I gotta be honest, I always kind of thought I didn’t LIKE books in verse. I read the first 2 books of Ellen Hopkins’ Crank series like 10+ years ago and I thought it was just an anomaly that I enjoyed it in the first place.
I would mostly avoid novels in verse because I just thought I wasn’t into them. The ones I DID pick up were either because I didn’t REALIZE they were written in verse or because it was a favorite author (see Jason Reynolds).
But then I read a young adult novel in verse last year that made me fall in love with them and appreciate them more. That book will be shared down below but it really changed my opinion of them so much that I kept seeking out all the YA verse books I can find.
I love the storytelling I’ve found within the medium and the beautiful writing. And honestly sometimes it’s nice to just read something DIFFERENT. It’s a different pace and I’ve found sometimes they are the perfect reading slump buster when I can’t seem to get into something. They have been easy for me to get into.
If you haven’t given them a chance, this is me telling you to get on that. And potentially try them on audiobook too! I’ve had success with some of them being fantastic on audio!
So, in honor of National Poetry Month, here is a list of the best YA novels in verse to dive into the genre (according to me). It’s a mix of newer books and some backlist!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and purchase something I’ve talked about or recommended, I’ll receive a very small percentage of the sale. Please see my disclosure policy for more info
Best YA Verse Novels To Read
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
This is the one that changed it all for me (and it was one of the best books I read in 2020). Honestly, one of my favorite YA books ever and definitely one of the best young adult novels in verse. It’s about two girls who lose their father in a plane crash and the reckoning of the secrets exposed after — namely the fact they never knew the other one existed. Just gorgeous writing that absolutely could wreck me at times. Also loved that a good chunk of it was set in the Dominican Republic.
I still need to read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo though which I hear nothing but good stuff about!
P.S. This is one of my all time favorite audiobooks for teens!
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite authors (seriously, he’s incredible) and this one is a must-read. But I will be honest with you…it’s a must LISTEN. He narrates the audio version of this incredible teen novel written in verse and it is absolutely perfect on audio. The storytelling of this book alone is incredible — a teen, ready to avenge the murder of his brother, takes the elevator down and is surprised when, during the 60 second trip down, he gets some visitors on each new floor.
Love audiobooks?
Audiobooks are a huge way of how I get extra reading done as a busy mom and honestly I just love them! A couple of years ago I switched to LibroFM, as my audiobook service of choice, and I’ve never looked back! Get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 and try it yourself!
Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne
I actually started this one on audio, and unlike a lot of these others, I couldn’t follow it on audio for some reason. It might have just been me because I know a lot of others praising the audiobook. I switched to print and it went MUCH better. It’s a coming of age story about a young Black teen who is experiencing a bit of a friend breakup and trying to figure out who she is outside of this relationship that defined so much. Honestly, high school just comes rushing back reading this one. CHILLS. If you like raw realistic teen fiction books, definitely grab this one.
You May Also Like: New YA Books From Black Authors This Year
Muted by Tami Charles
I read Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson last year (one of the best books of 2020 for me) and this one has a similar premise and I was nervous reading them so close together would diminish this one for me. However, I think this one stands on its own totally that it didn’t bother me that they both really tackled the dark side of the music industry for young girls (a sort of ripped from the headlines R. Kelly) featuring two young Black girls who finally get a shot at their dreams. The storytelling in verse was phenomenal and emotional.
You May Also Like: Most Anticipated YA Books For 2023
Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen
So often I feel like this is one author who gets left off lists about YA verse novels and it’s a shame because her writing is so beautiful! She’s written this one, another YA verse book about sisters and a middle grade one. Plus she’s a local Philly area author so I definitely wanted to make sure she’s on this list. An emotional, raw book about family and a daughter grappling with a family secret about her father that shatters everything she ever thought she knew about her family/her parent’s marriage. While she struggles with anger about the secrets, she finds out that her father also is HIV positive. It’s loosely based on the author’s own life and it’s such a heart-wrenching read.
Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
Sarah Crossan is one author really writing some incredible YA novels in verse throughout her career! Her books seem to get a lot of acclaim amongst awards/lists/teachers but never seem to rise to the mainstream popularity. This one is an emotional story about two brothers (one on death row), their rough childhood in poverty and the complexities of the justice system particularly where the death penalty is concerned. Seriously, this one is tear-jerker!
You May Also Like: YA Books You May Have Missed
The Truth Project by Dante Medema
This one is in verse but also has some mixed media elements too. It’s a beautiful contemporary about a girl who does a genealogy project for school and finds out that her dad is in fact NOT her biological father. If you like relationship centered books that explore the messiness and the joy in them, check this one out!
There’s a ton of teen books written in verse out there — A TON! I barely even scraped the surface but I wanted to share the ones that I think are the standouts are great ones to delve into the genre with.
Have you read any? What are some of your favorites?
Other Posts You Might Like:
- Best Beach Reads For This Year
- Book To Movie Adaptations For This Year
- Books To Read If You Love To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
- YA Series Worth Binge Reading
Leave a Reply