Hi friends! I’m back today with part II of my “gems you should be reading series”. After talking about all the young adult contemporaries I adore and need to be read by, well, you ; today, I’m chatting about some fantasy, science-fiction and dystopia books I really loved and feel like deserve more love. I’m ready to throw these books in all of your faces, very gently, obviously.
Somehow, this list was easier to compile, since I’m not reading as much in all of these genres than I am reading contemporary books, but I still realized there were some pretty awesome books I’ve barely heard people talk about, lately. These are such incredible discoveries, recommendations, books I’ve been meaning to read and fell in love with, books my sister told me to buy and I thank her for it.
Anyway let’s get to it and here’s me hoping you’ll love this list and will find new gems to fall in love with.
You can click on the covers to get to the goodreads page of the book!
? Hidden gems : young adult fantasy
The Reader, Traci Chee
Why I love it ? I’ve always, always wondered why The Reader isn’t more hyped because it is brilliant. I checked and I’ve been wanting to read this for YEARS before I finally managed to get a copy and I regret nothing. This book was as stunning as I thought it’d be, with an incredible cast of characters, a unique world and I can’t wait to read its sequel.
? read my full review
The Black Veins, Ashia Monet
Why I love it ? Okay so fair enough. The Black Veins has been getting some hype around the blogosphere and on twitter and I’m glad it is, but it’s not that much. And it deserves a lot of love, too. The fantastic world and especially its brilliant cast of characters, the no-romance-at-all and did I mention these characters I LOVE? Now this is a fantastic book I devoured.
? read my full review
The Forbidden Wish, Jessica Khoury
Why I love it ? I’m ALWAYS going to be screaming about The Forbidden Wish and just wondering why everyone hasn’t read this just yet. It’s a Aladdin retelling, it’s bold and brilliant and stunningly written and I just can’t forget about it OKAY READ THIS PLEASE.
? read my full review
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin
Why I love it ? I think that the Mara Dyer series has its fair share of mixed opinions, so it’ll be either a hit or miss, for you. Still, I personally adore the original trilogy and it’s one of these rare books I’ve actually re-read, while I re-read nothing. The writing is beautiful, the story gripping and slightly creepy and I was on the edge of my seat all the time. I love this series.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass, Melissa Barshaoust
Why I love it ? I might have mentioned this one already, but let me do so again because WHY NOT. Girls Made of Snow and Glass felt so atmospheric and lovely to read, with a step-mother daughter relationship at its heart, it’s beautifully written and compelling and perfect to read on a snowy winter.
? read my full review
? Hidden gems : young adult science-fiction and dystopia
This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada
Why I love it ? So.. this is a book my sister told me I should buy. I was unsure, but I bought it and I vividly remember screaming to her afterwards something like OH MY GOD THIS BOOK I AM OBSESSED IT IS JUST SO GOOD. Okay, so I was incoherent and all, but that proves that This Mortal Coil is a really great book. It felt original, I was obsessed with the story and hooked and the twists and 200% recommend.
? read my full review
Impostors, Scott Westerfeld
Why I love it ? I’m a huge fan of Scott Westerfeld’s old series, Uglies, in fact it’s one of the first book that I adored with all my heart. I was really anticipating Impostors, set in the same universe as Uglies years later and this is SUCH a great read. Entertaining and addictive, with these fierce characters and twists, Impostors is a really really good book I’d recommend and that you can read on as its own!
The Loneliest Girl of The Universe, Lauren James
Why I love it ? Lauren James always manages to surprise me with her books and The Loneliest Girl is my favorite by her, therefore the one I always recommend. It’s a short read, yet it’s so addictive and thrilling, with this underlying tension and these twists and turns you don’t see coming, I loved it so much.
? read my full review
Awaken, Katie Kacvinsky
Why I love it ? I haven’t read Awaken in so many years now, but it will always be one of my favorite dystopian reads. This technology-filled world is one of my favorites and if, after so many dystopian reads, it can feel a little predictable now, I personally found it so, so good and I loved these characters.
Replica, Lauren Oliver
Why I love it ? I’m a huge fan of Lauren Oliver’s stories, it’s not a secret, and for me, Replica is one of these gems deserving of more love. Told in two point of views, this story has a thrilling, entertaining story line and two very different main characters, yet both so endearing you want them to be okay. It’s addictive and awesome and with Lauren Oliver’s incredible imagination, it’s a GREAT read.
