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Hollywood has overlooked some truly cinematic young adult novels that demand the big screen treatment. From epic fantasies and dark dystopias to intricate romances and supernatural thrillers, these stories feature captivating characters, stunning worlds, and gripping plots just waiting to come alive in movie magic. Get ready to discover some of the most compelling YA tales that deserve their Hollywood debut!
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we're counting down our picks for the young adult novels and
00:05series Hollywood has somehow, bafflingly, left untouched. Whether they're packed with
00:10jaw-dropping world-building, complex characters, or stories so cinematic they practically write
00:16their own screenplays, these books deserve their moment on the big screen.
00:20There are still little bits and pieces that are undergoing some transition.
00:28Number 20. Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. Lainey Taylor. Some fantasy books have good
00:34world-building, and some have world-building that feels like a movie camera was built around it.
00:39Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the second kind. The whole fantastic concept of angels and devils and
00:46monsters. And so, in one book, I get an entire fantasy land, which I want to live in so bad.
00:55The series gives us the Czech city of Prague, secret angelic wars, monster masks,
01:01and a romance that's equal parts forbidden and tragic. That's a huge cinematic advantage,
01:07because audiences want fantasy that looks expensive and feels emotionally personal.
01:12The visual design alone could be unforgettable.
01:15So that's why people always go on about my amazing imagination. And whenever they do,
01:21I just smile. It's far easier than telling the truth. I only ever draw things that I've actually seen.
01:29Shortly after the first book was released, Universal swept in to acquire the film rights. Yet,
01:34while various filmmakers were announced to be involved in the project, it seems to have fallen into
01:39development hell.
01:40When I was little, I used to ask him where we were. And he would just say, elsewhere.
01:48Number 19. Hush Hush Series – Becca Fitzpatrick
01:52If a studio wanted a YA property with instant moody appeal, Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush would be at the top
01:58of the list. The angel mythology, forbidden attraction, and constant sense that something
02:04dangerous is lurking, make it easy to imagine as a slick supernatural thriller across global cinemas.
02:10What pushes it onto this list is how film-friendly the premise is. It's built around atmosphere,
02:15suspense, and chemistry. That means you don't need to overcomplicate the adaptation to make it work.
02:22Just lean into the tension, sharpen the gothic visuals, and let the romance simmer.
02:27I realized at that point that I wasn't alone, that this was something that was going to reach
02:31every demographic. We had sent this out to a very diverse group of people, and the response was
02:37unanimous. It was just, we love this, and we have to have it.
02:41Seemingly, some companies like LD Entertainment agreed, as they reportedly purchased the film
02:47rights over the years. Yet, to date, still no Hush Hush on the big screen.
02:51What do you have to say for yourself?
02:57I'm no angel.
02:58Number 18. The Raven Cycle Series – Maggie Steve Otter
03:02Few YA series are as hauntingly atmospheric as Steve Otter's four-book masterwork.
03:07Reason number 5. Latin.
03:10Reason number 4. Jokes. In Latin.
03:14Reason number 3. Kisses that never happen.
03:18Reason number 2. Kisses that do happen.
03:21And of course, the number one reason that you should read The Raven Cycle – Magical Sleeping
03:27Dead Welsh Kings. Blue Sergeant – the non-psychic daughter of a clairvoyant family – becomes
03:32entangled with four Aglenby Academy boys on a quest to wake the sleeping Welsh King Glendower along
03:38Virginia's ley lines. What distinguishes this from standard paranormal YA is the texture.
03:43Steve Otter writes with a poet's precision, making Henrietta, Virginia feel mythological
03:48and heartbreakingly real simultaneously. With such a vivid world, shortly after the
03:53novels ended, it was announced that a universal TV show was in the works. However, in 2020,
03:59Steve Otter announced on social media that production had stopped, seemingly vanishing into the void like
04:05way too many potential game-changing adaptations.
04:08I really wish I could still play in that playground some more.
04:11Yeah, I'm curious, like, what happens to the playground when you're done with it? Like,
04:14where do you put it? Where does it go?
04:16Number 17. Throne of Glass Series – Sarah J. Maas
04:20Selena Sardothian – legendary teenage assassin, prisoner of the Endovir salt mines – is offered
04:27one chance at freedom. Compete in a deadly tournament to become the king's champion.
04:31What sounds like a contained premise grows across eight books into a world-shattering epic involving
04:37ancient prophecies, shapeshifters, warring kingdoms, and magic reclaimed from extinction.
04:43It's been hard to keep track of every draft and what's in the current manuscript. So,
04:48in my head, I have the whole thing fleshed out and I have different plot lines that used to be
04:52there or plot lines that were added. So the hardest part of writing it was keeping track of what was
04:58actually in the manuscript after many rounds of revision.
