Kristin Cast
Spells Trouble
A solid entry in a popular series that balances magical action with family drama, though it lacks the sharp edge of its predecessors.
Read this next
All picks after this →
Up the Line
by Robert Silverberg
Young adult · ages 12–18 · 900L · 1969
A classic first-contact sci-fi that feels dated in its tech but remains a powerful study of adolescent anxiety and the weight of responsibility.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs
Young adult · ages 12–18 · 820L · 2015
A genuinely eerie mystery with vintage photographs woven throughout—literary enough for readers who want substance, accessible enough that it doesn't feel like homework, and the time-loop premise is genuinely clever.
Run (Fearless)
by Francine Pascal
Young adult · ages 12–18 · 780L · 2001
A solid mystery-thriller launch that hooked many teens in the early 2000s, though the premise of 'fearlessness' wears thin under scrutiny and the romance subplot feels obligatory.