? read my full review
☂️ You might also be interested in my underrated young adult contemporaries list.
Did you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Do you want to read them? (You should!)
What are some hidden gems you’d recommend I give a try? Let me know in comments!
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I need to re-read Westerfeld’s Uglies series, and then read The Impostors. I was assigned to read Uglies in my Young Adult Literature class in college, and I loved it. Great post!
Ahh I’m so glad you loved it, it’s such a great series 🙂 I hope you’ll enjoy Impostors! And thank you 😀
Completely agree on this mortal coil and replica! Great reads and recommendations ?
Ahh thank you so, so much, I’m so happy you agree with these 😀
I LOVE dystopias and am always looking for more, so I appreciate this list. I’ve heard of all these books, but I haven’t read any of them (yet).
Oh thank you, so happy you liked it! I hope you’ll get around to reading some of these and will love them 🙂
I’ve heard a lot of good things about This Mortal Coil and as someone with a science background I think it would be interesting to see how Suvada incorporated that into the book!
ohhh, you should definitely give it a try! I’m not a science person, but I found the story fascinating. I hope you’ll love it 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment <3
I think I’ll give it a try at some point, I just need to find the time and space in my never-ending TBR lol
Ahha the endless struggle, I get that 😛
THAT GIF!! I overuse that GIF ALL THE TIME! I absolutely love it.
The only book I’ve heard of from this list is “The Black Veins” and I have actually heard good things about it. I’ll have to check the rest of these out.
Lovely post!
Ahh same haha I love it so much 😀
I’m happy I could make you discover some new books! I hope you’ll check some of them out and will love them 😀
What a great post!! I really enjoyed Girls of Snow and Glass and can’t believe more people haven’t read it!
Ahhh thank you, so happy you enjoyed it! <3
Agree, more people need to read and fall in love with it, it's such a great read 🙂
YES! It makes my heart so happy every time I see This Mortal Coil on a rec list! It’s just such a dang treasure. I’m not ready for the third and final book!!
AHH I’m so happy you loved it so much, yay! I can’t wait to read the sequels, I still haven’t had a chance to get to the second book… but I can’t wait!! 😀
Thank you so much for your comment <3 <3
I hope you get to them soon! Two of my besties and I actually formed a buddy reading squad out of our devotion to that series lol. Happy reading!
Ahhhh that’s amazing!! 😀
Thank you! 😀
Lol we have a badge and everything. It’s on my blog post section if you haven’t seen it yet lol. Happy reading! <3
That’s SO cool, I love it 😀
Happy reading to you too 😀
I keep looking at the audiobook for The reader and this mortal coil, I guess I should pick those up soon!
Girls made of snow and glass sounds interesting!
(www.evelynreads.com)
Ahhh yes you should! I hope you’ll love them 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂
Hi Marie,
I was waiting for this post!
I love the concept of this series so much.
Well, I mostly read Fantasy, so I knew some of them, but I’m embarassed to say that I haven’t read even one of them.
“Mara Dyer” and “Replica” are in my Tbr, but for the rest I really need to catch up with some of these (like “The Lonliest Girl in the Universe”).
Oh I have a reccomendation, but I don’t think it has been trnslated in English. Anyhow it’s called “Terrienne” by Jean-Claude Mourlevat. It’s a sci-fi and it’s wonderful, frightful and touching all in one.
Ah I’m so happy you were waiting for it and thank you so much for your comment! <3 I hope you'll find some new reads you love there 😀 and thank you for the recommendation, I haven't heard of that one before, I need to check it out 🙂
Oooh I really wanna read Girls Made of Snow and Glass!! That cover???! I’ve also had the Unceoming of Mara Dyrer on my radar for awhile now and think I would really like it! I also loved the Forbidden Wish! Great list Marie 🙂
That cover is sooo beautiful, I agree, I love it so much 😀 I hope you’ll get to read Mara Dyer as well, it’s a great series!
Thank you so much Jamie! 🙂
I really want to read The Forbidden Wish – it sounds so good!
