2024 Books of the Year

Hello all!

2024 was a great year for Rapunzel Reads! Some quick highlights:

Rapunzel Reads is officially ten years old!
We interviewed five more of our favorite authors: Esme Symes-Smith, Caroline Huntoon, Polly Horvath, Tara Dairman, and Johanna Taylor! Check out all our interviews to hear about their inspiration, favorite books as a kid, and more.
We expanded our Instagram account (we'd be thrilled if you followed us there!), where we highlight lots of bonus recommendations. Follow us @rapunzelreadsbooks!
Plus, we shared 47 book reviews, including 18 ARC (Advance Reader's Copies) reviews!

And now...on to our sixth annual Books of the Year!

This year, we chose eight books that were our particular favorites! It was so hard to narrow down these ten from all the phenomenal books we read this year, but these are, indisputably, standouts: whether from their stunning characters, beautiful prose, unexpected depth, or exciting twists, they stuck out to us while reading, and stayed with us all these months later. We're so glad to get to share them with you--we hope you love them as much as we do!

Here's to another year of fabulous books!
Nico and Lina

Favorite Sequel

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

In a word—incredible. Once more, Aiden Thomas has created one of the most thoughtful, compulsively readable, and validating fantasy novels I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, a duology closer that leaves me wishing for more while simultaneously pulling off an incredibly satisfying ending.

Often in a review I’ll give a special shout-out to a favorite character, but Celestial Monsters has such an incredible cast that it was nearly impossible to narrow it to just three! Niya is undeniably my favorite cis character in this book—she’s the kind of unabashed, snarky, loud, and vulnerable character I absolutely need to see more of in fantasy. Xio is a quieter character, but their ferocity and struggle brought them to life for me. And I’ll always have a soft spot for Teo. His determination, strong bonds (platonic, familial, and romantic), and voice form the core of this series, and there’s truly no story I wouldn’t follow him into. There aren’t a whole lot of characters I would root for unconditionally, but Teo is absolutely one of them.

In a genre still so dominated by cis characters, there’s something incredible about seeing trans and nonbinary characters as the leads, the villains, the side characters…the diversity of experiences and characters in this book is truly beautiful. And the entire world of Reino de Sol is gorgeous—even beyond the deft queer- and transnorm society, this world is vibrant with color and personality.

Favorite Graphic Novel

Nimona by N D Stevenson

Nimona is absolutely incredible. It’s a rare book I fall so fully in love with from the very beginning, but Nimona not only managed that, it kept it up for the whole story. This book is for the ones who love villains, who want a different take on a corrupt society, who want a resolution that’s perfect for the book but not exactly a stereotypical happily-ever-after. Featuring brilliantly witty humor, a chaotic cast of characters, and fabulous stylized artwork, do yourself a favor and pick up Nimona as soon as you can.

To begin with, the characters are brilliant. Nimona’s brash, action-focused personality, Ballister’s measured caution, and Ambrosius’s almost tortured idealism create a fantastic combination of characters whose clashes, disagreements, and, slowly, trust, are both entirely natural and so much fun to read. But they’re also all deeper than they appear on the surface, and as I better understood each of them, I couldn’t help but be blown away by the depth and complexity Stevenson manages to impart in a medium that sometimes makes it tricky to truly get into character’s heads.

And while crafting these incredible characters, Stevenson makes it impossible for me to stop laughing. This book is simply funny—chaotic, outlandish, and weird in the best possible way. Humor is often one of the hardest things for a book to maintain from the first page to the

ending, particularly when also weighing in on heavier topics, but Stevenson does so with such deftness he makes it look easy. Nimona never falls even slightly flat, and it has a truly fantastic ending—one that I went into certain there was no way the book could wrap up that would feel satisfying, and yet entirely manages to do exactly that.

Nimona also includes a variety of both explicit and implicit queer characters and themes, and the author has spoken publicly about how he created Nimona as a subtle reflection of his own trans experiences. (For anyone who also enjoys movie adaptations, these threads are explored more fully in the animated adaptation, which is also fabulous!) However, it’s also a dissection of classic villain/outsider narratives of all kinds, questioning villainy, heroism, and how we treat those we determine to be ‘other’, and I truly believe it can connect with a profound range of experiences.

Favorite Realistic Fiction Novels

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

I made it my mission this summer to read every book by Alice Oseman. I'd previously only read the Heartstopper graphic novels and I Was Born for This, all of which I loved, so I dug into the Heartstopper novellas, Solitaire, Loveless...and Radio Silence.

If you haven't read this book, all I can really tell you is to do so as soon as possible. Oseman has crafted one of the most authentic, multifaceted, and compelling coming-of-age stories I've ever read, starring characters I would truly follow anywhere. This book made me laugh and cry and want to scream at or hug characters at turns. This is a book I want to come back to, and then come back to again, because it's so beautiful and incredible that I know it won't lose that power anytime soon.

There are not enough YA books that feature a transformative friendship between a boy and a girl that never considers becoming a romance. Radio Silence is one of the few, and the sheer beauty and healing I’ve found through it makes me wish there were far more of them. Frances is for every high-achieving high schooler who is basing her future more on what people expect than what she truly wants; Aled is for everyone who doesn’t have the space to be themselves. This book is about growing up, self-discovery, and the importance of having people who you can rely upon. And I loved every minute of it!

