YA Book Series You Forgot About
Remember when your biggest dilemma was choosing between Team Edward and Team Jacob? When you’d stay up way past your bedtime to read just one more chapter—and before you knew it, it was 3 a.m.? (Truth, I still do this, but I’m Team Edward all the way.) Young adult books exploded in the mid 2000s with so many new books and series that you probably never caught up on your TBR and ultimately forgot about some amazing YA series. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, or introduce you to some series you absolutely should check out:
Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita
6 Book Series: Secrets of My Hollywood Life; On Location; Family Affair; Paparazzi Princess; Broadway Lights; There’s No Place Like Home
Before we had influencer drama and TikTok tea, we had Kaitlin Burke—teen starlet navigating the glitz, glam, and gossip of Hollywood while trying to live a “normal” life undercover. This series was everything if you loved the idea of fame, fashion, and a secret identity. Perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries with a red carpet twist. We sell the first book, Secrets of My Hollywood Life at The Reading Chamber!
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Trilogy: Heist Society; Uncommon Criminals; Perfect Scoundrels
Kat Bishop is a teenage con artist from a family of international thieves. These books made stealing art look like the most elegant (and morally gray) career option ever. With European heists, clever twists, and a charming love interest (hey Hale), this series was like Ocean’s Eleven for the YA crowd.
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Trilogy: Everneath; Everbound; Evertrue
Greek mythology retelling? Check. Dark, romantic vibes? Check. A heroine torn between the mortal world and the underworld? Double check. Everneath gave us moody, supernatural love stories with a mythological twist before Hades and Persephone retellings took over BookTok. We sell the first book, Everneath, at The Reading Chamber!
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Trilogy: Perfect Chemistry; Rules of Attraction; Chain Reaction
If you devoured West Side Story or had a phase where opposites-attract romances were your lifeblood, Perfect Chemistry was your jam. Alex and Brittany’s story—along with the Fuentes brothers in the follow-up books—mixed angst, attraction, and surprisingly deep themes about family and identity.
Hundred Oaks by Miranda Kenneally
8 Book Series: Catching Jordan; Stealing Parker; Things I Can’t Forget; Racing Savannah; Breathe, Annie, Breathe; Jesse’s Girl; Defending Taylor; Coming Up for Air
If sports romances and small-town dramas are your thing, Hundred Oaks delivered time and again. Each book followed a different teen athlete navigating love, life, and growing up. From football to horseback riding, this series served heartfelt romance with a side of ambition and personal growth. We sell the first book, Catching Jordan, at The Reading Chamber!
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Trilogy: Across the Universe; A Million Suns; Shades of Earth
Sci-fi lovers, remember this one? A frozen girl. A spaceship. A mysterious death. Across the Universe combined dystopia with space travel and murder mystery. It was atmospheric, twisty, and totally underrated. Amy and Elder’s slow-burn romance against a cosmic backdrop? Chef’s kiss.
The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova
Trilogy: The Vicious Deep; The Savage Blue; The Vast and Brutal Sea
Mermaids. But make them deadly. Tristan is a lifeguard who becomes the heir to the Sea King’s throne. This series brought a male POV, ocean lore, and fast-paced fantasy that deserved way more attention than it got. Think Percy Jackson meets The Little Mermaid, but edgier.
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Trilogy: Hourglass; Timepiece; Infinityglass
Time travel, secret organizations, and Southern gothic vibes? Hourglass was a genre-bending rollercoaster. Emerson sees ghosts—or are they time slips? Add in some hot guys with mysterious powers and you’ve got yourself a hidden gem of a series that blended romance and sci-fi seamlessly. One of my absolute favorites series!
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Trilogy: Peaches; The Secrets of Peaches; Love and Peaches
Before To All the Boys and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, we had Peaches—a sweet, slow summer read about three girls from very different worlds working at a Georgia peach orchard. It’s about friendship, first love, and growing into yourself. Pure comfort reading.
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Trilogy: Halo; Hades; Heaven
Angels were the thing for a hot minute in YA, and Halo leaned into the heavenly romance. Bethany is literally an angel sent to Earth who falls for a mortal boy, and yes—it’s as dramatic and dreamy as it sounds. If you liked Hush, Hush or Fallen, this one was your vibe.
Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton
Trilogy: Sixteenth Summer; Pulled Under; Swept Away
This was the book equivalent of a beach vacation. Small-town girl. Cute tourist boy. Summer love that feels like it could last forever (even though you kind of know it won’t). Sweet, swoony, and sand-between-your-toes good. If you loved The Summer I Turned Pretty before it became a television show, then this was your kind of novel (and still is!).
Newsoul by Jodi Meadows
Trilogy: Incarnate; Asunder; Infinite
A fantasy world where souls are reincarnated over and over—except Ana, who’s new and totally not supposed to exist. This series was introspective, imaginative, and deeply philosophical in a way that made you think while also shipping Ana and Sam so hard. Bonus, there’s an ebook prequel called Phoenix Overture and it is so worth reading.
These series may not dominate the bestseller lists or Barnes & Noble shelves anymore, but they were gold—and they still hold up! Whether you’re dusting them off for a reread or discovering them for the first time, these books are well worth revisiting.