AHHH KYRA! I hope you’ll get a chance to read it soon. It’s such a great read, I love it SO much. <3
I haven’t heard of many of these books, so reading this post was so interesting because I always LOVE learning about new books ♥ You know I loved The Black Veins as much as you did, it’s truly a gem that deserves so much love! I also read the Mara Dyer trilogy this year, and I rated it 4 stars overall. I had so much fun reading it, it was so different from anything I’ve read. Was I annoyed with the fact I couldn’t pinpoint the genre until the 3rd book? A little. But I loved Mara and how important her family is important to her, and how present they are throughout all the novels. The ending was disappointing, at least to me, but I don’t regret reading this trilogy!
Ohh Noémie I’m so happy I could make you discover some new books, yay! <3
I get that, I feel like a lot of people were disappointed by the ending. I personally still liked it and the series as a whole, it's the noah shaw series that disappointed me a bit 🙁
Thank you so much for your comment! <3 <3
the unbecoming of mara dyer omg yes <3 <3 <3 I feel like this one never gets the hype it deserves even though it was amazing? I haven't read the Noah series though because I'm afraid it wouldn't be as good.
also YESSSS to girls made of snow and glass! I liked that one a lot and can't wait to read more by her.
RIGHT? I loved this series so so much, it’s one of my favorites. <3 And…. not to discourage you or anything, but I've only read the first book in the Noah Shaw series and was a little disappointed by it 🙁 I haven't continued on, maybe it gets better, but… I didn't get the tension, intrigue and feels I had while reading Mara's story.
YES!! I can't wait either, I think she has a book releasing in 2020 and I can't wait! 😀
Thank you so, so much Mel <3
Yes to The Loneliest Girl in the Universe! Such a good book!
I’m so glad you agree! It deserves more hype for sure 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment, Angela 🙂
Yay, I’ve been so excited for this post! I haven’t read any of these books but Girls Made of Snow and Glass sounds perfectly up my alley… Thank you for the recs~
Ahhh yay this makes me so, SO happy, thank you so much Frankie! <3 I can't wait to hear what you think of Girls, please update me when you read it 😀
um, how have I not read any of these books on this incredible list? this is a problem! I’m definitely going to have to add a few of these to my tbr!
ahh yay!! I hope you’ll fall in love with some of them 😀
Thank you so much!! <3
Amazing list! I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know half of these! I will definitely consider adding them all to my tbr! It made me so happy to see this Mortal Coil on this list! It’s one of my absolute favorites, and I don’t know how more people aren’t aware of it! <3
Ahh thank you Kelly!! <3 I wish more people would read this Mortal Coil, I love it SO much and can't wait to read the sequel 😀
I’m so glad that The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is on this list! This book pulled me in immediately. I read it years ago but it’s still one of my go-to recommendations!
AH YAY! I’m so happy to find another Mara Dyer fan, I love this series so much and yes. It pulled me in immediately just as well!
Oh man I still have to read This Mortal Coil … but of course I got lost under my TBR pile. I remember reading your review of it and this just reminds me that I need to put it towards the top again! Great list 🙂
OH I get that, books get way too easily lost in our endless TBRs haha. I hope you’ll get to read it soon, it’s such a great read 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment Nicole!
i automatically like a person’s choice when they adore the og mara dyer trilogy because 1). it gets a lot of mixed reviews (FAIRLY, on both sides) but if you still like it enough to ignore the potentials flaws then you + me = best bookish buddies (yes i was terrible at math in school and what about it)
both Awaken and Replica are buried deep down my tbr somewhere and i kinda forgot about them but now im gonna go check them on gr again and MAYBE EVEN READ THEM NEXT idk I’m feeling wild
YES I AGREE LET’S BE BEST BOOK BUDDIES. Honestly I still love it enough to go past its flaws and the original trilogy just, ahh. I adore it <3. I haven't read the Noah Shaw books… well, only the first one and I was a little disappointed. Did you read them all?
AH YES be wild I want to hear your thoughts about both of them! 😀
A huge YES to the Forbidden Wish, and The Mortal Coil! The Loneliest Girl In The Universe, and The Unbecomming Of Mara Dyer are currently on my TBR list but I hope I’ll get to them soon. Great Post BTW!
Ahh yay! I hope you’ll read both of these, I would love to hear your thoughts on them 😀
Thank you so much! <3
I always come away from your posts adding quite a few books to my TBR :’) I think I’m most drawn to The Forbidden Wish, it sounds amazing as an Aladdin retelling!!
brineandbooks.com
Oops haha. I’m glad I can make your TBR grow and YES PLEASE AH the forbidden wish is AMAZING I love it so much. I hope you will too 😀
Ahhh, I love this post! So many great books fly under the radar and it makes me sad! The Forbidden Wish and The Mortal Coil are both reallyy high up on my TBR; I’ve heard such fantastic things about both. I’m excited that you enjoyed both too. <3
Oh thank you Aimal! I know I tend to give into the hype too often and it’s nice to highlight these little gems every now and then, too ?
