1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This book follows a high school student, Avery Grambs, as she inherits a large fortune from billionaire and stranger Tobias Hawthorne after he passes away. However, as part of the will, Avery must move in with the four Hawthorne grandsons, which causes a slight conflict as they were expecting to inherit the large fortune.

Throughout the story, Avery works with Hawthorne’s four grandchildren to figure out why her name was on the will and why she received more than any of Hawthorne’s real relatives.

This story is a young adult thriller mystery book that will leave you hooked from the very beginning but also incorporates a bit of romance. The book does end in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger but the sequel, Hawthorne Legacy, will be coming out on Sept. 7, 2021. 

2. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince is a tale in the magical fae fiction world, so this book has lots of supernatural creatures and aspects such as complusion and faerie fruits. 

“I enjoyed reading the book because it had a strong female lead who was independent and likable,” freshman Stephanie Chu said. “I liked how there were certain aspects of romance in it, but it didn’t overshadow the main events of the book.”

It follows the life of Jude and her complex family as well as her enemy Cardan, the youngest son of the High King. This book is a part of the Folk of the Air trilogy which also includes the second book, The Wicked King, and the third book, The Queen of Nothing.

Throughout the book (and series), the characters lie and backstab each other constantly, leaving you completely shocked and blindsided by what occurs which makes the books that much better. 

“I’d recommend others to read it because the plot is very well written and it really shows how different people have different perspectives,” Chu said.

3. Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows follows six main characters that are very diverse in religion, sexuality and gender. The book is also inclusive of disability. The book is about Kaz Brekker and his crew as they try to pull off a nearly impossible heist in the fictional world called Grishaverse. It is a spin off of the Shadow and Bone series. The worlds of Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows will be combined for the upcoming Shadow and Bone series that will be coming out on Netflix.

4. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Alosa is a strong female protagonist who is snarky, sarcastic, fierce and knows how to put up a fight. She is also known as the daughter of the pirate king. This is a fast-paced book that will get you out of a reading slump and is intriguing from the very first sentence.

It starts off when Alosa’s father sets her on a mission to be “captured” by an enemy ship in order to retrieve an important map. Once she is on the ship, she meets a few people – one of them being her interrogator, Riden.

This book incorporates just a glimpse of mythology but almost feels like realistic fiction. It is part of a duology with the following book being Daughter of the Siren Queen.

5. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

If you want to read a sad but heart-warming story, this is definitely the book for you. However, it may be a sensitive topic to some people. This story is somewhat similar to The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. 

“I would recommend the book because it teaches you more about people who struggle with a mental health disorder” freshman Madison Mum said.

It is about two people, Finch and Violet, who meet and learn to battle depression together by creating happy moments. A film adaptation came out on Netflix in early 2020.

“I liked reading the book because I think it had a good representation of mental health,”  Mum said. “It was interesting to see how much someone could impact another and it was a great relationship that was built throughout the story.”