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The “best of” season began in earnest in early October. Every year, it gets earlier and earlier, and while there are some compelling arguments for “best of” lists to hit in anticipation of holiday shopping, I don’t know too many folks doing their present shopping that early (and I say this as someone who does do their shopping early!). The earlier these “best of” lists hit, the more opportunity there is to miss out on the array of great books which hit shelves later in the year. How many November and December releases get overshadowed in the race to be first?
That said, it is the season of all things “best of” for the year. You’ll still see your weekly roundups of new YA books hitting shelves through the end of 2025, but this week, let’s dive into what has been catching the attention of book lovers and critics across the bookish world.
Like with the “best of so far” list, this roundup is going to combine a few things. First, it will highlight the YA books that Book Rioters have deemed among the best of the year so far. These will be only the YA titles. You can access the full roster of our Best Books of 2025 here.
Then, we’ll dive intothe incredible database createdby librarian superstars Jennifer LaGarde, Donalyn Miller, and Martha Hickson that catalogs all of the starred book titles over the course of the year. Starred reviews, for those who aren’t familiar, are the highest honor a book can get in a professional trade review. These are books that stand out among all others.
Last, we’ll look at a number of the “best of” lists put together by other bookish outlets. This isn’t going to be comprehensive. This roundup looks at a handful of other sites which have put out there “best of” YA lists at the time this piece was written (early/mid November). It’s meant to showcase what has landed on the radars of other book lovers this year.
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Exploring all three lists offers as wide an array of “best of” options for young adult readers this year. You’ll see your literary standouts beside some fun and delightful genre fiction, alongside some of the books that got both great traditional press and those which became hits thanks to social media. There are crossovers on all of these lists, of course, and perhaps those are some starting points for readers looking to catch up on what composes the best YA books of 2025.
Book Riot’s Best YA Books of 2025
These best YA picks come from across the contributors and staff at Book Riot.
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming
Jim Jones, leader of one of the most notorious cults in history, The People’s Temple, managed to convince 900 people to drink cyanide to their ultimate deaths. But how did he do it? This book traces Jones’s story from his youth growing up during the Great Depression to where and how he convinced people to follow him and his beliefs. You’ll follow Jones and his devotees from California to their off-grid Jonestown compound in the depths of Guyana. Fleming’s research is deep, and the story is situated in the experiences of young people growing up within this cult. An example of knockout nonfiction for young adult readers (and beyond!). – Kelly Jensen
The Leaving Room by Amber McBride
This novel in verse offered such a thoughtful and unique take on the afterlife. It reminded me of how I felt reading Gabrielle Zevin’s Elsewhere as a teenager but for today’s generation. It stars Gospel, a Keeper who guides recently deceased souls from life to what comes next. But when she meets another Keeper named Melody, they work together to find a way out of the Leaving Room. – Andy Minshew
Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
Book three in The Legendborn Cycle may be Deonn’s best book yet. Bree Matthews will need her perseverance as she learns to wield her powers away from her friends, the Legendborn Order, and her Root magic ancestral elders. Instead, she must trust a dangerous bargain with the Shadow King—a being that would do anything to claim her power. Meanwhile, Selwyn is fighting his Demonia with the only person alive who can help, and Nick is doing everything he can to find Sel and Bree. Oathbound tests the strength of friendships, institutions, and magic as our heroes confront the true cost of power. – R. Nassor
On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia
Geek out with this younger YA book, which follows two high school freshmen learning how to navigate school, friendship, family drama, and falling in love for the very first time. Pacy and Cecil meet on their first day of school, but neither has it together enough to fess up to their feelings. Both are forced into helping plan the freshman dance, and no matter how much they try to deny what’s going on, the sparks only get brighter. The dynamic writing duo behind this book has created two memorable characters who will have you weighing in on their ongoing battle: Star Wars or Star Trek? – Kelly Jensen
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson
I was still preaching the gospel of The Weight of Blood when I got around to reading The Scammer, and let me tell you, Tiffany D. Jackson does not, cannot miss. I was engrossed from the moment I saw where this story was headed (it’s inspired by the events surrounding the Sarah Lawrence cult, but set on an HBCU campus), and the ending left me in open-mouthed appreciation of a well-executed twist. If you like suspenseful books set on college campuses, explorations of cult dynamics and manipulation, and stories ripped from the headlines, you’re going to want to read this one now. – Vanessa Diaz
This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Nicole Goux
This sapphic YA graphic novel takes place in the ’80s, but its story of teenage alienation is timeless. Wilberton Academy’s resident It Girl, Elizabeth Woodward, is found dead the morning after she starred in the school’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet. She’s said to have died by suicide, but something about that doesn’t feel right. Outcast Abby Kita is determined to find out what really happened to one of the few girls at Wilberton who was ever nice to her. Turns out, Elizabeth had secrets—secrets that might have gotten her killed. – Erica Ezefedi
Truth Is by Hannah V. Sawyerr
Truth is entering her senior year without a clear idea of what she wants for her future. She loves poetry, and while she doesn’t love having to tiptoe around her mother, sneaking to weekly poetry classes has given Truth an outlet she so desperately needs. Her life becomes more complicated when she finds herself pregnant and must navigate the ever-changing landscape of abortion services. But this isn’t just a story about Truth’s challenges. It’s a story about her finding her voice, sharing her voice, and owning what her own future looks like. This verse novel is moving and heartfelt, and Truth is an unforgettable character. – Kelly Jensen
The Best YA Books of 2025 So Far, According To The Stars
The titles included from the starred review tracking document are those which have earned between 4 and 6 stars from trade journals. This means that somewhere between 2/3 and every professional review journal indicated these titles were the best of the best this year.
6 Starred Reviews
5 Starred Reviews
4 Starred Reviews
The Best YA Books of 2025, According to Other Book Websites
There are four outlets included in this roundup–more “Best of YA” lists will come after this piece has been drafted, including a big one from Kirkus on December 8–and all four highlight an unique perspective on “best.”
There’s Barnes & Noble‘s list here, alongside Indigo’s list, representing bookstores in the U.S. and in Canada. Then there’s the Publishers Weekly list, representing titles industry reviewers found outstanding. The final list is Amazon, and while it represents a retail site, it’s also a little unique in being handpicked by the site’s editors. You can read the reason for each choice here (though I wish there was far more focus about how YA is written for teens, since this is very much via the perspective of how great these books are for adult readers of YA).
First, the titles which landed on more than one of those lists include:
Next, the titles which landed on these lists and were also named as Book Riot best and/or earned significant starred reviews include:
- The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum (Publishers Weekly)
- Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming (Publishers Weekly)
- I Wish I Didn’t Have To Tell You This: A Memoir by Eugene Yelchin (Amazon)
- The Leaving Room by Amber McBride (Publishers Weekly)
- Oathbound by Tracey Deonn (Barnes & Noble)
- This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki, illus. by Nicole Goux (Publishers Weekly)
- Truth Is by Hannah V. Sawyerr (Publishers Weekly)
- Run Away With Me by Brian Selznick (Publishers Weekly)
- Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley (Amazon and Indigo)
- Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout (Publishers Weekly)
Finally, here are a few titles on those lists that aren’t elsewhere. You can check out the full lists for each linked above, as this is meant to just be a snapshot:
Perhaps it’s worth pointing out that these lists don’t really take into account teen reader perspectives when it comes to the best YA books of the year. There are outlets which do that, and certainly, we see that more as book awards roll out later this year and into next. But in an era where so much of what gains popularity is driven by adult tastes, it’s worth noting that these best of lists often overlook the very audience for which these books are intended.
