is about Nell, a girl working in a wealthy English manor while her own family starves outside the gates. She ends up in a complicated, secret friendship with the master’s son, which makes her question everything she knows about loyalty and survival.
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Fantasy
My Top Pick: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros; GoodReads Winner, NYT Bestseller
Onyx Storm was everywhere this year, completely taking over BookTok, and honestly, I get why. The story is a true fantasy novel in that it takes place in a completely different world, one full of dragons and deadly trials. Despite all of that, it was an intense romance and nonstop emotional rollercoaster, especially with the cliffhanger ending. This is a massive third book in the Empyrean series, Violet faces new betrayals and shifting alliances at the Basgiath War College. And with the threat of the venin growing, she and Xaden must decide who to trust as their world teeters on the edge of war.''
Other Fantasy Picks:
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins; Goodreads Winner
Sunrise on the Reaping is set forty years before the original trilogy. It is a prequel that goes back in time to the 50th Hunger Games, which is one that Haymitch actually won. It’s really dark because it shows how the games were even more messed up back then and how it turned him into the person he is in the main books. As a Hunger Games fan, going back to Panem was very nostalgic.
The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor; NYT Bestseller
The Otherwise Post is about a young woman searching for her missing father who discovers a secret postal service that delivers letters between magical realms. She must navigate a world of dark academia and dangerous enchantments to uncover the truth about her family’s legacy.
Skyshade by Alex Aster; BookTok Viral; NYT Bestseller
Skyshade is the third book of the Lightlark Saga series. This story returns to the treacherous world of Lightlark where the high-stakes competition continues . The rulers of the six realms fight to break the ancient curses and Isla must contend with new powers and may have to face that her greatest enemy might be the one she loves within the love triangle between Oro and Grim.
I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins; NYT Bestseller
I Am the Swarm is a novel written in short, lyrical poems. In this book, Nell discovers on her fifteenth birthday that her emotions manifest as literal swarms of insects. For example, when her suppressed anger begins to call forth dangerous wasps, she must learn to embrace her power rather than let it consume her.
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Mystery & Thriller
My Top Pick: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson; Goodreads Winner
Not Quite Dead Yet is written by the same author of the popular YA mystery series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. I truly enjoyed this book as it kept me on the edge to find out who murdered Jet Mason. It is very interesting because this book follows Jet, who wakes up to find out she has been killed, but she is still “present.” It's gripping because she has a limited window of time to solve her own crime and identify her killer before she vanishes for good.
Other Mystery & Thriller Picks:
Glorious Rivals by Jenniifer Lynn Barnes; NYT Bestseller; Goodreads Nominee
Glorious Rivals is a sequel to the The Grandest Game, where there are seven contestants who are left competing for a life-changing prize in a world of billionaires and the puzzles. However, the competition turns deadly as the Hawthorne family secrets threaten to destroy everyone involved.
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson; NYPL Best Books
The Scammer is truly a fast paced physiological thriller about a group of teens who orchestrate elaborate schemes to take down the wealthy and corrupt. It follows Jordyn, a freshman attending a historically Black university and her roommate's ex-convict brother. As their operations grow more dangerous, one member begins to suspect that someone within their circle is playing a much more lethal game than just lies.
Deadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore; NYPL Best Books
Deadstream is about a teenage girl, Teresa, who sees a livestream murder of a streamer from her bedroom. After surviving a traumatic car accident that killed her best friend, Teresa never leaves her room but now as the entity begins jumping from screen to screen and appearing in other people's homes, it eventually targets Teresa, forcing her to "open the door." To save herself and stop the digital curse from spreading, Teresa must finally confront her grief to face the monster in the real world.
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Contemporary & Romance
Top Pick: My Friends by Fredrik Backman; Goodreads Awards, NYT Bestseller
When I read My Friends last year, I was surprised by how deep this novel hit me. Louisa’s journey to discover the truth behind a world-famous painting is a beautiful and heartwarming story. The novel touches upon many different themes that are definitely prevalent to teenagers both today and 20 years ago. As Louisa travels across the country with an older man named Ted to return the artwork to its birthplace, Ted reveals the secret history behind the masterpiece that would eventually change Louisa's life.
Other Contemporary & Romance Picks:
Fake Skating by Lynn Painter; Goodreads Award
Fake Skating is about how childhood friends who grew up on the ice are reunited as teenagers in their hockey-obsessed Minnesota town.The story centers on Willa and Ryder, childhood figure skating partners who had a messy "breakup" years ago and haven't spoken since then. However, when the town faces the closure of their local ice rink, the two are forced back together for a fundraiser that requires them to recreate their famous chemistry on the ice.
I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang; Goodreads Nominee
I am Not Jessica Chen is about a girl, Jessica Chen, who feels invisible in her prestigious school. Jessica discovers an AI program that can perfectly replicate her personality and do her work. As the AI begins to take over her life, Jessica must figure out how to reclaim her identity before she is replaced entirely.
Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams; Goodreads Nominee
Audre & Bash Are Just Friends is about two best friends, Audre and Bash, that have been attached at the hip since they were kids, and literally everyone thinks they’re dating, but they swear they're just "platonic soulmates." Now that they’re hitting their senior year and looking at different colleges, the pressure to figure out their "vibe" gets insane. As they face family pressure and personal ambitions, the line between friendship and love becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. It's basically a total emotional rollercoaster about how growing up sometimes means outgrowing the person you love the most.
Get Real, Chloe Torres by Crystal Maldonado; NYPL Best Books
In Get Real, Chloe Torres, Chloe is this super talented Puerto Rican girl who basically lives for fashion, but she usually stays behind the scenes because she knows she doesn't have the body for that "perfect" social media life. Everything flips when she gets cast for a massive reality TV show that’s supposed to be about "real" teens. She quickly finds out that the producers are just trying to edit her into a stereotype for views. She must navigate the toxic world of social media fame while trying to stay true to herself and her blossoming romance.
These are the top 20 books that I came across in 2025. If you have any other books that I have not mentioned and you would recommend, please share and comment on your picks. Happy Reading!
