HomeBest OfBest YA Books of 2016
♥ EDITOR'S TOP 15 PICKS

Best YA Books of 2016

The best young adult books published in 2016.

15books ranked
7,039total pages
0.5avg spice
THE FULL RANKING
15 books, ranked by our editors
Every book read cover to cover. Ranked by vibe, prose quality, emotional impact, and re-readability. — compatibility-checked, not just star-sorted.
👑#1
Empire of Storms cover
EDITOR'S PICK

🥇 #1 Match
Empire of Storms

🌶🌶🌶 3/5 693 p ★ 4.63
YA FantasyFantasy RomanceEpic Fantasy
👑#2
Crooked Kingdom cover

🥈 #2 Match
Crooked Kingdom

🌶 1/5 536 p ★ 4.59
YA FantasyHeist Fantasy
👑#3
Gemina cover

🥉 #3 Match
Gemina

🌶 1/5 659 p ★ 4.3
YA Science Fiction
#4
Lady Midnight cover

#4
Lady Midnight

🌶 1/5 720 p ★ 4.27
YA FantasyUrban Fantasy
#5
Girl in Pieces cover

#5
Girl in Pieces

🌶 1/5 416 p ★ 4.19
YA ContemporaryLiterary Fiction
#6
The Problem with Forever cover

#6
The Problem with Forever

🌶 0/5 476 p ★ 4.14
YA ContemporaryRomance
#7
The Raven King cover

#7
The Raven King

🌶 0/5 439 p ★ 3.95
YA Fantasy
#8
The Rose and the Dagger cover

#8
The Rose and the Dagger

🌶 1/5 416 p ★ 3.9
YA FantasyRomance
#9
The Midnight Star cover

#9
The Midnight Star

🌶 0/5 320 p ★ 3.84
YA FantasyDark Fantasy
#10
The Sun Is Also a Star cover

#10
The Sun Is Also a Star

🌶 0/5 348 p ★ 3.82
YA ContemporaryRomance
#11
Glass Sword cover

#11
Glass Sword

🌶 0/5 444 p ★ 3.8
YA FantasyDystopian
#12
We Are the Ants cover

#12
We Are the Ants

🌶 0/5 455 p ★ 3.79
YA Science FictionContemporary
#13
The Crown cover

#13
The Crown

🌶 0/5 279 p ★ 3.73
YA DystopianRomance
#14
Passenger cover

#14
Passenger

🌶 0/5 486 p ★ 3.54
YA FantasyTime Travel
#15
The Star-Touched Queen cover

#15
The Star-Touched Queen

🌶 0/5 352 p ★ 3.47
YA FantasyIndian Fantasy
HEAT CHECK
Spice breakdown
How spicy is this list? Here is the full distribution.
Clean
9 books
🌶 1/5
5 books
🌶🌶 2/5
0 books
🌶🌶🌶 3/5
1 book
🌶🌶🌶🌶 4/5
0 books
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 5/5
0 books
COMMON QUESTIONS
FAQ

This curated list features 15 books, totaling 7,039 pages. Every book has been read and rated by our team.

Rankings are based on our read-through ratings, reader community feedback, and how well each book delivers on the promise of its genre and mood. We cross-reference BookTok discussions and Goodreads data.

The average spice level across this list is 0.5/5. Individual books range from clean to scorching — check each book’s spice rating for details.

We update our best-of lists quarterly to include new releases and adjust rankings based on ongoing reader feedback and our own re-reads.

class="nl" aria-label="Newsletter">

Want more curated lists? Get our Friday picks.

New lists drop monthly. We'll send you the one that matches your taste.

Take the Match Quiz →
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NOT FINDING YOUR MATCH?
Take the blind date quiz →

Editorial note: Every book on this list was read cover to cover by our team. Rankings reflect our honest assessments of quality, emotional impact, and re-readability. Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This supports our ability to keep reading and reviewing. See all ranked lists →

Get matched every Friday.

One mood-profiled book pick, every week. Spice-rated and compatibility-checked before it hits your inbox.

Get my weekly match →
Spoiler-free · Unsubscribe anytime
See the Full Ranking ↓