Find your next great read for National Reading Month by exploring my reviews of these enchanting YA books about magic, magical realism, and supernatural things that you should read now that you’ve completed all the Harry Potter books.
The genre of teen fantasy, mythology, intrigue, and magical fiction is very broad, and there are so many popular novels to choose. Here are my personal recommendations of some titles that might have missed your notice in this category.
The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Gläser
“Now and then they would tell old legends and fairy tales about the castle, the way people always do about old castles. But they would be just that: fairy tales. Nothing more, and nothing less.” ― Mechthild Gläser, quote from The Forgotten Book
A girl discovers a magical journal, and when she writes in it, things happen—but not exactly in the way she hoped or wanted.
I don’t read many books in the YA fantasy genre, but I loved the cover on this one and found this premise intriguing, so I thought I’d give it a go.
It started slow.
I thought maybe I'd made a mistake, but then it grabbed me and took off! Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and magic, the light romance, and the pacing after the slow warmup.
If you’re looking for enchanting YA books about magic, magical realism, and other supernatural things, you should definitely take a look at The Forgotten Book. The magic will cast a spell over you!
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
“A brave man helps. A coward just gives presents.” ― Stephen King, quote from Fairy Tale
You probably don’t think about Fairy Tale as Young Adult, but it’s about a boy and a dog on a journey in a magical realm. How much more Young Adult can you be, right?
In fact, Fairy Tale is Stephen King at his very best. This novel is multi-layered, with 3 distinct stories wrapped into a long, cascading, wonderful, and satisfying read.
The first story is how Charlie Reade meets Mr. Bowditch and his dog Radar in the first place. Settle in. There's a mystery here, and there's something supernatural, of course, because it's Stephen King.
That story leads Charlie on an epic journey with Radar to the center of another world, and this story is full of unique characters, dazzling details, and conflict in its own right. No sooner does this part of the story reach its conclusion than a new one begins, where Charlie is taken prisoner and is realized as the Prince That Was Promised, who has come to save the decaying kingdom.
Now the third story takes off, and there are monsters, giants, gladiator games, and all sorts of villains to be slain. There are princesses to be restored to kingdoms. There is a giant cricket king. It is a fairy tale, after all, as only Stephen King can tell.
I loved this book. At times, it reminded me of The Talisman, The Gunslinger, and The Stand for different reasons. It had this beautiful, epic quality. I didn't want it to, but of course, every fairy tale must.
Even after more than sixty books, Mr. King's well of great ideas is overflowing. If you’re looking for enchanting YA books about magic, magical realism, and other supernatural things, Fairy Tale is one novel that definitely belongs at the top of your reading list.
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
“Knowing is hard, but it's a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It's the secrets that fester." ― Ginny Myers Sain, quote from Dark and Shallow Lies
A girl is missing from a small town where all her peers have some kind of paranormal skill, yet despite all the supernatural power pulsating in the air, no one seems to be able to find her or reveal what happened to her.
This magical mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I couldn’t wait to figure out what happened to Elora, and there were plenty of suspicious characters to blame for her disappearance.
There’s plenty to love about this novel, including the atmospheric setting, alligators, mud, and strange powers of the summer children. You can practically feel the thick humidity in the evening over the Louisiana bayou. You won’t want to miss this enchanting YA book about magic, magical realism, and other supernatural things.
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
In this multicultural and multi-generational YA book about a Mexican American family of “saints,” pilgrims from everywhere arrive at thier ranch in search of miracles.
I almost abandoned this book. It has a really long, slow, meandering warm up that seems to be going nowhere, and then around page 170, I was suddenly delighted me with this passage:
"It may seem like madness for a young woman to chase a runaway horse, as a galloping horse travels at twenty-five miles an hour and a galloping woman only travels at fifteen. But runaway horses rarely have a purpose, and young women chasing them often do." ― Maggie Stiefvater, quote from All the Crooked Saints
The scene that followed was full of language that made me smile and action that finally drew me into the story. More lovely moments followed. The remainder of the book was magical, mysterious, and ultimately transformative for the characters. I wish the pacing for the first half had been different.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
“Believing is a type of magic. It can make something true.” ― Emily X.R. Pan, quote from The Astonishing Color of After
A young girl, Leigh Chen Sanders, is grieving the death of her mother, who committed suicide. Leigh believes that she turned into a bird, and she goes on a journey to visit her grandparents in Taiwan in search of her mother, the bird, and other family secrets.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan is one of my top favorite YA reads. I discovered the novel after reading a Goodreads review so intriguing that I went hunting for the title during my next Barnes & Noble trip. The Astonishing Color of After was shelved under Teen Fantasy, a category where I never shop, so without seeing the great reviewer comments I might never have discovered this touching book about grief, culture, and family secrets.
This book wrecked me. The writing is so beautiful. Whether it’s the love story, the voice, the mystery, or the family culture aspect, there’s plenty of reasons why fans connect with this YA classic. I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about this amazing novel.
If you haven’t discovered it yet, you definitely want to make it one of the YA books on your list of enchanting YA books about magic, magical realism, and supernatural things you should read next. And if you have already read it, here’s my list of other great books for fans of The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.
Other YA Books about Magic, Magical Realism, and Other Supernatural Things You Should Read
If you are looking for other YA books about magic, magical realism, and other supernatural things, you should check out the YA Magic list on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of book reviews.
Do you have any recommendations? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.