2017 was an incredible year for YA authors and teen readers. From sci-fi to romance and everything in between, these were the year’s best young adult novels of the year.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth have grown up knowing their families were enemies, but when Akos and his brother are kidnapped by the Noavek family, Akos must bow down to Cyra. Caught in the middle of a rebellion, the two must use their gifts to save themselves, which may mean betraying their families, their countries and one another.

City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

Gone Girl for teens, City of Saints & Thieves is an exciting murder mystery novel. Tina and her mom are trying to start a new life in Kenya and quickly find work for a rich family with a dark past. When Tina’s mother is found dead, she will seek revenge on the people who ruined her life.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Marin ran away from everything she once knew when she left for college, telling no one about the things that happened to her in the weeks leading up to her big move. Just when she thought she had fully escaped the life she dreaded, she’ll find herself having to confront her best friend and the tragedies she left behind on the west coast.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Dimple Shah has just graduated high school and is thrilled to get a break from her parents’ expectations of arranged marriage as she attends a summer web developer program. Rishi Patel, on the other hand, loves the idea of arranged marriage. When his parents send him to Dimple’s summer program to pursue her as his future wife, the two will find out what true love is all about.

This is Not the End by Chandler Baker

In a world where death may not necessarily mean the end, Lake is now faced with the harrowing task of deciding who she wants to use her granted resurrection on. Will it be her best friend or boyfriend? The sole survivor of the car crash that killed her best friend and boyfriend, Lake doesn’t know the one dark secret that may keep her from saving either of them.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A story about finding yourself, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life follows Sal as he comes to realize that he may not know who he really is. Sal once thought he knew his place with his adoptive gay father, his extended Mexican-American family and best friend Samantha. But history and life-altering events will bring about grief and make Sal and Samantha question their presumed faith.

You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner

Julia may be deaf but she knows how to make an impression with her art. But when her best friend snitches on her for creating a graffiti masterpiece, she is sent to a new school where she is not accepted. Julia takes to the streets with her graffiti art and soon finds herself in an all-out graffiti war with a stranger.    

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Cassie has always encouraged her twin sister Molly to not be afraid of finding love but because she is fat, Molly knows she has to be careful when it comes to matters of the heart. When she swiftly finds herself in the middle of a complicated love triangle, she’ll see that dating isn’t as easy as it looks. This story about sisters and first love is the quirky, romantic YA read you can’t miss.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

As part of her To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, this romance novel returns to the life of Lara Jean in her senior year of high school. Everything seems to be perfect until the realities of college and moving away become all too real. Now that her dad is getting remarried and her sister is back from college, she’ll have to make a decision about her future that may or may not include her loving boyfriend.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

For fans of Pretty Little Liars, McManus’ thriller will have you at the edge of your seat. Five students enter detention together on a Monday afternoon but only four will make it out alive, and investigators know it wasn’t an accidental death. Did the other students commit the crime or is there someone else involved using them as a pawn?

Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot

Pea has been struggling with an eating disorder most of her life, but since getting diagnosed, she has begun to get her life under control. With the help of her family, new boyfriend and therapy, she begins to find hope and feel good about herself. But one dangerous decision to stop taking her antidepressants could throw her entire world into chaos yet again.