The Best Young Adult Audiobooks For Women Of All Ages


February 10, 2023

These young adult audiobooks will delight and transport you, no matter your age. Get lost in these gripping titles that will take you back to your teenage years from the moment you hit play.


Many people equate "growing up" with "growing serious." But while interests may change over time, age does not have to be the deciding factor in what games you play, movies, or books you enjoy.

Young adult novels are the perfect example of this. Though written with a teenage audience in mind, women of all ages are sure to enjoy the genre’s hallmarks: strong yet flawed characters, heartbreaking twists and turns, romance, and drama. The young adult audiobooks on this list are truly timeless—grown-up listeners can relate these YA classics to their real-life experiences or find new favourites.

Best Classic Young Adult Audiobooks

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  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower cover art

    • The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    • Written by: Stephen Chbosky
    • Narrated by: Noah Galvin
    • Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
    • Release date: 2017-09-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 195 ratings
    • In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie's teenage experiences are typical: he goes through the same social awkwardness and first romances that many high school students do. But Charlie must also contend with great trauma and tragedies, including the deaths of two people close to him. Stephen Chbosky's bestselling coming-of-age novel, the first book he released, is a tender and relatable portrait of young adulthood that teens and adults alike will be moved by. This popular young adult fiction novel inspired the 2012 film starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller.
  • A Wrinkle in Time cover art

    • A Wrinkle in Time

    • Written by: Madeleine L'Engle
    • Narrated by: Hope Davis, Ava DuVernay, Madeleine L'Engle, Charlotte Jones Voiklis
    • Series: Time Quintet, Book 1
    • Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
    • Release date: 2012-01-10
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 272 ratings
    • Madeleine L’Engle’s debut novel, A Wrinkle in Time, is as gripping and thought-provoking today as when it was first released in 1962. This new audiobook edition includes an introduction from Ava DuVernay, who directed the 2018 film version, and a foreword by the author herself. The protagonist—Meg Murray, a young girl determined to rescue her missing father from supernatural forces—is easy for people of all ages to relate to and root for. Bridging science and fantasy, darkness and light, fear and friendship, this series became a classic of children’s literature and is beloved by generations of fans around the world.
  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Movie Tie-In Edition) cover art

    • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Movie Tie-In Edition)

    • Written by: Judy Blume
    • Narrated by: Laura Hamilton
    • Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
    • Release date: 2010-01-21
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 36 ratings
    • From its unforgettable title to its poignant, relatable depiction of a young girl's coming of age, Judy Blume's Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret has captivated tween and teenage girls for half a century. Today's young listeners will hear their voice in Margaret's plaintive questions, while grown women will look back on their adolescent years and realize how far they have come—even when nothing seems to go right. Adolescent listeners will instantly relate to this fun and memorable YA novel, brought to life by the voice of the talented Laura Hamilton, from the first listen.
  • Looking for Alaska cover art

    • Looking for Alaska

    • Written by: John Green
    • Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
    • Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
    • Release date: 2019-09-24
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 93 ratings
    • First drink. First prank. First friend. First love. Last words. Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet François Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. From the author of The Fault in Our Stars comes Looking for Alaska, which brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked number-one bestselling author John Green’s arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction.
  • Inkheart cover art

    • Inkheart

    • Written by: Cornelia Funke
    • Narrated by: Lynn Redgrave
    • Series: Inkheart, Book 1
    • Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
    • Release date: 2004-03-25
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 109 ratings
    • Imagine it were possible to bring the characters from a series to life. When you listen to an audiobook with such enchantment that the characters seem to come alive, imagine they could climb out of the pages and into our world. Then imagine if those characters brought their world into ours. Inkheart, written by Cornelia Funke, tells the story of young Meggie, who lives a quiet life alone with her father, Mo, a bookbinder. One cruel night when Mo reads aloud from Inkheart, an evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books.

Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Young Adult Audiobooks

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  • Children of Blood and Bone cover art

    • Children of Blood and Bone

    • Written by: Tomi Adeyemi
    • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
    • Series: Legacy of Orïsha, Book 1
    • Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
    • Release date: 2018-03-06
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 506 ratings
    • The land of Orïsha has a long and storied history of magic. When a power-hungry new monarchy declares war against all magic users, young Zélie risks her life to defeat Orïsha's new rulers, bring magic back to her country and avenge her mother's murder. The first in Tomi Adeyemi's Legacy of Orïsha series, Children of Blood and Bone, is one of the best YA books that will inspire every woman to believe in her power. And Hall of Fame narrator Bahni Turpin's performance will thrill listeners of all ages as they get lost in this must-read novel turned must-listen audiobook.
  • Binti cover art