05:01Maas' debut series features some of the genre's most spectacular action sequences and one of its
05:06most extraordinary character transformations. Selena's journey from cunning survivor to something far
05:12greater is genuinely thrilling to witness, making it perfect for a long-running film franchise. An
05:18option for a Hulu-distributed series was announced in 2016, but nothing has arrived on our screens yet.
05:25I look at any TV movie adaptation as kind of like another facet of like the worlds that I've created
05:34and
05:34it's something that I want to be in charge of, like I want to be figuring out, like I want
05:40to be learning
05:40everything that I can. All this chit-chat about novel franchises and films has gotten us hungry
05:45for even more pop culture content. Thankfully, there's the perfect place for that — the Ms. Mojo
05:5024-7 livestream. All you have to do is scan the QR code on screen and join us for non
05:55-stop fun.
05:56Daddy, you never say that.
05:59Jennifer, I say it at least once a day. She's just never in the room when I say it.
06:04She's probably too busy reading.
06:05Number 16. Legend series, Mary Lou. While The Hunger Games and Divergent conquered the multiplex,
06:12Lou's equally gripping series somehow slipped through Hollywood's fingers.
06:16Set in a fractured future republic of America, Legend alternates between two perspectives — Day,
06:22a wanted criminal protecting his impoverished family, and June, an elite military prodigy
06:28dispatched to hunt him down. What begins as a chase thriller rapidly deepens into a devastating
06:33examination of propaganda, class warfare, and institutional corruption?
06:38One day I was watching the old movie version of Les Miserables — this is the one with Liam
06:43Neeson in it — and I suddenly just had this idea of, like, it would be really fun to write
06:49a teen version of this story, like a teen criminal versus a teen detective.
06:54Lou's dual narrative structure is practically designed for cinematic adaptation,
06:58and the central relationship develops with rare complexity. Every time a screen adaptation has
07:04appeared to be coming, it's vanished. After the film rights were purchased twice and came to nothing,
07:09a TV show adaptation was announced in 2021, which has also gone quiet. Shame on Hollywood.
07:15Both your books are incredibly filmic and beautiful and just ready for screen. And, you know,
07:21Hollywood, you're crying out for diversity, and it's full of it there. It's awesome. Come on! Do it!
07:24Number 15. The Enemy Series — Charlie Higson.
07:28Not all the adults die of the illness. Some the unlucky ones live on somehow.
07:41Every adult in London has become a rotting, flesh-hungry predator. The children who survived
07:47are running out of food, out of safe houses, and out of hope. Higson's seven-book series is one of
07:53the
07:53most relentlessly grim, genuinely frightening entries in YA fiction. A Lord of the Flies scenario
07:59filtered through zombie apocalypse horror, set against meticulously rendered London landmarks.
08:04They've only got one thing they want to do, and that is to catch you and eat you. And the
08:08other
08:08really scary thing is that they could be people that you know, your loved ones. Could be your
08:14mother, your father, your brother, your sister, your girlfriend.
08:17Higson doesn't protect his young characters from real consequences,
08:21which gives the series a moral weight most post-apocalyptic YA carefully avoids.
08:26Think 28 Days Later, with a rotating ensemble of child survivors navigating impossible ethical
08:31choices. Visceral, smart, and unapologetically dark, this series would make for a ferociously
08:38compelling film franchise.
08:39I had my eyes closed for 90 percent.
08:47Number 14. The Infernal Devices series, Cassandra Clare.
08:52The Mortal Instruments got its shot twice, but fans of Clare's Shadowhunter universe have always
08:57known the real prize is the Victorian-set prequel trilogy.
09:00There was a girl who loved a boy who was dying. She was torn by her love for another whose
09:07heart
09:07would die with him. Above all, the girl wanted to know who she was. The only man that could tell
09:14her was her worst enemy. Clockwork Angel introduces Tessa Gray, Will Herondale, and Jem Carstairs against
09:22a backdrop of gas-lit London streets, clockwork automatons, and ancient demonic conspiracies.
09:28What elevates this above-typical paranormal YA is the central trio's relationship — genuinely,
09:34almost unbearably emotionally complex — and the period setting's extraordinary visual richness.
09:40The trilogy tells a complete story across three books, making it structurally
09:44ideal for cinematic adaptation. Lush, heartbreaking, and impeccably constructed,
09:50The Infernal Devices is the Shadowhunter adaptation fans actually deserve.
09:54When the truth finally comes to life,
09:59it will break your heart.
