ALA Alex Awards

The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.

Updated December 13, 2024
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1

Chlorine : a novel
Song, Jade
Ebook

2

Fourth wing
Yarros, Rebecca
Paper Book
DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'Pure escapism - think Hunger Games meets Fifty Shades' The Sun 'We weren't expecting to become obsessed . . . but we very much are...

3

Maame
George, Jessica
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Hilarious, honest and heartbreaking, MAAME is the most moving debut of 2023 - and a heroine you'll never forget.*Read with Jenna Today Book Club Pick**Apple Book of the Month**A 2023 Debut of the Year as chosen by:...

4

Chain-gang all-stars
Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame
Paper Book
FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. FIGHT FOR LOVE. WELCOME TO THE KILLING GROUND. 'America's new Hunger Games' Sunday Times 'So good. This one is from the heart' Stephen King 'Brutal, thrilling, devastating and beautiful' The Times

5

Starter villain
Scalzi, John
Paper Book
'Laugh-out-loud funny, intricately plotted and big-hearted' - SFX Warning: supervillain in training. Risk of world domination. Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us Starter Villain, a turbo-charged tale of a family...

6

Whalefall : a novel
Kraus, Daniel
Paper Book
The Martian meets 127 Hours in this powerfully humane thriller about a scuba diver who's been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out.

7

Babel : or the necessity of violence : an arcane history of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 NYT BESTSELLER'One for Philip Pullman fans'THE TIMES'This one is an automatic buy'GLAMOUR'Ambitious, sweeping and epic'EVENING STANDARD'Razor-sharp'DAILY MAIL'An ingenious fantasy about empire'GUARDIAN Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always...

8

Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Tan, Sue Lynn
Paper Book
The bestselling debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess.A young woman's quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm, setting her on a dangerous path where those she loves are not the only ones at risk...*THE INSTANT TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES...

9

I'm glad my mom died
McCurdy, Jennette
Paper Book
* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD! A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor--including eating...

10

The Kaiju Preservation Society
Scalzi, John
Paper Book
Shortlisted for the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novel Jurassic Park meets Parks & Recreation in The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi - a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set on an alternate Earth. 'John Scalzi is the most...

11

A lady's guide to fortune-hunting
Irwin, Sophie
Paper Book

12

The nickel boys : a novel
Whitehead, Colson
Paper Book
'RaMell Ross's transcendentally moving and frightening film' (Guardian, New York Film Festival) now a major motion picture and shortlisted for a Golden Globe. WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION...

13

True biz : a novel
Novi , Sara
Paper Book
'Original, tender, thoughtful and true. Can't wait for people to read!' Reese Witherspoon 'Part tender coming of age story, part electrifying tale of political awakening, part heartfelt love letter to Deaf culture, True Biz<...

14

Daisy Darker
Feeney, Alice
Paper Book
An all-consuming tale of psychological suspense with a spectacular twist, inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None From Alice Feeney, the internationally bestselling author of His and Hers, soon to be a major TV series produced by Jessica Chastain.

15

Daphne : a novel
Malerman, Josh
Paper Book

16

The daughter of Doctor Moreau : a novel
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. 'ONE OF...

17

The monsters we defy
Penelope, L.
Paper Book
'Rich and immersive. . . full of mesmerizing magic!' P. Djèlí Clark, author of A Master of Djinn Clara Johnson can talk to spirits - a gift that saved her during her darkest moments, now a curse that's left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. ...

18

Nettle & Bone
Kingfisher, T.
Paper Book
**Winner, Hugo Awards 2023, Best Novel** **Shortlisted, SFWA Nebula Awards 2022, Best Novel** A dark and compelling fantasy about sisterhood, impossible tasks and the price of power, from award...

19

Peach blossom spring
Fu, Melissa
Paper Book

20

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow : a novel
Zevin, Gabrielle
Paper Book
THE BESTSELLING PHENOMENON 'I loved this book' Jojo Moyes This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love. When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one winter morning he is catapulted back to...

