Year in Review: Top 5 YA Reads of 2022
Year in Review: Top 5 YA Reads of 2022
This year has been a wild one for me and as I’m headed into the last week of 2022, I’m even busier. But something I made time to do all year was read. Whetherit was listening to an audiobook in my car or reading a few pages before I fell asleep, 2022 brought me into so many interesting worlds and introduced me to many diverse protagonists. From veteran authors who gave us sequels to debut authors who blew us away, this year certainly did not disappoint.
Here are my top five favorite YA reads of 2022.
1. Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw (315 pages)
Image via Goodreads
Picking up soon after the end of The Nightmare Before Christmas, we meet Sally as the newly crowned Pumpkin Queen alongside her love, Jack Skellington. Sally is suddenly responsible for many queenly duties—something she’s eager but nervous about. In the film, we watch Sally rebel against the cell Dr. Finkelstein tries to keep her in and now she’s worried she might just be in a wider cage. But when Sally and their ghost dog Zero stumble upon a secret doorway in the forest, they unwittingly put Halloween Town into danger and must race to save the ones they love.
Why You Should Read It
This fall, my 2-year-old son became absolutely obsessed with The Nightmare Before Christmas. “This is Halloween” was one of my most-played songs of the year. But this obsession delighted me because this film has been one of my favourites since its release. So when I saw that Shea Ernshaw, an author I’ve reviewed before, was continuing the story, I was eager to read it. This story is spooky and atmospheric but in a more lighthearted way. Ernshaw really captures the vibe of this world in her text, which isn’t easy to do for an existing story that’s so dependent on its visual style.
4/5 Brookie Stars
2. Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie (341 pages)
Image via Goodreads
Ophelia is confident in her passions: her friends, homemade Cuban food, gardening, and most importantly, boys. She’s constantly hearing opinions from others on her crushes, often in a judgmental way, but she really just loves the idea of being in love. Ophelia is suddenly surprised when she realizes that her feelings for her friend Talia start to feel more like the way she feels about boys. The end of high school is approaching, and with all the uncertainty associated with graduation, Ophelia finds herself struggling to make sense of her place in the world.
Why You Should Read It
As a teacher, I spend more time with teenagers than I do with adults. And I found the characters in this story to be very genuine. While Ophelia and her friends are a bit dramatic, their depictions are authentic rather than exaggerated. Marie captures the stress that teens experience as they gear up for major life changes, particularly as they discover new parts of their identities. This story deals with important social issues while also keeping the mood positive and light.
4/5 Brookie Stars
3. All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown (345 pages)
Image via Goodreads
Andrew is starving, run ragged, and desperate for shelter as he ambles through the remnants of a pathogen-ruined world. Jamie, another survivor, welcomes him into his shelter even though both boys have lost their ability to trust. But they each see something in the other that encourages them to let their guard down. Their bubble eventually bursts though and they have to rely on each other as they flee in search of other survivors. With everything around them literally and figuratively crumbling, they see the priceless value of each other’s companionship.
Why You Should Read It
I’ve read a lot of end-of-the-world stories but this one really breaks the mold. The story is not overwhelmingly bleak even though the circumstances in which the characters find themselves certainly are. Watching these two characters navigate the apocalypse while also learning about their own identities is surprisingly delightful. The character development is engaging and patient and you’ll really be rooting for Andrew and Jamie as the story progresses.
4/5 Brookie Stars
4. The Kindred by Alechia Dow (400 pages)
Image via Goodreads
Joy hails from a low-class planet called Hali and is not interested in the possibility of upward mobility. She finds it simpler to just live within her means. She is, however, Kindred to the most infamous member of the royal family. The Kindred mind-connections were created so that every person was represented across class lines, with the rich and poor always paired together. Duke Felix, Joy’s Kindred, suddenly finds himself next in line for the throne and is also accused of murdering those family members who were once ahead of him. And because of their Kindred connection, Joy is also in danger as authorities seek to use their connection to find Felix. Chaos ensues as Joy and Felix flee and find themselves on Earth, a planet strange and foreign to them. Their time hiding gives them the space to unravel this mystery while also working through the complicated feelings they have for each other.
Why You Should Read It
Set in the universe of Dow’s debut The Sound of Stars, we’re introduced to a new set of compelling characters with new sci-fi elements. Even though Joy and Felix are intricately connected, they are both fully developed characters with their own personalities and desires. The political elements weave well with science fiction to create a world that feels lived-in and exciting.
4/5 Brookie Stars
5. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (321 pages)
Image via Goodreads
Cristian only dreams of becoming a writer but the restrictions of Communist Romania make this impossible. Fear is one of the government’s greatest weapons and Cristian finds himself being blackmailed into informing on his peers. Cristian has essentially two options: he can keep himself safe by giving the secret police the information they want or he can use this position to attempt to undermine their entire organization. The second option, though heroic, is incredibly dangerous. But Cristian takes up the cause with the hopes of supporting the revolution, even though freedom for others might cost him his.
Why You Should Read It
epetys does what she does best in this novel: she creates a fast-paced and meaty story set within historically accurate settings. Whether you’re familiar with Romania’s political past or not, Cristian’s struggle can be universally understood and if you’re new to Romanian history, you’ll learn something while following his story. The fear and paranoia experienced by real people living under these regimes are powerfully conveyed through Sepetys’s crafty writing.
4/5 Brookie Stars
YA Year In Review
We’ve reviewed a huge variety of books here at BooknBrunch this year, and these top five lists can be difficult to make. This year gave us an embarrassment of riches as far as new novels go, and I hope this list has something to offer everyone, whether you’re looking for a sci-fi adventure or a riveting historical fiction. This list will also help you find some new and returning authors who represent diverse backgrounds and genres. I hope you read some more great books in the new year and I’m looking forward to sharing more of my favourites with all of you!
Love this roundup? Check out Rachel’s other review roundups here.
Rachel Gomes is a 30-something high school English teacher who lives with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband and their son. Rachel is a voracious reader who loves to learn and has her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. She’s happiest listening to podcasts and talking to friends about the latest news in nerd culture.
Favourite book: Don’t make me choose between A Song of Ice and Fire and Harry Potter
Favourite brunch spot: The Farmer’s Table
