Top 10 TV Adaptations of Our Favorite YA Books of the 2020s So Far
#10: “Panic” (2021)
When a book gets adapted into a show, it is usually subject to the age-old debate on whether the book or TV show is better. But fans of “Panic” can feel pretty sure that great care was taken in its Tv adaptation, because the author of the book also wrote the screenplay for the show. Best selling author Lauren Oliver released “Panic” in 2014, and fans were wild about it. The adrenaline pumping story won over both readers and Amazon decision makers. In May 2021 the show premiered on Amazon Prime. Unfortunately, it was canceled in August 2021, after just one season, dismaying its fans.
#9: “I Am Not Okay With This” (2020)
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Who doesn’t love a coming of age story? We certainly do! The graphic novel this series was based on was published in 2017 by “The End of the F***ing World” author Charles Forsman. The story gained a following for its darker take on teenage-hood, with a dash of superpowers in the mix. The series was announced in 2018 and hit Netflix in February 2020. Although initially renewed for a second season, by August 2020 it was canceled due to COVID related circumstances. After seeing the amazing performances in the first season, we are definitely disappointed to not get a second.
#8: “Shadow and Bone” (2021-)
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This show made waves on Netflix when it first premiered, jumping to the very top of the top 10 shows on the streaming platform for the first week and a half after its debut. “Shadow and Bone” is drawn from two series of books created by author Leigh Bardugo which are part of what she calls the “Grishaverse.” The show ended up being based on the first trilogy in the fantasy world, which began in 2012, as well as the “Six of Crows” series in the same universe. Considering how popular the series is, the adaptation seems to have really struck a chord.
#7: “The Midnight Club”(2022)
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Christopher Pike has written an impressive number of books, including 1994’s “The Midnight Club.” In 2022 the book was adapted to a Netflix show by the producer of “The Haunting of Hill House.” The show follows a group of terminally ill teenagers and their time in hospice, as they tell scary stories and make pacts. When the show was being developed, 28 of Pike’s books were considered show-worthy before “The Midnight Club” was decided on. But the other books weren’t just forgotten. They became the scary stories the characters told. If you’re a horror fan, this one definitely belongs on your watch list.
#6: “Tell Me Lies” (2022-)
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Love can be complicated. And no one knows that better than Lucy Albright, the main character of “Tell Me Lies.” In 2018 author Carola Lovering released her book, which follows Lucy and her love interest Stephen through their complicated young love. In 2020 Emma Roberts' love of reading took the book to the next level. Roberts’ production, Belletrist TV, took on adapting the book for the screen. In September 2022 the show was released on Hulu and the reaction was very favorable. As of this writing, a second season has not yet been confirmed, so we can only hope to see more.
#5: “One of Us is Lying” (2021-)
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Nothing can keep our eyes glued to a story quite like a murder mystery - and author Karen McManus just does murder mysteries right. Her book “One of Us is Lying” was published in 2017 and quickly gained attention for its multiperspective suspense. That same year the book was picked up by Universal Content Productions to be adapted for TV. In 2019 the project moved to NBC, leading to it being released on Peacock in 2021. The show was a hit and has already released a second season on the streaming platform. The book spawned a sequel, so we have our fingers crossed for a third season of this thriller.
#4: “Dash & Lily” (2020)
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Fans of “Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist” are bound to love this one. Besides sharing the same authors, the two works share an unconventional love story. The first book in the Dash & Lily series came out in 2010 and the back and forth perspective changes captured readers' hearts. Netflix must have also been pretty smitten, because in 2019 they ordered an 8-episode season adaptation of the first book. Unfortunately, it was a short lived series and will not be getting a second season. But Dash, Lily, and their wonderfully quirky love will live on in our hearts.
#3: “The Baby-Sitters Club” (2020-21)
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It’s hard to find a show that can attract viewers from so many different generations, but we think this one does. The first book in “The Baby-Sitters Club” came out way back in1986. The series totals in at over 100 books now, giving plenty of material for the show to draw from. The 2020 release of Netflix of the stories is not the first on screen adaptation though. In 1990 the stories prompted a tv show that ran for just 13 episodes. The newest series has already given the other production a run for their money by running18 episodes over its two seasons.
#2: “The Summer I Turned Pretty”(2022-)
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This acclaimed book series has been making waves online for a while. Jenny Han’s first book in her Summer trilogy was published in 2009. The series gained fans for its multigenerational coming of age story line. The series has been extremely popular, reaching The New York Times Best Seller list and gaining a dedicated core of fans. In 2021 Amazon announced they would be turning the series into a show. It premiered in 2022 and has been a hit. We think this is one of those stories that is worth consuming on paper and on screen. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “First Kill” (2022) A Queer Love Story, Canceled Far Too Soon. “Noughts + Crosses” (2022-) Forbidden Love in an Alternative World. “Tiny Pretty Things” (2020) A Look Into the Dangerously Competitive World of Ballet. “Vampire Academy” (2022) A Story So Good It Had to Be Turned Into a Show and a Movie.
#1: “Heartstopper”(2022-)
Queer teens have been denied mainstream queer love stories for far too long. And “Heartstopper”is here to put an end to that. The series follows two teen boys and their journey in love. It was first published in 2016 as a graphic novel on Tumblr and almost immediately started amassing a following. Author Alice Oseman used crowd-funding to create a limited print run edition of the web comics in 2019. By 2021 Netflix had acquired the rights to turn the story into a show. We can only hope this story will be the catalyst that leads to many more diverse stories of love.