I hope you’ll love these two books, I can’t wait to hear what you think of them! ?
i love this list bc there are so many books that i havent read and i need to collect them all. this mortal coil looks so intersting and impostors sounds like such a good book.
ALSO I LOVE THAT YOU MENTIONED ‘the loneliest girl in the universe’ BC I FEEL LIKE NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT but it deserves so MUCH recognition. it was so thrilling and addictive and i honestly couldn’t put it down until i found out what happened. i loved it so much. great post!!
Ahhh ahh I’m so happy to make your TBR grow <3 and please read this mortal coil, this is such a great read ahh all the twists and turns and it was so addictive!
RIGHT? I'm so happy you love this book so much as well, I feel like it deserves more praise it's wonderful <3
Thank you so much!!
I loved The Loneliest Girl in the Universe! It was neat how there weren’t a lot of other characters but it was so creepy and I totally was invested, ❤️ I still need to read The Forbidden Wish! I even got it from the library and ended up not getting to it in time. I love the cover so much and want to gush about it. I also need to read This Mortal Coil. Somehow I missed all the hype for it. A great list Marie!
I’m so happy you loved it, too! I feel like it deserves more praise, it was wonderful <3
And the Forbidden Wish! Ahh Dani, I hope you will get to read it soon, it's one of my favorites <3
Thank you so, so much <3
Thank you for the recs! I gotta say i’ve only seen a rare few of thoses before – but they all have such pretty covers!!
Now I need to go and check them out to add to my virtual tbr, ahaha :p
Ahh, I hope you’ll enjoy them!! Keep me updated if you get around to reading some of them 😀
Okay, I love YA fantasy, but I have somehow not read anything on this list?? I am lowkey ashamed ? My mom read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, so I do have that in my house that I will put on my list to read immediately ? I also feel like I’ve seen This Mortal Coil around a lot, but I never bothered to check it out. But omg, it sounds really good?? (Also the title reminds me of Hamlet, which is a definite plus.) Great post!!
Ahhhhh! Don’t be, and I’m so happy I could make you discover some new books here. I hope you’ll read Mara Dyer, I would love to know what you think of it. I love this series so much <3
Thank you, Chana!! <3
I used to have such a big obsession with The Forbidden Wish even without having read it. I knew I’d love it, but never got around to ACTUALLY READ IT! I’m the weirdest!! Oh well, gotta read it soon 😛
AH YES PLEASE READ IT SOON, I love it SO much 😀
All of these books are on my TBR except from one which I hadn’t heard of (and am going to add now) and another which I’ve already read and loved xD I’m desperate to read Girls Made Of Snow And Glass but I finally have a copy of it so I’m hoping I’ll get to it soon. The Reader is another that I particularly want to read but I honestly do want to read them all. Thank you for the fantastic post.
AHHH! I hope you’ll get to read all of these soon, Charlotte, I would love to hear what you think of them 😀
Thank you so much! 🙂
I’ll let you know once I have 😀
Great list, and I am so hapy to see This Mortal Coil on it – it’s my favorite ahhhh so good and more people ned to love it too
Thank you so much! I loved This Mortal Coil SO MUCH and I can’t wait to read the sequel ahhh 😀
Ooh, I love gems! I loved Uglies when I first read it!! Even though I didn’t finish it ??♀️I can’t wait to read The Black Veins.
OH I hope you’ll give the Uglies sequels a try someday. They’re such great reads <3 and The Black Veins was fantastic!
Thank you so much! 🙂
I remember I really liked them when I first read them, so I probably should go back and finish them ?
I hope you will, I can’t wait to hear what you think of them all 😀
Well, I own The Reader, Impostors AND Replica and I’ve read … none of them. Sigh. Guess I know which books to move up on the list!
AH YES! I hope you will, can’t wait to hear your thoughts on them 😀
I’ve heard of about half of these, but I haven’t read them. There are so many books out there! Too bad we can’t read them all!
Too many books, too little time haha 🙂
thank you so much for stopping by 😀