There’s nothing more fall than cozying up with a blanket, thick socks, a cup of tea, and a book. I’ve always been an avid reader. I annotate my books (for fun! Shocking, I know), log them in my reading journal, and put them up, proudly displayed on my shelves- or, at least I used to before I ran out of space and had to start piling books on my nightstand and dresser. Whether you’re like me, or you’ve only ever read a book for school, or, most likely, you’re somewhere in between, these are the perfect books to get wrapped up in this season. Some books made this list based on setting, others because they’re spooky, and some because their vibes match that warm scene I described at the beginning. In any case, I hope you find at least one book you fall in love with based on these bite-sized (and spoiler-free!) reviews!
The Sky is Everywhere
“When I’m with him,/ there’s someone with me/ in my house of grief,/ someone who knows/ its architecture as I do”
Author: Jandy Nelson
Genre: Romance
Pitch: 17-year-old Lennie has just lost her sister and best friend, Bailey. As she struggles with the loss, she feels drawn to two boys: One that connects her to the past, and one that gives her hope for the future. This unique love story includes poems and lyrical language, which draws readers into Lennie’s life as she tries to find her identity in a forever altered world.
Age: 13+
Content warnings: Death of a family member
Personal notes: This book brought me into the YA romance scene, so it will always have a special place in my heart. I’m not going to lie- the “I can’t choose between two boys” trope can get awfully annoying, and this book is no different. However, the raw emotion and lyricism of the writing is so beautiful and moving. Warning: this book may make you want to start writing poetry on random scraps of trash.
The Bell Jar
“I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo.”
Author: Sylvia Plath
Genre: Semi-Autobiographical
Pitch: A promising young woman, Esther, is offered a summer internship at a magazine in New York City. However, once she gets there, her mental health starts to deteriorate, leading Esther down a spiral. Set in the 1950s, this book gives a unique insight into the ideas around women, their roles, and mental health at the time.
Ages: 15+
Content warnings: Depression, anxiety, suicide, rape
Personal note: This book is probably hardest to understand on this list because of the slightly older writing style and more complex language. Despite this, I thought it was a beautiful novel, especially if you enjoy reading more heavy, morose books. This is definitely not a fun summer beach read, but rather fitting for fall, since the poetic language made me want to wear an oversized knit sweater and drink tea.
The Naturals
“You don’t have the luxury of hunting the perfect girl. The right girl. There’s nothing special about the one you’ve chosen, except the color of her hair, and that’s enough. For now.”
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: Murder mystery
Pitch: The Naturals is the first book in the Naturals series, which follows teenager Cassie, who has a natural talent for profiling people based on careful study of their behaviors. She is enlisted in a special FBI program to solve murders with other teens with similar abilities.
Age: 12+ (maybe younger if you have a stomach for the violent and the scary)
Content warnings: Murder, violence
Personal note: If you like mystery and haven’t hoped on the Jennifer Lynn Barnes train, you need to!! This is her slightly less talked about series compared to The Inheritance Games, but there are many reasons to like it more. It’s slightly scarier, slightly gorier, and definitely more intense, but it still has that wonderful suspense, with just a little bit of romance mixed in (not too much, I promise). As someone who has read a lot of murder mysteries before and since, this book gives a unique twist on the classic murder mystery format, with some parts written in second person, talking to the serial killer (like the quote above). Just writing this makes me want to reread the series.
If He Had Been With Me
“Stay, I whisper to him. Stay in the car. Stay in this moment. But of course, he never does.”
Author: Laura Nowlin
Genre: Romance
Pitch: Autumn and Finn, next door neighbors and best friends since birth, have to start navigating their complicated high school relationships, and get pushed into different worlds. They continue on different paths throughout high school, but the summer after graduation, they are drawn back together, only to be ripped apart again.
Age: 14+
Content warnings: Death, depression, emotional trauma
Quote: “Stay, I whisper to him. Stay in the car. Stay in this moment. But of course, he never does.”
Personal note: This is the book that got one of my best friends back into reading! It has a beautiful emotional journey that follows the general (and beloved) patterns of YA romance, while still feeling new and interesting. There is no denying that this book is extremely tragic, especially since the author decided to let the readers know exactly how it was all going to end, right at the start. Somehow, every time, on every reread, I’m still surprised and devastated by the ending.
