Ten YA Books for Reluctant Readers

If you're struggling to find some quick and accessible novels that will grab your attention, check out the ten listed below:

1. Airlock by Tash McAdam: Brick, a young thief, is terrified of outer space. But they’re forced to escape Earth when a warrant goes out for their arrest. There’s nothing left for them on the dusty, barren wasteland of Earth anyway. Brick stows away on a cargo ship headed for the moon. They reluctantly allow a local teenage enforcer named Amar to tag along. But the ship ends up containing unusual cargo and the crew members may not be who they appear to be. Suddenly the spaceship is taken over by pirates, who imprison the crew in the airlock. Brick and Amar come up with a plan to rescue the crew. The only problem is that, in order to succeed, Brick must venture out into the deep darkness of space.
2. Careful What You Wish For by Mahtab Narsimhan: Eshana is a bit of a social misfit: she feels more comfortable talking to people online than in person. When she discovers a website that claims to make users' dreams come true, she admits to Wise One about how hard it is to make friends. The next day at school everyone suddenly wants to talk to her. After telling Wise One about a girl who has been bullying her, something terrible happens. Eshana's wishes may be coming true... but every wish has a cost.
3. Confessions of a Teenage Drag King by Markus Harwood-Jones: Seventeen-year-old Lauren tries to navigate the tricky waters of teen romance that brings high school to the drag show and back, all while Lauren must keep up their two personas--Ren, a drag king, and Lauri, a typical student--and come to terms with their feelings both for mixed-race student Clover and for their own identity as an LGBTQ+ teen.
4. Dropped! by Alice Kuipers: Dex is dropped onto a deserted tropical island to be a player in a social media competition. Dex is one of six contestants on Dropped!, an internet reality show. He's glad to escape his real life after being dumped by his girlfriend, Lola, and destroying his social life. He and the other contenders have to spend five days on a deserted island, and the person who gains the most likes and followers will be the winner. The prize is a ton of money and status as an influencer. Keeping people watching is the challenge, and Dex will do whatever it takes. He needs to win--it's the only way to get Lola and his popularity back. But on the island, away from his ex, he finds himself flirting with the gorgeous and popular Amina. When Dex keeps placing behind Amina, he realizes he has to be more daring to get the engagements he needs. But how extreme will he need to be? And is it worth it to win?
5. Everything I Know by Claudia Recinos Seldeen: Mia's world crumbles when she finds out she has to move across the country. Mia's autism makes it hard to handle new situations. She struggles to relate to strangers and to make new friends. Everyone at Mia's old school was familiar with her autism. But life at her new school is different. Kids don't understand Mia's behaviors and needs. All her life, Mia has coped by relying on the familiar. She's made routines that get her through each day. But in this new city, her routines fall apart. How can Mia survive when she's so far away from everything she knows?
6. Racing Hearts by Melinda Di Lorenzo: Five months ago, Sienna Shoring lost her best friend, Stacey, to suicide. Now Sienna's back at school, struggling-- and failing-- to find her place without Stacey by her side. When a package arrives for the "Try it triathlon," which Stacey signed them up for as a joke, it's like receiving a message from the grave. Sienna is no athlete, but she decides to take on the challenge in honor of her friend. Then mysterious jock Blake Romano approaches her and offers to train with her, unexpectedly putting Sienna's heart in motion. 
7. Stuck with You by Nathan Burgoine: Ben is on a train back to Ottawa after a visit with his dad in Toronto when he runs into the last person he wanted to see: Caleb, the handsome, confident boy who recently and accidentally broke Ben's phone. Preoccupied by worrying about whether he should take a gap year, Ben has little time for Caleb's jibes. But when the two start talking, not only does Ben find himself won over by Caleb's roguish charm, but he also learns his seatmate is also bisexual.
8. The Art of Being a Vampire by Kate Karyus Quinn: With an addict mother and deadbeat dad, Shelby truly hopes that blood does not define her. She discovers a passion for photography, hoping to make something of herself through art. But when her mother dies of an overdose, Shelby finds herself in a dark place. Taken in by her aunt, she rebels in school and turns away from everyone, except a mysterious classmate named Brandt. Shelby doesn't realize that Brandt is a vampire--until it's too late. Overwhelmed by new cravings for blood, Shelby must decide whether to abandon her values to satisfy her hunger--or fight for the life she's always wanted.
9. The Hoop and the Harm by Jawara Pedican: Udoka Clendon is a first-year university student and a product of basketball systems that have produced professional players. He's been pushed relentlessly by the obsessive mentorship of his older brother, which has been tolerated by his hard-working single mother. For years his brother has taken him to tournaments and pushed him to succeed on the outdoor courts of the west end. Burdened by expectations and self-doubt, Udoka tries to reignite his passion for the game. Now, he's been given a final opportunity at the city-wide tournament to rediscover his confidence and his sense of purpose--all of which he fears he has lost forever.

10. The Real Unreal by Ryan Wolf: Nate Reilly is having the worst summer of his life. His parents are never home, he lost his job, and his arts program was canceled due to a virus outbreak. When Nate comes across an online "game" that promises forbidden knowledge, he is quick to click the link. Soon, he finds himself plunged down a rabbit hole of strange theories, dark plots, and fanatical believers. As he grows alienated from his family and friends, Nate is consumed by his newfound ideas. But can he unplug from a destructive alternate reality before he takes it too far?