Chicago YA Authors

Chicago is home to many great things, not the least of which is the population of great young adult authors based here. If you're looking for your next great read and want to try someone local, here is a sampling of authors who might just be your neighbor.

Laura Ruby has written many great books for a variety of age groups, but her latest YA novel, Bone Gap, stands out. Currently a National Book Award finalist, this stunning novel takes readers on a journey filled with magic realism, small town angst and adolescent romance.

James Klise is not only a young adult fiction writer, but he's also a librarian by day. His first YA novel, Love Drugged, placed him on the teen fiction map. However, his latest book, The Art of Secrets, is a Chicago-set stunner filled with gut-twisting, first-person accounts of what it means to be an outsider in today's urban, American high school.

T.M. Goeglein not only lives in a big city, he writes about the big city. Goeglein's books are filled with action and suspense, and his Cold Fury series is no exception. The series' female protagonist must unravel clues found in a worn notebook while she runs from a trio of pursuers to learn the truth about her family and a Chicago crime syndicate.

For even more great books from these and other Chicago YA authors, check out this list!