5 YA Books I want to read before the end of 2018

These are some books I have seen a lot of talk about and really want to check them out based on all of the hype. A couple of these are not what I normally would read, but I love to branch out every once in a while because I do find gems here and there.

Cruel Prince- Holly Black

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. (Summary from Goodreads)

I have seen Cruel Prince everywhere this year. I have read Holly Black in the past and enjoyed what I read; I’ve wanted to read more of her lately. So I am really excited to dig into this novel. The sequel is supposed to come out in early January 2019 and I want to be ready for it.

Dear Evan Hansen- Steven Levenson

An original musical that explores the poignant desire for human connection in the tumultuous life of one young man. Evan is shy, lonely, and bullied for it―teeming with the irrepressible emotions all too familiar with anyone who's ever been a teenager. After a tragedy strikes, Evan's life suddenly gets turned around, but is it ultimately for the better? (Summary from Goodreads)

Dear Evan Hansen was a play on broadway, and unfortunately I never got to see it. However, I am so glad I get to read the novelization. I heard so many great things about the play and I am just glad I get a chance to experience the story in any way.

The Hazel Wood- Melissa Albert

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. (Summary from Goodreads)

Another book that I have seen throughout 2018. I love dark fairy tale books, but I do not read enough of them. The cover on the book is also absolutely beautiful!

Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy. (Summary from Goodreads)

This book I saw more than just in the book blogs and groups I am in. It was Jimmy Fallon’s book club book (which did he ever have another one, because this was the only Book Club book of Fallon’s I saw). I was surprised this book got so much talk, making it to national television. This novel is really nothing like anything I would ever pick up, but I am fascinated by it.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.
But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.
When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late. (Summary from Goodreads)

I’ve read Courtney Summers in the past and have enjoyed her work, and I have been meaning to check out her newest release. I’ve seen this around quite a bit, not as much as the others, but I am just as excited to read this one. 

What are some of the books you want to read before the end of the year? What were some of your favorite books of 2018? Have you read any of the novels I mentioned above? What did you think?