10 Best Music-themed Young Adult Books where Music Reverberates
Hey there, fellow bookworms! Ever experienced that magical moment where you hear a song and, suddenly, it feels as if the melody tells your life story or evokes certain vivid memories? Brilliant, isn't it? Now, imagine if those tunes jumped out of your playlist and spawned an enchanting world in the form of words and stunning illustrations. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Well, it's not! There's an array of young adult (YA) literature out there that weaves together the raw intensity of adolescent experiences with the enthralling universe of music. Just like that perfect song, these books will stir your emotions, spark your imagination, and echo in your head long after you've turned the last page. If you're a major fan of YA fiction with a soft spot for lyrical tales, buckle up, folks! These hot recommendations are calling your name, and they'll compose a symphony that'll reverberate through the deepest corners of your soul. Whether you’re a classical aficionado, rocker at heart, or pop lover, get ready to lose yourself in the rhythmic prose of these stories, where words and notes are intertwined to create a melody of teenage dreams and emotions. So, without further ado, let's dive into the top 10 music-themed YA books.
『Let Me Hear a Rhyme』
In this striking new novel by the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, Tiffany D. Jackson tells the story of three Brooklyn teens who plot to turn their murdered friend into a major rap star by pretending he's still alive. Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed. But that doesn’t mean that Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph’s music lie forgotten under his bed after he’s murdered—not when his rhymes could turn any Bed Stuy corner into a party. With the help of Steph’s younger sister Jasmine, they come up with a plan to promote Steph’s music under a new rap name: the Architect. Soon, everyone wants a piece of him. When his demo catches the attention of a hotheaded music label rep, the trio must prove Steph’s talent from beyond the grave. As the pressure of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. Only, each has something to hide. And with everything riding on Steph’s fame, they need to decide what they stand for or lose all that they’ve worked so hard to hold on to—including each other. "Jackson scores a bullseye with her passionate homage to Black city life in the late ’90s." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List")
Author | Tiffany D. Jackson |
---|---|
Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | May 21, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『Leah on the Offbeat』
#1 New York Times bestseller! Goodreads Choice Award for the best young adult novel of the year! In this sequel to the acclaimed Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—now a major motion picture, Love, Simon—we follow Simon’s BFF Leah as she grapples with changing friendships, first love, and senior year angst. When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. She’s an anomaly in her friend group: the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended. Plus don't miss Yes No Maybe So, Becky Albertalli's and Aisha Saeed's heartwarming and hilarious new novel, coming in 2020!
Author | Becky Albertalli |
---|---|
Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Apr 24, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Full Flight』
Everyone else in the tiny town of Enfield, Texas, calls fall football season, but for the forty-three members of the Fighting Enfield Marching Band, it’s contest season. And for new saxophonist Anna James, it’s her first chance to prove herself as the great musician she’s trying hard to be. When she’s assigned a duet with mellophone player Weston Ryan, the boy her small-minded town thinks of as nothing but trouble, she’s equal parts thrilled and intimidated. But as he helps her with the duet, and she sees the smile he seems to save just for her, she can’t help but feel like she’s helping him with something too. When her strict parents find out she’s been secretly seeing him and keep them apart, Anna and Weston learn what it truly means to fight for something they love. With the marching contest nearing and the two falling hard for one another, the unthinkable happens, and Anna is left grappling for a way forward without Weston. Ashley Schumacher’s Full Flight is about how first love shapes us—even after it’s gone.
