Young adult novels have always held a special place in popular culture. While the genre has its share of familiar tropes, it still remains so beloved. Especially when we get to see our favorite stories being adapted for the screen.
From supernatural dramas to messy love triangles, here are the top 20 TV shows based on YA novels you should check out.
20. The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014)
A prequel to the iconic ‘Sex and the City’, ‘The Carrie Diaries’ almost feels like a standalone. It follows 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw navigating high school while dreaming of becoming a famous writer. Based on Candace Bushnell’s YA novel, we see Carrie’s early years as she escapes her small town and navigates New York City.
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19. The Secret Circle (2011-2012)
Short-lived but memorable, ‘The Secret Circle’ brought L.J. Smith’s supernatural YA novel to television in this dark, atmospheric teen drama. Sixteen-year-old Cassie moves to Chance Harbor after her mother’s mysterious death, only to discover she is a hereditary witch and joins a secret coven. As Cassie embraces her powers, dangerous forces threaten everything she once knew about herself.
18. Tiny Pretty Things (2020)
Based on Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton’s YA novel, ‘Tiny Pretty Things’ revolves around Chicago’s elite ballet world, following talented young dancers as they face ambition, rivalry, friendship, and personal sacrifice. Beautifully shot and intensely dramatic, the series remarkably shows its actors performing their own dances rather than relying on doubles.
17. The 100 (2014-2020)
Kass Morgan’s YA novel adaptation, ‘The 100’, is a dystopian teen drama at its peak. It features a post-apocalyptic world, sci-fi elements, and, of course, plenty of teen drama. It is set nearly a century after a nuclear devastation, when descendants of survivors send 100 juvenile delinquents to Earth to determine its status. There they encounter another group of unexpected survivors.
16. One Of Us Is Lying (2021-2022)
Based on Karen M. McManus’s bestselling YA novel, ‘One Of Us Is Lying’ turns high school detention into a twisted murder mystery. Five students enter a detention room, but only four leave alive after one dies under very suspicious circumstances. When each student is hiding a secret and has a possible motive, they become the prime suspect in the investigation. The unlikely group must work together to uncover the killer and save their faces.
15. The Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (2024-)
Based on Holly Jackson’s YA novel, ‘The Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ follows teenage sleuth Pip Fitz-Amobi, who doubts the police investigation into the most notorious case in her small English town. Determined to uncover the truth, Pip launches her own investigation and documents it through a podcast. But her search soon starts to uncover secrets the town desperately wants buried.
14. Dash & Lily (2020)
The adaptation of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s ‘Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares’ follows the cynical Dash and optimistic Lily, who start exchanging messages, dreams, and dares through a notebook. As their bond grows, they navigate through friendships, family and past relationships together.
13. Vampire Academy (2022)
Set at the fictional boarding school of St. Vladimir, ‘Vampire Academy’ follows Lissa, a royal vampire, and Rose, her protector and best friend, as they navigate romance, class politics, ancient magic, and deadly supernatural threats. Inspired by Richelle Mead’s YA novels, the 2022 series reimagines the story rather than directly adapting it and is a reboot of the 2014 film.
12. Shadowhunters (2016-2019)
Based on Cassandra Clare’s ‘The Mortal Instruments’ series, the supernatural drama follows Clary Fray. On her 18th birthday, everything changes for Clary when she discovers she descends from the Shadowhunters, human-angel hybrids sworn to protect the world from demons. As Clary enters a dangerous hidden world, she navigates forbidden love, family secrets, and her newfound destiny.
11. Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
Few YA adaptations have become iconic for being completely unhinged like ‘Pretty Little Liars’. Based on Sara Shepard’s novel series, the series ran for seven seasons. It follows four friends in the fictional town of Rosewood after their clique leader mysteriously disappears. A year later, an anonymous figure known as “A” begins threatening them with their deepest and darkest secrets.
10. 13 Reasons Why (2017-2020)
Adapted from Jay Asher’s YA novel, the series essentially follows the students of Liberty High School and the wide range of issues they are facing. It starts when Clay Jensen finds a set of cassette tapes left behind by his classmate Hannah Baker, who died by suicide. In these tapes, she explained the thirteen reasons behind her decision, naming those she believed were responsible for her death.
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9. The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017)
This is another iconic teen drama series that is based on the young adult series of novels by L.J. Smith. It centers on the life of teenager Elena Gilbert, whose life changes when vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore return to the town of Mystic Falls. Their arrival brings danger, supernatural horrors, and a very complicated love triangle for Elena.
8. Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
It is a genuine surprise to know that even ‘Gossip Girl’ began as a YA book series by Cecily von Ziegesar. The hit teen drama follows the privileged teenagers attending an elite private school on New York City’s Upper East Side. Their romances, rivalries, scandals and secrets become public through an anonymous blogger known as “Gossip Girl”, who is forever watching their lives.
7. Shadow and Bone (2021-2023)
The painful reminder of what ‘Shadow and Bone’ could have been still remains. The series got canceled just when it barely scratched the surface of Leigh Bardugo’s expansive Grishaverse universe that she created through her YA fantasy novel series. ‘Shadow and Bone’ follows orphaned cartographer Alina Starkov, who finds out that she is a powerful Grisha who could change her war-torn world forever.
6. The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022-2025)
Nostalgia found its way back to us when ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ trilogy got adapted for the screen. Sixteen-year-old Belly Conklin returns to Cousins Beach with her family every summer. But this time, as she grows older, Belly discovers newfound independence, shifting family dynamics, and the messy realities of love and friendship.
5. The End Of The F***ing World (2017-2019)
Dark, strangely funny but unexpectedly insightful, ‘The End Of The F***ing World’ is adapted from the minicomics of Charles Forsman. It follows 17-year-old James, who is convinced he is a psychopath, and Alyssa, a moody new girl at school. Together, they decide to take a road trip to find her father, who left when Alyssa was a child.
4. Looking For Alaska (2019)
John Green’s beloved YA novel becomes a beautiful screen adaptation in the miniseries ‘Looking for Alaska’. It tells the story of Miles Halter, who goes to Culver Creek Academy in hopes of finding the greater meaning of life. Instead, he finds friendship, romance, and unexpected heartbreak. Surrounded by his eccentric classmates, Miles faces difficult truths about life, loss, forgiveness and the complicated art of letting go.
3. Heartstopper (2022-2026)
Few YA adaptations have taken the world by storm like ‘Heartstopper’. Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels, the series follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, whose friendship at Truham Grammar School gradually blossoms into romance. Together they navigate love, friendship, identity, loyalty, and all the uncertainties of adolescence.
2. Normal People (2020)
Some YA stories grow naturally into the more complicated territory of New Adult, and Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ is the perfect example. It follows Marianne and Connell from their final school years in County Sligo to university at Trinity College in Dublin. Through their evolving relationship, the series explores themes of class, independence, and growing up.
1. Anne With An E (2017-2019)
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved 1908 children’s classic has become one of the best coming-of-age series on Netflix. ‘Anne With An E’ tells the story of Anne Shirley, a bright, talkative, and imaginative orphan adopted by unmarried siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Through her story, the series tackles abandonment, trauma, gender inequality, racism, bullying, homosexuality, and freedom of speech with incredible emotional depth.
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