Hi there, Minerva here! I love the Young Adult fiction genre, and probably read more of it than I do any other genre. I know that YA has its fair share of detractors, but I firmly believe that the some of fiction's most entertaining and unique stories are being told within the genre. As someone who is always reading and much of the time is reading YA fiction, I frequently find myself coming across awesome YA books and wondering why don't I know anyone that has read this? Most people can rattle off the titles of bestsellers such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, etc., but won't able to come up with much of anything else. I am not saying that these blockbuster books aren't good, but I am saying that their are a lot of other YA series out there that are just as deserving of the same kind of recognition. Here are three YA series that I think are highly underrated and would highly recommend to anyone in search of a good  YA read (or really, just plain read, as I think these books are mature and complexly-written enough to appeal to readers of all ages). I have reviewed several of these books on my blog or my Goodreads, and have placed links to my reviews below each description if you are interested in the series and want to know more about it.

1.) Lockwood and Co series by Jonathan Stroud
 I absolutely love this series (which has four books so far and will most likely be concluding next year) to pieces and am always trying to convince friends and family to give it a try. Lockwood and Co is set an alternate London that is plagued by hundreds of hundreds of lethal ghosts know collectively as the Problem. No one has any idea how or why the Problem started, and adults cannot even see the ghosts that haunt them. Only a handful of children can see the ghosts, and are called upon to stop hauntings. The series revolves around Lucy Carlyle, a field agent at Lockwood and Co, the smallest physic detection agency in London, as well the only one to function entirely without adult supervision. Lucy, along with the bookish, wise-cracking George Cubbins and the mysterious, charismatic (and 100% swoon-worthy) Anthony Lockwood must investigate the ghosts of murders and crimes long past, all while trying not to become murder victims themselves. Lockwood and Co is a perfect balance of mystery, adventure, and genuinely-frightening horror; with some of Stroud's signature caustic humor occasionally thrown in to lighten the mood. It also has a wonderful cast of complex, flawed characters; including Lockwood and Co themselves, who have one of my favorite friend/team-dynamics in YA fiction.  

Reviews:
Book One- The Screaming Staircase
Book Two- The Whispering Skull
Book Three- The Hollow Boy
Book Four- The Creeping Shadow


2.) Seraphina Duology by Rachel Hartman
Seraphina is the only series I have on this list which is already concluded as of right now, and I suggest you go read Seraphina and its sequel, Shadow Scale. It would definitely be worth your time. Dragons have always been a popular element of many high fantasy stories, one that in my opinion, can sometimes be cliched or over-used, but Rachel Hartman puts an entirely new spin on them in beautifully written, wonderfully multi-layered Seraphina books. Seraphina takes place in the fictional kingdom of Gorredd, a land inhabited by two groups: ordinary humans and dragons with the ability to fold themselves into human shapes known as Saar. The books revolve around the titular Seraphina, a girl who is half-dragon and half-human, as she struggles to find love and acceptance in a world that considers her very existence a crime, all while maintaining the fragile peace between humans and dragons. Seraphina has much of the magic, intrigue, and adventure that you would except from your typical YA fantasy, but it is also full of gorgeous prose and philosophical musings on gender, love, and identity. The world building is very three-dimensional and complex without ever being too much, and Hartman, unlike so many fantasy authors (and YA authors in general), does not solely populate her realm with straight, white, cisgender inhabitants. 

Reviews
Seraphina
Shadow Scale


3.) The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
The Queen's Thief is not your typical YA series, and I can see why it would be a hard-sell to a lot of teens. Most of the main characters are actually in their early twenties and the series, while it does have its fair-share of action, is usually moves at a much slower place than what you would expect from a Young Adult novel. However, I still insist that the series is something a lot of people would love if they gave it a try. I would love to give a summary of The Queen's Thief's premise, but the series is just full of brilliant plot twists and character turns and I don't want to give away any, so I'll just give you a list of reasons why you should read it: 1.)Very unique and well-developed Grecian-inspired-but-updated-to-the-era-of-the-Byzantine Empire setting 2.) Deeply flawed yet compelling characters 3.) Court intrigue to beat all court intrigue 4.) Plot twists that will sweep the rug out from underneath you and send you reeling 5.) A romance that you will never in million years see coming but will still make you swoon in spite of it all.

Have you read any of these series? Do any of them sound interesting to you? What are the YA series that you think deserve more love? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below, I'd love to hear from you!

-Minerva