YA Books with Fierce Female Characters

We love books with fierce female characters! Ferocity comes in many forms, from the quiet girl who finds the strength to be herself to the bold girl who takes charge of any situation. And the best part? Reading about fierce characters helps you become stronger, too.

Are you ready to meet some fierce females? Here are our favorite YA books with female powerhouses you’ll adore.

YA Contemporary

Ariel Crashes a Train

By Olivia A. Cole

Sometimes being fierce means facing the fears inside your own head.

Exploring the harsh reality of OCD and violent intrusive thoughts in stunning, lyrical writing, this novel-in-verse conjures a haunting yet hopeful portrait of a girl on the edge. From the author of Dear Medusa, which New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed called “a fierce and brightly burning feminist roar.”

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Cover of Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim

YA Romance

American Royals IV: Reign

By Katharine McGee

What’s more fierce than a queen?

A queen’s life hangs in the balance, and her siblings’ decisions—about what to do, and most of all, who to love—could change the course of history. Romance. Duty. Power…only one can triumph in this stunning conclusion to the New York Times bestselling American Royals series.

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Cover of The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee

$Cover of Friday I\'m in Love$

YA Thrillers

The Reappearance of Rachel Price

By Holly Jackson

Fierce means uncovering the truth—especially when it gets personal.

From the author of the multimillion-copy bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a gripping mystery thriller following one teen’s search for the truth about her mother’s shocking disappearance—and even more shocking reappearance—during the filming of a true crime documentary.

Lights. Camera. Lies.

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$Cover of There\'s No Way I\'d Die First$

YA Fantasy

The Gilded Ones #3: The Eternal Ones

By Namina Forna

When people start comparing you to a god, that’s fierce.

The dazzling finale to the groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling Gilded Ones series. One girl holds the power to defeat the gods—but can she become one?