If You’re Loving the Twilight Books, You’ll Need to Read These . . .

Twilight fans are officially freaking out because Midnight Sun, the long-awaited companion novel to the first book in the series, is finally here! The novel retells the events of the original story, but this time from the perspective of the brooding and mysterious Edward Cullen. It’s been a while since vampires were all the rage, and YA literature has evolved a lot since Twilight’s release in 2005! Here are some books with atmospheric settings and heart-pounding romance you absolutely must read once you’ve devoured Midnight Sun.

Burn Our Bodies Down

By Rory Power

If you enjoyed the eerie atmosphere of Forks, Washington, and Bella’s search to find out why her classmate Edward and his family are so strange, look no further than this riveting YA thriller. For all her life, it’s just been Margot and her mother in their run-down apartment, and Margot doesn’t know anything about her family history. All she knows about her mother’s past is that she left home for a reason and wanted to stay gone. But Margot longs for family and a connection to her roots. She discovers a photograph pointing her to a town called Phalene, and visits to see if she can find any answers. But Phalene is a dangerous place, and the poison in her family’s roots, as Margot soon learns, runs deep and may be deadly.

Some Kind of Animal

By Maria Romasco-Moore

While this book doesn’t have any vampires, it does deal with those on the fringes of society who are all too often deeply misunderstood. Fifteen years ago, Jo’s mother disappeared in their small Appalachian town. She was known as a “wild woman,” and now people are starting to cast uneasy glances at Jo, too. She’s been falling asleep in class and barely passing high school, but it’s not for the reasons most might think. Jo isn’t chasing a love interest or partying on school nights; she’s frequently visiting her twin sister, a girl who lives in the woods, catches rabbits with her bare hands, and eats them raw. But no one in town has ever seen Jo’s twin, and after she attacks a boy in town, Jo is immediately blamed. She must decide whether to reveal her sister’s secret . . . or run.

The Court of Miracles

By Kester Grant

If you’re a Twilight fan, you’re probably a bit terrified but also in awe of the Volturi—the powerful coven that enforces vampire laws. If the rules of the vampire world fascinate you, you’ll love the dark and criminal underworld of The Court of Miracles. In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed, and the merciless aristocracy is at war with the nine criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Nina is a talented cat burglar and a member of the Thieves Guild. Nina’s life is full of midnight robberies, avoiding her father’s fists, and watching over her naive adopted sister, Ettie. When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger—the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh—Nina promises to keep her safe. Her vow takes her from the city’s dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII, and forces Nina to make a terrible choice—protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.

Blood Heir

By Amélie Wen Zhao

In the Twilight saga, vampires must learn to control their power or risk exposure. If you love the high stakes of Twilight, you’ll love the Cyrillian Empire of Blood Heir—a kingdom where Affinites and their rare powers are considered unnatural and dangerous. Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a deadly Affinity to blood—it is her secret and her curse. When she is framed for her father’s murder, she flees the palace. But she’ll stop at nothing to find the real killer and clear her name, even if it means teaming up with a famous con man.

The Babysitters Coven

By Kate M. Williams

Where Twilight is all about vampires, this hilarious and action-packed novel is about a coven of witchy babysitters. Their coven (or club, if you prefer) is run by seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl, who knows having a babysitting club isn’t the coolest thing, but she enjoys the job and the cash. Enter Cassandra Heaven, a gorgeous and rebellious teen whose mother left her a mysterious note that said: “Find the babysitters,” which is why Cassandra is so eager to potty train two-year-olds—to get into Esme’s good graces. The two girls end up having more in common than they ever could’ve imagined, and are about to discover the strange rituals, superpowers, and superhero tasks that come with their after-school gig.