This month we're celebrating strong heroines in our young adult (YA) fiction collection. Read on for YA Librarian Lilian's recommendations for books that feature capable and inspiring female protagonists.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Grade 8 and up
Library Catalog: All available formats

“Sixteen-year-old Black whiz kid Bree Matthews battles grief and demonic forces on her college campus. After her mother dies in an accident, Bree begins a residential program for enterprising teens at her mother’s alma mater and, soon after her arrival, witnesses a magical attack that triggers hidden memories about the evening her mother was killed. Haunted by the fact that their final conversation was an argument, Bree begins a redemptive quest to uncover the connection between her mother’s death and the university’s secret society, the Order of the Round Table, joining their ranks as an initiate and unwittingly stumbling into a centuries-old supernatural war. While competing in the tournament that determines entry to the society, Bree discovers the truth about her heretofore unknown magical abilities, unwinding a complex history that showcases the horrors chattel slavery in the American South perpetuates on the descendants of all involved.”  –Kirkus Reviews

Sabriel by Garth Nix
Grade 7 and up
Library Catalog: All available formats

“The Wall divides the Old Kingdom from the rest of the world, but more than the Wall makes the Old Kingdom different. Behind that Wall magic still works, Dead come back, and even the moon and seasons are different. In Ancelstierre no one believes in magic unless they live on the border beside the Wall. Sabriel was born in the Old Kingdom, but from the age of four she has lived in the border town of Wyverley. She is now eighteen and about to graduate from school when she receives a message brought by the Dead from her father, Abhorsen, one of the most powerful necromancers in the Old Kingdom. Abhorsen is not the usual necromancer; he doesn't raise the Dead, but lays them back to rest with the magic of his bells, making him the enemy of both the Dead and many living mages. Sabriel must return to the Old Kingdom and attempt to rescue her father.” –VOYA

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Grade 8 and up
Library Catalog: All available formats

“In Katsa's world, the ‘Graced,' those gifted in a particular way, are marked by eyes that are different colors. Katsa's Grace is that she is a gifted fighter, and, as such, she is virtually invincible. She is in the service of her tyrannical uncle, king of one of the seven kingdoms, and she is forced to torture people for infractions against him. She has secretly formed the Council, which acts in the service of justice and fairness for those who have been accused and abused. Readers meet her as she is rescuing the father of the Lienid king, who has been abducted. The reasons for his capture are part of a tightening plot that Katsa unravels and resolves, with the help of Prince Po, the captive's grandson. He has his own particular Grace, and he becomes Katsa's lover and partner in what becomes a mortally dangerous mission.” –School Library Journal

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Grades 7 and up
Library Catalog: All available formats

“Celaena Sardothien is a noted assassin competing to the death against soldiers, assassins, and others to earn the role as the king’s champion—and eventually her long-denied freedom. Unlike most strong female protagonists, Celaena relishes the exquisite trappings of  her new environment: the fine fabrics, the intricate embroideries, and the jewel adornments. Her taste for finery, though, never impedes her success in the tests or her determination to track down the meaning of  the wyrd marks and the evil force that is killing competitors ahead of  schedule. Of  course, there is a love triangle, but Prince Dorian and the Captain of  the Guard (begrudgingly assigned to keep Celaena safe) make for interesting foils to a female assassin, one who values the lure of  freedom more than male companionship. Her freedom will likely have to wait; duty calls in the next book.” –Booklist

Warcross by Marie Lu
Grades 7 and up
Library Catalog: All available formats

“Emika Chen, an 18-year-old hacker turned bounty hunter, ekes out a life in New York City by tracking down criminals who are turning illegal profits in the virtual world of Warcross, an immersive game accessed by a ‘brain–computer interface.' Facing eviction, Emi recklessly hacks into the game to steal a valuable power-up. When a glitch exposes her identity to millions of viewers—and Hideo Tanaka, the game’s 21-year-old billionaire inventor—Emi is summoned to the Henka Games headquarters in Tokyo. There, Hideo recruits her to find an elusive hacker called Zero, and she enters the high-profile games as a wild-card player.” –Publisher's Weekly