BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2020
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Do you like to read young adult books?
Ever since I realized years ago that planning a diverse tbr prevents me from getting into a reading slump, I love reading all kinds of genres. That’s why I switch between fiction, romance, fantasy and YA on a regular basis.
This year I had the pleasure of reading a ton of great young adult books. Many were debut novels. And almost all of them were powerful and must reads in their own ways.
Below you can find the books that stood out from the crowd this year.
BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2020
Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn
For anyone who loved To All The Boys I Loved Before – this book is for you. It’s adorable, smart, and has wonderful family dynamic. A debut novel that should be on anyone’s radar. It was just the right amount of entertaining.

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The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. iNot even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.
Until now.
In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.
In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.
The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.
If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.
Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass
Wow this book was something else. The topic alone makes this book a must read. But all of it together, characters and story, turned this book into one of the books that stood out from the crowd this year. Highly recommended!!

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Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare.
His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.”
But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide—from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director—and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are—and taking this place down.
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
I loved Dear Martin, and Dear Justyce. Both were incredibly well written. And are important reads. Powerful. But also short enough to read on a day. Highly recommended!!

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In the highly anticipated sequel to her New York Times bestseller, Nic Stone delivers an unflinching look into the flawed practices and silenced voices in the American juvenile justice system.
Vernell LaQuan Banks and Justyce McAllister grew up a block apart in the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Wynwood Heights. Years later, though, Justyce walks the illustrious halls of Yale University . . . and Quan sits behind bars at the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Center.
Through a series of flashbacks, vignettes, and letters to Justyce–the protagonist of Dear Martin–Quan’s story takes form. Troubles at home and misunderstandings at school give rise to police encounters and tough decisions. But then there’s a dead cop and a weapon with Quan’s prints on it. What leads a bright kid down a road to a murder charge? Not even Quan is sure.
BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2020
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo has become a favorite author of mine this year. I read three of her books this year and all three were outstanding. If you never read or listened to a book that was written in free verse, I can only recommend it. It flows, it’s lyrical, and all of her books are powerful in their own way.
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Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.
And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Another powerful YA novel I had the pleasure to read this year. Based on a riot in LA in 1992, the book was fascinating and full of historical tidbits. Because of its topic it was a timely and thought provoking story. Most perfect book for 2020.

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This coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots. Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year. Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
The Truth Project by Dante Medema
A book entirely written in emails, texts, and journal entries, and again a book that was thought provoking and powerful in its message.

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Seventeen-year-old Cordelia Koenig was sure of many things going into her last year of high school. For one, she wasn’t going to stress over the senior project all her peers were dreading—she’d just use the same find-your-roots genealogy idea that her older sister used for hers. Secondly, she’d put all that time spent not worrying about the project toward getting reacquainted with former best friend and longtime crush Kodiak Jones who, conveniently, gets assigned as Cordelia’s partner.
All she has to do is mail in her DNA sample, write about her ancestry results and breeze through the rest of senior year. Done, done and done.
But when Cordelia’s GeneQuest results reveal that her father is not the man she thought he was but a stranger who lives thousands of miles away, Cordelia realizes she isn’t sure of anything anymore—not the mother who lied, the life she was born into or the girl staring back at her in the mirror.
If your life began with a lie, how can you ever be sure of what’s true?
BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2020
This Is My America by Kim Johnson
This book is for anyone who loved Just Mercy and The Hate U Give. An unflinching yet uplifting debut novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system.

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Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time–her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a “thug” on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town’s racist history that still haunt the present?
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
This was an incredible memoir. Timely and eyeopening. One of the best books I read this year.

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In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
This story was adorable and heart warming, but also a book that taught me more about the trans community. Loved the characters, the story and of course the cover. It’s a highly recommended book of 2020.

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Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.
When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….
But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.
Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.
BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2020
Great list! Plenty of these are still on my TBR as I didn’t get around to reading them this year, but I’m so keen for them. I did read The Black Kids and absolutely agree, such a powerful book and definitely a must read!
Thank you 😊, I was surprised by how many YA books I read this year, and how many of them blew my mind! 2020 was a a year of fantastic books. Can’t wait to see what 2021 brings. And I’m looking forward to your reviews 😀
Fantastic list, Corina! Although I haven’t read any of these (hides face in shame), they are definitely on my tbr 🙂
Thank you 😊, and it’s never too late to pick up books. I enjoyed a lot of them this year, but there are still so many books that fell through the cracks in 2020. My tbr is proof – lol.
I haven’t read any of these. Maybe that’s why I had such a hard time with YA books this year. There were only a few I really loved.
I was so surprised by how many YA novels turned out to be excellent books this year. YA is usually a genre I have a hate/love relationship with, and I usually struggle with it. But 2020 was a good year in that regard. And as you can see, many of the books fit the diverse and biopic author category. It’s something I tried to read more this year and I wasn’t disappointed by the books I picked.
I mostly fit in YA reads from authors I already knew I loved. Most of them turned out okay. Erin Hahn is the only new one I read and fell in love with. I probably should have done what you did and branch out and try to read more biopic authors. I was more successful doing that in the adult romance genre.
Great list Corina! I’ve only read Clap When You Land but have loved reading YA this year and hope to pick up some of these titles in 2021.
Thank you Steph 😊 – and it’s never too late to pick them up
I can’t believe I haven’t read any of these! Thank you so much for the recs, I’m eyeing the Truth Project especially!!
You’re welcome Cherelle 😊, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the Truth Project
I have never fully been able to get into YA….although I try to read one or two a year if I can. I have heard great things about many of these though. Happy to see them on your list and that you are enjoying this genre so much.
YA is probably my least read genre but I love to add some to my tbr every month. It makes for an interesting change 😀
So, I LOVED YA. It was my preferred genre until this year… I started reading a lot of epic high fantasy adult novels and I’m struggling so much with YA now. BUT I have read a lot of great standalones or contemporaries. I really need to read Clap When You Land! Ahh!
I noticed that too the first time I tried to read a YA fantasy, after reading so many great adult fantasy books. I just couldn’t understand the hype. Especially when I compared the writing, the world building etc. It’s probably why I still struggle so much with YA fantasy. And a reason why I mostly stick with contemporary YA 😀
Yep, I agree with all that 100%. I will still read it if it’s highly recommended but if I find any that are really good and well done, I’ll let you know!! 🙂
You know that I love young adults! I hoped to love felix but sadly, it was just a good read for me while I hoped to be amazed by it!
books are subjective – it’s never a guarantee that we like them equally but I’m glad you gave it a try 😀
You’ve given me a few to add to the TBR! I haven’t read any of them yet, but several were already sitting on my TBR. Might have to bump them up!
Honestly you can’t go wrong with any of the books 😀
Great list, Corina! I loved Clap When You Land, so I’m glad to see it on your list. I really want to read All Boys Aren’t Blue, I have heard nothing but great things about it.
It’s a must read, and deserves all the praise you heard so far. 😊
So many of these are still on my tbr! I’m especially excited to read Clap When You Land. <3
It’s never too late for a book 😀 and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about Clap When You Land