The AI Shelf · UK · Week 41, 2026
Young adult novels
The books ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini recommended this week when asked for young adult novels: 72 answers to 12 questions worded the way readers ask.
Ranked by the share of all answers that recommend each book. An arrow means its share really moved since last week; – means steady.
- 1–21%15 of 72 answers
- 2–18%13 of 72 answers
- 3–17%12 of 72 answers
- 4–15%11 of 72 answers
- 5–14%10 of 72 answers
- 6–13%9 of 72 answers
- 7–11%8 of 72 answers
- 7–11%8 of 72 answers
- 7–11%8 of 72 answers
- 10–10%7 of 72 answers
- 10–10%7 of 72 answers
- 10–10%7 of 72 answers
- 10–10%7 of 72 answers
- 10–10%7 of 72 answers
- 15–8%6 of 72 answers
- 15–8%6 of 72 answers
- 15–8%6 of 72 answers
- 15–8%6 of 72 answers
- 15–8%6 of 72 answers
- 15–8%6 of 72 answers
- 21–7%5 of 72 answers
- 21–7%5 of 72 answers
- 21–7%5 of 72 answers
- 21–7%5 of 72 answers
- 21–7%5 of 72 answers
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The sites the assistants read for this list
Cited by ChatGPT and Claude while they answered. Sites marked Publisher list only their own books; the rest are lists, reviewers and press a book can be pitched to.
- penguinrandomhouse.comPublisherin 9 answers
- penguin.co.ukPublisherin 4 answers
- bookriot.comBook listsin 4 answers
- goodreads.comCataloguein 3 answers
- kirkusreviews.comReviewerin 3 answers
- bookpage.comReviewerin 3 answers
- booksinorder.ioWebsitein 3 answers
- us.macmillan.comPublisherin 2 answers
- best-books.publishersweekly.comPressin 2 answers
- hachette.co.ukPublisherin 2 answers
- walker.co.ukWebsitein 2 answers
- yalsa.ala.orgBook listsin 2 answers
How this list is made
Every week we ask the same 12 questions, 2 times each, of ChatGPT and Claude (both searching the web live) and Gemini (answering from what it knows; Google's terms don't let tools like ours analyse its web-search answers). The questions are worded the way readers really ask. We read which books each answer recommends, count each book once however it is spelled, leave out any book or author the question itself named, and rank by the share of answers that name it. A list is published only when every assistant answered.
This week: 72 answers (48 live, 24 from memory). Question set uk-1, run 5 October 2026.
- “What are the best young adult novels ever written? I'm after proper must-reads, not just whatever's trending on BookTok.”
- “I've never really read YA before but want to give it a go. Where should I start?”
- “What are the best YA books that have come out in the last year or so? Looking for something fresh.”
- “Can you recommend some underrated YA novels that most people haven't heard of but are actually brilliant?”
- “I need a birthday present for my 15 year old niece who loves dark fantasy and romance but has already read all the big ones. Any ideas for a YA book?”
- “I've got a long flight to Australia coming up. Which YA novels would be gripping enough to keep me reading the whole way?”
- “Can you recommend some YA novels about grief or losing a parent that aren't too bleak? Something hopeful would be good.”
- “I absolutely loved The Hunger Games. What other YA books are similar to it?”
- “I've read everything by John Green and need more. Who or what should I read next?”
- “Our book club is mostly women in our 30s and we want to try a YA novel. Which one would get everyone talking and arguing?”
- “What are the best YA novels by British authors? I'd like something with a proper UK setting and voice.”
- “Which YA series is worth starting right now? I want something with a few books already out so I can binge it.”
A list shows what the assistants said that week. It is not a ranking of quality or of sales, and nobody pays to be on it.