Here, Young Adult author and BookTok star (@merrowchild) Rosie Talbot lists her Top 10 Young Adult Books of 2024...
1. Let's Split Up by Bill Wood
When a hot high school couple are brutally murdered in a haunted manor at the edge of town, a group of teens investigate. An instant bestseller, this thrilling slasher is a love letter to horror classics such as Scream, and sleuthing friends like in Scooby Doo.
2. Betting on You by Lynn Painter
Romance is in the air! While working at a waterpark, a teen girl unwittingly finds herself at the centre of a bet that might get in the way of her happy-ever-after. An easy, enjoyable and romantic read.
3. Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher
A fun historical romantic fantasy that follows the life, love and tribulations of the granddaughter of the legendary Robin Hood.
4. Last Seen Online by Lauren James
A contemporary murder mystery set in sun-drenched LA. This novel offers a wild trip into the online world of fandom, fame and obsession.
5. Signed Sealed Dead by Cynthia Murphy
An English true-crime loving teenager settling in America, after her family relocated to her father's eerie hometown, discovers a dangerous connection to a sting of unsolved murders in the 90s.
6. Nettle by Bex Hogan
Faery mythology and folklore come to life in this haunting tale of a girl in a foreboding and dangerous fantasy kingdom. A beautiful, heart-wrenching tale, drenched in magic.
7. A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
A criminal mastermind and collector of secrets strikes an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save her beloved tearoom and the people it protects.
8. The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
A wicked witchy feast of a book, this modern-day murder mystery shimmers with dangerous magic and demonic delights! In a world where only women can use magic and the men who know about it seek to eradicate them, three damaged young women - one cursed, one hunted, one out for revenge - team up to track down and take out a brutal supernatural killer.
9. Some Like it Cold by Elle McNicoll
This warm, small town winter romance is perfect for curling up beside the fire. Jasper is back in Lake Pristine for one reason - to say goodbye. But before long, small-town tensions start to rise, and a certain brooding film buff starts to look like a very big reason to stay . . .
10. The Love Interest by Helen Comerford
When a teen girl is saved by the world's favourite superhero, she's cast by the adoring public as his love interest. But Jenna has super plans of her own. Swoony, electric and satirical, this is perfect for fans of superheroes.
About Rosie
Rosie is the author of Sixteen Souls, Twelve Bones and the newly released Phantom Hearts with illustrator Sarah Maxwell.
Sixteen Souls
Someone is stripping Europe's most haunted city of its spirits. When 16-year-old Charlie realises one of his own ghostly friends has gone missing, he must put aside his own safety and reclusive existence, and team up with Sam, the new seer in town and a rag-tag team of ghosts, to save their friends from a fate worse than death.
Twelve Bones
Charlie and Sam are faced with a deadly new threat to the living whilst trying to develop their relationship in this spookily romantic sequel to Sixteen Souls.
Phantom Hearts
This is a graphic novel with a supernatural murder mystery twist. Sixteen-year-old Malia is popular, pretty and smart, but underneath her carefully crafted facade she's struggling with anxiety. When a school bus crashes killing some of her fellow students, Malia is thrown into a deeper emotional spiral as she remembers the students - rebel and dropout Shepherd, volatile track star Russ, and brainy Emil.
When Malia meets Keezy, the cute daughter of the local mechanic, the two begin to question the motive for the crash. As Malia and Keezy start to uncover secrets, Malia starts to see ghosts wherever she goes. How will Malia find time to flirt with Keezy when pursued by restless spirits ... what don't the dead classmates want her to discover? And will Malia ever find the courage to tell Keezy how she feels? Available now in paperback.