The 25 Best Young Adult Book Series Ever Written
Netflix
Looking for a read that will keep you enthralled? A young adult series is the way to go. While a trilogy is enough to be considered a series, many YA series consist of many more books that that—sometimes there’s even multiple-book series within a larger franchise. So, if you want some true escapism and to really delve into another world for a while, that’s what you’ll get.
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Scholastic
Starting off with the most obvious, we have the bestselling book series of all time. The seven-book series is about Harry Potter, an 11-year-old boy who finds out that he is a wizard and gets to attend a school to learn magic. Unfortunately for him, it’s not as fun as it sounds, because he also has to fight off the dark wizard Voldemort, who killed his parents and with whom he shares a special bond.
Simon & Schuster
The To All the Boys trilogy follows Lara Jean Song Covey, a teenage girl who writes letters to her crushes to get her emotions out but does not actually mail them. Her life changes when her little sister sends the letters, and Lara Jean sets off on a fake-turned-real romance with classmate Peter Kavinsky.
Scholastic
Dystopian worlds are popular when it comes to YA, and one of the most notable in that genre is The Hunger Games . The book trilogy is about Katniss Everdeen, a teenager who is a “tribute” in the Hunger Games—a battle to the death in which one girl and one boy from each of the nation of Panem’s districts compete for food and money for their community. There are is also a prequel book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , with another prequel on the way .
Margaret K. McElderry Books
The Shadowhunter Chronicles are a series of series, essentially: five (soon to be six) series of novels, with each series consisting of at least three books. Overall, the franchise is about a group of humans known as Shadowhunters, who are tasked with keeping a secret world of demons, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings apart from normal humans, who are known as “mundanes.” One of the best-known series within the series is The Mortal Instruments , which was adapted into a film and TV show.
Simon Pulse
Goosebumps author R.L Stine created a series for slightly older readers with the YA horror books Fear Street . There are over 50 books in the original series, which began in 1989, as well as several spinoff series. The books are all based in the fictional city of Shadyside and about teenagers coming across murder mysteries and supernatural occurrences.
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Henry Holt and Co.
The Shadow and Bone fantasy trilogy is about Alina Starkov, a teenage orphan who finds out that she is a Grisha, a person who can harness the power of the elements to their own advantage. But, while learning about her powers and seeing where she fits in, Alina learns that her true enemy is the Darkling, the leader of the Grisha. There is also a wider “Grishaverse” from writer Leigh Bardugo , which includes multiple spinoff books.
Katherine Tegen Books
The Divergent series is focused on Beatrice “Tris” Prior, a teen girl living in a post-apocalyptic Chicago. In Tris’ world, people are divided into five factions based on their personalities, and she is labeled a “divergent” because she tests into multiple factions. The books involve the factions conflicts with each other, as well as Tris’ romantic relationship with Four, another member of her chosen faction.
Little Brown
The four Twilight books and their spinoffs are about a teenager named Bella, who falls in love with a vampire, Edward, who appears to be a teenager but is actually over 100 years old. The series follows the challenges of their relationship, which include a jealous werewolf, Edward keeping his true identity a secret, and eventually, Bella deciding whether to become a vampire herself.
Simon & Schuster
The Uglies series includes three books, as well as one companion book that features a different lead character. The primary trilogy is about Tally Youngblood, who lives in a future world in which all 16-year-olds receive plastic surgery to become “Pretties” and enter the next phase of their lives. Tally finds out, though, that the surgery isn’t only about appearance and that people are also being controlled in an effort to keep society functioning in only one way.
Delacorte Press
The Maze Runner is about a group of teens who are being used as test subjects in a dystopian world. The group, known as Gladers, are placed inside of a facility with their memories wiped out and are given one chance per day to try to figure out a maze that surrounds the place where they live. Things change for the Gladers thanks to new members named Thomas and Tessa, who begin to reveal how big the plot they are subjected to really is.
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Little, Brown and Company
Before it was a hugely popular TV show, Gossip Girl was a series of novels. The books are about frenemies Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen, who are both wealthy New Yorkers attending the fancy Constance Billard School for Girls. Their relationship to each other, friendships with other students, and dating lives are all covered, with an anonymous blogger named Gossip Girl stirring up trouble for everyone.
