Teen Book Lists: Best of 2025

"At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society--a.k.a. the WTS--and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it's no surprise she's starring as Juliet in the WTS's performance of Shakespeare's classic tragedy. But when she's found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos. Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl's death a suicide, Abby's not convinced." (description from catalog)

"A chilling chronicle, written for young adults, of Jim Jones and Peoples Temple" (description from catalog)

Hollis Brown feels trapped in his struggling small town but then meets Walt, a spirit adrift for generations, who takes over Hollis' body and mind, but Walt and Hollis start to work together and an unspeakable bond grows between them.

"Three timelines converge to unveil the mysterious disappearance of two girls during World War II." (description from Novelist)

"In this poignant mixed voice, mixed form collection of interconnected prose, poems and stories, teen characters, their families, and their communities grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic." (Provided by publisher)

"To keep Rajan out of prison, Simran agrees to handle his former gang's books, but when a gang war erupts, they must decide how much they will sacrifice for each other." (description from Novelist)

"Five teenage travelers, left behind when their community of inhuman creatures mysteriously disappears, must uncover the truth about what happened while grappling with their own hidden secrets." (description from NoveList)

"Caught between cultures, relationships, and family, seventeen-year-old Japanese-American Adam finds new purpose after discovering a hundred-year-old journal written by a young woman in Nagasaki, leading him to a homestay in Japan, where he unravels the mystery of her identity and his own." (description from catalog)

"In 1943 Amsterdam, Emma Bergsma's world changes when she witnesses Jewish families being forcibly deported to concentration camps. That pivotal moment lights a fire within her, and she decides to join the Dutch Resistance. Before long, Emma is drawn intoa clandestine world of printing presses and counterfeiters...In 2011 Amsterdam, teenage Annick's world has changed as well. A search for a bone marrow donor for her beloved oma leads to a shocking revelation: her grandmother was secretly adopted as a child"-- Provided by publisher.

"Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room - a place all young people must phase through when they die. When a random door opens and a Keeper named Melodee arrives, their souls become entangled - are Keepers allowed to fall in love? Now they must find a way out of the Leaving Room and be unafraid of their love." (description adapted from Novelist)

A hilarious and heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent theater nerd that tackles slut-shaming, what it means to be a friend, and the power of forgiving others—and yourself. Published from Amazon Books.

"In a near-future Florida ravaged by climate catastrophe, seventeen-year-old Julieta Villarreal is recruited by a space exploration program for immigrant teens after her twin sister is killed in a car crash"-- Provided by publisher.

"As Margo travels to her new boarding school, she feels her train suddenly stop. When it starts again, she finds herself in a strange and magical new world where time can speed up or slow down. She meets salesman Moon, and their uneasy alliance becomes something more as they try to survive." (description from NoveList)

"In a society controlled by one corporation, Inesa's mother has accrued enormous debt and offers Inesa as a sacrifice, who is then pursued by Melinoe, an assassin." (description from Novelist)

Seventeen-year-old Truth uses slam poetry to address her personal struggles with college, relationships, and an unexpected pregnancy, but she never intended for a video of her poem to go viral.

"Run away with me is a profoundly romantic YA novel about two teenage boys finding each other and falling in love over one summer in Rome." (description from Novelist)

"Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread." (description from Novelist)

In Mercy, Louisiana, a town plagued by red algae and vanishing residents, Noon finds a reluctant ally in Covey and the two join forces to hunt a deadly creature in the dark waters as a storm looms.

"A girl must deal with the consequences of resurrecting her sister" (description from Catalog)

"Grace Woodhouse has left a lot behind. She used to have a great friend group, an amazing girlfriend, and a right foot set to earn her a Division I football scholarship-before she came out as trans. As senior year begins, Grace is struggling to find her place in early transition, new social circles, and a life without football. But when her skills as the best kicker in the state prove to be vital, her old teammates beg her to come out of retirement, dragging her back into a sport-into a way of life-she thought had turned its back on her forever. When a chance meeting cracks the door to college football back open, she has to decide how much of herself she's willing to give up for the game she loves" (Provided by publisher)