Late fall/winter always puts me in the superhero mood. I read so many Spider-Man comics last winter, and then I stopped. But I want to pick them back up again! Mostly because I’ve been on a journey to get caught up on Spider-Man comics. Which is no easy feat, let me tell you. There are so many! I would estimate I’m like…1/3 of the way there? Still a ways to go, but worth it for one of my favorite superheroes.
Anyway, there have been a lot of great YA superhero books published in recent years. Outside of the Marvel/DC books! These are the most fun because they can get so creative, and they usually have fantastic characters. The ones included here are some of my recent favorites, so I hope you enjoy them too!
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YA Books Featuring Superheroes
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
Nick Bell isn’t an Extraordinary, but he writes the most popular fanfiction about them. When he has a chance encounter with Shadow Star, who he’s had a crush on forever, he decides he’s going to become one. But his best friend, Seth Gray, doesn’t think that’s such a good idea, especially with Nick’s ADHD. Nothing can stop Nick when he puts his mind to it, even the ones he loves. The first in a new series, the story here is unique and the characters are really what make this book a success. Plus, Klune shows us that we don’t necessarily need powers to save the world.
Renegades by Marissa Meyer
The Renegades established peace after the chaos of the rule of the Anarchists. But they didn’t come to Nova when she most needed help, so now she’s on a mission to tear them down. However Adrian, a known Renegade, makes things more difficult for her when he decides to take justice into his own hands. Together, they have to figure out who the real villain is. Now that this series is all out, you can read it all without any cliffhangers! I think the third book in this series is the best, but there are a lot of discussions about the gray line between heroes and villains. Plus, there are a lot of great action scenes!
Dreadnought by April Daniels
Danny had been hiding the fact that she was transgender for a long time before Dreadnought fell right out of the sky in front of her and gave her exactly what she wanted: a girl’s body. It should be the happiest moment of her life, but instead, it brings difficulties she wasn’t prepared for. Not only does she have to adjust to a new body, but now she has superpowers, too. And the city is in danger once again. I can’t think of any other books or comics that have transgender heroes (post them in the comments if you know if them!), so this was a breath of fresh air. And own voices to boot! I still need to pick up the second book in this series, but it’s a great superhero story.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Okay not specifically superheroes, but still about people with super powers. Juliette has lived most of her life in captivity, afraid of what her power can do: she can kill people with just one touch. The Reestablishment is struggling to gain control over a crumbling world, and Juliette might be their only hope. So she can chose: should she be a weapon or a warrior? I think this series is finally done being published, though I still have to read the last book. There’s romance, there’s action, there’s a fight for power. It still fits all the boxes for the superhero genre!
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
Tavia is forced to hide her siren powers in a world that’s suspicious of them. Meanwhile, Effie is locked in a struggle with demons from her past. Both live in a world where Black girls are demonized for their powers, seen even more in a siren murder trial that rocks the country. Both Tavia and Effie need each other if they’re going to survive. Perhaps not quite in the same strain as the others, but this book is about magic and powers and people being demonized for them. Plus, a companion novel is supposed to be coming next year!
Great list! I really want to read The Extraordinaries!(www.evelynreads.com)
Thank you! And I hope you enjoy The Extraordinaries–I loved it so much!! 🙂
Great list! I’ve only read The Extraordinaries but amped to read the rest!
Yay! I hope you enjoy them!! 🙂