AI vs Readers

Top books: Teen & YA

AI scores each book across five 10-point criteria. Readers vote on the same scale, so the algorithmic and reader rankings can sit side by side.

AIReaders

Genres

Rankings by category

AllFictionLiteratureMystery, Thriller & HorrorRomanceScience Fiction & FantasyBiography & MemoirHistoryTeen & YAKids

AI

Top 100

AI-rated books: 68. Reader-ranked books: 1.

#1

Les Misérables

8.8/10

Author: Victor Hugo

Setting: Paris, France

AI #1

Young voice8/10Emotional truth9/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#2

Paper Towns

8.8/10

Author: John Green

Setting: Orlando, Florida

AI #2

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#3

The Fault in Our Stars

8.8/10

Author: John Green

Setting: Indianapolis, Indiana

AI #3

Young voice8/10Emotional truth9/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#4

The Fountains of Silence

8.6/10

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Setting: Madrid, Spain

AI #4

Young voice9/10Emotional truth9/10Pace9/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#6

Monster

8.6/10

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Setting: Harlem, New York City

AI #6

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#7

Lady Midnight

8.6/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: Los Angeles, California

AI #7

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#8

Four: A Divergent Collection

8.6/10

Author: Veronica Roth

Setting: Chicago, Illinois

AI #8

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness8/10
#9

Clockwork Angel

8.6/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: London, England

AI #9

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#10

City of Ashes

8.6/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #10

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#11

New Moon

8.6/10

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Setting: Forks, Washington

AI #11

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#12

Felix Ever After

8.6/10

Author: Kacen Callender

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #12

Young voice9/10Emotional truth9/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness9/10
#13

Twilight

8.6/10

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Setting: Forks, Washington

AI #13

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age9/10Freshness8/10
#14

Clockwork Princess

8.4/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: London, England

AI #14

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness8/10
#15

Chain of Gold

8.4/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: London, England

AI #15

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#16

Turtles All the Way Down

8.4/10

Author: John Green

Setting: Indianapolis, Indiana

AI #16

Young voice9/10Emotional truth9/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#17

City of Fallen Angels

8.4/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #17

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#18

Allegiant

8.4/10

Author: Veronica Roth

Setting: Chicago, Illinois

AI #18

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#19

I Must Betray You

8.4/10

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Setting: Bucharest, Romania

AI #19

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness9/10
#20

Eclipse

8.4/10

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Setting: Forks, Washington

AI #20

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace9/10Coming of age8/10Freshness9/10
#21

Breaking Dawn

8.4/10

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Setting: Forks, Washington

AI #21

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age9/10Freshness9/10
#22

The Outsiders

8.4/10

Author: S.E. Hinton

Setting: Tulsa, Oklahoma

AI #22

Young voice9/10Emotional truth9/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#23

Divergent

8.4/10

Author: Veronica Roth

Setting: Chicago, Illinois

AI #23

Young voice8/10Emotional truth9/10Pace9/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#24

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

8.2/10

Author: Andrew Joseph White

Setting: London, England

AI #24

Young voice9/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#25

What If It's Us

8.2/10

Author: Adam Silvera; Becky Albertalli

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #25

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness9/10
#26

City of Bones

8.2/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #26

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness9/10
#27

Out of the Easy

8/10

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Setting: New Orleans, Louisiana

AI #27

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#28

The Henna Wars

8/10

Author: Adiba Jaigirdar

Setting: Dublin, Ireland

AI #28 · Readers #1 (8.2/10)

