This has been especially true during the last two years. With the pandemic, books which had initial publication dates in early 2020 saw their shelf dates shift to summer, or to fall, or to 2021, in the hopes of giving the book the best chance at reaching readers during quarantines, shutdowns, and the complete upheaval of traditional in-person events. Now, with the challenge of sourcing paper and supply chain breakdowns, even books published in 2021 facing comparatively fewer challenges than those of the previous year are themselves in deep limbo. So what, then, to make of underrated YA books of the pandemic? Taking this literally, I pulled up the largest annual release lists on Goodreads for YA Books, first for the 2020 YA releases (822 books as of writing) and for 2021 YA releases (873 books as of writing). We know these lists are not comprehensive, nor are they entirely correct, since they can be edited by anyone who wants to include their favorite book from any time. But for the most part, they’re solid starting places to get an idea of the landscape of YA in these two years. From those lists, I ranked the books which published between January 2020 — with the mindset those books prior to March were still impacted when the world completely shut down — and July 2021 — knowing that those books just released and would not have the same dedicated period of time to garner readers as those published over a year prior. I pulled out all of the books which were not the first in a series from this compilation, as series books will, by nature, have fewer readers as the series continues. I looked at the number of reviews each book had, as well as the number of ratings. I made sure they were published by a well-known publisher, weeding out self-published titles or those by publishers who do not have a dedicated YA imprint. This ensured the books being evaluated were as close to a level reader-discovery field as possible. Additionally, all of the books were from U.S.-based publishers for the same reason, and each is a fiction, as opposed to nonfiction, category. One comic made the list. Not every book on Goodreads will have a review and a rating. Some may only have a rating, while others may only have a review. To level the playing field as much as possible, I averaged the number of reviews with the number of ratings. Anything over a 100 average was deleted and every one of the top ten books for each year had below a 65. Books were ranked by the lowest to the highest numbers. Of note: none of these books were among those which may have been reviewed or rated based on an author’s behavior, commentary, or other criteria which can impact those numbers. I separated books published in 2020 from those in 2021 into two lists, as some of the lowest averages came from books published just this summer. Those haven’t yet had the time to reach readers as those published over a year ago have. It’s worth noting more broadly that nearly every one of these books is by a white author and most are straight and/or cisgender. This isn’t a bad thing: so many more diverse books are being better marketed, either from publishers or, more commonly and in the case of Goodreads, more fortunately, from readers who seek to share the representation within these books for other readers to find. It feels weird to showcase underrated YA books that are primarily white, but mathematically, that’s what this specific subset of YA books indicated. So now that you know the criteria by which most underrated books are being evaluated here, let’s take a look at the most underrated YA books of the pandemic. Maybe your next favorite read is here, just waiting for you to find.
The Most Underrated YA Books of the Pandemic
2020 Releases
2021 Releases
It’s super interesting to see some common elements among these most underrated YA books of the pandemic. Many contain humor, many are contemporary and tackle heavy issues, and some feel almost too close to the moment we’re living in (see: blackouts, prepping, environmental disaster, and the ending of the war in Afghanistan).
That outbreak just happens to be centered at the high school Wallace will be attending.
Wallace’s classmates and teachers aren’t super into him from the get-go, and as more strange happenings occur, well, he’s definitely not moving beyond the reputation of weird new kid.
This is a darkly funny thriller for readers who want something totally different.
When Micah and his family disappear, pulled into the underground by The Prophet, Sesame is left even more alone. Now, she needs to figure out how to find Micah and get to the truth of this cult.
When Lily is arrested after a date gone wrong, her mugshot gets leaked to the press. This would be a big deal anyway, but it’s made bigger because her aunt is a star in a reality show series a la The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Lily’s mom kicks her out of their less-than-glamorous home, and her aunt offers to take her in. Now Lily is part of the show herself. Is it real life? Or is it all for show?
The book is funny and wry, and once Kevin learns who Alex is outside of their safe haven of doctor appointments, things may…not be at all what they seem.
