Two Best of 2020

 Written by Hope M. & Trip G.

While so many great YA novels were released in 2020, we’ve only chosen two as the absolute best. The Teen Book Guild was born just back in September and we examined numerous books; some were wonderful, some disappointing, and others simply left us feeling lukewarm. Our two highest-ranked novels were chosen for this list due to the well-written execution of their plots, and we think they are books that countless people will find enjoyable.

Hope’s favorite: 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a fantastic addition to the YA collection and was highly anticipated among fans of The Hunger Games series. The author, Suzanne Collins, demonstrated remarkable character development throughout the book and provided a well-written backstory, including suspense, romance, and an important moral lesson. Collins’s spin-off of The Hunger Games plot will keep readers engaged until the very end, making this a definite best of 2020.

Trip’s favorite: 

Starsight – Brandon Sanderson

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight Archive comes the second book in an epic series about a girl with a secret in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future.

Published in very late 2019, Sanderson’s Starsight, the sequel to his Skyward, deserves mention. While I read many, many books, Starsight was by far the best of the YA books read. With reasonable character development that avoided common pitfalls I have often seen in new YA books and happening over a longer period of time without reaching a point where less avid readers would be able to follow the story, it can catch and hold your attention.

We believe you will certainly find at least one of these novels to be entertaining: you should definitely consider putting them on your to-read list!

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

Reviewed by Annabelle
Grade 12

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne is a futuristic YA novel that takes place in space. An ice age on Earth has forced humanity to the stars for centuries, with no end in sight. Ships are beginning to fail, some due to mechanical failure and others to a mysterious virus infecting the inhabitants.

The story follows Stella Ainsley, a young woman who gets an upgrade in her working position to be a private governess. She begins the story working in a poor, cramped, and struggling spaceship as an engineer and part-time teacher looking for other job opportunities. Her co-workers, though they understand why she is doing it, do not believe she will be able to escape her current situation. Luckily for her, one of her job requests is accepted! She is offered a teaching position on the illustrious, private, and rich ship: The Rochester. Her new boss is the handsome Captain Hugo who places her in charge of educating his younger sister, Jessa. As Stella works on the ship, odd things happen that nobody wants to talk about: arson, attacks, sabotage. She needs to figure out the truth and fast. She suspects lives could be at stake.

Donne's story does an excellent job of portraying government collusion to protect the wealthy and eliminate the poor. She does human persistence and adaptability justice, which is something not many science-fiction authors are capable of. Her main character is a perceptive, multi-skilled young woman with ambitious goals to improve her life. Stella is friendly and sociable, befriending most characters she meets throughout the book. Though lawful good, following the rules she is given, Stella is often described by other characters as bold, usually in reference to her rare protocol breaches when she speaks her mind to those above her status. In these instances, the reader would not see it as "boldness" but as the appropriate thing to do. It is later when she has to take on a government conspiracy almost alone that we see her true boldness. Captain Hugo's character, though, leaves much to be desired. He comes off like a White Boy Of The Month, all privilege and prestige but no actual desirable aspects past his appearance. His actions never have real consequences. He is a liar and keeps major secrets. Though the story ends before we can see if Hugo changes these negative character traits, how he is written does not give me much confidence.

The story, I admit, attracted me because it took place in space but I wouldn't recommend reading this book. Stella is an intriguing character but, in the end, is mildly disappointing. The story doesn't end satisfyingly with the solution feeling rushed. One, if not several, of the characters commit a war crime and it is not given the severity that is deserved. They don't even receive meaningful consequences for their actions, though that does not stop the other characters from acting as if they do. Overall, I gained nothing from the experience except a feeling of indignation and disappointment.