Simon & Schuster
Noughts & Crosses is an alternative history series that explores race and racism. In this fictional version of the U.K., there are two classes: noughts, who are light-skinned people formerly enslaved by crosses, who have darker skin. While slavery is over, the two groups are still segregated, which is a major issues for the main characters of the first book, Sephy and Callum, a cross and nought who fall in love.
Miramax Books
Like The Shadowhunter Chronicles , Camp Half-Blood Chronicles consists of multiple book series in one overarching franchise. The three book series are Percy Jackson & the Olympians (which is the most famous), The Heroes of Olympus , and The Trials of Apollo . There are also short stories and graphic novels. Overall, the franchise gives a new take on Greek mythology with the ancient gods existing in the modern day.
Ember
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a mystery about Pip Fitz-Amobi, a teenage true crime fan who takes it upon herself to investigate the murder of a student from her town. In the sequel books, Pip stars a podcast and takes on additional cases.
Random House
The Sweet Valley High series began in 1983, focusing on twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield dealing with high school drama. The franchise then expanded to include spinoffs such as Sweet Valley Junior High and Sweet Valley High: Senior Year . Over 20 years, nearly 200 books were released, and while some were ghostwritten, they’re all published under the name of creator Francine Pascal .
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Parnassus Press
The classic fantasy series Earthsea , also called The Earthsea Cycle , began in 1968 with the book A Wizard of Earthsea . The first book follows Ged, a young wizard, who gets to study magic at a special school. Ged lives in Earthsea, a world that consists of various small islands surrounded by one large ocean in a society that is similar to the Iron Age.
Bloomsbury Publishing
Throne of Glass is another fantasy series. This one is about Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin who lives in the Kingdom of Adarlan. Celaena enters a competition to become the King’s Champion, or his personal assassin, but while participating in the various tasks she’s assigned in the hopes of getting the job, she learns about magic and mysteries involving her kingdom.
Simon & Schuster
The Arc of a Scythe series is about a future world in which all of humanity is peacefully ruled by an artificial intelligence called Thunderhead, and people are immortal thanks to scientific advancements. However, it’s been determined that there still needs to be death to give life meaning and to control the population. So, a group of people called Scythes are responsible for killing others. The first book focuses on a teenage boy and girl who are chosen to become Scythe apprentices.
Philomel Books
The titular character of the Alex Rider books is a teenage spy who works for British intelligence agency MI6. The 14 books in the series see Alex take on missions involving nuclear weapons, biological warfare, stolen ancient sculptures, and much more.
Hachette Children’s Group
Heartstopper is a graphic novel series about the romantic relationship between two schoolmates, Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring. It also covers their relationships with their friends—and their friends’ own love lives—as they attend Truham Grammar School. This series is notable for featuring many LGBTQ+ characters.
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Knopf
The Inheritance Cycle consists of four books, starting with Eragon . The series is about a boy named Eragon, who finds and learns to take care of a dragon while also facing off against King Galbatorix, who wants the dragon for himself. The fantasy series is set in a world known as Alagaësia.
Razorbill
Vampire Academy is focused on Rosemarie, a half-vampire-half-human, and her best friend Lissa, who is a type of vampire that is mortal. Rosemarie is being trained to be a protector for Lissa, and the two both attend a boarding school called St. Vladimir’s Academy.
HarperTeen
Pretty Little Liars is a mystery series about four friends, who begin receiving messages from an anonymous person called “A” after the leader of their clique dies. The group then have to figure out who “A” really is and how they know so many of their secrets.
HarperTeen
The Selection is set in a society in which people are divided into eight different castes with “Ones” being the elite, including royalty, and “Eights” being the poorest. A young woman named America, who is a Five, joins a process for a prince to select a wife, which leaves her divided between her love for Aspen, her ex-boyfriend who is a Six, and Prince Maxon, a One, for whom she begins to develop real feelings.
HarperTeen
The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series is about a teenage girl in England, who is dealing with typical adolescent issues, including dating, jealousy, friendships, annoying family members, and puberty. By the way, Angus is her cat and “snogging” means kissing.
The 10 Best Audiobooks for Your Next Road Trip
Prostock-studio / Shutterstock
Packing up the car and heading out on a road trip is a rite of passage. Many of us remember our first road trip as a kid, when we loaded up our suitcases to venture out toward a new destination. Maybe you also hit the road with friends after college, or have taken your kids on a road trip of their own, seeing the sites or exploring different national parks . But if you’re spending hours in the car—no matter who you’re with—you need something to pass the time. Music and podcast episodes can only cover so many miles, which is why you might be in the market for an audiobook.
According to Hayley Yager , bookstagrammer and blogger of Backpacking Bookworm , there are a few key factors that go into selecting the right audiobook for a road trip. To maximize your listening experience, she recommends looking for “engaging and authentic narrators,” who will keep your attention. Second, consider the genres or types of books you’re most interested in. Podcast-lovers might prefer a non-fiction pick, and if you’ve always wanted to learn about some historical or contemporary figure, a biography or memoir could be a great option. Fiction is also a great option, and you’ll find a plethora of different stories that you can immerse yourself in on a long drive.
If you’re having trouble making the right call, travel experts and book bloggers have recommended some of their top audiobook choices, which you can either purchase or borrow from your local library. Read on to find out what you should be listening to while on the road.
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Audible Studios
Anything by renowned nonfiction author Bill Bryson is worth a read or a listen. He writes about complex concepts—including the intricacies of the human body and the history of the universe—but does so in an accessible, often comical way. Of Bryson’s many worthy reads, Anthony Presti , travel writer of ValueQuack, recommends The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America .
“Follow Bill on his cross-country road trip in the United States. From the backwoods of Kentucky to the badlands of South Dakota, Bryson covers it all in this hilarious account of his journey,” Presti says.
Bryson travels across 38 states in total over the course of the travelogue, as he searches for the perfect small American town—and you’ll be waiting to see if he finds it. “If you’re looking for a laugh-out-loud book to listen to on your road trip, this is the one for you,” Presti says. “It is one of the funniest books you’ll ever read, whether at home or on the road.”
Random House Audio
If you love a good modern mystery, The Flight Attendant is a solid choice for your next road trip. Full of suspense, this story follows Cassie, a binge drinker who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. It’s also been turned into a popular show on HBO Max, so you can engage in the age-old debate of book versus TV series when you’re done listening.
“Why not infuse a little ‘travel talk’ into your travels? With the release of the new HBO show based on this novel, I wanted to give the book a try before watching it,” Bryan Mullennix , founder of the travel website Feeling Vegas, explains. “It’s a suspenseful novel and makes for a good road trip audiobook because of how it is written and also the fact that it kind of relates to travel.”
This audiobook has three narrators, meaning you’ll hear different voices for different characters in this chilling and thrilling read. Looking for something even darker? You might want to opt for Yager’s thriller pick, The Night Swim by Megan Goldin .
Macmillan Audio
If you just want to be transported to another world, let TJ Klune take you there by listening to Under T he Whispering Door . Klune has quickly become a mainstay in the fantasy genre, often featuring LGBTQ+ characters. Under The Whispering Door also adds a splash of romance, humor, and some more intense themes of grief and loss.
John Hubbard , founder and CEO of the outdoor blog Urban Dare, recommends Under The Whispering Door if you want something that will truly keep your attention. “The audiobook gives you all types of feeling with every character’s unique and suitable voice,” he explains, adding that Kirt Graves , a well known audiobook reader and audio producer, narrates. “It provides a great message from life and love to death with its lovable characters.”
Hubbard recommends this for a long drive, “as it will take some time to understand the deep questions Klune’s tale poses throughout.” The audiobook has a listening length of 14 hours and 54 minutes, so it’ll get you through a good stretch of your trip. “Some listeners might find the audiobook a bit slow at the start,” he notes. “It is better to listen at 1.5 speed until you begin to understand the plot of the story.”
Random House Audio
If you’re choosing a memoir for a long-haul drive, Yager recommends selecting one that is recorded by the author. “In my experience, stories are brought more to life when read by the person who knows the book better than anyone,” she tells Best Life , suggesting Becoming by Michelle Obama as a notable choice.
The former First Lady narrates her memoir, discussing her childhood all the way through her time in the White House and after. You’ll feel connected to Obama when listening to her tell her story, and if you needed any more convincing, she won the 2020 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for her audio edition of the book.
If you’ve already checked Becoming off of your reading list—it was, after all, the best-selling book of 2018—Presti also recommends Barack Obama’s 2020 memoir A Promised Land . “It chronicles his upbringing, his time in office, and the challenges he faced throughout his presidency,” he says. “It’s an inspiring story that will leave you feeling hopeful and motivated—perfect for a road trip where anything can happen.”
