Best Books for Teens of 2024
Last updated: September 21, 2024
We've picked our favourite books for teens and young adults published in 2024 so far. From thrillers to historical fiction, from graphic novels to romance, our book recommendations for teens include something for everyone.
Our list of books in popular series also contains plenty of great books for teens, and you can see our full selection of books for teens here. If you are looking for books for younger kids, check out our 2024 recommendations here.
The Djinn's Apple
by Djamila Morani & translated by Sawad Hussain
This is a fabulous Young Adult novel set during the Abbasid caliphate. When Nardeen’s home is stormed by armed men frantically searching for something or someone, she is the only member of her Barmakid family who escapes. Years later, the now teenage Nardeen begins to unravel the mystery of what led to the massacre of her family that night. A beautifully written historical novel set in Baghdad’s golden age.
Soulmates and Other Ways to Die
by Melissa Welliver
We’re in 2045, after a gene mutation has caused every human to be inextricably linked to a soul mate. There are advantages to knowing that you’re with your perfect match, but here’s the bad news: you feel your soulmate’s pain even if you’ve never met. And when they die, so do you. When control freak Zoe and adrenalin junkie Milo are KinTwinned, they are both convinced it is a mistake. But why, as they embark on a quest to sever their bond, are people trying to kill them? A gripping action romance that raises intriguing questions about the balance between freedom and loneliness, trust and choice.
The Girl in Question
by Tess Sharpe
Nora and Iris are going camping with Wes and his girlfriend. All is well until Nora’s abusive stepfather, recently released from prison and bent on revenge, turns up with a few of his henchmen. Deep in the woods, the teens know they have to rely on themselves and their teamwork to survive. Soon they set about making booby traps and rescuing hostages; they will do anything to protect their found family. This is the tense sequel to the popular The Girls I’ve Been.
Seven Days
by Rebeka Shaid
When teens Aamir and Noor meet, they are both reeling from loss and trying to figure out what being from Pakistani/mixed families in the UK means for them: how to handle family expectations, wearing or not wearing a headscarf… What they are definitely not looking for is further complications. A warm, coming-of-age romance with relatable narrators and a good dose of situational humour.
Where the Heart Should Be
by Sarah Crossan
We’re in Ireland in 1846, the second year of the famine. Nell works as a scullery maid in the kitchen of the Big House. Johnny is the nephew, newly arrived from England, who will one day inherit it all. Somehow, Nell and Johnny find each other. But Johnny’s uncle will sack Nell on the spot if he finds out, and then her family will have nothing. And Johnny is part of a family that lets their tenant farmers starve to death, even as food gets exported to England. Is there any way in which Nell and Johnny’s love is possible? A very beautiful novel in verse.
The Fox Maidens
by Robin Ha
This is a dynamic graphic novel in colour inspired by the Korean legend of Gumiho. When assassins attack her family, Kai proves more than capable of fighting back. But what secrets are her parents hiding? It turns out that Kai will transform into a fox demon every month, when she must hunt and kill a man to continue her life as a young woman. As Kai searches for a way to change her destiny, her path keeps crossing that of a mysterious girl. Can she help Kai find redemption? A gripping fantasy novel about fighting for one’s place in the world and the need to right past wrongs.
The Kill Factor
by Ben Oliver
In Emerson’s world, income is entirely dependent on social media rankings. After a burglary gone wrong, Emerson faces a lengthy prison sentence when she is offered a chance to walk free if she wins a new reality show, Retribution Island. By the time she and the 49 other delinquent teen contestants realise how deadly the show’s challenges are, it’s too late. They have no choice but to try to survive one day at a time, and the more social media followers they have, the better their individual chances. This is a brutal, relentless thriller for fans of the Hunger Games and Squid Game, making a serious point about our obsession with social media.
