10 Glorious Young Adult Fantasy Books About Angels

People have been writing about angels for centuries, and yet authors are still finding new ways to explore these divine beings. Some follow established traditions closely, while others subvert expectations and play with moral ambiguity. The YA novels listed here are full of adventure, romance, and the supernatural. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

YA Angel Books: Our 10 Picks

Title Author
1. Straight Jacket Meredith Towbin
2. Dark Hope Monica McGurk
3. It's a Wonderful Death Sarah J. Schmitt
4. The Kingdom Jennifer M. Barry
5. Beg for Mercy Shannon Dermott
6. Winging It! Shel Delisle
7. Blood Promise Debra Kristi
8. Stricken A.K. Morgen
9. A Crack in Everything Ruth Frances Long
10. Illuminate Aimee Agresti

8 Great Films About Angels

  1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
  2. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
  3. Fallen (2016)
  4. Michael (1996)
  5. The Heavenly Kid (1985)
  6. City of Angels (1998)
  7. A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
  8. Angels in the Outfield (1994)

9 Types of Angels

In Depth

From the angel at the gates of Eden to Lucifer himself, God's winged messengers have always held a place in the human imagination. Today's Y.A. authors continue this tradition, weaving stories where angels can be heroes, villains, or something in between. Here, in no particular order, are ten tales about these miraculous creatures, ranging from the heavenly to the damned.

In the #1 position, we have Meredith Towbin's "Straight Jacket." Anna doesn't have a lot to look forward to, besides spending her eighteenth year in a mental institution. Her abusive parents have left her tormented by a panic disorder. Nineteen-year-old Caleb, however, might just change all that. This talented artist claims that he's an angel, sent to help Anna pursue her true destiny. His doctors say that he's just delusional. Whether Caleb is mortal or divine, Anna is deeply in love with him, and sooner or later, she must choose which story to believe.

At #2 is "Dark Hope" by Monica McGurk. After years of surviving her father's religious fanaticism, all Hope Carmichael wants is to live a normal life with her mother in Atlanta, but normal isn't in the cards for her just yet. When she meets Michael, an emancipated teen who seems both mysterious and oddly familiar, Hope's life takes a turn for the strange once again, as she becomes embroiled in a plot that involves human trafficking, ancient artifacts, and a dangerous mythological romance.

After years of surviving her father's religious fanaticism, all Hope Carmichael wants is to live a normal life with her mother in Atlanta, but normal isn't in the cards for her just yet.

Coming in at #3 is Sarah J. Schmitt's "It's a Wonderful Death." Even the Grim Reaper makes mistakes sometimes, but when seventeen-year-old RJ gets taken to the afterlife by accident, she isn't having it. The tribunal offers her two options: stay in limbo, or go back and relive three key moments of her life. For RJ, the choice seems obvious, but changing the past turns out to be more complicated than she expected, and she discovers that living a life worth saving may condemn her to social exclusion.

At #4 is Jennifer M. Barry's "The Kingdom." Prince Rioghan is a fallen angel-turned-prince of fairies, confined to Earth since Lucifer's rebellion. He spends his immortal life breaking hearts, and his newest target is Lily, the standoffish daughter of an opera singer. Lily, however, is more of a challenge than he expected, and Rioghan's passion for her may upset the delicate balance of the fairy kingdom and bring about a supernatural struggle for power.

#5 is Shannon Dermott's "Beg for Mercy." When Mercy Moore has her first kiss at sixteen, she isn't expecting it to end with the boy almost dead. Her mother, it turns out, has been keeping a few secrets from her, secrets that seem like they might preclude Mercy from romance forever. When Mercy ends up at a party with her best friend and the most popular students in her school, those hidden truths are at risk of being exposed to everyone in the most explosive way possible.

Her mother, it turns out, has been keeping a few secrets from her, secrets that seem like they might preclude Mercy from romance forever.

For #6 we have "Winging It!" by Shel Delisle. Grace Lightbourne, guardian angel-in-training, is positive that she's ready for her first mission on Earth, even though the Archangel Michael insists that she isn't. Despite the fact that she hasn't finished her last three years of school, Grace is all set to prove him wrong and earn her wings. After all, dealing with humans can't be that hard, can it? Follow Grace in her fun and lighthearted adventures on Earth as she does her best to prove that she has what it takes to be a real guardian angel.

At #7 is Debra Kristi's "Blood Promise," book six of the "Watchtower" series. Sixty-seven years ago, the planet was devastated by a spell gone awry. Now, fallen angel Charmeine lives among the remains of humanity in what used to be New York and New Jersey, now a dystopian wasteland ravaged by demons. When God gives her the chance to regain her divine status, Charmeine jumps at the opportunity. There's just one problem: to get back to heaven, she must take on a powerful demon who happens to be her brother.

In the #8 spot is A.K. Morgen's "Stricken." For centuries, humankind has been protected by a group of fallen angels. When a deadly disease begins to cut them down, the Nephilim warrior Killian St. James goes on a search for a cure. In Memphis, he finds a young woman named Aubrey Carter, whose repressed memories may hold the key to saving or damning his species. Killian and Audrey must deal with a demonic threat, their complicated pasts, and their growing attraction to each other, as plague ravages the world.

Killian and Audrey must deal with a demonic threat, their complicated pasts, and their growing attraction to each other, as plague ravages the world.

At #9 is "A Crack in Everything" by Ruth Frances Long. Izzy Gregory's ordinary life in Dublin is disrupted when she chases a thief down an alley and finds the ashes of a fallen angel scattered on the ground. Those ashes are Izzy's introduction to Dubh Linn, a hidden city of fairies, angels, and demons existing alongside the everyday Dublin she knows. In the magical chaos of this new world, Izzy has no choice but to trust Jinx, a wolf-like fairy who has been sent to capture her.

Finally, at #10 comes Aimee Agresti's "Illuminate." Haven Terra's intelligence keeps her from fitting in at high school, but it wins her an internship at a lavish Chicago hotel. In the midst of falling for the owner's charming right-hand man, she also makes the unsettling discovery that the hotel staff trade not just in rooms but also in human souls. Now Haven must thwart their plan to steal her classmates' souls on prom night, and try to keep her own along the way.