Wren Martin Ruins it All by Amanda DeWitt

Over the summer, I put out a call on Instagram for a good queer ace romance novel (featuring an alloace protagonist). One title came up again and again: Wren Martin Ruins it All. Now that I’ve read it, I know I’d recommend it with the same enthusiasm!

I really loved this book! DeWitt does an incredible job showcasing the laughs and challenges of being in a relationship while asexual, and Wren is the perfect protagonist. His voice carries the book along at a fast, hilarious pace, and while cheering on his anti-dance platform I also found myself connecting with him on an emotional level that's kept this story in my mind ever since.

Favorite Young Adult Fantasy Novels

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

I truly struggle to describe how much I adore Jordan Ifueko’s writing, characters, and worldbuilding. I’ve been anxiously awaiting her next book ever since finishing Raybearer and Redemptor, wondering when I’d get to return to the world of Artisar. To say this book simply “didn’t disappoint” is a profound and unbearable understatement.

Jordan Ifueko is one of the most talented writers I've ever had the pleasure to read, with incredible prose, deft characters, gorgeous worldbuilding, and thought-provoking stories; The Maid and the Crocodile made me fall in love with her storytelling all over again.

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

Intense, fast-paced, and fiercely defiant, So Let Them Burn was absolutely incredible. It’s rare that I read a book which I truly fall in love with from the first page, but this book refused to allow the alternative to even be an option. With impossibly vibrant characters, a delicious flip on the chosen one trope, and a keen commentary on colonialism, I’d be astounded if this doesn’t make it into my top ten books of this year.

There is so much to love about this book, but its true heart lies with Elara and Faron’s messy, fraught, and profoundly loving relationship. Both could so easily become cookie-cutter characters—the chosen one years later, the two-dimensional older sister—and yet they bloom to life thanks to Cole’s deft writing and the emotions that carry them off the page. I love Faron’s stubborn determination, struggle to define herself, and fierce diatribes, but I’d be lying if I said Elara wasn’t my favorite character in So Let Them Burn. Her feelings and motivations are so multifaceted and authentic as she attempts to carve out space for herself in the world, while simultaneously fighting to save everyone she holds dear. I cannot find words to express how much I resent that ending, and how much I need the sequel right now!

I also have to give a shout-out to the worldbuilding. Dragons are plentiful in fantasy; a unique system which they are central to is far more difficult to come by. Similarly, the push-pull of the different

forms of magic within the world—dragons, astrals, the gods—lent San Irie and Nova a depth and complexity that I couldn’t resist. I am so excited for the next book in this series!

Favorite Middle Grade Novel

Sir Callie and the Witch's War by Esme Symes-Smith

The Sir Callie series is truly one of the best middle-grade series I’ve ever come across, and this latest installment is no exception. Thoughtful, emotionally deep, and queer- and nonbinary-focused MG fantasy books are hard enough to come across on their own, but to find not just a standalone but an ongoing series that is all this and more is truly remarkable—and Sir Callie is exactly that. This third book in the ongoing series left me satisfied, validated, and wishing the fourth book was already out!

For me, the emotional heart of this book lies with Edwyn. He’s one of the most striking and real characters throughout the series (which is a hard distinction to make when every character is so incredible!), and seeing him come into his own during Sir Callie and the Witch’s War was truly wonderful. Anger, betrayal, love, hate, self-doubt—every one of his emotions jumps clearly off the page and makes me care about and sympathize with him even more.

Symes-Smith juggles the plotlines of Edwyn, Elowen, and Willow/Callie with flawless skill. Many middle grade books ignore the traumatic realities of young people, but this series never does, and instead of skirting around painful topics it faces them head-on and authentically portrays the challenge of loving and accepting yourself after struggling all your life to believe you deserve to be loved exactly for who you are. As someone whose own life has elements of these characters’ experiences, the validation and

comfort in finding this reflected in a middle grade novel was incredibly healing, and I just want to reread it immediately now that I’m done.

This series truly keeps getting more and more incredible, and I can’t wait to read more about these characters and from this author! Highly recommended!

Favorite Historical Fiction Novel

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa

I loved both The Wicked Bargain and Pride and Prejudice, so I knew going into Most Ardently book that it probably wouldn’t meet my extraordinarily high expectations. I was absolutely wrong. Gabe Cole Novoa delivers one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, which brought me several times to tears of joy (not something that often happens!) and, to be honest, gave me hope for the future.

To begin with, Oliver is absolutely fantastic. I immediately fell in love with his palpable longing, his strong friendships, and his worldview, all combined in a character who spoke to me so deeply that I struggled to put Most Ardently down. Due to the book’s short length, there were certainly characters I would’ve loved to see played with more (Mr. Collins and Wickam are the most obvious ones that jump out at me), but the flipside of this meant getting to spend the majority of the book with a smaller cast of characters, allowing me to get to know each of them incredibly well. I particularly loved how Gabe Cole Novoa created Darcy’s character, which felt incredibly true to the original while also gaining its own spark.

Novoa sticks to the original story but is never afraid to branch out to create a book that truly feels like it could’ve existed behind Pride and Prejudice all these years. The plotlines with Mr. Bennet and Wickam particularly leaps to mind, but honestly there wasn’t a single point in this book where my absorption in the story and suspension of belief were broken—something I very rarely see in a retelling, and yet was executed so flawlessly I didn’t even register it until the end