Best Young Adult Books of 2015

For the past two years, I've talked about my top picks for 2013 and 2014, so why should this year be any different? In this post, I'm talking about the books that were released this year and that I rated as five stars on Goodreads. There weren't as many this year, because I'm being more selective about what I'll give five stars to and why. Here are my picks, in no particular order.*

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anna Blankman

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke is one of the best historical fiction books I've read. It was just as suspenseful as the first book in this duology, Prisoner of Night and Fog. I adored the characters, and I'm sad this isn't a trilogy because I wanted so much more of everything this book had to offer.

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

I adore Sarah Dessen, and I was thrilled when she decided, in Saint Anything, to explore darker subjects than what she normally writes about. Everything about this book was perfect, which really, is to be expected when it comes to Sarah Dessen. She is a master storyteller.

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

What I Tweeted after reading this book: Blown away by None of the Above. Words can't describe how amazing this book is. And important.

And later, I Tweeted: A few days after finishing None of the Above, I'm still thinking about it.


The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

A lot books about suicide were released this year, and The Last Time We Say Goodbye was one of the best. When I finished it, I closed the book and just sobbed. This doesn't usually happen when I read books, but it happened a couple of times this year.

Ensnared by A.G. Howard

I've never been a fan of Alice in Wonderland, but this series (Splintered, Unhinged, Ensnared, and Untamed) was amazing. After I finished Ensnared, all I wanted to do was read anything and everything about Alice in Wonderland.

Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

What I Tweeted after finishing this book: Read The Start of You and Me last night. It's amazing. For so many reasons. First, I loved the friendships among the four girls. They were authentic and strong. Second, loved the adults in the book. It wasn't just the main character trying to figure things out on her own. YA books need more adults who are actively involved with the teen characters' lives. Last, loved the diversity. There's a multiethnic character who's not a stereotype. Yay! Thank you, @emerylord for the amazing book.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

Here's what I Tweeted before I started the book: Bought Extraordinary Means today which means I'm dropping everything else I was going to read.

Here's what I Tweeted after I finished this book: Extraordinary Means: Just another book that has turned me into a sobbing mess this year.

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

What were your favorite books you read this year? Let me know in the comments!

*For books where I wrote what I Tweeted, I edited the Tweets to make them more readable.