Author | Ashley Schumacher |
---|---|
Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | Wednesday Books |
Release Date | Feb 22, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『Battle of the Bands』
Fifteen young adult authors and one real-life rock star band together for one epic—and interconnected—take on a memorable high school rite of passage. A daughter of rock ’n’ roll royalty has a secret crush. A lonely ticket taker worries about his sister. An almost-famous songwriter nurses old wounds. A stage manager tires of being behind the scenes. A singer-songwriter struggles to untangle her feelings for her best friend and his girlfriend. In this live-out-loud anthology, the disparate protagonists of sixteen stories are thrown together for one unforgettable event: their high school’s battle of the bands. Told in a harmonic blend of first- and third-person narrative voices, roughly chronological short stories offer a kaleidoscopic view of the same transformative night. Featuring an entry from Justin Courtney Pierre, lead vocalist of Motion City Soundtrack, Battle of the Bands is a celebration of youth, music, and meeting the challenges of life head-on. With stories by Brittany Cavallaro, Preeti Chhibber, Jay Coles, Katie Cotugno, Lauren Gibaldi, Shaun David Hutchinson, Ashley Poston, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Sarah Nicole Smetana, Eric Smith, Jenn Marie Thorne, Sarvenaz Taghavian, Jasmine Warga, Ashley Woodfolk, and Jeff Zentner, and featuring Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Courtney Pierre.
Author | Lauren Gibaldi/Eric Smith |
---|---|
Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Candlewick Press |
Release Date | Sep 07, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『Heartbreak Symphony』
Clap When You Land meets On the Come Up in this heart-gripping story about navigating first love and overcoming grief through the power of music. Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite DJ ever since his mother passed away. He seems to know all of Aarón’s deepest fears, like how his brain doesn’t work the way it should and that’s why his brother and father seem to be pushing him away. He thinks his ticket out is a scholarship to the prestigious Acadia School of Music. That is, if he can avoid blowing his audition. Mia Villanueva has a haunting of her own and it’s the only family heirloom her parents left her: doubt. It’s the reason she can’t overcome her stage fright or believe that her music is worth making. Even though her trumpet teacher tells her she has a gift, she’s not sure if she’ll ever figure out how to use it or if she’s even deserving of it in the first place. When Aarón and Mia cross paths, Aarón sees a chance to get close to the girl he’s had a crush on for years and to finally feel connected to someone since losing his mother. Mia sees a chance to hold herself accountable by making them both face their fears, and hopefully make their dreams come true. But soon they’ll realize there’s something much scarier than getting up on stage—falling in love with a broken heart.
Author | Laekan Zea Kemp |
---|---|
Price | $8.99 |
Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Release Date | Apr 05, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『On the Come Up』
The YA love letter to hip-hop—streaming on Paramount+ September 23, 2022! Starring Sanaa Lathan (in her directorial debut), Jamila C. Gray, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, GaTa (Davionte Ganter), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr. #1 New York Times bestseller · Seven starred reviews · Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book This digital edition contains a letter from the author, deleted scenes, a picture of the author as a teen rapper, an annotated playlist, Angie’s top 5 MCs, an annotated rap, illustrated quotes from the book, and an excerpt from Concrete Rose, Angie's return to Garden Heights. Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But it’s hard to get your come up when you’re labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons. Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it—she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be. Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free. “For all the struggle in this book, Thomas rarely misses a step as a writer. Thomas continues to hold up that mirror with grace and confidence. We are lucky to have her, and lucky to know a girl like Bri.”—The New York Times Book Review Plus don't miss Concrete Rose, Angie Thomas's powerful prequel to her phenomenal bestseller, The Hate U Give!
