20 of the Best Young Adult Audiobooks

20 Best YA Audiobooks

Young adult audiobooks offer some of the most original stories and exciting characters out there, and, despite the genre’s name, make an ideal choice for listeners of all ages. At the heart of these varied titles, you'll find unforgettably poignant coming-of-age stories, hopeful tales of youth resistance, and brave teens reckoning with questions that stump even the wisest adults. Audible’s list includes selections with nods to historical fiction to sci-fi, romance and adventure, plus feature diverse characters and ensembles that will make it impossible to press pause.
Product list
  • Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda cover art

    • Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

    • By: Becky Albertalli
    • Narrated by: Michael Crouch
    • Series: Simonverse, Book 1
    • Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
    • Release date: 14-12-2017
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 429 ratings
    • The debut title from author Becky Albertalli, Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda is the coming-of-age story of a young high-school aged boy Simon. It describes his journey navigating the world as a closeted gay man and how privacy and decision-making can so easily be taken from his own hands. Through a series of emails between him — under the pseudonym ‘Jacques’ — and another going by the name of ‘Blue’, Simon comes to discover his secret may not be safe between the two, and an uncomfortable and complicated blackmail situation ensues. Under the comforting narration of Michael Crouch, Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda carefully balances the ideas of identity, sexuality and privacy in a way that listeners can invest in and sympathise with. No wonder the film adaptation — Love, Simon — has been such a hit.

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  • The Hunger Games: Special Edition cover art

    • The Hunger Games: Special Edition

    • By: Suzanne Collins
    • Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany
    • Series: Hunger Games, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
    • Release date: 30-10-2018
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 847 ratings
    • The Hunger Games introduced the world to Katniss Everdeen — a teenager who volunteers to take the place of her younger sister in the annual Hunger Games. It’s a competition where two young adults from each of the 12 districts of Panem — a nation born from the ruins of North American cities—fight to the death. Her story, which is told over the course of a trilogy, is widely (and in our opinion, rightfully) considered a young adult masterpiece. You might find it impossible to believe that narrating this edition of The Hunger Games is Emmy award-winner Tatiana Maslany’s first audiobook performance. She comes across like a veteran narrator, perfectly capturing characters known and loved by millions of fans across the globe, driving the action-packed, moving story to new heights with her emotive performance.

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  • The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue cover art

    • The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

    • By: Mackenzi Lee
    • Narrated by: Christian Coulson
    • Series: Montague Siblings, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
    • Release date: 27-06-2017
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 386 ratings
    • As Henry Montague (Monty) and his best friend, Percy, embark on their grand tour of Europe together, only a few details stand in the way of Monty having an excellent time. The first is that he’s bisexual in the not-so-tolerant 18th century. The second is that his father is in danger of ending all of Monty’s fun by enforcing his role as the heir to the family’s estate. And the third is that he has a giant, secret crush on Percy. Audie Award nominee Christian Coulson strikes the perfect tone for each wholly unique character in The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. From troubled, kind Percy, affected by chronic illness, and Monty’s sharp, painfully intelligent sister Felicity, to the especially insolent Monty, Coulson perfectly matches the gleeful, hilarious, and heartfelt tones of the story beat for beat.

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  • The Hate U Give cover art

    • The Hate U Give

    • By: Angie Thomas
    • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
    • Series: Garden Heights, Book 2
    • Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
    • Release date: 07-02-2019
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 290 ratings
    • A selection that cannot be missed, this #1 New York Times bestseller The Hate U Give is a stunning debut from author Angie Thomas. It’s a topical and important story about a 16-year-old girl, Starr Carter, who witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend Khalil, innocent and unarmed, when they’re stopped by a police officer one night. Hall of Fame Narrator Bahni Turpin gives voice to an extensive cast of characters in Starr’s community with distinctiveness, but it is her narration of Starr as she is transformed not only by grief but also disillusionment which is most heart wrenching. As the media vilifies Khalil and the police cover up the real story, tensions rise, and Starr feels immense pressure as the only person who knows the truth.

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  • Scythe cover art

    • Scythe

    • By: Neal Shusterman
    • Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
    • Series: Arc of a Scythe, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
    • Release date: 14-03-2017
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 619 ratings
    • In a world where all natural causes of death — hunger, disease, war, crime — have been eliminated, Scythes are trained in the art of taking a life to control the population size and maintain peace. This selection centres around teens Citra and Rowan, who are surprised and immensely unhappy when they’re chosen to apprentice as Scythes. As Citra and Rowan’s eyes are opened to the price of the peace they’ve enjoyed for their whole lives, the veneer of perfection begins to crack. Greg Tremblay’s performance of this unsettling world is pitch-perfectly chilling as listeners are simultaneously treated to a carefully curated new universe from Neal Shusterman — and prompted to consider philosophical questions about the cost of peace.