    • Binti

    • Written by: Nnedi Okorafor
    • Narrated by: Robin Miles
    • Series: Binti, Book 1
    • Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
    • Release date: 2015-09-22
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 90 ratings
    • Nnedi Okorafor's Binti is the first of her people on Earth to be offered a place at Oomza University, the best institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But her success comes with many drawbacks. To receive her education, she must travel far from her homeworld, leaving her people and traditions behind. She runs away without telling her family, but on her journey, she gets caught in the crossfires of a deadly standoff between the Meduse, a fearsome alien race. Robin Miles is an incredibly talented series narrator who deftly captures the drama and danger of Binti's situation and her anxiety over honouring her past and pursuing her future.
  • Divergent cover art

    • Divergent

    • Written by: Veronica Roth
    • Narrated by: Emma Galvin
    • Series: Divergent, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
    • Release date: 2011-05-03
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 373 ratings
    • In a dystopian version of Chicago, 16-year-old kids like Beatrice Prior must choose a faction and pass through a series of deadly tests—otherwise, they will spend the rest of their lives struggling for survival on the streets. For Tris, the options for her future are complicated by her unusual abilities and growing knowledge of a city-wide conspiracy.
      The first book in the trilogy and Veronica Roth’s debut release, Divergent, is a young adult novel with themes that have universal appeal. It’s a story about discovering your hidden strengths and taking charge of your own destiny.
  • The Bone Witch cover art

    • The Bone Witch

    • The Bone Witch, Book 1
    • Written by: Rin Chupeco
    • Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Will Damron
    • Series: The Bone Witch, Book 1
    • Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 2017-03-07
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 464 ratings
    • Even in a family of witches, Tea is different. Her power to raise the dead—including, accidentally, her brother—makes her the object of fear and scorn. But a bone witch with abilities like hers takes her and her brother away to teach them all she knows. Will Tea control her powers and make a new life for herself? Or is she doomed to a lonely and unhappy existence? The first in a series by Rin Chupeco, The Bone Witch is an entrancing listen brought to life by talented narrators Emily Woo Zeller and Will Damron.
  • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cover art

    • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

    • A Hunger Games Novel
    • Written by: Suzanne Collins
    • Narrated by: Santino Fontana
    • Series: The Hunger Games
    • Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
    • Release date: 2020-05-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,419 ratings
    • The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins has become a household name to fiction and film fans worldwide. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes kicks off the beginning of the 10th annual Hunger Games. In this dystopian science fiction fantasy, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow's fate hangs on the slim chance that Coriolanus will be able to outsmart his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. In this popular YA novel, the odds are against him. Will his campaign end in failure or victory?
  • Every Day cover art

    • Every Day

    • Written by: David Levithan
    • Narrated by: Alex McKenna
    • Series: Every Day, Book 1
    • Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
    • Release date: 2012-08-28
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
    • David Levithan’s number-one New York Times bestseller, Every Day is a young adult romance and fantasy title which follows the character A, who has made peace with the idea of never getting too attached to anyone. Things seem to work out fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin. He meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon and from that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Finally, A has found someone he wants to be with. But can Rhiannon truly love someone who is destined to change every day? This unique YA series will grip listeners from start to finish.

Best Historical Young Adult Audiobooks

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  • Blythewood cover art

    • Blythewood

    • Written by: Carol Goodman
    • Narrated by: Leslie Bellair
    • Series: Blythewood, Book 1
    • Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 2013-10-08
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings
    • Tucked in New York's Hudson Valley, Blythewood Academy is a place for young ladies of privilege, not factory girls. But with no father to speak of and her mother newly dead, 17-year-old Avaline Hall has little choice but to make this elite boarding school her new home. Besides, given her mother's connection to the academy, perhaps Blythewood can provide Avaline with the answers she has been seeking about her family's troubled history. Atmospheric and full of mystery, this historical fiction series by Carol Goodman is an unpausable listen about dark forces, forbidden love and a determined young woman.
  • Across Five Aprils cover art

    • Across Five Aprils

    • Written by: Irene Hunt
    • Narrated by: Terry Bregy
    • Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
    • Release date: 2008-09-11
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
    • Jethro Creighton was only a child when the American Civil War began. By the war’s end, he had been forced to grow up far too fast, and he now understood how war could change a nation—and all of the people in it. First published in 1964 and winner of a 1965 Newbury Honor, Irene Hunt’s Across Five Aprils is based on her grandfather's stories about his own life as a boy. This historical classic and the compelling coming-of-age tale takes on new life in audiobook form, thanks to Terry Bregy’s attentive narration.
  • Dread Nation cover art

