2019 starred reviews on YA books (so far)

2019 is half over. What YA books do professional reviewers like best? They tell us by giving their favorites "starred reviews." Therefore, the more starred reviews, the more agreement among the pros.

Six different journals are used for the purpose of compiling starred reviews: Booklist, the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Horn Book, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.

Here are their favorites:

Six Starred Reviews

Two books:

On the Come Up. Angie Thomas. B, BCCB, HB, K, PW, SLJ.
Shout. Laurie Halse Anderson. B, BCCB, HB, K, PW, SLJ.

Five Starred Reviews

One book:
Lovely War. Julie Berry. B, HB, K, PW, SLJ.

Four Starred Reviews

Twelve books:
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America. B, K, PW, SLJ.
Courting Darkness. Robin LaFevers. B, K, PW, SLJ.
Dig. A.S. King. B, BCCB, HB, SLJ.
The Gilded Wolves. Roshani Chokshi. B, K, PW, SLJ.
How It Feels to Float. Helena Fox. B, BCCB, K, PW.
Internment. Samira Ahmed. B, K, PW, SLJ.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. Mariko Tamaki. B, BCCB, K, PW.
Spin. Lamar Giles. B, K, PW, SLJ.
Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. David Elliott. BCCB, K, PW, SLJ.
We Rule the Night. Claire Eliza Bartlett. B, K, PW, SLJ.
We Set the Dark on Fire. Tehlor Kay Mejia. B, K, PW, SLJ.
With the Fire on High. Elizabeth Acevedo. B, HB, PW, SLJ.

There are ten YA books with three starred reviews but I will stop at four, figuring I wouldn't have enough time to read many more than these books by the end of the year. Ha! I've hyperlinked the books already read. If you have read any of these books, please let me know what you think.

-Anne