Representation matters in all aspects of life, and literature is no exception. Young people, specifically Black teens and young adults deserve to see themselves in the stories they pick up. I personally gravitate towards Black stories and YA is one of my top genres/ age range I read from. In this post, I will be sharing a list of young adult books by Black authors. These diverse YA book recommendations deserve a spot on your TBR and reading lists, and I can bet you’ll find a new fave here. This is a general list, and I plan/hope to do more detailed genre lists later.
Why Black YA Literature Matters
It is important for young Black people to pick up books that centre people like them, going through things they can really relate to. These issues, heavy as they might be, are handled well in these Black teen fiction books. This list features books from a range of genres so it is important for Black teens to have the representation in contemporary YA books with Black protagonists, as well as fantasy and sci fi worlds, and in romance stories as well. Clicking on the links on the list will take you to the Goodreads page for each book.
Romance YA Books by Black Authors
Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest
The Stars and the Blackness Behind Them by Junauda Petrus
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich
The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Fantasy YA Books by Black Authors
This list also contains some magical realism books by Black authors
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
The Witchery by S. Isabelle
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
Thriller and Mystery YA Books by Black Authors
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni
The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Through Our Teeth by Pamela N. Harris
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídéx
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
Reviews of YA Books by Black Authors
I have featured some reviews of these books on my blog, and you can click to read them below:
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe
Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
I hope you’ve found this list useful for yourself or for the young people in your life.
Oyinda Loves Books 