The Best YA Books To Gift Teens
by Janssen Bradshaw
I know how difficult it can be to find the perfect gift for a teenager. As the mom of teens, I often find that books are well-received and can be enjoyed for weeks or months after the holiday season ends. And, let’s be honest — wrapping books is a breeze, and they look fantastic tucked under a tree or inside a stocking. So, if you’re looking for some good reads to keep your teens occupied during the holiday break, you can’t go wrong with these titles!
Jump To: Just for Fun | Mystery & Thriller | Fantasy | Contemporary Fiction | Sci-Fi
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Just for Fun:
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30 Days of Creativity
Buy from:Send your teen (or yourself) on a creative journey with this whimsical book from Johanna Basford. In it, you’ll find doodle prompts, coloring pages, drawing guides, and art advice from Johanna herself. It’s the perfect way to disconnect from social media and reconnect with yourself.
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Would You Rather? Teen Challenge Edition
Buy from:Give the gift of screen-free fun with this game book of funny and thought-provoking questions. Each page poses a “Would you rather?” question that teens take turns answering. It’s set up to work like a game but can also be enjoyed independently. It’s perfect for sleepovers, parties, and conversation starters.
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Cozy Vibes
Buy from:My family discovered this line of coloring books this year, and my four kids can’t get enough of them. The pictures are darling and detailed, but not so detailed that they’re overwhelming! My kids love coloring the pages while I read aloud to them, and I love this cozy fall edition!
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Essential Life Skills for Girls
Buy from:I love a good, relatable life skills book, and this one is exceptional. Geared towards girls aged 10-14, it comes with challenges and checklists for girls to complete, teaching them essential life skills before they leave home and enter adulthood.
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The World of Minecraft
Buy from:Do you have a gamer in your life who would love to grow their Minecraft knowledge? This book covers everything you need to know about this incredibly popular game, from how it started to how the community grew. Read it all here!
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Dear Reader: An Immersive Literary Journey Through Taylor Swift’s Lyrics
Buy from:Calling all Swifties! Filled with journaling prompts, gorgeous pictures, and lyric easter eggs galore, this interactive journal will have your teen swooning and singing!
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Mystery & Thriller:
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And the River Drags Her Down
Buy from:Soonjin knows bringing her sister back from the dead goes against the rules of her ancestral magic. But she will do anything to get Mirae back. At first, Mirae seems content, but she soon grows restless. As she unravels terrible truths about their family, the town becomes plagued with bizarre deaths. Soonjin soon realizes that resurrecting her sister was the biggest mistake of her life.
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We Fell Apart
Buy from:You probably know E. Lockhart’s incredibly popular book, We Were Liars. This stunning spin-off novel returns to that world with another mystery filled with twists, turns, and gobs of lies that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: Deluxe Edition
Buy from:Five years ago, high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then took his own life. The story made headlines everywhere. Now, high school senior Pip feels like the story doesn’t make sense. For her senior project, she decides to find out what really happened to Andie. This bestselling murder mystery will keep you glued to the page!
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Kill Creatures
Buy from:This is another dark thriller to add to your reading list, and it is wild. Nan, Luce, Edie, and Jane went exploring in the canyons last summer, but after killing her three best friends, only Nan returned. She claims the others vanished into thin air. However, a year later and much to everyone’s surprise, Luce emerges from the water at a town memorial.
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Fantasy:
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Wings of Starlight
Buy from:If your YA reader loves fantasy mixed with romance, you will want to pick this book up! Clarion is busy getting ready for coronation day, but can’t stop daydreaming about crossing over to the forbidden Winter Woods. However, when she hears that a Winter Woods monster has invaded Spring, she is surprised to learn that it’s not a monster after all.
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A Forgery of Fate
Buy from:Truyan never planned on becoming a con artist. She also never planned on her father being lost at sea or her mother having a gambling problem. With her gift of art forgery that tells the future, Truyan is forced to marry an enigmatic dragon lord who wants to use her gift for his own treasonous ends.
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Better in Black
Buy from:If you loved the Shadowhunter Chronicles, you will adore Better in Black! This book features ten couples from the Shadowhunter world who face various dangers that they must overcome. It’s perfect for teens who love a mix of fantasy and romance.
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The Last Tiger
Buy from:Lee and Choi lead different lives, but they both want to reshape their destinies. As they work together, they soon find themselves on opposing political sides as they search for the last tiger, the key to their people’s freedom. This is a story of friendship, hate, loyalty, and love — which one will prevail?
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Long Live the Pumpkin Queen
Buy from:Do you have a teen who loves The Nightmare Before Christmas? This book follows Sally’s story after the events of the movie. And this is just the first installment of the series! Look out for the sequel, Hour of the Pumpkin Queen!
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Immortal Consequences: A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick
Buy from:This book gives off The Hunger Games vibes, with six rivals entering a competition to escape a purgatory-like boarding school. But, like The Hunger Games, only one teen can win this magical competition.
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Contemporary Fiction:
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You’ve Found Oliver
Buy from:Oliver can’t help it; he misses his best friend Sam. He died a year ago, and yet Oliver continues to text his old number. When Oliver accidentally calls Sam and someone answers, Oliver realizes that this person has been receiving those vulnerable texts. Will this turn into a disaster or something unexpectedly good?
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Angelica and the Bear Prince
Buy from:Angelica was the teenager who had it all... until she didn’t. Burnout hit her hard, and she struggled to bounce back until the theater’s mascot bear started sending her encouraging notes. Angelica’s new goal is to uncover the identity of the person hiding under the mask and whether they are as amazing in real life as they seem on paper.
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The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel
Buy from:I read the novel more than a decade ago, and I’m thrilled to see it adapted into a graphic novel! Blue stays away from the rich and snobby Raven Boys until Gansey invites her on an adventure to find a long-lost king rumored to be sleeping under a mountain. Raised by clairvoyants, Blue is thrilled to participate in the magical journey. However, it doesn’t take long before their adventure takes a dangerous turn.
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Sci-Fi:
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The Last Bookstore on Earth
Buy from:Liz found refuge in an abandoned bookstore after the first Storm hit civilization, and has stayed there ever since. Maeve, one of the few survivors, breaks into the bookstore one night. Although Liz wants her gone, Maeve has the skills to repair the broken-down bookstore before the next Storm arrives. Will the girls be able to work together and survive as the world crumbles around them?
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Frank Herbert’s Dune Saga 3-Book Boxed Set
Buy from:This is a fantastic boxed set to give to any sci-fi-loving young adult who has seen the movies or who hasn’t read the books yet. This gorgeous, adventure-filled three-book collection makes an excellent gift for anyone who loves a fabulous story!
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Teen Titans: Starfire (Connecting Cover Edition)
Buy from:Kori couldn’t be more opposite than her older sister, Kira. Kori is reserved, doesn’t care about trends, and has been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Kira is popular, on trend, and has the best-looking boyfriend around. When Kori uses a trial medication for her EDS, she notices some powerful side effects (ahem) powers she’s never had before.
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