My Recommendations for Your Next YA Novel
In the past few years, many popular young adult fantasy novels have been released. However, that also means more “book hangovers.” Whenever I finish a great book, I am devastated and often stop reading for a few weeks because I can never find a new entertaining book that is on the same level. To help with this, I created a list of my favorite popular YA novels and recommendations for what to read next after each one.
Fourth Wing, a fantasy novel written by Rebecca Yarros, has quickly become one of the most popular fantasy books in history. The book reached the number one spot on the Amazon Bestseller’s list, as well as the number one spot on the New York Times Bestseller list, where it stayed for 18 weeks. Fourth Wing is so popular because it is exciting, fast-paced, and it keeps the readers guessing. It contains dark romance, dragons, magic, and war which are all common themes that allure the readers. The story is set in a war college, where the stakes are high for all the characters. While this wasn’t my favorite book, I devoured it quickly and I understand the hype. This book is part of a five-book series, and the second book, Iron Flame, was released recently.
Fourth Wing reminded me of the Throne of Glass series, written by Sarah J. Maas. While the worldbuilding in Throne of Glass is immensely more complicated, they both portray the stories of strong female main characters who live dangerous lives. Both are modeled around a competition of sorts; in Fourth Wing, characters have to complete challenges and tasks to join the college and ultimately stay alive. In Throne of Glass, a handful of famous hitmen have to compete against each other to be the king’s assassin. Throne of Glass has less romance and is a more challenging read. These two series pair well together because they share many of the same fantasy tropes, especially themes of war, powerful demons, and otherworldly beings. These books will keep you turning the page, anxious for what comes next.
Recently, I read Caraval, by Stephanie Garber, and I was hooked. Reading this trilogy is a magical experience, especially reading the second book. Caraval is full of twists and turns and delectable descriptions, and you get lost in the intricate world and mysterious story. A feast for the senses- the figurative language makes you smell, taste, hear, and feel all the wondrous things the characters encounter. The plot follows the story of two sisters who face challenges in an enchanted carnival to escape their abusive father. Caraval is also a fantasy romance but contains easier worldbuilding and a more understandable setting than the previous books.
To go along with Caraval, I would recommend the series, Once Upon a Broken Heart, also by Stephanie Garber. This series tells the story of a young girl who encounters a powerful character from Caraval, but the story and setting in Once Upon a Broken Heart are completely different. The writing style is very similar, and I read both of these series back to back and I couldn’t get enough of Garber’s delicate writing. The story follows Evangeline Fox, who seeks help in order to save her beloved from a curse. However, she gets sidetracked when she encounters the Fated Prince of Hearts (from Caraval), who has his own agenda for her. This series does have a lot of romance, but it wasn’t overwhelming and I thought it was balanced very well with the amount of action in the novels. These two series are perfect counterparts for each other, and I recommend reading Caraval first as it gives a more detailed background of the world in which both series are set.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is another extremely popular series written by Sarah J. Maas. If you like all of the series I mentioned previously, this series is perfect for you. With a satisfying balance of magic, mystery, war, and romance, it has all of the tropes from the previous novels and more. According to The Guardian, it is “set in a wondrous realm of faeries and mortals, and we are immediately thrown into Feyre’s world.” Just like all of the others, the book contains a female protagonist (Feyre). This whole series was beautifully written similarly to Caraval but is more challenging to read and can be darker, like Throne of Glass and Fourth Wing. Rated 4.2 on GoodReads, A Court of Thorns and Roses is many people's favorite novel. I was speechless after reading it, and it left me excited for more. ACOTAR is wonderful on its own, but the whole series ties in almost all the mesmerizing aspects of the other books I have recommended.
By Ella Marks