45 of the Best Feminist YA Books According to You
This Riot Recommendation for the Best Feminist YA Books is sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, bringing you The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwall.
From a New York Times bestselling author, Betsy Cornwell, a fresh, female-centered take on “Robin Hood” in which a young noblewoman, like the legendary hero, becomes an outlaw fighting for social justice. Perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sarah J. Maas, this smart, gorgeously written take on the Robin Hood lore goes beyond the original’s focus to explore love, gender roles, the healing power of nature, and what it means to be family.
The essence of feminism is equality for all. You don’t have to be a butt-kicking hero to embody that principle. And applying lipstick before going out doesn’t negate that ideal. Feminism is as varied as the many people challenging harmful norms, whether those people are loudly dismantling institutionalized injustice or quietly engaging the friend whose humor too often punches down. So we asked you to visit the comment section and share your picks for the best feminist YA books. The ones you’d put in front of a budding feminist. Or the ones you’d pick up yourself, for a reassuring jolt of validation! Because YA—like feminism—is for all. Literally! Because we’re sharing just some of the recommendations your fellow Riot readers put forth. Check them out and let us know what you thought!
A Study in Honor by Claire O’Dell
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
All the Rage by Courtney Summers
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana Arnold
Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Power by Naomi Alderman
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Run by Kody Keplinger
Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
The Belles by Dhoneille Clayton
Spinning by Tillie Walden
On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis
Ash by Malinda Lo
The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lucy Frank
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Written in the Stars by Aisha Said
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert
About a Girl by Sarah McCarry
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
