Young Adult Literature

Can You Match These Taglines to Their YA Books?

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Tirzah Price

Senior Contributing Editor

Most of Tirzah Price's life decisions have been motivated by a desire to read as many books as humanly possible. Tirzah holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked as an independent bookseller and librarian. She’s also the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries, published by HarperTeen, and Bibliologist at TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. Follow her on Twitter @TirzahPrice.

So let’s talk taglines—specifically, taglines for YA books. Taglines are short sentences on the covers of YA books, meant to be enticing enough to get you to pick up the book. They usually give you a feel for the tone of the book, and sometimes hint at plot or conflict. Now, boiling down an entire book into one marketable sentence is tough. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you end up with hilariously vague or overly dramatic lines that make you laugh.

We wondered about the effectiveness of such taglines, so we decided to come up with a fun quiz to see if you can match the tagline with its book. No peeking at your bookshelf! (Answers at the bottom of the post.)

  1. Power is a dangerous game.

Shadow and Bone/Scorpion Rules/RedQueen/Throne of Glass

A. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

B. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

C. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

D. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

  1. Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

A. You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

B. This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

C. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

D. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

  1. There’s no such thing as safe.

There's no such thing as safe.

 

A. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

B. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

C. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

D. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

  1. What if you got a second chance at life?

 

What if you got a second chance at life

A. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

B. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

C. Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

D. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

  1. What does it take to survive aboard a spaceship fueled by lies?

 

what does it take to survive

A. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

B. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Kay Kristoff

C. Starflight by Melissa Landers

D. Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

  1. The truth won’t let her go.

The truth won't let her go

A. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

B. Far From You by Tess Sharpe

C. Lies We Tell Ourselves by by Robin Talley

D. Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruits by Jaye Robin Brown

  1. The greatest risk is not taking one.

the only risk is not taking one

A. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

B. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

C. Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

D. Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

  1. Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

Image mash up of the covers of An Ember in the Ashes, Kiss of Deception, The Selection, and The Winner's Curse

A. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

B. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

C. The Selection by Kiera Cass

D. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

  1. Everyone gets a tragedy.

everyone gets a tragedy

A. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

B. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

C. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

D. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

  1. One wrong move could kill you.

one wrong move could kill you

A. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

B. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

C. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

D. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

  1. She came for revenge. Will she stay for love?

 

she came from revenge

A. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh

B. Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

C. Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

D. Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

  1. A boy, a secret, a choice.

A boy a secret a choice

A. 99 days by Katie Cotugno

B. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

C. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

D. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

 

Answer Key:

  1. Red Queen
  2. This Raging Light
  3. This Savage Song
  4. Side Effects May Vary
  5. Across the Universe
  6. Far From You
  7. Everything, Everything
  8. The Winner’s Curse
  9. The Beginning of Everything
  10. The Scorpion Rules
  11. The Wrath and the Dawn
  12. My Life Next Door

How’d you do? Share your results in the comments!