Don't Discount YA Literature, Part III: Books to Try

I've spent some time lately talking about books written for teens and the ways that adult readers might come to these books with some inherent prejudices.  In fact I've written two different posts on the subject (see links at the bottom of this post).

Having these sorts of inherent prejudices against books written for this age group is problematic.  There is no reason at all why Young Adult books would not be as well-written as those written for adults.  In fact, I would imagine that, when looked at by percentages, there are just as many amazing books for teens as there are for adults!

I like to think that those adults who have such low expectations of Young Adult books just have not yet stumbled upon that one amazing YA read that makes them want to explore more of the genre.  I strongly believe that just about any YA book can be enjoyed by just about any open-minded adult reader.  If you're an adult looking for the best of the best in the genre here are a few books that might get you hooked on YA:


The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a high school freshman and he's not particularly popular.  As he writes letters to a "friend" describing his difficult life, he finds himself taken in by a few gregarious seniors and, with their help, navigates his way through a host of new experiences including sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A powerful novel that is deeper than the sum of its parts.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Mattie is a girl with big dreams of going to college, but given her farming family's needs and low expectations that typified 1906, she has little hope of seeing them come true.  Mattie is able to take a job at the Glenmore Hotel and hopes to set aside her earnings, but an unusual request from one of the hotel's patrons leads to a mystery that Mattie never expected.  A historic setting, a true crime murder mystery, lyrical writing, and solid characters come together to create an absorbing read.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
See what all the fuss is about by checking out this book about two teens with terminal illnesses who fall in love while trying to uncover the ending of one of their favorite books.  The book will make you laugh at cry at the same time.  Is the hold list too long for your liking?  I'd actually strongly recommend any book by this widely popular author, so try Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, or Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bobby is your typical teenage boy in Harlem.  When his girlfriend announces that she is pregnant, the two of them suddenly find themselves faced with decisions that they never thought they'd need to make. Angela Johnson's writing is poetic and lovely to read and transforms this premise from obvious to amazing.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Sam is an unassuming young adult working a dead-end fast food job.  Then one evening Douglas, a creepy and violent necromancer, wanders into the restaurant and sees plenty of potential in Sam.  That's when things start to get interesting.  This supernatural story is full of both humor and gore, and while this genre is stereotypically enjoyed by teens, adult fans of the genre will find plenty to like here.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
The two title characters meet when they find themselves sitting together on the bus, and they soon bond - and eventually fall in love - over Park's comics.  But everyone knows that first love doesn't usually last, and soon Eleanor's troubled home life threatens to tear the two apart.  Author Rainbow Rowell's voice is like a breath of fresh air as you read.  I also highly recommend another of Rowell's books, Fangirl.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou, an art student in Prague with fantastic blue hair, fills her sketchbooks with incredible monsters.  Little does anyone know that these monsters are real.  Karou has grown up with these chimera and is a part of their lives, traveling the world on mysterious errands to retrieve teeth for Brimstone, the monster who fills the role of her father.  Yet Karou has always felt that something was missing from her life  When the magical doors that allow for her travel are suddenly destroyed and her chimera family is killed, Karou just might find the answers she is looking for from the beautiful angel Akiva.  This fantastic novel is one part globe-trotting modern fantasy and one part heart-pounding romance, written with a grace and maturity that will make this book plenty palatable to adult readers.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Verity is a spy who finds herself captured by the Gestapo and Nazi-occupied France.  Her captors present her with two options:  Tell them what her mission was, or suffer the consequences.  She composes her story on scraps of paper, telling an intricate tale of courage, hope and friendship.  Meanwhile her best friend Maddie, who was also the pilot of the plane whose crash lead to Verity's capture, hopes to rescue her friend before it is too late.  This is a powerful story that sneaks up on a reader slowly.

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Matt and his sisters are deeply unhappy as they try to survive under the tyranny of their abusive mother.  Matt sees a glimmer of hope when their mother begins dating Murdoch, an upstanding man that Matt hopes can save them.  But will it be enough?  Or will Matt need to take a stand on his own?  Readers will find themselves rooting for Matt and his sisters as they try their best to pick up the pieces of their lives.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Narrated by Death himself, this book set in Nazi Germany tells the story of a girl, her foster family, a Jew, and a love of books.  The unique narration (Death as the comic relief in an otherwise heavy story) makes an otherwise awesome book truly stand out in the crowd.


See Also:  Don't Discount YA Literature
See also:  DDYL, Part II:  The Dos and Don'ts of Criticism