7 verse novels to hook in unenthusiastic readers

Verse novels are my favourite books to read.

They’re great if, like me, you have a very short attention span – and they have the capacity to truly move the reader in a relatively short word count, a powerful tool for any writer to possess. 

Here’s a list of three I love and four I haven’t had a chance to read yet but can’t wait to get hold of. I’ve already talked about The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds in a previous blog, so have omitted them from this list to avoid repetition. 

One thing I would say is that it would be great to see more high-quality verse novels being published for a middle grade audience, as the vast majority published tend to be aimed for the YA market (as my list attests!)

Nyla’s Grandma Farida is losing her memory. When she says she’s seen Nyla’s father, who died a number of years ago, Nyla thinks she must have been ​‘time-travelling’ again, which is how she describes her grandma’s lapses of memory. 

But Grandma Farida insists Nyla must help discover the truth – and so 12-year-old Nyla sets out on a journey of discovery, loss, and family bonds. Nadine Aisha Jassat’s story shows how difficult issues can be dealt with in a beautifully sensitive way. 

Coral is a great writer. With a wealth of experience working with young people, this book demonstrates just how well she understands her audience – and her ability to create believable characters who are trying to find their way. 

Here we’re introduced to Ava, who is not only navigating the complexities of Year 6, but also having to share a cramped hotel room with her mum and two siblings when they find themselves homeless. Little Light is poignant, hard-hitting and necessary. 

Ronny is 14 and moving from Hackney to Norwich, after a shocking episode of violence frightens his mum into uprooting them both in search of a new start. Ronny encounters racism and hostility, but is not the sort of young person to be stifled. 

He makes a new friend and his talent with words is recognised and encouraged by a local poet, giving Ronny the opportunity and confidence to begin to explore what it is he wants to say about the world in which he finds himself. 

Despite Louisa being one of my very favourite writers, I have somehow still failed to get a copy of this… yet! 

I’m well aware of Louisa’s ability to weave a poetic spell on her readers and can’t wait to dive into what I already know will be an immersive piece of writing. Half in verse and half in prose, this story of teen pregnancy has garnered fantastic reviews. 

Tia Fisher’s debut verse novel Crossing the Line received wide acclaim, and her new book looks set for the same. With themes of unplanned pregnancy, sexual consent, and smashing taboos, I’m expecting a well-crafted and powerful story. 

A new story from Manjeet, a writer of humanity and constraint, is always something to be celebrated – and I’m sure this verse novel of resistance will be worth waiting for. I’m looking forward to reading Rizu’s story of tragedy, justice, and freedom-fighting. 

Sarah Crossan is one of our finest verse novelists and everything I’ve ever read of hers has been brilliant. 

Her new book is a thriller which the publisher describes as ​“a sensational, immersive and hugely propulsive ​‘missing girl’ thriller, set against the backdrop of America’s controversial Troubled Teen industry”. I can’t wait.