Five of the best young adult books of 2024
The Twelve
Liz Hyder, illustrated by Tom de Freston, Pushkin
On the night of the solstice, Kit’s wintry Welsh holiday turns terrifying when Libby, her beloved, infuriating little sister, falls from an ancient tower and vanishes – not just from sight, but from their mother’s memory. Only Story, a mysterious local boy, remembers Libby. Now Kit and Story must uncover the secret of the strange power known as the Twelve, and make several perilous journeys into the past, to bring Libby back and preserve the smooth running of time itself. Haunting and resonant, with echoes of Susan Cooper and Alan Garner, this gripping 12+ timeslip novel by the award-winning author of Bearmouth is heightened by De Freston’s dreamy black and white illustrations.
The Maid and the Crocodile
Jordan Ifueko, Hot Key
Set in the world of the bestselling Raybearer series, this elegant standalone fantasy follows Small Sade, a disabled orphan with a hidden gift, as she tries to find a job in Oluwan, the brutal and competitive capital city. Inadvertently binding herself to a handsome crocodile god who is rumoured to devour girls, Small Sade escapes to an upmarket inn where she can exercise her talent as a Curse Eater, altering her clients’ fates for the better by cleaning their houses. But can she break the most intransigent curse of all – the one that binds the Crocodile? Inspired by Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle, this assured, entrancing novel will be a treat for Raybearer fans and newcomers alike.
Black History for Every Day of the Year
David Olusoga, Yinka Olusoga and Kemi Olusoga, Macmillan
Inspiring, accessible and meticulously researched, this “journey through time and space” is crammed with people, places and events of significance in Black – and global – history. Beginning on 1 January with the Year of Africa (1960, when 17 African nations gained independence from colonial rule), it features activists, actors, scientists and artists, protest movements from Victorian anti-slavery campaigns to Black Lives Matter, and pivotal moments that marked or became the catalyst for change. With carefully curated content ranging from the well known to the more obscure, photos, illustrations, quotations and poetry, it’s an invaluable, fascinating, often heartbreaking resource for anyone, teen or adult, with an interest in history.
Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel
Adapted and illustrated by Aimée de Jongh, Faber
This sensitive, rich adaptation of William Golding’s classic features intense, hallucinatory colours and moments of pure, visceral shock. From an initial sense of excitement as the stranded boys gather on the beach, jockeying to establish leadership, to the horrors they discover and inflict as the group tears itself apart, De Jongh uses the graphic novel form to evoke an immediacy that holds true to Golding’s masterpiece while imparting a depth and power all her own. It’s a magnificent achievement, perfect both for fans of the original and as a first way into the book.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Holly Jackson, Electric Monkey
Sixteen years ago, Bel Price’s mother Rachel disappeared, leaving two-year-old Bel behind. Now Bel is 18, she can barely remember her mum – but money is tight, and Bel’s grandpa needs round-the-clock care, so the family have signed up to take part in a documentary about her disappearance. No one expects Rachel to show up in the middle of filming. Everyone should be thrilled – most of all Bel and her father, who has finally been cleared of suspicion. But some details of Rachel’s story don’t add up … This twisty, meaty, utterly absorbing thriller confirms Jackson as the UK’s answer to Karen M McManus.
• To browse all children’s and young adult books included in the Guardian and Observer’s best books of 2024 visit guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
