We asked our staff about the YA books they read in 2022 (not necessarily published in ’22) and here are their selections. Whatever you like to read you’re sure to find something great on this list! While most of the responses we got were unique, below are three books that were recommended by multiple people. You can find the complete list here — Staff YA Reads of 2022.
“Iron Widow” by Xiran Jay Zhao
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Action-packed (this is one word), suspenseful, twisty – Tori
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ gender mecha revolution – Dakota
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. It doesn’t matter that the girls die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises instead.
“This Poison Heart” by Kalynn Bayron
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gay, Witchy, Suspenseful – Dana
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Magical, mythological, LGBTQ – Tricia P.
Teenaged Briseis, who possesses a supernatural power over plants, including poisonous ones, inherits a dilapidated estate in rural New York and must protect herself and her family from centuries-old secrets that threaten their lives.
“A Snake Falls to Earth” by Darcie Little Badger
⭐⭐⭐⭐ hopeful, fresh perspective, a snake as a protagonist – Maggie M.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Magical, hopeful, timely – Anonymous
Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She’s always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he’s been cast from home. He’s found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.
