If you’re a fan of Young
Adult novels, 2019 is turning out to be a banner year. From romance to magic spells, there are
plenty of compelling and fun new books for you to read regardless of your taste.
There’s even a dark love story with a young Edgar Allen Poe as the protagonist.
Pretty cool.
Now, some of you may enjoy
sticking with the trends while others get excited about referrals from
friends. That’s great! But what if you’re
looking to find the next book that you can recommend. You’ve come to the right
place.
Here are a few YA novels that are making waves this year:
The Engine Woman’s Light – by Laurel Anne Hill
Emotions run high in this action-packed tale as 15 year-old Juanita is charged with stopping a sinister plot perpetrated by the Director of a California Asylum. Set in the backdrop of an 1894 alternate world, the story is both marvelous and terrifying as we follow Laurel’s protagonist on her journey to save the victims from a horrible fate. Juanita is a very well developed and insightful character filled with conflict and complexity. As a reader you can’t help but root for her and empathize as she struggles through love, loss and the inhumanity of what she finds.
The Last of Will – by Sheryl Benko
Why would a normal teenage girl give up her summer vacation to deliver a stranger’s ashes out of state? Hilarity ensues when Greer Sarazen is forced to road trip with her father who’s on a mission for a local cemetery. A stranded van, a clown, a rodeo, a disco-dancing nerd and a belligerent dwarf threaten to throw off the itinerary, while the departed “passenger” becomes an unexpected friend … proving that, sometimes, the things we truly need are the last things we would ever expect in this truly heartfelt and wonderful novel.
The Lonely Heart’s Bar – by Konni Granma
What happens when Connie, a young woman filled with hope, travels to Los Angeles to study directing and screenwriting, but on the way, meets an unlikely traveler at a roadside bar? Destinies are linked and our heroes haven given up everything to follow their dreams, team up for a wild adventure. What’s in store for the young rebels in Los Angeles? Does a dream have another side, one that’s just as enigmatic and invisible as the far side of the Moon? This book is a fun ride with characters that come to life with every emotion they feel and every decision they make.
Growing Up Hollywood – by Tara Botel Doherty
Anything can happen in Hollywood, it can be both a dangerous place and a place where dreams come true. After all, Hollywood is the land of hopes, dreams, and make believe. On these tarnished and run-down streets, especially Hollywood Boulevard in the 1970’s you need to watch your back. Annie and Gracie live on a street above the Boulevard up in the Hollywood Hills in a California Craftsman with large picture windows. Although the picture looks perfect, pictures are often deceiving. With a mother and father on the edge of divorce, these two young girls are left to their own devices and try to make sense of their surroundings on this unfriendly, dead end street. Go on the adventures with these two sisters as they grow up among the famous landmarks, and meet the people who make Hollywood the destination to find fame and fortune among the stars on the Walk of Fame.
As you can see,
2019 is truly a great time to be a fan of Young Adult novels. So whether you’re heading off to some exotic
location for vacation or just hanging on the patio on a hot summer night, grab
a new book and let your imagination take over for a while. You may even discover that a new author has
become a new favorite.