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Pottermore Publishing
One of the most beloved series of all time centers on a young wizard named Harry Potter. The stories have captivated young and old readers alike since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was first published in 1997. Presti recommends this audiobook for your next trip on the open road, especially if you’ve got your kids in tow.
“If you’re looking for a book the whole family can enjoy on your road trip, look no further than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ,” he explains. “With its magic, adventure, and suspense, this book is sure to keep everyone entertained on a long car ride.”
As The Sorcerer’s Stone is the first installment in the seven-part series, you might also want to bring Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets along as well, just in case the kids (or you) can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Macmillan Audio
While you can’t watch a rom-com while you’re driving, you can certainly listen to one. Yager recommends The Switch , which is set in the U.K. and features a plot line that might remind you a little of the movie The Holiday . The story focuses on a newly-single grandmother looking for love in the rural town of Yorkshire and her granddaughter, who has become exhausted by life in London. The two decide to switch places, and drama, romance, and comedy ensue.
The audiobook is read by two English actors, Daisy Edgar-Jones , of Normal People and Where the Crawdads Sing , and Alison Steadman , award-winning stage, film, and television star.
“This is an easy and light listen with two celebrity narrators, which evokes familiarity,” Yager says. “The chapters are the perfect length, enabling you to get invested in one storyline before moving on to the next when the narrators switch.”
You can listen to this 10-hour audiobook on a longer drive, but Yager notes that you can also “dip in and out for shorter trips.”
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Random House Audio
Some stories are classics for a reason, and even if you haven’t picked up a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , odds are you’ve heard of it. First published in 1979, it was adapted from author Douglas Adams’ radio series and follows the journey of the only man to survive after earth is destroyed.
“Full of laughs, science fiction, and awesome ’70s and ’80s references, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the perfect audiobook for a road trip,” Tim White , CEO and founder of the travel site MilePro, says. This pick is more “lighthearted,” he adds, making it a good choice for those who don’t want an audiobook that’s too intense.
The book is just under six hours long, White points out, making it optimal for shorter journeys. It’s also narrated by English actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry , so you might recognize a familiar voice.
Harlequin Audio
Another one of Yager’s fiction picks is The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman , which has all the necessary components of a family comedy—think Little Miss Sunshine with a twist.
“This is the perfect road trip listen as the book itself revolves around a family taking a detour-heavy road trip up to Edinburgh so 12-year-old Norman can perform at the Fringe,” she says.
For those unfamiliar with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, it’s the largest arts festival in the world, dating back to 1947. In this contemporary fiction novel, young Norman is hoping to take his comedy act to center stage at the event. “It’s an absolute rollercoaster of one hilarious feat after another, yet still manages to retain every ounce of authenticity,” Yager says. “It’s a feel-good book that anyone can enjoy, making it perfect for a long road trip.”
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Hachette Audio
For those who want an audiobook that is chock-full of different stories, check out David Sedaris’ When You Are Engulfed in Flames .
“If you’re looking for a more introspective, thought-provoking read, When You Are Engulfed in Flames is the book for you,” Presti tells Best Life .
Sedaris narrates the audiobook himself, and you’re sure to be entertained by his wit as he covers topics that range from ridiculous to deeply insightful. “It’s a hilarious and poignant look at the human condition that will have you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading,” Presti says. “Follow as David travels the world and tries to make sense of it all.”
Random House Audio
Ernest Cline’s fantastic 2011 novel Ready Player One is a must-read—or listen, in this case—for anyone interested in gaming, virtual reality, or just science fiction in general.
“If you’re looking for a lighthearted, fun book to keep you entertained on a road trip, look no further than Ready Player One ,” Presti says. “This science fiction novel follows the story of Wade Watts, a teenager who finds himself thrust into a virtual world in search of an Easter egg that will grant its finder ultimate power and control over the world. Along the way, he makes allies and enemies as he fights to be the first to find the egg.”
The novel has also been adapted into a film directed by Steven Spielberg , but the book has significant differences. S0, even if you’ve seen the movie, you should still give the book a go. “It will have you laughing, crying, and cheering—the perfect way to pass the time on a long car ride,” Presti says.