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  • Divergent cover art

    • Divergent

    • Divergent, Book 1
    • By: Veronica Roth
    • Narrated by: Emma Galvin
    • Series: Divergent, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
    • Release date: 06-12-2012
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 591 ratings
    • It’s post-apocalyptic Chicago and the world is split into five factions — the selfless, the peaceful, the honest, the brave and the intelligent. Which would you be, or would you be ‘divergent’? Veronica Roth’s smash hit series Divergent follows Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior as she grapples with growing up in a world defining its citizens by personality and shunning those who cannot conform. Narrator Emma Galvin’s performance gives each character’s voice time to shine as you weave through a dystopian world of fear, violence and the challenges of finding one’s true identity. Plus, keep an ear out for the smattering of romance between Tris and one of her instructors, nicknamed Four. It’s not all just action, we promise.

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  • Illuminae cover art

    • Illuminae

    • By: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
    • Narrated by: Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lincoln Hoppe, Jonathan McClain
    • Series: The Illuminae Files, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
    • Release date: 26-01-2017
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 357 ratings
    • A cast of narrators, including Olivia Taylor Dudley of SyFy’s The Magicians and the versatile actors Lincoln Hoppe and Jonathan McClain, brings this remarkable adventure — told in conversation transcripts, emails, and top secret documents — to life. In the year 2575, two corporations are at war, and exes Kady and Ezra find themselves smack in the middle of the firefight on an evacuation fleet. And, almost worse, stuck with each other. Add to this a plague, an AI program that might be trying to kill them, and a web of lies and secrets that require Kady to hack into government files, and you have the recipe for a bona fide sci-fi thriller with a romance at its heart. The entire listening experience is amplified by the unique way in which the story is told — listeners never know what will be revealed next, in what form, or by whom. Get ready, get set, and get listening!

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  • The Outsiders cover art

    • The Outsiders

    • By: S. E. Hinton
    • Narrated by: Jim Fyfe
    • Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 27-10-2011
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 355 ratings
    • Taking place in middle America in the 1960s, The Outsiders is a classic tale of rival gangs told from the first-person perspective of teenage protagonist Ponyboy Curtis. Tackling issues such as identity and socioeconomic status through the conflict between the ‘Greasers’ and the ‘Socs’, this classic of American literature comes to life with the southern swoon of narrator Jim Fyfe. It’s crazy to think that celebrated author S. E. Hinton was in high school when she wrote and published this classic work of young adult fiction, as it’s stood the test of time by highlighting the struggles of youth cultures in the States and beyond. It’s a testament to The Outsiders and the works it inspired that Hinton has been credited as introducing the genre of YA fiction to the world.

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  • Skyward cover art

    • Skyward

    • By: Brandon Sanderson
    • Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
    • Series: The Skyward Series, Book 1
    • Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
    • Release date: 06-11-2018
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 2,046 ratings
    • Author Brandon Sanderson is a magical world-builder. He has multiple best selling series in which he creates completely engrossing, totally believable universes, and in doing so, he has gained an incredibly loyal fan base. In Skyward, Sanderson turns his expertise to YA audiobooks, crafting yet another fully fleshed-out world geared toward a younger audience without pandering or losing any of the lustre of his more mature works. Fall in love with the story of young heroine Spensa Nightshade attempting to become a pilot and redeem her father’s reputation — in space! Each kernel of exposition fits seamlessly into the expert narration by Audie winner Suzy Jackson, so each of the advanced sci-fi elements of the story are revealed bit by tantalising bit.

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  • Eleanor & Park cover art

    • Eleanor & Park

    • By: Rainbow Rowell
    • Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Sunil Malhotra
    • Length: 9 hrs
    • Release date: 27-03-2014
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 221 ratings
    • In 1986, an unlikely pair of high school students, Eleanor and Park, grow close and soon fall in love over the course of the year. Eleanor is an outcast — poor, unfocused, with an unmistakable mop of curly red hair — and Park is the opposite — popular, secure, and sure of himself. They both know how first loves usually end, and with additional complications from Eleanor’s family, it looks like a tougher road ahead than usual. This Audie Award finalist is tender, heartbreaking, and hilarious in ways that only teenaged love can be. It’s told in alternating narrative perspectives, with Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra bringing a reflective, almost dreamy quality to their performances that suits the lyrical, expressive tone of the story.

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  • The Maze Runner cover art

    • The Maze Runner

    • The Maze Runner, Book 1
    • By: James Dashner
    • Narrated by: Mark Deakins
    • Series: Maze Runner, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 03-06-2013
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 408 ratings
    • Plug in your headphones as you take the first adventure into the Maze Runner series from celebrated author James Dashner. The Maze Runner takes place in the ‘Glades’ with an ever-changing maze and some not-so-nice creatures calling it home. With no memories except their names, it’s up to the ‘Gladers’ — a group of teenagers dropped into this world — to solve the mysteries and find a way out to safety. It's dark, fast-paced, and artfully wrought in a thrilling post-apocalyptic world – we recommend diving right in to appreciate this one. It’s no surprise there’s a movie that’s spawned from this title, but hearing the words from narrator Mark Deakins’ mouth is that much more exciting.

