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!