10:01Number 13. The Selection series, Kira Cass. 35 girls, one prince, one crown.
10:08Cass' series imagines a post-war America restructured into a rigid caste monarchy,
10:13where America's singer — a five, just one tier above destitute — is selected to compete for
10:18Prince Maxon's hand.
10:20I was content where I was. I was in love.
10:25But it turns out, the life I always imagined might not compare to the future I never dreamed of.
10:32The premise blends The Bachelor's compulsive watchability with genuine dystopian stakes,
10:37and a sharper class critique than its glossy surface suggests. Gorgeous gowns, palace intrigue,
10:44rival competitors, and a heroine who refuses to play the game make for irresistible on-screen material.
10:50The series was once in active development at The CW, yet two pilots were passed on.
10:55After Warner Bros. bought the film rights, Netflix took over. However, in 2023,
11:00they scrapped their plans, along with our hearts.
11:04Sometimes I feel like we're not too tangled to be taken apart.
11:07It's true. So much of me is tied up in you.
11:13Don't tug your ear with anyone else. That's mine.
11:17Number 12. An Ember in the Ashes series, Sabah Tahir. Inspired by ancient Rome at its most brutal,
11:24Tahir's four-book series follows two characters on a collision course with history.
11:28How far would you go for family?
11:34How far would you go for freedom?
11:36Laia is a scholar girl who becomes a spy inside the Empire's most fearsome military academy to save
11:42her imprisoned brother. Elias is that academy's finest soldier, and its most desperate would-be deserter.
11:49She says that she'll help him escape if he helps her break her brother out of prison.
11:54Elias agrees they flee with the Empire hot on their heels.
11:57Tahir writes with rare moral courage,
12:00never softening the violence of systemic oppression or the cost of resistance.
12:04The resulting narrative is breathtaking in scope and devastating in emotional impact.
12:09After Paramount spent seven figures to get the film rights in 2014,
12:13it all looked super exciting as development began.
12:16Then, nothing, as the project quietly vanished.
12:20Ember was absolutely the story of my heart. I spent six years on it, and never really dreamed
12:28anything would come of it. And the fact that something did is just totally frosting on a very nice cake.
12:34Number 11. The Poppy War series, R.F. Kuang
12:38Kuang's trilogy earns its adaptation through sheer, almost overwhelming ambition. Rin tests her way out
12:44of a poverty-stricken arranged marriage and into Synegard, an elite military academy, where she
12:50discovers a shamanic power rooted in annihilating divine fire.
12:54She will learn to fight. She will learn to lead. And she will learn if the tales of magic are
13:01simply that,
13:02or if there's truth behind the old songs.
13:05What begins as a brutal academic survival story rapidly transforms into a war epic that directly
13:12engages with the historical horrors of 20th century China, including genocide.
13:16Kuang writes without flinching, which is precisely what makes her work extraordinary.
13:21In 2020, a TV show appeared to be on its way after the Chinese production company Starlight Media bought
13:27the rights. Yet since then, it's been stuck in development and likely won't come out anytime soon, sadly.
13:33That is the other component to Rin's rage, right? Like, she wants to destroy so that
13:37something better can, um, sprout up in its place.
13:40Number 10. A Court of Thorns and Roses series, Sarah J. Maas.
13:45Maas is seemingly the undisputed monarch of unrealized adaptations with her writing.
13:50I put my books out into the world that's, like, one way that the fans are, like,
13:53interacting and seeing these characters, but, like, the physical version of that, like,
13:58needs to be aligned. It can't just be, like, someone's take on that. I'm like, no, this is —
14:03It's — yeah, it's yours.
14:04It's yours.
14:04When mortal Huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the Winter Woods and is dragged into the magical land
14:09of Prithian by a fairy lord as restitution, what begins as a lush Beauty and the Beast retelling
14:15rapidly transforms into something far darker, more complex, and more politically intricate.
14:20The world mass-constructs rival fairy courts, ancient curses, and a power struggle with
14:26world-ending implications is extraordinarily cinematic. The devoted, enormous fanbase guarantees
14:33built-in enthusiasm for a solid adaptation — so much so that Hulu saw its spectacular potential when
14:39it purchased the screen rights in 2021. Yet in 2025, Hulu officially canceled the project.
14:45I have the rights back to everything now, and getting the rights back to all my things has been
14:50a big part of my journey in recent years that, like, maybe at some point soon I will, like,
14:56talk more about.
14:57Number 9. Red Queen Series. Victoria Aveyard.
15:00Silver blood means power. Red blood means servitude.
15:04Mare Barrow has always been red, until she manifests abilities that should be impossible,
15:10forcing the silver elite to disguise her as a lost princess.
15:13Aveyard's multiple-book series fuses class revolution with political betrayal and superhuman abilities,
15:20creating a world where trust is a liability.
15:23The central twist of the first novel alone would generate the kind of gasping,
15:27theater-wide reaction that studios dream about.
15:30Don't worry, we aren't devious enough to spoil what it is.
15:33I know what I am, and what I must do.
15:40For a storm is certainly coming.
15:42With all that, it's baffling that there isn't already a Red Queen cinematic adaptation.
15:48Seemingly, Elizabeth Banks agrees.
15:50She's been tied to direct a film adaptation by Universal and a series by Peacock,
15:55only for the projects to seemingly stall.
15:57Do you think I want to keep you a prisoner?
15:59It doesn't matter.
16:01I must.
16:02It's the only way you'll stay with me.
16:05Number 8.
16:06Gathering Blue.
16:07Lois Lowry.
16:08Let's face it, a lot of us read The Giver when we were growing up,
16:11and a lot of us were extremely disappointed with its big-screen adaptation in 2014.
16:16But that's exactly why it's ripe for a do-over.
16:19And if The Giver is finally adapted well, it opens up the possibility of film versions of
16:25Lowry's entire Giver Quartet.
16:27The journey to film has been a very long one,
16:30and it's hard for me even to remember the beginnings of it.
16:34Gathering Blue has a similar tone to The Giver,
16:37taking place in a dystopian society hell-bent on perfection.
16:40If done right, this new franchise could expand the minds of young audiences everywhere,
16:45helping to underline the importance of accepting others and oneself.
16:49The particular books that you mentioned, including The Giver,
16:52all create a character who is a young person who sets out to affect the future,
16:58to change the future, to improve the future.
17:01And I think that's a journey that kids enjoy participating in.
17:05Number 7.
17:06Cinder.
17:07Marissa Meyer.
17:08This 2012 sci-fi novel by Marissa Meyer is a futuristic retelling of the classic
17:13Cinderella story with quite a few twists.
17:15To take a story that most readers are already going to be familiar with,
17:22and to give them the same and something that they're like,
17:27oh, I love this story, I remember this story from my childhood, I am excited to be seeing it retold,
17:33and yet also flip it on its head.
17:35The first book in The Lunar Chronicles follows Lin Cinder,
17:38a cyborg and a top mechanic in New Beijing.
17:41Doesn't sound like the fairy tale you're used to, does it? But there are princes and evil stepmothers,
17:47and a big ball, of course. Most importantly, there's a heroine that you're definitely going
17:52to root for. This story fits in perfectly with two big trends, dystopian movies and modern
17:57reimaginings of classic fairy tales, making it a great candidate for a memorable film.
18:02And this is the first in a series, did someone say franchise?
18:06You find a story that just speaks to you in such a deep level, and you want to, you know,
18:11live with those characters forever, and you want to find other people that love it as much as you do.
18:15So I completely understand that desire to build a community around it.
18:19Number 6.
18:20A Porson, aka Old Kingdom series, Garth Nix.
18:24The A Porson series, known as the Old Kingdom series outside North America,
18:28began in 1995 with the first novel Sabriel. This is high fantasy at its best, featuring a mystical
18:35world, dark villains, and magic that adheres to firm-set rules. It should appeal to the same
18:42audience who fell for the Harry Potter series.
18:44I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading.
18:48This is light.
18:49The A Porson books have come close to being given the big screen treatment several times over the years,
18:54but unfortunately nothing has ever become concrete. Author Garth Nix says he has written the adapted
19:00screenplay for Sabriel, so fans can hold out hope that its magic will one day fill a movie theater near
19:06them.
19:06It's about doing what you want. It's about exerting your power, regardless of any constraints or boundaries.
19:14Number 5.
19:15Delirium Trilogy, Lauren Oliver.
19:17Set at the end of the 21st century, the Delirium series takes place in a dystopian future where love
19:23is considered a disease, and there is a way to cure it. If this story sounds familiar,
19:29it's because Lauren Oliver's series was actually developed into a series for Fox,
19:33but sadly it wasn't picked up.
19:35Hold on one second.
19:41I'm gonna have to call you back.
19:42Wait, what's going on?
19:43I'll call you back.
19:44The pilot was, however, made available for viewing on Hulu for a short period of time.
19:49Now, however, you'd have to dig deep online in order to find it.
19:52It seems like this dystopian saga may have been a better fit for a Hunger Games-style
19:57movie trilogy than a TV show.
19:58Your whole let's party, let's have fun crap as I'll talk?
20:01Lena!
20:02I may break a few rules once in a while, but I don't have the disease. I'm not one of
20:08them.
20:09Number 4.
20:10Graceling Series, Kristin Cashore.
20:12The Graceling books feel like a perfect mix between the worlds of Divergent and Game of Thrones.
20:17Citizens in this fantasy world are set apart if they're born with special skills or graces.
20:23And the story has all the high fantasy elements that make Game of Thrones so popular with audiences.
20:28My brother has his sword, and I have my mind, and a mind needs books like a sword needs a
20:33whetstone.
20:35That's why I read so much Jon Snow.
20:37There was news back in 2013 that the Graceling series was being developed by Reliance Entertainment,
20:43but there hasn't been any news of progress since then. It's possible that since the world was inundated
20:48with so many YA fantasies around that time, the team decided to put this project on hold.
20:53Now I have a world that has more possibilities and a lot of things I could do, so I'm ready.
21:04Whenever it calls to me, I'll be ready.
21:06Number 3.
21:09This quirky love story between two misfits set in the 1980s would make a perfect YA romance film.
21:16Can you imagine how great the soundtrack would be?
21:18I spent a lot of time thinking about what is the heart of Eleanor and Park,
21:23because it can't actually be the plot, if that makes sense.
21:26It can't be the exact, anybody you've seen.
21:29For me, the Lord of the Rings movies are a really good example of something where it's got its own
21:34soul.
21:34Sadly, the latest news is that the film rights have been returned to Rainbow Rowell
21:38after she spent a year and a half developing the screenplay with DreamWorks Entertainment.
21:43This doesn't mean that a movie will never happen,
21:45but it does mean we'll likely have to wait a long time to see one.
21:49We'll see, you know, I don't know.
21:50I'm sure it's gonna be great.
21:51You know, if it happens, I mean, I want to be really optimistic.
21:54Right, exactly.
21:54But, you know.
21:56You know.
21:56Fans of the author's work also have their fingers crossed for an adaptation of Rowell's Fangirl,
22:01another popular novel, but with college-age characters.
22:05It's about her showing up and having to be by herself and do all of those beginning of,
22:12you know, college things.
22:13But it's also, Kath has another identity, and she is an...
22:17Magi-Kath.
22:17Yes, Magi-Kath.
22:18Number two, Wicked Lovely series, Melissa Marr.
22:22This book series by Melissa Marr, short stories and manga notwithstanding,
22:26has had fans clamoring for a movie since the first book became a bestseller.
22:30Wicked Lovely is the story of a girl who finds out she has a destiny.
22:35Unfortunately, like most of us, when she finds out that someone has determined not
22:39only her future career, but her future love interest, she has a little issue.
22:43At the same time, it's the story of the Summer King who was cursed,
22:48and that comes directly from folklore.
22:50In this magical story, the protagonist is a girl who can see evil fairies,
22:54and is trying to avoid being sucked into the fairy realm.
22:57The author has even shared some of her dream casting choices,
23:00mentioning Hailee Steinfeld as her pick for main character Ashlyn,
23:04and Stephen R. McQueen of The Vampire Diaries for Keenan.
23:07There have been a couple of planned adaptations for Wicked Lovely, but so far,
23:11none have come to fruition.
23:13The perspectives in it are a bit of a surprise.
23:15You will see old and new characters telling the story.
23:18The narrative is unlike anything I've done in any of the other books.
23:30Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album Balance,
23:35classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
23:38Check out the full track and album below.
23:55Number 1. Earthsea Series
23:57Ursula K. Le Guin
23:59Started by Ursula K. Le Guin in the 1960s,
24:02This classic fantasy series about a world with no large continents has become part of the young
24:07adult canon. When the first book was published, however, YA novels weren't the powerhouse industry
24:12they are today. In fact, the category of young adult barely even existed then.
24:17I thought, well, you know, adolescents are people. They're very good readers.
24:23Sometimes they're the best readers of all.
24:27So what makes a young adult book having a young adult central character? Well, I can do that.
24:36This series started with a short story called The World of Unbinding,
24:40which then developed into six full-length novels set in the world of Earthsea.
24:44The story has already been turned into a Japanese animated movie called Tales from Earthsea,
24:49as well as a 2004 TV miniseries. But fans would love to see this fantasy
24:54favorite get the live-action Hollywood treatment.
24:56I was just telling a story I wanted to tell, which obviously had very deep sources in my own life.
25:05And so it is wonderful to be told by your readers
25:10that they love your book because when they read it, they needed it.
25:17Which YA standalone novel or series do you think had the best film adaptation? Let us know below.
25:26I'll see you in the next one below.