The American Library Association revealed its list of the 11 most frequently challenged or banned books of 2025.
Patricia McCormick’s young-adult novel Sold, about a Nepalese girl who is sold into sexual slavery, topped the list. The novel, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, also made the ALA list in 2023 and 2024.
Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which has appeared on the ALA list 10 times previously, came in at No. 2, with Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir, Gender Queer, in in the No. 3 slot, its fifth appearance on the list.
Sarah J. Maas’ Empire of Storms was the fourth most challenged book of 2025, while Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Ellen Hopkins’ Tricks tied for fifth place . Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses came in at seventh.
Four books tied for eighth place: Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, Hopkins’ Identical, John Green’s Looking for Alaska, and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Storm and Fury.
The ALA said that 4,235 unique titles were challenged last year, the second highest number that the organization has recorded, just shy of the 4,240 titles challenged in 2023. Last year, 40% of the challenged books explored the experiences of LGBTQ+ people or people of color.
Sarah Lamdan, executive director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said in a statement, “In 2025, book bans were not sparked by concerned parents, and they were not the result of local grassroots efforts. They were part of a well-funded, politically-driven campaign to suppress the stories and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals and communities.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