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#29

The First to Die at the End

8/10

Author: Adam Silvera

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #29

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#30

Here's to Us

8/10

Author: Becky Albertalli; Adam Silvera

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #30

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#31

Cheaper By the Dozen

8/10

Author: Frank B. Gilbreth

Setting: Montclair, New Jersey

AI #31

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#32

Clockwork Prince

8/10

Author: Cassandra Clare

Setting: London, England

AI #32

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#34

Love & Gelato

8/10

Author: Jenna Evans Welch

Setting: Florence, Italy

AI #34

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#36

My Roman Summer

8/10

Author: Bruna De Luca

Setting: Rome, Italy

AI #36

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#37

Patron Saints of Nothing

8/10

Author: Randy Ribay

Setting: Manila, Philippines

AI #37

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#38

Salt to the Sea

8/10

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Setting: Gdynia, Poland

AI #38

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#39

They Both Die at the End

8/10

Author: Adam Silvera

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #39

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#40

Girl in the Blue Coat

7.8/10

Author: Monica Hesse

Setting: Amsterdam, Netherlands

AI #40

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#41

Little Brother

7.8/10

Author: Cory Doctorow

Setting: San Francisco, California

AI #41

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#43

Dear Martin

7.8/10

Author: Nic Stone

Setting: Atlanta, Georgia

AI #43

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#44

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

7.8/10

Author: Zoulfa Katouh

Setting: Homs, Syria

AI #44

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#45

The Alchemyst

7.8/10

Author: Michael Scott

Setting: San Francisco, California

AI #45

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#46

Monday's Not Coming

7.8/10

Author: Tiffany D. Jackson

Setting: Washington, D.C.

AI #46

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#47

Today Tonight Tomorrow

7.6/10

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Setting: Seattle, Washington

AI #47

Young voice7/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#48

The Poet X

7.6/10

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Setting: Harlem, New York City

AI #48

Young voice7/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#49

She Gets the Girl

7.6/10

Author: Alyson Derrick; Rachael Lippincott

Setting: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

AI #49

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10
#51

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

7.6/10

Author: Malinda Lo

Setting: San Francisco, California

AI #51

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#52

A Pho Love Story

7.6/10

Author: Loan Le

Setting: Westminster, California

AI #52

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#54

Legend

7.6/10

Author: Marie Lu

Setting: Los Angeles, California

AI #54

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#55

Marked: A House of Night Novel

7.6/10

Author: P. C. Cast; Kristin Cast

Setting: Tulsa, Oklahoma

AI #55

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#56

The Summer of Broken Rules

7.6/10

Author: K.L. Walther

Setting: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

AI #56

Young voice7/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness8/10
#57

Love Radio

7.4/10

Author: Ebony LaDelle

Setting: Detroit, Michigan

AI #57

Young voice8/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10
#58

The Sun Is Also a Star

7.4/10

Author: Nicola Yoon

Setting: New York City, New York

AI #58

Young voice7/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#59

The Name of the Star

7.4/10

Author: Maureen Johnson

Setting: London, England

AI #59

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace7/10Coming of age7/10Freshness8/10
#61

If I Stay

7.4/10

Author: Gayle Forman

Setting: Portland, Oregon

AI #61

Young voice7/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#62

XOXO

7.4/10

Author: Axie Oh

Setting: Seoul, South Korea

AI #62

Young voice7/10Emotional truth8/10Pace8/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10
#63

Legendborn

7.4/10

Author: Tracy Deonn

Setting: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

AI #63

Young voice7/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age8/10Freshness7/10
#64

Dear Justyce

7.2/10

Author: Nic Stone

Setting: Atlanta, Georgia

AI #64

Young voice7/10Emotional truth7/10Pace8/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10
#65

The Davenports

7.2/10

Author: Krystal Marquis

Setting: Chicago, Illinois

AI #65

Young voice7/10Emotional truth8/10Pace7/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10
#67

The Light in Hidden Places

7.2/10

Author: Sharon Cameron

Setting: Przemyśl, Poland

AI #67

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace7/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10
#68

Everything, Everything

7.2/10

Author: Nicola Yoon

Setting: Los Angeles, California

AI #68

Young voice8/10Emotional truth7/10Pace7/10Coming of age7/10Freshness7/10

Criteria

Teen & YA

Young voice

Whether the young protagonist sounds true.

Emotional truth

Honesty of feelings, fear, and decisions.

Pace

Pull without dead stretches.

Coming of age

Identity, choices, and boundaries.

Freshness

Current without feeling artificial.