Book Recommendations: Must Read (Lesser Known) YA Series

 

I’m going to recommend a few YA series that I’ve read that happen to be (unfortunately) not as popular as others, but just as good or even better. And sure some of them may be more of a Middle Grade series, but it’s OK. I haven’t seen enough love for these books around in the book blogging community, but maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. This is going to be my way of spreading the love though!

Plus who doesn’t love book recs?

---

1.) The Inkworld Series

 

Why I Recommend It: These books are all absolutely enchanting, they’re books about a book and we can ALL definitely relate to that right? There is a wonderful cast of characters that grows as the series goes along, I was absolutely in love with every single one. You’ll care about every character good and bad, major or minor. The Inkworld series is simply magical.

Meggie, our 12 year old protagonist, learns that her and her father, Mo, can read fictional characters to life by reading out loud from books. When Meggie was younger her father read from a book called Inkheart, characters were unleashed into the real world and Meggie’s mother disappeared into the book. And so Meggie and Mo are kidnapped by one of the very characters Mo released, where Mo is forced into servitude thanks to his magical ability.

That’s how this series kicks off and let me tell you it only gets better after the first installment “Inkheart”. If you find yourself close to DNFing this first book, I beg you to reconsider because the next two books are definitely worth it.  “Inkheart” is a little more slow and tedious than its followers.

---

2.) The Leviathan Series

Why I Recommend It: Well first off it’s an alternative history and steampunk series of novels. Grab your attention? I hope so. If any of you have read steampunk before and you haven’t read this, what are you waiting for? And for any of you who haven’t read steampunk before you should definitely give this series a try, it was my first and it was amazing.

The setting is during the time of WWI and our MCs are: heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Prince Aleksander, who’s on the run from his own people and Daryn Sharp who wants to be an air man, but he has a problem, he is a girl. There’s two forces in this series that are at war: the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Clankers who use mechanical war machines to fight, and the Darwinists use fabricated living organisms to fight for them.

It really is fascinating, even if the story isn’t engaging for you, reading about the Clanker’s and the Darwinists’ machines and creatures makes the whole book worth it. Plus there’s pictures! So that always helps, and who doesn’t love pictures in their books?

---

3.) The Jasper Dent Series

 

Why I Recommend It: It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. This series is dark, psychological, full of thrills and action, and keeps you guessing. It’s definitely a lot of fun seeing (or in this case reading) the world through the eyes of a serial killer or at least a serial killer in training. It puts you through constant grey areas, the plot is engrossing, the characters are all lovable even the “bad” guys. It definitely calls the whole “nature vs. nurture” thing into question.

So the “Jasper Dent” series is obviously about Jasper “Jazz” Dent, the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer. Jazz’s childhood was spent being taught the ropes by his Dear Old Dad, in other words being nurtured into the next most notorious serial killer. So when the body count in Lobo’s Nod starts rising all eyes are on Jazz, so he has to hunt down this new killer and clear his name.

This series is definitely one heck of a thrill ride and it gets to be pretty grisly down the road, so those of you who are squeamish be warned!

---

4.) The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series

Why I Recommend It: These books really broke my heart and I want them to break your heart too…just kidding, but seriously feel my pain. It’s all about zombies, but it isn’t your usual zombie fiction. This is more of a break down of the group and characters while being forced through zombie situations. Bad things happen, it’s horrible, sad, and heartbreaking! Read it, it’ll be fun!

Each book is told from the perspective of a different girl, but it’s all in the same world state. The first installment is told by a girl named Mary who lives in a village surrounded by a fence in the middle of the Forest of Hands and Teeth. This village is ruled by the Sisterhood, a religious order that runs the place and to which Mary belongs as a Sister in training. Ultimately the fence is breached and the village is destroyed by Unconsecrated and forces Mary and her friends to flee into the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

It’s pretty intense stuff and you never know if you can actually trust the narrator or not. Definitely a must read for any zombie fiction lovers!

---

And so ends my first round of book recommendations, hopefully one of the series sparked you interest enough to give them a try. You guys are more than welcome to come back and chat about them with me anytime. These books need more fans!

---