7 Best YA Novels Adapted Into Hit TV Shows
A look at some of the best TV adaptations of much-loved young adult novels.
The future is bright for young adult television, with adaptations of two modern-day classic book series on their way. Amazon is currently promoting its upcoming Alex Rider series, based on the best-selling spy novels by Anthony Horowitz, recently announcing that it will drop on its Prime Video platform on 4 June. Meanwhile, author Rick Riordan, the 'Myth Master', confirmed on 15 May that a new Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is going to be adapted for Disney+.
Both books have previously been made into films, but in both cases the franchises were cut short by mediocre box office performances and underwhelming audience responses. However, the millions who have fallen in love with the characters and stories on the page - as well as the studios backing them, of course - will be hoping that they will be done justice on the small screen.
There have been plenty of haphazard efforts, but many other teen novels have made successful transitions to TV, especially since the start of the streaming era. Here, we explore some of the finest examples, from fantasy adventures to romantic thrillers.
7. Shadowhunters
Like both Percy Jackson and Alex Rider, Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters Chronicles series was originally intended to be turned into a film franchise, started by 2013's Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. The books follow the endeavours of Clary Fray, who discovers on her 18th birthday that she has special powers and is destined to protect humanity against threats from a host of dangerous creatures, including demons, vampires and werewolves.
Although the mixed reception to the first film meant that the franchise was soon killed off, the series was revamped in the form of Shadowhunters, which premiered in early 2016. The fans' reception to the TV show was much more positive and it was quickly renewed for a second series.
The show remained more loyal to its source material than the film and its critical reception only improved over time. It was a huge shock, therefore, when its cancellation was announced in June 2018 after just three seasons. The Freeform network expressed its regret and blamed the show's ending on a lack of funding after its distribution deal with Netflix was not extended. Fans were partly recompensed, however, when a two-and-a-half-hour finale was commissioned so that it received a satisfactory conclusion.