Being stuck at home gives us a lot of spare time. Why not pick up a book and be transported into another world then? Novels are a great way to escape, especially young adult (YA) fiction. Here are some of my favorites that you should give a try. All of these books are available as hard copies and eBooks.
1.“Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo
“Six of Crows” was on my list of novels to read this year, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with it when I finally read it. “Six of Crows” is a fantasy novel set in a busy trade city named Ketterdam. Just like any city, crime lurks in the shadows. Kaz Brekker, a criminal mastermind, is offered the chance to attempt one of the most dangerous heists that would leave him filthy rich, but he can’t do it on his own.
You grow attached to the misfit characters you meet throughout the book, you laugh with them and cry with them as you learn about their backgrounds and what led them to the lives they live now.
“Six of Crows,” is the first installment in the series, with “Crooked Kingdom” being the second.
2. “Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard
I can’t even count how many times I have reread this series. The story follows Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old girl who lives in a world divided by blood. You either have red, or silver blood. Those with silver blood are considered elite and are treated like gods due to the abilities that come with their blood. Those with red blood are considered commoners, and Mare is one until she discovers she has a dangerous power of her own.
There are twists and turns throughout every point of this book that will leave readers hungry for more. There are four total installments in the “Red Queen” series, each building, and following the story of Mare Barrow.
3. “The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black
“The Cruel Prince,” follows a fierce human girl named Jude as she tries to belong in a world full of faeries. The fey are relentless in Holly Black’s depiction, constantly reminding humans they are beneath them. Jude does not want to confine to those stereotypes any longer, and thus begins her goal to earn her way into the Court of Faeries, wanting to finally fit into the world she was raised in.
Holly Black’s writing is ethereal. She pulls at readers’ heartstrings with stories of triumph and heartbreak. The book starts slow as Jude works towards her goal, but once it picks up it does not stop.
There are three books in the Folk of Air series, all of them released.
4. “Girls Made of Snow and Glass” by Melissa Bashardoust
As soon as I read that this piece was a feministic retelling of the original Snow White tale, I immediately bought it.
The story follows Lynet, a 15-year-old created out of snow to resemble the dead queen, and Mina, Lynet’s stepmom with a heart made of glass. They were shaped by men to be used as pawns, pit against each other from the start. The story is dark, full of evil and heartbreak as two women try to discover who they truly are in this world.
Bashardoust does an amazing job of developing her characters throughout the story, and features some beautiful messages that many can learn from. We see a complex mother-daughter relationship between Lynet and Mina as they struggle to find an even ground. She also depicts an LGBTQ relationship which is something that is not often seen in fantasy novels, especially retellings.
The book has some dark themes throughout it, but Bashardoust deals with them well.
5. “Zodiac” by Romina Russell
Astrology is a guilty pleasure of many, including myself, which is why I picked up this book.
The story follows Rhoma Grace, a student from the House of Cancer, who reads the stars differently than those around her. Through a series of events Rho is elected as the House’s new leader, and she will do anything to protect her own as she uncovers the culprit behind attacks on the Zodiac houses. This leaves Rho traveling through the Zodiac with her companions to warn other guardians of the looming threat that could destroy them all.
Russell brings world-building to a whole new level. Creating an entirely new universe with ease as she plays with the widely known and loved astrological houses. It can be a lot of information at once to handle, as quips and facts about the world surrounding Rho are constantly being thrown at you, but it is well worth it. There are a total of four books in the series, with all of them being released.
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