Kirkus Best Books of the Year Winners YA Fantasy and SF

Awards List

2023

Unraveller

Unraveller (*)
Frances Hardinge

Nov-2021
/ Fantasy

The Buried and the Bound

The Buried and the Bound (*)
Rochelle Hassan

Jan-2023
/ Fantasy

Iron Wolf

Iron Wolf (*)
Siri Pettersen

Feb-2023
/ Fantasy

A Door in the Dark

A Door in the Dark (*)
Scott Reintgen

Apr-2023
/ Fantasy

Sing Me to Sleep

Sing Me to Sleep (*)
Gabi Burton

Jul-2023
/ Fantasy

Champion of Fate

Champion of Fate (*)
Kendare Blake

Sep-2023
/ Fantasy

Before the Devil Knows You're Here

Before the Devil Knows You're Here (*)
Autumn Krause

Oct-2023
/ General Fiction

Sinner's Isle

Sinner's Isle (*)
Angela Montoya

Nov-2023
/ Contemporary Romance

This Cursed Light

This Cursed Light (*)
Emily Thiede

Dec-2023
/ Fantasy

2022

The Obsidian Butterfly

The Obsidian Butterfly (*)
Lani Forbes

Feb-2022
/ Fantasy

Gallant

Gallant (*)
V.E. Schwab

Mar-2022
/ Fantasy

A Thousand Steps into Night

A Thousand Steps into Night (*)
Traci Chee

Mar-2022
/ Fantasy

Hotel Magnifique

Hotel Magnifique (*)
Emily J. Taylor

Apr-2022
/ Fantasy

Scout's Honor

Scout's Honor (*)
Lily Anderson

Apr-2022
/ Paranormal Romance

A Darkness at the Door

A Darkness at the Door (*)
Intisar Khanani

Jul-2022
/ Fantasy

Wind Daughter

Wind Daughter (*)
Joanna Ruth Meyer

Jul-2022
/ Action Adventure

Beasts of Ruin

Beasts of Ruin (*)
Ayana Gray

Aug-2022
/ Fantasy

The Drowned Woods

The Drowned Woods (*)
Emily Lloyd-Jones

Aug-2022
/ Fantasy

When the Angels Left the Old Country

When the Angels Left the Old Country (*)
Sacha Lamb

Oct-2022
/ Fantasy

2021

The Broken Raven

The Broken Raven (*)
Joseph Elliott

Jan-2021
/ General Fiction

The Wide Starlight

The Wide Starlight (*)
Nicole Lesperance

Feb-2021
/ Action Adventure

A Queen of Gilded Horns

A Queen of Gilded Horns (*)
Amanda Joy

Mar-2021
/ General Fiction

Aetherbound

Aetherbound (*)
E.K. Johnston

May-2021
/ Science Fiction

Mister Impossible

Mister Impossible (*)
Maggie Stiefvater

May-2021
/ Fantasy

Blood Like Magic

Blood Like Magic (*)
Liselle Sambury

Jun-2021
/ Fantasy

Rainbow in the Dark

Rainbow in the Dark (*)
Sean McGinty

Aug-2021
/ General Fiction

Redemptor

Redemptor (*)
Jordan Ifueko

Aug-2021
/ Fantasy

The Sisters of Reckoning

The Sisters of Reckoning (*)
Charlotte Nicole Davis

Aug-2021
/ Fantasy

Beasts of Prey

Beasts of Prey (*)
Ayana Gray

Oct-2021
/ Fantasy

Before We Disappear

Before We Disappear (*)
Shaun David Hutchinson

Oct-2021
/ Contemporary Romance

Little Thieves

Little Thieves (*)
Margaret Owen

Oct-2021
/ Fantasy

Vial of Tears

Vial of Tears (*)
Cristin Bishara

Oct-2021
/ Fantasy

When Night Breaks

When Night Breaks (*)
Janella Angeles

Oct-2021
/ Fantasy

All of Us Villains

All of Us Villains (*)
Amanda Foody; Christine Lynn Herman

Nov-2021
/ Fantasy

The Grimrose Girls

The Grimrose Girls (*)
Laura Pohl

Nov-2021
/ Fantasy

2020

The Iron Will of Genie Lo

The Iron Will of Genie Lo (*)
F.C. Yee

Jan-2020
/ Fantasy

Deeplight

Deeplight (*)
Frances Hardinge

Apr-2020
/ Fantasy

Dark Skies

Dark Skies (*)
Danielle L. Jensen

May-2020
/ Fantasy

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (*)
Roseanne A. Brown

Jun-2020
/ Fantasy

A Peculiar Peril

A Peculiar Peril (*)
Jeff VanderMeer

Jul-2020
/ Science Fiction

The Faithless Hawk

The Faithless Hawk (*)
Margaret Owen

Aug-2020
/ Fantasy

Raybearer

Raybearer (*)
Jordan Ifueko

Aug-2020
/ Fantasy

Where Dreams Descend

Where Dreams Descend (*)
Janella Angeles

Sep-2020
/ Fantasy

Award Categories

Affirming Picture Books

Beginning Readers

Book Club Fiction

Books for Beginning Readers

Empowering Picture Books

Environmental Fiction

Fiction in Translation

Fictional Families

Fictional Voices

Funniest Picture Books

Historical Fiction

Informational Picture Books

Joyous Picture Books

Middle-Grade About Speaking Up

Middle-Grade Activist

Middle-Grade Adventures

Middle-Grade Family Stories

Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF

Middle-Grade Fiction

Middle-Grade Friendship Stories

Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction

Award Years