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  • The Raven Boys cover art

    • The Raven Boys

    • By: Maggie Stiefvater
    • Narrated by: Will Patton
    • Series: The Raven Cycle, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 18-09-2012
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 248 ratings
    • This first book of The Raven Cycle introduces the town and residents of Henrietta, Virginia, where magic permeates the everyday, especially for Blue Sargent and her family of psychics, and for four curious students — the titular Raven Boys — at Aglionby Academy. Audie Award winner Will Patton’s performance on this audiobook makes the story feel even more mysterious and ghostly, infusing every sentence with intrigue and anticipation. Blue’s fate intertwines with that of the four Raven Boys as their leader, Richard Gansey, searches for a long-lost Welsh King. Their journey takes them to places within Henrietta and within themselves they never thought to look, and Patton’s narration is so superb that you might feel the urge to continue to the next in the series the moment you’re done.

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  • Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief cover art

    • Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

    • Percy Jackson, Book 1
    • By: Rick Riordan
    • Narrated by: Jesse Bernstein
    • Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs
    • Release date: 13-01-2010
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,049 ratings
    • Percy Jackson is a pretty epic guy. First off, he’s a demigod. Second of all, he can read Ancient Greek. And most importantly, he’s only twelve years old. But little did he know his simple life was going to turn into anything until he accidentally vaporised his maths teacher. Dive into the world of The Lightning Thief: the first title in the adventure fantasy series Percy Jackson & the Olympians written by Rick Riordan. It’s the perfect listen for anyone into mythology, thrill-seeking and a whole heap of action, with Jackson taking all measures possible to locate and return the mighty Zeus’ master lightning bolt. Packed full of Ancient Greek gods and adventure, admire Jesse Berstein’s animated narration and be ready to commit to a new fantasy series, as there’s more Riordan titles where this came from.

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  • Code Name Verity cover art

    • Code Name Verity

    • By: Elizabeth Wein
    • Narrated by: Morven Christie, Lucy Gaskell
    • Series: Code Name Verity, Book 3
    • Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
    • Release date: 01-06-2012
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 100 ratings
    • Code Name Verity is a World War II era story about two women — one a pilot from England and the other an aristocrat from Scotland—who form a close bond when they work together during the war. The audiobook begins when one of the women is captured by the Gestapo and forced to recount everything she knows of the British war effort — her confession is our listening experience, and it’s a haunting, beautiful, and heartbreaking account. Performing this remarkable story of survival and friendship are two narrators at the top of their craft: the skilled Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell. The subjects and themes of Code Name Verity are as intense as the emotions that accompany them, and both actresses perform brilliantly, inducing laughter and tears as you listen.

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  • Cinder cover art

    • Cinder

    • The Lunar Chronicles, Book 1
    • By: Marissa Meyer
    • Narrated by: Rebecca Soler
    • Series: The Lunar Chronicles, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
    • Release date: 01-03-2017
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 203 ratings
    • In Cinder, narrator Rebecca Soler uses her lively intonation and vocal control to breathe life into an entire cast of fairytale-inspired characters. In this retelling of childhood favourite Cinderella, listeners meet Cinder — a cyborg and gifted mechanic in the care of her step-family in futuristic Beijing after an accident killed her father. Entirely without companionship but for one friend — and no fairy godmother — Cinder struggles with discrimination as a cyborg as she dwells on the hopelessness of her captive life. This sci-fi retelling of a classic story has just enough familiar elements to connect it to the original tale, but not so many that you aren’t experiencing something enchantingly new. Instead, author Marissa Meyer unveils an expansive universe with thrilling twists that propel listeners through Cinder — and, luckily for fans of the series, the number of sequels that follow.

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  • Stalking Jack the Ripper cover art

    • Stalking Jack the Ripper

    • By: Kerri Maniscalco, James Patterson
    • Narrated by: Nicola Barber
    • Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
    • Release date: 20-09-2016
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 127 ratings
    • If the engaging publisher’s summary — ‘[a] deliciously creepy horror novel’ — is anything to go by, you already know that Stalking Jack The Ripper will have you on the edge of your seat. Main character Audrey Rose Wadsworth may lead a life as a lord’s daughter with all of the pomp and silk dress fittings that accompany it, but her secrets make for much more sinister listening. Take a thrilling ride with this debut novel from Kerri Maniscalco into a world of lord and ladyship with darker motives hidden in plain sight. A storyline inspired by the true story of the Ripper murders and a conclusion you won’t see coming, Stalking Jack The Ripper is a highly entertaining title to sink your teeth — or should we say ears — into.

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Audiobook lists are hand-picked by Audible editors; inclusion is based on a number of factors including
listener ratings, narrator performances, presence on Audible best seller lists and cultural relevance.


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