Find your next great read to celebrate the Summer Solstice by exploring my reviews of the best YA books that belong on your summer reading list this year.
For teens, summer is an unscheduled time. Free time. There’s no school, less supervision, more sleeping in, fewer restrictions, more opportunity to be with friends, more lying around and decompressing, even adventure. Reading a few great novels is a great way to spend some non-screen time. Summer-themed YA books may include stories where characters are traveling for summer vacation, preparing for college, having a summer romance, saying goodbye to a high school boyfriend, or working a summer job.
Here are my personal recommendations for which YA books belong on your summer reading list this year. It’s an eclectic list. Some of them are classics, and some are titles you may have never heard of before. With such an array of choices, you’ll be sure to find something that piques your interest.
Maybe this is the summer to try something new!
Drive to June by Khristina Chess
“You do realize that a car is a mobile make-out location, right?” Ian said. ― Khristina Chess, quote from Drive to June.
What kind of girl drinks after a drunk driver kills her mom?
Sixteen months ago, Adrianna lost her mother. Since then, she’s been drowning her grief—one bottle at a time. With her father always away and her sister off at college, no one notices she’s slowly draining the wine collection and numbing herself to an awful secret she can’t face.
Now, she can’t quit.
Then one evening, a pizza delivery boy finds her crying on the roof of her house and offers to teach her how to drive—and somehow, that changes everything.
Wow—what a ride! Drive to June grabs you from the start and never lets go. It’s more than a story about alcohol abuse—it’s funny, romantic, and deeply emotional, unraveling the truth of grief, healing, and unexpected love. Adrianna and Ian’s chemistry is undeniable, and their growing connection makes this novel unforgettable.
A beautifully crafted novel, Drive to June has sparked conversations across book clubs and reader communities—solidifying its place as one of the most memorable YA books of the decade. If you’re looking for dreamy YA books about dating, Drive to June is an absolute must-read. In fact, Khristina Chess is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
“All these words and stories. My mom calls them the color of a human life: those little moments that are so uniquely ours.” ― Jennifer Niven, quote from Breathless
I might love this book even more than Niven’s All the Bright Places—and that's saying a lot!
Breathless is the story of Claude's trip to a remote island off the coast of Georgia after graduation with her mom following the sudden separation of her parents. She meets a boy and falls in love. So simple. Yet Jennifer Niven beautifully captures that lovely, breathless feeling of first love. Passionate kisses. Romantic trysts. Mosquito bites on sunburned skin.
There is so much growing up packed into this brief summer for Claude. She learns that parents have secrets and tell lies. She and her lifelong best friend grow apart even as they prepare to truly separate for fall college classes. And she has this deep relationship with Miah on the island that changes her in fundamental ways.
Breathless is the perfect beach read for your summer reading list. In fact, Jennifer Niven is also on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited, so you might want to check out some of these others, too.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be. No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddledown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from We Were Liars
What an unexpected and beautiful story about summertime, friendship, coming of age, and sorrow!
I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but I fell in love with this unexpected story. By the end it made me cry. We Were Liars is about a group of privileged young friends and their lies, family secrets, grief, and love. It’s a mystery. Its private island setting evokes all kinds of summer images: the beach, the heat, the sun. The beautiful and disorienting plot will leave you reader breathless until the very end.
If you haven’t picked this one up yet, do yourself a favor and add it to the top of your summer reading list this year. It’s a whirlwind read.
Lockhart's prequel to this one, Family of Liars, does not disappoint either! In Family of Liars, the narrator, Carrie, tells the story of the summer of the boys' visit to the island, but long before those events, there are ominous hints of what is to come. In her early teen years, for example, Carrie's father insists on a surgery to break her jaw, and an infection sets in. The pages are full of great details about summertime on the island. The lemon hunt was very vivid, as well as the details about clothing, food, and the picnic table. Lockhart painted a vivid sense of place, siblings, and privilege.
I recommend reading both of them while you’re at the beach!
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
“His bed’s really comfortable. And he never pees in it.” ― Huntley Fitzpatrick, quote from My Life Next Door
This adorable YA love story is compelling and has an unexpected ending. Everything about the messy Garrett house draws Samantha into it, but especially the good-looking son, Jase. He’s one of several children in the house. His little brother, George, has some of the best lines. I laughed out loud. The sneaking around teen love stuff was pretty wonderful. Samantha’s best friend is a jerk, and her sister is too. No wonder she’s so drawn to the loving family next door.
Samantha is keeping this relationship with Jase a secret from her mom and everyone else in her life, but eventually that blows up in her face. In the process, she learns some lessons about who she is and who she wants to be.
This dreamy YA book will leave you smiling for days and definitely belongs on your summer reading list this year. It evokes all those light feelings of happiness, joy, and romantic love. You just can’t help sighing about that first kiss. You can’t wait for Samantha and Jase to take their relationship to the next level, and your heart breaks when things get rocky. This is such a sweet story. So cute!
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
In fact, if I’m going to include My Life Next Door to the roundup of best YA books on your summer reading list this year, I also have to include The Unexpected Everything. This was another light, sweet, happy, and satisfying vacation read. The characters and story were perfect for each other. At first I didn't like them, but they totally won me over. They fit their world, and they grew as a result of the summer events. I will definitely read more of this author.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith
"We keep thinking there are only these two choices: We either grow apart or grow together. But maybe we can just kind of each grow on our own, and see how it goes. And then later, if it's right, we'll come back to each other and start again." ― Jennifer E. Smith, quote from Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
In another “novel in one night” book, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between explores the relationship of Clare and Aiden as they prepare to separate before heading off to college at the end of summer break. Along the way, they spend time with a cast of friends and visit places where they enjoyed some of their most memorable moments. I didn’t love-love the story and characters the same way that I did some of the other novels here, but there were sweet and romantic moments that kept me invested.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between definitely belong in this list of summer-themed YA books. If you’re looking for YA books that belong on your summer reading list this year, check out Jennifer Smith’s book.
Other YA Books That Belong on Your Summer Reading List
If you are looking for some other great suggestions for which YA books belong on your summer reading list, check out the Summer-Themed YA and YA Summer Reads Books lists on Goodreads. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for yet, you might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type.
Do you have any personal favorites to recommend to me? I’m always looking for another great read in this category.
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.