    • Dread Nation

    • Written by: Justina Ireland
    • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
    • Series: Dread Nation, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
    • Release date: 2018-04-03
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 43 ratings
    • In this New York Times bestseller, Jane McKeene is a Black girl living in post-Civil War America. She was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In Justina Ireland's chilling Dread Nation series, Jane must learn how to fight the zombie hordes that have plagued the nation for the past 20 years. And Jane, though she longs to return home to Kentucky, has little choice but to fight her way to the bottom of a conspiracy that threatens some of Maryland's most elite families. The talented Bahni Turpin narrates Dread Nation brilliantly.
  • Under the Blood-Red Sun cover art

    • Under the Blood-Red Sun

    • Under the Blood-Red Sun, Book 1
    • Written by: Graham Salisbury
    • Narrated by: Greg Watanabe
    • Series: Prisoners of the Empire, Book 1
    • Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
    • Release date: 2014-09-09
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 3 ratings
    • Set during World War II and filled with authentic details, Graham Salisbury's Prisoners of the Empire series explores how America's xenophobic reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor affected Japanese American families living in Hawaii. It’s a terrifying time to be Japanese in America. But one thing doesn’t change the loyalty of Tomi’s buddies, the Rats. The first novel, Under the Blood-Red Sun, follows Tomi Nakaji, a teenage boy who relies on his friends for help and support after his older relatives are abruptly arrested because of their ethnic heritage. Narrator Greg Watanabe voices Tomi’s sense of outrage and emotional turmoil.
  • The Fountains of Silence cover art

    • The Fountains of Silence

    • Written by: Ruta Sepetys
    • Narrated by: Ruta Sepetys, Maite Jáuregui, Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, Oliver Wyman
    • Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
    • Release date: 2019-10-01
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
    • Twenty years after the Spanish Civil War ended with a ruthless fascist taking power, young and privileged Daniel Matheson had no idea what devastation the conflict had left behind. It is not until he visits the country himself and meets Ana, whose family has been irrevocably altered by the fascist regime, that he realizes the true costs of war—and puts himself at risk. The Fountains of Silence is read by a full cast of narrators that skillfully brings Ruta Sepetys’s emotionally intense novel to life. The Fountains of Silence is a heart-wrenching listen about identity, love, war, and silence.

Best Contemporary Young Adult Audiobooks

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  • The Hate U Give cover art

    • The Hate U Give

    • Written by: Angie Thomas
    • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
    • Series: Garden Heights, Book 2
    • Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 2017-02-28
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 1,330 ratings
    • Just because Angie Thomas writes her novels with young people in mind doesn't mean she pulls any punches. The Hate U Give, about 16-year-old Black teenager Starr Carter who witnesses the police murder of her unarmed best friend, is a harrowing but sadly necessary young adult book. Powerfully performed by the talented narrator Bahni Turpin, it becomes a transcendent experience, forcing listeners to confront the realities that all too many teenagers and adults face. This number-one New York Times bestseller is a searing novel that will touch the hearts of listeners of all ages as it pulls them into Starr’s broken and dangerous world.
  • Dumplin' cover art

    • Dumplin'

    • Written by: Julie Murphy
    • Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
    • Series: Dumplin', Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
    • Release date: 2015-09-15
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
    • In Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’, Willowdean "Dumplin'" Dickson has always been fat, happy, and proud—until an unexpected crush on a handsome and athletic boy sends her self-confidence into a tailspin. So, to prove her worth, she steps out of her comfort zone and signs up for a local teen beauty pageant. Dumplin' is an upbeat and inspiring novel with a positive message that listeners of all ages deserve to hear. It is brought to life in audio format by veteran narrator Eileen Stevens. This powerful young adult series is led by a fearless heroine who shocks the hell out of Clover City, herself and women listeners.
  • I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter cover art

    • I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

    • Written by: Erika L. Sánchez
    • Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
    • Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
    • Release date: 2017-10-17
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
    • Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college or move out of their parents’ homes after high school. After the sudden death of her "perfect" sister Olga, Julia’s faults only seem that much more obvious, especially to her mother. But even as she grieves this tragic loss, Julia suspects that her sister is not quite who she seems to be. Is it possible that Olga was as much of a "failure" at being a good daughter as Julia? Mexican-American author and poet Erika L. Sánchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter will speak to anyone who has felt out of place and out of sync with their family at any age.
  • The Sun Is Also a Star cover art

    • The Sun Is Also a Star

    • Written by: Nicola Yoon
    • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Raymond Lee, Dominic Hoffman
    • Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
    • Release date: 2016-11-01
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 108 ratings
    • The Sun Is Also a Star will have listeners falling in love with a young couple as they fall in love with each other. Natasha and Daniel have a lot going on, but not all of it is good. And yet, from the moment they meet by chance on a New York City street, they feel something special between them, something that may help to heal the hurts inside them both. Read by a trio of talented narrators, Nicola Yoon’s number one New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist tells the deeply moving story of two young people who find solace and acceptance in each other.
  • Brown Girl Dreaming cover art