21

When women were dragons : a novel
Barnhill, Kelly Regan
Ebook

22

The one hundred years of Lenni and Margot : a novel
Cronin, Marianne
Paper Book

23

Light from uncommon stars
Aoki, Ryka
Audiobook

24

Malice : a novel
Walter, Heather
Paper Book
__________________________________________________________ The princess isn't supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of Sleeping Beauty, true love is more complicated than a simple fairy tale. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Holly...

25

The rose code : a novel
Quinn, Kate
Paper Book
The brand-new historical novel from the bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress! *Winner of Historical Novel of the Year in NetGalley UK's Books of 2021* 'A terrific book bursting with vivid atmosphere' Dinah Jefferies, #1...

26

Winter's orbit
Maxwell, Everina
Paper Book
'A chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future . . . A pleasure to read' Ann Leckie 'Sparks fly' NPR 'A stunning new space opera debut' K. B. Wagers The Iskat Empire rules its vassal...

27

The witch's heart
Gornichec, Genevieve
Paper Book
When a banished witch falls in love with legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology. Angrboda's story begins where most witch tales end: with a burning...

28

Black sun
Roanhorse, Rebecca
Paper Book
A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun In the holy city of Tova the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event...

29

The only good Indians : a novel
Jones, Stephen Graham
Paper Book
*One of Time's 100 Must Reads of 2020* *Winner of the 2020 Shirley Jackson award for Best Horror Novel* Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four...

30

Plain bad heroines : a novel
Danforth, Emily M.
Paper Book
'Brimming from start to finish with sly humour and gothic mischief' SARAH WATERS 'Beguilingly clever, very sexy and seriously frightening' GUARDIAN 'Atmospheric, sexy, creepy...totally addictive' KATE DAVIES, author of In At The Deep End'A gloriously over-the-top queer romp' I PAPER ...

31

A boy and his dog at the end of the world
Fletcher, Charlie
Paper Book
THE MOST POWERFUL STORY YOU'LL READ THIS YEAR. 'Fletcher's suspenseful, atmospheric tale imagines a near future in which our world is in ruins . . . an adventure saga punctured by a gut-punch twist' Entertainment Weekly<...

32

Do you dream of Terra-Two?
Oh, Temi
Paper Book
'A major new voice.  Read Temi Oh today. Everybody will be reading her tomorrow' Stephen Baxter. author of World Engines 'A brilliant, beautiful debut. Reading it will change your heart'  Christian Kiefer,...

33

Dominicana : a novel
Cruz, Angie
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 'A story for now, an important story . . . told with incredible freshness' Martha Lane Fox, Chair of Judges, Women's Prize 2020 'The harsh reality of immigration is balanced with a refreshing dose...

34

Middlegame
McGuire, Seanan.
Paper Book
A HUGO AWARD FINALIST! WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL, 2020! A Pick on the 2020 RUSA Reading List! New York Times bestselling and Alex, Nebula, and Hugo-Award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to...

35

The swallows : a novel
Lutz, Lisa
Paper Book
A new teacher at a New England prep school ignites a gender war -- with deadly consequences -- in a provocative novel from the bestselling author of The Passenger and the Spellman Files series. What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want? It...

36

Circe : a novel
Miller, Madeline
Paper Book
The international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles, shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE. In the house of Helios, god of the sun and...

37

Educated : a memoir
Westover, Tara
Paper Book
THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER A BETWEEN THE COVERS PICK Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES,...

38

The girl who smiled beads : a story of war and what comes after
Wamariya, Clemantine
Paper Book
____________________ 'Sharp, moving memoir . . . Wamariya tells her own story with feeling, in vivid prose. She has remade herself, as she explains was necessary to do, on her own terms.' New York Times A riveting tale of dislocation, survival, and the...

39

How long 'til black future month?
Jemisin, N. K.
Paper Book
Hugo award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N. K. Jemisin sharply examines modern society in her first short story collection. 'The most celebrated science fiction and fantasy writer of her generation... Jemisin seems able to do just about everything' ...

40

Spinning silver
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
'I couldn't put it down'- Katherine Arden, author of the Winternight trilogy Rumours have drawn unexpected attention - and now her life hangs in the balance. From the author of the award-winning Uprooted, Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is a rich, original tale...

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