Starsight
by Brandon Sanderson
Young adult · ages 13–18 · grades 8–12 · 780L · 480 pages · 2020
Why we'd hand it over
Sanderson at his best for YA — a character-driven space adventure that uses sci-fi worldbuilding to explore prejudice, belonging, and what it means to be underestimated; the pacing never drags and Spensa's voice stays fresh across 600+ pages.