    • Brown Girl Dreaming

    • Written by: Jacqueline Woodson
    • Narrated by: Jacqueline Woodson
    • Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
    • Release date: 2014-08-28
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
    • Written and read by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming is a series of honest, emotional poems about growing up in both the north and the south in Jim Crow America. Woodson recounts her many challenges while growing up in South Carolina and New York. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s—including her personal struggles with reading—and how they helped her become the insightful writer she is today. Her love of stories inspired her and created the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.
  • To All the Boys I've Loved Before cover art

    • To All the Boys I've Loved Before

    • Written by: Jenny Han
    • Narrated by: Ali Ahn
    • Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Book 1
    • Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
    • Release date: 2020-01-14
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 76 ratings
    • Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the first book of the bestselling fiction trilogy that explores the turbulent love life of sixteen-year-old high school student Lara Jean. Hopeless romantic Lara Jean keeps a collection of love letters that she wrote in a hatbox her late mother gave her, addressed to each of the five boys she has loved. Written for her eyes only, she pours her heart out about her past and present loves, knowing that the letters will never see the light of day until they do. The highly acclaimed series was adapted into a film trilogy by Netflix.
  • The Poet X cover art

    • The Poet X

    • Written by: Elizabeth Acevedo
    • Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
    • Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
    • Release date: 2018-03-06
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 98 ratings
    • Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X, winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, follows the story of Xiomara Batista, who feels unheard and unable to hide in her neighbourhood. Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, so she pours all her frustration into her notebook, especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her class. Xiomara’s mami is determined to force her daughter to follow the church's laws, so when she gets invited to join her school's slam poetry club, she doubts she could attend without her mami finding out. This powerful young girl wants to perform her poems and won’t be silenced.

Best Non-fiction Young Adult Audiobooks

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  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You cover art

    • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

    • A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning
    • Written by: Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi
    • Narrated by: Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi - introduction
    • Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
    • Release date: 2020-03-10
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 102 ratings
    • Before releasing his number one New York Times bestseller How to Be an Antiracist, author Ibram X. Kendi won acclaim for Stamped from the Beginning, which details how deeply racism is embedded in American thought, past and present. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You is a remix of his National Book Award-winning book tailored to younger listeners and co-written by author Jason Reynolds. Providing an eye-opening introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America, this is an essential listen for white Americans of all ages who are still new to the topic and want to learn how to recognize and undo their racist thought patterns.
  • The Elephant Whisperer (Young Readers Adaptation) cover art

    • The Elephant Whisperer (Young Readers Adaptation)

    • My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
    • Written by: Lawrence Anthony, Thea Feldman, Graham Spence
    • Narrated by: Simon Vance
    • Series: Elephant Whisperer, Book 1
    • Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
    • Release date: 2017-10-24
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
    • Animal lovers of all ages will enjoy The Elephant Whisperer, the exciting and touching saga of one man's efforts to save a herd of elephants. Despite initial reservations, Lawrence Anthony, a conservationist working in South Africa, came to cherish his time with "his" elephants. This version, read by Hall of Fame narrator Simon Vance, has been adapted for younger listeners, making the material easier to digest for kids and busy grown-up women who multitask while listening. The Elephant Whisperer is a heartwarming, exciting, funny and sometimes sad account of Anthony’s experiences with some of the world’s wonderful creatures.
  • Very, Very, Very Dreadful cover art

    • Very, Very, Very Dreadful

    • The Influenza Pandemic of 1918
    • Written by: Albert Marrin
    • Narrated by: Jim Frangione
    • Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
    • Release date: 2018-01-09
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 7 ratings
    • Unfortunately, the era of Covid-19 is not the first time the world has confronted a deadly pandemic. Very, Very, Very Dreadful provides a scary but necessary look at the 1918 flu epidemic that killed more than 50 million people worldwide. Since Covid-19 has affected every single person across the globe, Albert Marrin's powerful and informative audiobook is valuable to listeners of all ages and more relevant than ever before. This fascinating listen examines the history, science, and impact of one of the worst flu outbreaks of all time and the possibility of yet another worldwide pandemic today.
  • The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia cover art
  • Reaching Out cover art

    • Reaching Out

    • Written by: Francisco Jiménez
    • Narrated by: Adrian Vargas
    • Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
    • Release date: 2009-11-11
    • Language: English
    • Not rated yet
    • As a child, Francisco Jiménez was a farm labourer; today, he is an educator and an award-winning author. In Reaching Out, an autobiographical work aimed at young adults, Jiménez describes the challenges he faced in his efforts to continue his education whilst facing the challenges of poverty and self-doubt to guilt over leaving his family just like his father did. The author explores how his dreams kept him going throughout his teen years, even when it seemed like those dreams were impossible to achieve, making Reaching Out an inspiring and empowering listen for women struggling to fulfill dreams of their own.