The Best Genre-Blending YA Books

Zombies! Historical fiction! Mystery! Dread Nation has it all. In an alternate history where the Civil War was interrupted by the zombie apocalypse, Jane has grown up knowing that a Black girl like her must work as an Attendant, trained in fighting skills to protect wealthier whites. She’s determined to break out of this life, but when a string of disappearances puts everyone on edge, Jane finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that could prove more dangerous than the zombies she must fight off.

I don’t want to give away too much about this book, as part of the joy of reading it is discovering what exactly is going on, but this is a fantastic novel about Jane, a young woman who was orphaned as a child and has just lost her aunt, the only family she’s got left. When an acquaintance from college invites her to her family’s lavish estate for a legendary party, Jane agrees on a whim. But once there, she discovers art and treasures beyond her imagining, and is presented with a choice that will take her life in a few very different directions. Combining mystery, fantasy, and horror in a clever way, this is truly a unique a book that you have to experience for yourself.

I enjoy a good time loop story, which falls somewhere in the realm of speculative fiction, and this one combines time loop and romance! The story starts with Jack and Kate, two teens who meet at a party and fall head over heels in love. Everything is going great…until Kate dies. And when that happens, Jack is inexplicably sent back to the moment they met, where Kate is alive and well. Determined to save her, Jack tries to do things differently, but when you mess with time, there are unexpected consequences.

If you love historical fiction and serial killer thrillers, then this YA version of Mindhunters is the perfect read! Set in 1982, it follows Emma, the survivor of a serial killer kidnapping, and Travis, a young U.S. Marshal candidate, who are recruited by the FBI to help out in their behavioral sciences division. These two 18-year-olds have had uncanny brushes with death and serial killers, and now the FBI thinks they could be useful in tracking down a serial killer they suspect is a teenager himself. But what’s supposed to be purely a desk job turns much more dangerous when the killer sets his sights on Emma and Travis.

Historical fiction and detective mystery get a unique mash up in June Hur’s debut novel. Set in Joseon (Korea) in 1800, Seol is an indentured servant with the police bureau. In this time period, it’s illegal for men to touch women, even in death, so Seol assists with all investigations involving women. She’s drawn into the puzzling death of a noblewomen, and when her own curiosity is piqued, she soon finds herself taking more and more risks as she pursues answers on her own, and is shocked when some of those answers lead back to her own shadowy past.

I loved the clever way this graphic novel mashed up gothic romance and speculative elements! Haley loves all things Gothic, and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it. But she lives in the modern world, which is rather annoying. Until one day she sees a young man drowning in the river and attempts to rescue him…only when she climbs out of the water she finds herself at Willowweep Manor, which is straight out of her gothic daydreams. There’s a housekeeper full of secrets, a haunted manor house, and three wealthy brothers who have a mystery to solve. Haley’s in paradise! She never wants to leave! But if she doesn’t solve this mystery, she might never be able to escape.