Speak
“I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else. There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me.”
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pitch: After being raped at a party before her freshman year of high school, Melinda has to deal with her whole life being flipped upside down. Her friends hate her, her parents are too stressed to notice, and Melinda stops speaking for months. Throughout the school year, Melinda works to put herself back together and find her voice.
Age: 14+
Content warnings: Ableism, bullying, rape, self-harm, suicide (mentioned)
Personal note: This book has won too many awards to name, and for good reasons. Despite Melinda’s silence towards the rest of the world, the writing is still very conversational, sarcastic, and relatable. In fact, the book has been so relatable to so many that the beginning of my edition of the book holds a poem, completely pieced together from emails that people have sent the author about how they connected to the book. I felt the emphasis on the power of words on every page.
Six of Crows
“Kaz leaned back. ‘What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?’
‘Knife to the throat?’ asked Inej. ‘Gun to the back?’ said Jesper. ‘Poison in his cup?’ suggested Nina. ‘You’re all horrible,’ said Matthias.”
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy
Pitch: Kaz, the leader of a gang of misfits living in the “Barrel”, is told that a new, highly addictive drug called jurda parem that amplifies the magical abilities that some people have, could possibly be falling into the wrong hands. Enlisted by a merchant, Kaz and his fellow outlaws attempt to pull off an incredibly dangerous fantasy heist, with the promise of reward money and revenge upon success.
Age: 13+
Content warnings: Death, drugs, sexual abuse and human trafficking (mentioned), slavery, addiction
Personal note: I really, really wish that there were more books in this series!! There are more in the same universe, but only this one and its sequel are in this series, which is a tragedy. It’s intense, action-packed, thrilling, and undeniably cool, with a perfect dose of a romantic subplot. It’s impossible to put down, fast paced, has complex characters, and multiple perspectives (yay!). What more could someone ask for?
Wilder Girls
“It all feels forgotten, like we’re the first people here in a hundred years. No tire tracks left on the road, no sign this was ever anything but what it is now. We shouldn’t be here. This place isn’t ours anymore.”
Author: Rory Power
Genre: Horror, thriller
Pitch: Raxter School for Girls is a boarding school on a remote island that has been infected with a mysterious disease, known as the Tox. It started killing and mutating teachers and students. They are placed under quarantine with the promise of a cure on the way. As the situation gets more dire, Hetty, a student at the school, decides to break quarantine and venture into the infected forest surrounding the school.
Age: 13+
Content warnings: Body horror, child death, chronic illness, gun violence, suicide
Personal note: I think the best way to describe this book is edgy and a little bit horrific (the last book on this list is the really horror-centered one). It is very different from the other YA novels that I’ve read, both in writing style and in genre. The premise is intriguing, and the book really left me thinking about the plot and mystery long after I was done reading. It is a great thought experiment to what happens when a group of girls, that have been told to sit tight, realize help is not coming.
Don’t Let the Forest In
“‘I think one day you’ll hate me. You’ll cut me open and find a garden of rot where my heart should be’
‘When I cut you open; all I’ll find is that we match’”
Author: C.G. Drews
Genre: Horror, thriller, romance, dark academia
Pitch: Andrew, his best friend Thomas, and twin sister Dove attend Wickwood academy, and boarding school surrounded by forest. Andrew writes twisted fairytales to express his deepest feelings, and Thomas illustrates them in an equally horrific manner. As their bond is tested, events that can only be explained as supernatural start to encroach on their lives. A twisted, thrilling, and heartbreaking story ensues.
Age: 15+
Content warnings: Eating disorders, abuse, homophobia, body horror, death, panic attacks/disorders
Personal note: I’ve talked to one other person who’s also read this book, and they found it extremely disturbing, which is fair, but I loved it. In a book about twisted fairytales, it definitely took the cake as the trippiest, horror-iest story of them all. Every second of the messy relationships and invasive supernatural world kept me on the edge of my seat. Dripping with emotion, realism, and a little bit of blood (actually a lot), this book will make you a little sick in the best way possible. If you can stomach it, you must read it.
As we slowly transition into winter, I hope these books allow you to hang on to changing leaves and pleasant, sunny days. Happy reading!
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