Author | Angie Thomas |
---|---|
Price | $13.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Feb 05, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『Grace and the Fever』
Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl meets Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty in this contemporary YA about what it means to be a fan—and what it means to be a friend—when your whole world is in flux. In middle school, everyone was a Fever Dream fan. Now, a few weeks after her high school graduation, Grace Thomas sometimes feels like the only one who never moved on. She can’t imagine what she’d do without the community of online fans that share her obsession. Or what her IRL friends would say if they ever found out about it. Then, one summer night, the unthinkable happens: Grace meets her idol, Jes. What starts out as an elusive glimpse of Fever Dream’s world turns into an unlikely romance, and leads her to confront dark, complex truths about herself and the realities of stardom. From the author of A Song to Take the World Apart, Grace and the Fever is a heart-clutching reminder of what it’s like to fall in love—whether it’s with a boy or a boy band—and how difficult it is to figure out who you are after you’ve fallen out of love again. "Grace and The Fever crackles with sharp cultural commentary and deep emotional resonance." —Bitch Magazine "Grace and the Fever is a clear-eyed portrait of 'the girls of the internet' . . . a YA novel that does the fangirl justice."—The Verge "A wise, bittersweet coming-of-age story for the thinking fangirl." —Anna Breslaw, author of Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here "Super addictive." —Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of Kill the Boy Band "A smart, warm, feminist ode to anyone who has ever been eighteen, made a mess of their own life, spent their late night hours on Tumblr, or loved a band so much it hurt." —Katie Coyle, author of Vivian Apple at the End of the World
Author | Zan Romanoff |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | Knopf Books for Young Readers |
Release Date | May 16, 2017 |
Source | Google Books |
『』
Author | |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | |
Release Date | |
Source | Google Books |
『Kill the Boy Band』
The New York Times–bestselling debut story of four superfan friends whose devotion to their favorite band has darkly comical and deadly results. Just know from the start that it wasn’t supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near them. That’s why we got a room in the hotel where they were staying. We were not planning to kidnap one of them. Especially not the most useless one. But we had him—his room key, his cell phone, and his secrets. We were not planning on what happened next. We swear. Praise for Kill the Boy Band “Moldavsky’s sharp, shocking debut is like no other.” —Entertainment Weekly “Fiercely entertaining . . . One of the smartest YA releases of the year.” —New York Daily News “Misery for the Belieber generation.” —Observer.com “Boy bands gets the Heathers treatment in this madcap macabre . . . A sendup of the artificiality of the fame-making machine from both sides, the novel’s humor is mercilessly black, and no one comes up smelling like roses.” —Kirkus Reviews “Wickedly funny.” —NPR.org “Bitingly satirical.” —Publishers Weekly “[For] anyone who’s ever had the fortune-or misfortune-of being a fan.” —Booklist “Hilarious . . . A must-have.” —School Library Journal
Author | Goldy Moldavsky |
---|---|
Price | $1.99 |
Publisher | Scholastic Inc. |
Release Date | Feb 23, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Midnights』
This voice-driven coming-of-age YA novel is perfect for fans of Katie Cotugno and Playlist for the Dead. Susannah Hayes has never been in the spotlight, but she dreams of following her father, a former rock star, onto the stage. As senior year begins, she’s more interested in composing impressive chord patterns than college essays, certain that if she writes the perfect song, her father might finally look up from the past long enough to see her. But when he dies unexpectedly, her dreams—and her reality—shatter. While Susannah struggles with grief, her mother uproots them to a new city. There, Susannah realizes she can reinvent herself however she wants: a confident singer-songwriter, member of a hip band, embraced by an effortlessly cool best friend. But Susannah is not the only one keeping secrets, and soon, harsh revelations threaten to unravel her life once again. Set against the scintillating landscape of Southern California, The Midnights is an evocative coming-of-age debut about loss, creativity, and finding your voice while you’re still finding yourself.
Author | Sarah Nicole Smetana |
---|---|
Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Mar 06, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
It seems we've hit the right note! There they are, the best YA books where music isn't just the backdrop but central to the narrative itself. I hope you felt the rhythm of both the words and the melody intertwined. Your heart beats, like a drum, matching the rhythm of these books. Their charm isn’t just about exploring the world of music, may it be rock, pop, classical, or blues, but in revealing how music shapes, soothes, and saves lives. Each book is a fresh remix made of the notes of fantasy, reality, love, and friendship—harmoniously composed to produce a symphony that will reverberate in your heart, mind, and soul. They deserve a spot on your must-read list, and their tunes worthy of getting stuck in your head. If you are a music enthusiast or just an avid reader who appreciates excellent storytelling, find your rhythm in these pages. Let that rhythm guide you, comfort you, and ultimately—rock your world. So, whip out your bookmarks, put on your favorite playlist, and immerse yourselves in these books' captivating harmonies. Let's rock and read!
The articles on this site are solely intended to create opportunities for encountering new books, and we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Therefore, we kindly ask that you thoroughly research the product information and details of each work on your own before making a purchase. We have no connection to the services provided by each e-commerce site, so please use them at your own responsibility.