Na is 19, and she’s always lived in the shadow of her little brother Bao-bao, the cherished son. Years ago, her parents moved themselves and Bao-bao to the city in order to give him the best opportunity to get great grades in a great school so he could attend a top higher educational institution.
But now Bao-bao has died, and Na works to uncover why. Did he really bomb the Chinese college entrance exams? Or was there something more? Her parents are pressuring her to leave her vocational education now and enter the work force, so in addition to unlocking Bao-bao’s secrets, she’s confronted by traditional gender expectations in her family and community.
Welcome to Glitch Kingdom, where teens are in a battle of a lifetime, and not just because they’re been pulled into a video game and are stuck inside.
Reviewers have noted the cover being a huge turnoff, despite the story being compelling and original. I agree it doesn’t really explain the story but at the same time, it seems like it really does.
Heppermann’s latest novel follows college student Jorie as she wakes up after making a poor decision. The narrative follows as she works to understand everything that led her to that decision, including her father’s infidelity, her obsession with art, the breakup with her boyfriend, and more.
School elections used to be super boring at Acedia High School. That is, until Angie and Leo run against one another. The formerly romantic couple’s messy breakup was the talk of the school, and now, seizing on an opportunity to “win” in the wake of it, secrets and scandals are spilling, forcing both to take up the mantle on a number of causes.
The school election this year is anything but boring — nor anything but a popularity contest. I’m definitely getting Election vibes here.
Her friends propose a solution of creating their own version of the race, and now, Miho is able to channel her feelings and passion into preparation. Perhaps she’ll also figure out what it is she’s meant to do next along the way.
Brothers Griff and Leo are preparing for the tsunami that’s destined to wash out their west coast town. If they can survive that, awesome, but then they have to survive the threat of nuclear war, wildfires, and probably also the horsemen of the apocalypse. Griff’s taken to prepping, and while Leo has, too, it’s not in the same manner. And once the two of them begin hearing strange songs, they become more divided than united. Griff moves away from prepping while Leo leans in closer — the music is altering them in real ways, be it through hope or through fear.
Now, she’s determined to get to the bottom of this blackout with the help of her best friend, but will that help her understand what happened with her brother?
Note this isn’t a dystopia. It’s a contemporary, realistic read.
For Calliope, the answer is…maybe a lot more questions.
Following September 11, Baheer, an Afghan teen who loves to learn, and Joe, an American army private, have their worlds completely shattered. For Baheer, family life is in upheaval as soldiers descend into his town. For Joe, his dreams of becoming a journalist are on hold as he’s shipped overseas.
Neither boy is especially eager to encounter the other, but over the course of time, they discover they have far more in common than not. But can they set aside political differences to make a real connection?
This one is packed with Feelings of how sometimes love is amazing and sometimes love is hell.
Set during the Spanish Inquisition, Isabel Perez should be unbelievably honored the sheriff wants to marry her. But she’s not interested. Her eyes are only for a nobleman named Diego.
Complicating matters — and why it is she should be thrilled the alguacil wants to take her in marriage — is the fact her family was forced to convert from Judaism to Christian, rendering them low in the social class hierarchy.
But maybe that’s precisely why the marriage is of interest to the sheriff: Isabel and her family haven’t converted completely, as they still practice in secret.
Honor has always been a straight-laced, A student. But when her father, who struggles with PTSD, has his VA benefits cut and bills begin to pile up, Honor devises a solution to their financial challenges: growing and selling marijuana.
This is a story about a slow-burn romance. Skylar is ambitious and smart, determined to win State at the Scholastic Exposition with her new app. She’s deeply independent but realizes she needs to find help in order to achieve this dream.
Enter Joey and Zane. Skylar makes a promise to help Zane and Joey become an item, but during the course of prepping for the competition, Skylar may be falling for Zane herself.
But if what you’re looking for is a book that needs more readers or you’re the kind of reader who loves digging into something that “no one else has read,” these titles are literally the ones who haven’t seen much readership — big thanks, of course, to the pandemic.
