All of the Harry Potter books consistently top Amazon.com’s bestseller list so it comes as no surprise that “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two” by J.K.
Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne is Highlands County’s best read young adult fiction book this year. Despite the unusual format (this is actually the script for the popular play of the same name), people really want to read the eighth installment in the series. “Cursed Child” takes place a whopping nineteen years after the seventh book and finds our heroes and their children dealing with even more interesting challenges. As with all the other Harry Potter books, “Cursed Child” carries a strong anti-bullying message in addition to other complex themes.
Coming in next is another modern classic. Although it seems nothing will ever top Harry Potter in terms of its perennial selling power and popularity, Suzanne Collins gives it a good try with her “Hunger Games” trilogy. It is the same-named, first installment in the series that Highlands County readers have loved so much this year. Collins’ story follows protagonist Katniss Everdeen as she attempts to survive a corrupt and decadent government and its annual, violent “Hunger Games” competition.
“The Sun is Also a Star” by Nicola Yoon rounds out our top three best loved young adult fiction books so far this year. Published in 2016, Yoon’s book is a heartfelt romance about the consequences of a seemingly impossible love-at-first-sight. Natasha is twelve hours away from being deported back to Jamaica when she locks eyes with Daniel. “Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?”
Another of Nicola Yoon’s novels ranks fourth. “Everything, Everything” is a boy next door romance with a twist. “Maddy is a smart, curious and imaginative eighteen-year-old who is unable to leave the protection of the hermetically-sealed environment within her house because of an illness. Olly is the boy next door who won’t let that stop them from being together.”
“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green explores themes of love, grief, and what it means to truly live. “Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at the Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.”
Also making Highland’s County’s top ten are “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling, “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner, “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins, and “The Red Pyramid” by Rick Riordan. Young adult fiction is interesting no matter your age. We hope you’ll visit your local library and seek your adventures and romances in a new genre.