On the hunt for addictive YA books featuring badass women of color? Color Me In author Natasha Díaz has got you covered with her top five picks!

There just aren’t enough YA books featuring badass women of color in the world. At least, not yet. That being said, there have been a few diverse YA books that have come out recently and are paving the way for all of the fierce women of color you could ever hope for.

Ahead of the release of her debut YA novel Color Me In, author Natasha Díaz stopped by to share which of these recent YA books you need to add to your “to read” list ASAP.

Author Natasha Díaz’s top 5 YA books featuring badass women of color

The past few years have brought us some amazing books, especially in the YA space. Incredible bestsellers like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, and the An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir have opened doors and made waves for women of color in the industry.

But we still have a long way to go until there is inclusive and accurate representation of the world at large within YA literature. This is true, not only in terms of the authors receiving book deals, but also in terms of the characters featured in those books.

While we continue to work toward that goal, I want to take some time to celebrate YA books featuring badass women of color that have come out recently. From a ballet dancer to trained zombie killers to a young woman who has to overcome a multigenerational curse, this collection of books is just a glimpse at what WOC can do in literature. Trust me, you don’t want to miss them!

‘I Wanna Be Where You Are’ by Kristina Forest

Chloe always follows the rules (like, always), so things get complicated for her when she decides to lie to her mother and take an unapproved road trip across the Northeast to audition for a spot at a prestigious ballet academy in Washington, D.C. It doesn’t help that her annoying (and adorable) neighbor, Eli, and his dog, Geezer, blackmail her into letting them join, adding more chaos and strife to an already stressful trip.

This relatable and heartwarming romantic comedy is full of #BlackGirlMagic. It reminds us to fight for what we love, even if that means getting into a little bit of trouble. Through roadblock after roadblock, Chloe remains determined to follow her dream to become a ballet dancer, and if that isn’t badass, I don’t know what is.

‘Dread Nation’ by Justina Ireland

This book knocked me off my chair onto the floor, where I rolled around for a while. Then I got up and did it all over again. Dread Nation features not one but TWO young badass women of color, Jane and Kate, who are required to be trained in combat by the Native and Negro Reeducation Act, which came into effect after zombies began to rise and ravage America in the midst of the Civil War.

The book is told from Jane’s perspective, and she is a sharp, skilled, and unapologetic narrator, quick to call a situation out for what it is and unafraid to investigate the goings on that do not add up. Eventually, she finds an unlikely partner in Kate, another student at her combat school, who seems to look down on Jane. In time, Kate lets her guard down and proves to be more aware and useful than she initially let on. Together, they find themselves in some nail-biting situations and discover secrets that the elected officials do not want out, which leads them into even more trouble.

The first book in this series ends in a way that had me staring at the final page, willing more to appear. Extra points go to Dread Nation for tackling biracial identity and colorism with nuance and depth, all within the framework of a truly brilliant zombie narrative.

‘Don’t Date Rosa Santos’ by Nina Moreno

From the first chapter of this novel, Moreno’s prose truly jumps off the page and into your heart. Rosa is a second-generation Cuban American woman trying to figure out whether to go to college in Havana, despite her abuela’s objections. While she attempts to learn more about her heritage, her mother, an artist who comes and goes, makes a reappearance, complicating her home life.

Then, to make things worse (or better, depending how you look at it), a cute and mysterious pastelito chef moves in to her little beach town in Florida. While their chemistry is undeniable, Rosa struggles to keep him at arm’s length to protect him from the curse that has plagued the Santos women ever since Abuela escaped Cuba on a boat in the middle of the night — a curse that dooms the men they fall in love with to be swallowed up by the sea.

As Rosa navigates her history and tries to find a path for her future, she discovers her whole self and learns not only how to receive love but how to give it, and how to fully embrace her heritage. It’s a wonderful story of redemption and understanding, and one you absolutely do not want to miss.

‘Wicked Fox’ by Kat Cho

This romance-fantasy is a contemporary spin on age-old Korean legends that feature gumiho, a mythical nine-tailed fox that turns into a beautiful woman and must feast on the souls of men to stay alive.

Can you get more badass? I’ll wait.

When Miyoung comes across Jihoon being attacked, she protects him, which goes against her code. She loses her fox bead — her gumiho soul — in the process. In this vibrantly written depiction of modern-day Seoul with more than a splash of K-drama, Miyoung and Jihoon navigate dangerous forces hiding at every turn as their unlikely friendship shifts into something more intimate. Make sure to check out the first book in this exciting new duology.

Oh, pro tip: Make sure to eat before you crack it open because every few pages you will be hit with another food description that will have you salivating and in need of a snack.

‘We Set the Dark on Fire’ by Tehlor Kay Meija

Daniela Vargas is a top student at the Medio School for Girls. Graduates are trained for one of two roles: They either run their husband’s household (Primera) or raise their children (Segunda). When Dani is made Primera of the man who is set to take control of Medio, she begins to uncover secrets about the city and the corruption that exists within the upper class, while trying to keep a massive secret of her own.

Not to mention, their Segunda, Carmen, an outspoken, confident woman who Dani has always had a difficult relationship with, keeps testing her at every turn, forcing Daniela to look inside herself and acknowledge some unspoken feelings she may have.

It is a story about revolution and the power that women have to challenge the status quo when society tells them to remain in “their place.” This book has wonderful queer and Latinx representation and a story about finding your voice, set in a dystopian world that will keep you begging for more. You won’t have to wait too long — the sequel is headed our way in 2020!

About ‘Color Me In’ by Natasha Díaz

Debut YA author Natasha Díaz pulls from her personal experience to inform this powerful coming-of-age novel about the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.

Who is Nevaeh Levitz?

Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom’s family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time.

Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but one of her cousins can’t stand that Nevaeh, who inadvertently passes as white, is too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices they face on a daily basis as African Americans. In the midst of attempting to blend their families, Nevaeh’s dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. Even with the push and pull of her two cultures, Nevaeh does what she’s always done when life gets complicated: She stays silent.

It’s only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom’s past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces that she begins to realize she has a voice. And she has choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she find power in herself and decide once and for all who and where she is meant to be?

Color Me In by Natasha Díaz will be available on August 20, 2019, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository, or Indiebound. Also, don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads “to read” list!