Holiday Gift List: 17 Bookseller-Loved YA Novels

These were the young adult novels selected for our ParnassusNext monthly subscription box this year. Every subscriber to our YA book box received an autographed first edition of these books, representing our favorite new releases of each month.

We can really pick ’em, too. Our 2018 selections went on to earn all sorts of big recognition (see below). Did you miss any? If so, now’s a good time to catch up on that reading:

Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (three starred reviews, a New York Times bestseller, and a School Library Journal, Cosmopolitan, and Bustle best YA book of the year)

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (five starred reviews, a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and a Kirkus, Paste Magazine, Bustle, PopSugar, CommonSense Media, and Seventeen best YA book of the year)

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (three starred reviews, a New York Times bestseller, and a School Library Journal, Bustle and Paste magazine best YA book of the year)

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert (five starred reviews, and a School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (Bustle and Cosmopolitan best YA book of the year)

Furyborn by Claire Legrand (a starred review, a New York Times bestseller, and a Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)

Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak (a starred review)

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (three starred reviews, and a Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Cosmopolitan best YA book of the year)

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Coletti (four starred reviews, a Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (five starred reviews, plus a New York Times Notable Book and a School Library Journal, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, NPR, and Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)

The War Outside by Monica Hesse (four starred reviews and a Publishers Weekly best YA book of the year)

Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore (three starred reviews and a School Library Journal best YA book of the year)

Four Three Two One 

Carla made this her December staff pick and says, “Want a story that will make you laugh, make you cry, and stop you in your tracks? Look no further. At first glance this book appears to be about tragedy, but once you dive in you’ll find that healing and hope are truly the main characters. This beautiful journey will have us all thinking about what it means to fully live every day, to find our truth, and always — always — take that hard leap toward hope.”

A Blade So Black 

Devin’s latest addition to our staff picks shelf is a novel she describes like so: “This book is like if Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Alice in Wonderland became fused together and dropped the characters into modern-day Atlanta.” Yes, PLEASE.

Blood Water Paint 

Haunting, unusual, and memorable, this verse novel about Artemisia Gentileschi, a teen girl during the Italian Renaissance who overcame a traumatic event to become one of the greatest artists of her time, is one of the year’s must-reads, says Stephanie: “It is a breathtaking, heart-shattering, and deeply necessary book.”

I’m Not Missing: A Novel 

Ella, our high school intern, was wild about this one in 2018 — a story of two inseparable teen friends, Syd and Miranda. She explains, “One night, Syd inexplicably vanishes, leaving Miranda to pick up the pieces of her disappearance. This is a wonderful story about family, love, and loss that is perfect for anyone who loved Paper Towns.”

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha #1) 

Here’s another favorite from Ella: “This book is perfect in every single way imaginable. It’s a thrilling, action-packed book with superpowers, ancient temples, and a fight for freedom. This is for anyone who loved Leigh Bardugo’s Grishatrilogy and Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer.”

• Media mail rate: December 13
• Priority rate: December 19

Want it gift wrapped? We’re happy to wrap any orders FREE — just let us know in the “notes” section at checkout. (Note: All wrapped gifts must be shipped via priority mail. Media mail won’t allow wrapping paper. It’s weird, we know.)