10 Beloved Young Adult Novels That Turn 10 In 2022

Are you ready to feel old?

It all started when John Green tweeted this a couple of weeks ago:

John Green @johngreen

The Fault in Our Stars was published ten years ago today. What a weird decade. Thanks to all who've read it, and all who will. I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

02:04 PM - 10 Jan 2022

Twitter: @johngreen

My first reaction was, there's no way this is true! 10 years? It seems like yesterday that I was sobbing over (spoiler alert) Gus's death. But The Fault in Our Stars indeed turned 10 this year, and it sent me into a deep existential crisis — am I old?

Well it turns out, I am indeed old. I was a teenager in 2012, in my own peak YA era. It was a year of some big YA releases. After some stalking around Goodreads, I realized that a lot of iconic titles were released that year, so get ready to feel old as we go down memory lane with these YA books that are all turning 10 in 2022.

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Penguin Random House

Release date: January 10, 2012

Like most teenagers of the 2010s, I, too, made this book my entire personality when it came out. Gus and his metaphors really had a grip on us all. The book made us all cry, became a New York Times bestseller, inspired two movie adaptations (in the US and in India) and has had a lasting legacy in these 10 years. Fun fact: Did you know that the title was inspired by a line in the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar?

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Feiwel & Friends

Release date: January 3, 2012

2012 was the year of dystopia, and Cinder was one of the biggest titles of the year. A fairy-tale retelling featuring cyborgs and androids sounded like such a concept, and Marissa Meyer's debut novel brought a refreshing twist to the YA landscape. The book hasn't aged that well (in my opinion), given that Meyer never explores the cultural richness of her setting (the book is set in a futuristic China), but it nevertheless created a stir in the YA audience of its time.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here. 

3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release date: February 21, 2012

Similar to The Fault in Our Stars, I also decided to make this book my personality for a while. In many ways, this book is a modern classic — it brought postmodernism to YA — and captures coming-of-age and sexuality in such a gentle way. It has also had such a lasting legacy that a sequel was released last year, nine years after the original book. Also, a fun fact: The audiobook of Aristotle and Dante is narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda — it's a must listen!

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here. 

4. The Selection by Kiera Cass

HarperCollins

Release date: April 24, 2012

Another solid entry in the dystopian book list, The Selection series has had a long career, with the recent spinoff series The Betrothed. A fine combination of The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, this book came out around the time when picking your team in the love triangle was a badge of honor, and readers were sporting Team Aspen and Team Maxon stickers/GIFs on their Tumblr blogs.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here. 

5. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release date: May 15, 2012

If dystopia was a major subgenre of this time, on the other end was YA historical fiction, mostly set in the World War II era. With a strong emphasis on friendship, Code Name Verity was a striking historical fiction that became a classic of its own. It was recently included in TIME's 100 best YA books of all time. 

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here. 

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Macmillan

Release date: June 5, 2012

Leigh Bardugo is now a household name, but she debuted in 2012 with Shadow and Bone, originated the Grishaverse. The book itself gained more popularity in later years with its sequels and enjoyed renewed attention after the release of Six of Crows in 2015. It's interesting to look back at the rise of its popularity, especially after the Netflix adaptation. All I remember in 2012 is falling in love with the Darkling, and thanks to Ben Barnes, those feelings aren't going anywhere soon.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

7. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Bloomsbury

Release date: August 7, 2012

Another household name who debuted in 2012 is Sarah J. Maas. SJM is now more widely known for her new adult fantasies, but she first gained popularity with Throne of Glass, which is another book that became more famous with its sequels — especially after the release of Crown of Midnight. Interestingly, Throne of Glass was pitched as Game of Thrones for a YA audience, as the book was released in the heels of the second season of the HBO show. I also have a soft corner for the original cover (pictured above), which was then revamped later on.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

8. Every Day by David Levithan

Penguin Random House

Release date: August 28, 2012

Another classic that eventually inspired a movie adaptation, Every Day follows A and Rhiannon and how they fall in love again and again. The conceptual idea of a character like A — who has no gender and is able to float from body to body — was so new at that time and questioned presumptions of gender and sexuality in such a unique way.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

9. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Scholastic

Release date: September 18, 2012

Oh, the hold these boys had on us. The book (and the series) kicked off a large fandom. If you had a Tumblr in the 2010s, there's no way you could escape the fan art — and the fanfiction. Gansey and Ronan and Adam were so quick to become fan favorites that eventually Stiefvater returned to the universe with a spinoff series in 2019. Also, #Pynchforever

Get it from Bookshop or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here. 

10. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Disney Hyperion

Release date: December 18, 2012

A seamless blend of fantasy and dystopia, this was one of the most popular series of the era, though Alexandra Bracken went on to write more successful fantasy books such as Passenger and Lore. The book also inspired a movie adaptation — albeit a less successful one — but an interesting fun fact is that Patrick Gibson, who played Clancy in the movie, is going to Nikolai in the next season of Shadow and Bone! It really comes full circle.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

Here are some more YA books that are turning 10 this year:

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry