My list of Best YA Vampire Books looks at Young Adult Vampire books throughout the decades.
Back in the early 2000s, young adult fiction was all paranormal romance all the time. Then reading trends put a stake through the heart of teen vampire fiction and the number of vampire romance books for teens dropped dramatically. But cold blooded vampire fiction is heating up again! Whether you’re a longtime fan looking for new books like Twilight or Vampire Academy or someone just starting to explore YA vampire book series, I have suggestions for you!
Best YA Vampire Books – Jen’s Quick Picks
- New for Halloween 2025: Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis, The Nightblood Prince by Molly X Chang, Shadow Bride by Shelby Mahurin, Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes, Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell
- Must Read Y2K Young Adult Vampire Books: Twilight and Vampire Academy
- LGBTQ Young Adult Vampire Books: Youngblood, The Witch and the Vampire
- Vampire Books for Tweens: Vampire Academy
- Vampire Books With Swoony Y2K Romance: Vampire Diaries, Twilight, and Vampire Academy
- Horror Vampire Books for Teens: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Immortal Rules
- Humorous Vampire Books For Teens: Mere Mortals
Classic Teen Vampire Romance (2005-2010)
Ah the days of old school young adult vampire Books! Whether you thought Edward was brooding and hot or controlling and cold, Twilight kicked off not only a huge vampire fiction trend but also a big focus on teen paranormal romance books. Love triangles, forbidden love, it was all there!
But teen vampire fiction didn’t start with Twilight. In the 1990s, there was Vampire Diaries.
Vampire Diaries (1991-2014) series
You’ve seen the show, now read the books!
Elena is the school beauty, but she’s bored, until a new boy turns up in her class.
Stefan is dark and mysterious—and she’s determined to get to know him better. He’s a vampire, on the run from his evil brother, Damon, who doesn’t share Stefan’s qualms about drinking human blood. And Damon is the one Stefan suspects of really being behind the recent attacks… Can Elena help prove his innocence—without revealing his secret?
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005-2008) series
About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
Blue Bloods (2006-2013) series
Free to read on Kindle Unlimited!
When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (2007) series
Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.
After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger… and the Strigoi are always close by.
If you’ve never read these books, it’s time. If you love the series, do a re-read with me! Join my St. Vladimir’s Summer School posts, where I read the Vampire Academy books and discuss them with you!
Vampire Academy Book One: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy Book Two: Frostbite by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy Book Three: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy Book Four: Blood Promise
Vampire Academy Book Five: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy Book Six: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (2012)
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (2013)
You knew Holly Black wrote fae fiction, but did you know she wrote a vampire book?
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.
Vampires of Manhattan by Melissa de la Cruz (2014)
Characters from the Blue Bloods series are older and cooler than before, trying to build “millennial” lives in the bustle of Manhattan while battling forces of evil and, of course, each other.
Teen Vampire Fiction Reimagined: 2020-2022
From LGBTQ vampires to a narrator-flipped version of Twilight to vampires in the Midwest, here are some fresh takes on Vampires for a new decade!
Midnight Sun (Twilight #5) by Stephenie Meyer
When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story.
This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire.
As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?
The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh (2019-2022)
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris.
Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger.
When bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose. Celine soon uncovers something even more shocking.
Crave by Tracy Wolff (2020-2022) series
Hmmmm… from the first-person synopsis to the cover design, this book is reminding me of something….
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.
Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me…
Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehring
The only thing August Pfeiffer hates more than algebra is living in a vampire town.
Located at a nexus of mystical energy fields, Fulton Heights is practically an electromagnet for supernatural drama. And when a mysterious (and annoyingly hot) vampire boy arrives with a cryptic warning, Auggie suddenly finds himself at the center of it.
An ancient and terrible power is returning to the earthly realm, and somehow Auggie seems to be the only one who can stop it.
Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling
Elise Beaumont is cursed. With every touch, she experiences exactly how her loved ones will die. Elise is desperate to get rid of her terrible gift, no matter the cost.
Claire Montgomery also has a unique relationship with death, mostly because she’s already dead. Technically, anyway. Claire is a vampire, and she’s been assigned by the Veil to help Elise master her rare Death Oracle powers.
The trouble is, Claire and Elise aren’t the only paranormals in town—a killer is stalking the streets, and Claire can’t seem to shake the pull she feels toward Elise, a romance that could upend the Veil’s mission.
Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl
When Elton Irving turned Holly Liddell into a vampire in 1987, he promised her eternal love. But thirty-four years later, Elton has left her, her hair will be crimped for the rest of immortality, and the only job she can get as a forever-sixteen-year-old is the midnight shift at Taco Bell.
Belle Morte by Bella Higgin
I love the meta-ness of this. An author named Bella writing a book about characters named Belle and Edmond!
I came to Belle More in search of my sister.
Now that I’m here, the secrets about this world have proven to be much bigger than I ever anticipated.
There’s only one person who might have the answers I need, and the undeniable pull I feel toward him is terrifying: Edmond Dantès: a vampire, and my mortal enemy.
Mere Mortals by Erin Jade Lange
Charlie and her brother Reg have been vampires for a very long time. But now, after one careless mistake, they’ve been expelled from the vampire community and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, to live as mortals.
Suddenly Charlie has to deal with zits, tears, and high school. But things start to change when she and Reg find a group of friends, including the deliciously good-looking Dexter.
Afterlife by Melissa de la Cruz
An alternate universe story in the Blue Bloods series!
After defeating Lucifer and sacrificing the love of her life, Schuyler wakes up back in New York safe and sound. Only it’s not quite the New York she knows, and she’s not in her regular body. She looks different and feels different and so does everyone else. Jack has no idea who she is.
This is an alternate reality. One where Lucifer is alive and well and acting as mayor of New York, Blue Bloods are luring humans to clinics to drain their blood, and Jack is Lucifer’s right hand man.
Youngblood by Sasha Laurens
If you’re looking for books like Vampire Academy, this sounds like Vampire Academy for the 2020s!
Kat Finn and her mother can barely make ends meet living among humans. Like all vampires, they must drink an expensive blood substitute to survive.
When Kat learns she’s been accepted to the Harcote School (vampires only!) she knows her fortune is about to change.
In Nightfall by Suzanne Young
Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year and got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon.
Upon arrival their grandmother lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark.
Check out my review of In Nightfall on my sister YA site, YA All Day!
The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores
Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. But one night, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town. Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire.
Kaye, at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing vampires. Kaye convinces Ava and they should travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in.
The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
Célie Tremblay has always been a good girl. But she surprises the entire kingdom when she defies tradition to become the first huntswoman—including her new captain and fiancé, Jean Luc, who rules the huntsmen with an iron fist.
A new evil is rising in Belterra—leaving bodies in its wake, each one drained of blood.
Want more Brand New Paranormal Fiction to Read in Fall 2025:
Do you love teen paranormal books? Then check out these posts:
I never got into the vampire scene surprisingly. And the vampire academy show is coming out soon, right?
Ha – vampires were never my favorite, but I did love Vampire Academy. I really hope if there is a show it is better than the movie. And I thought it was sad that Netflix cancelled the new VE Schwab vampire show already, though Netflix is known for ordering shows and then not giving them a chance 🙁
What you have shown is that I really don’t read vampire books. I read all the VA and Bloodlines books, but not much else that was just about vampires.
I love a good vampire story. I’m actually re-watching The Vampire Diaries since Netflix is going to delete it from their site in September.
Wow, everything good is leaving Netflix!