I'm not sure this is actually YA or just a "we shelve it here because protagonist apparent age", but I really appreciated the way this book felt like a specific genre of old school fantasy in the vein of Wrede's Lyra books or Diana Wynne Jones (plot is less twisty) or Robin McKinley. (Wait, when did they get old?)
It's a very specific itch, but Neumeier definitely scratches it.