Just a century ago, stories for teenagers, or ‘young-adult’ novels wasn’t even something that was on many publishers’s radars at all. The general feeling was that children didn’t read. However, this expectation has shifted dramatically in the past three decades
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
YouTube-star and young-adult sensation John Green is no stranger to fans of YA novels. His books have recently been turned into Hollywood movies, whilst An Abundance of Katherines remains his most spell-binding book to date.
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Twisted is a novel from Laurie Halse Anderson which examines the mindset of the typical American teenager. The story is told from the point of view of Tyler Miller. He was an average, overlooked high school student until the end of his junior year, where a graffiti prank led to him working all Summer to pay the fine for his misdemeanor. After the summer and upon his return to school, Tyler finds that the attitude of others towards him has changed, as have his muscles. I think Anderson has done an amazing job with Twisted. I was never bored and I sympathised with all the protagonist’s emotions and turmoil throughout.
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
I’ve been wanting to read this book since before it was published. It’s about a high school boy whose girlfriend accuses him of raping her. Inexcusable is a challenging read but definitely an important book to help young adults navigate this confusing part of their lives, expecially when the boundaries of young-love can seem confusing to many. Keir (the lead) is a good guy. Or at least, he says he is. But some people seem to think differently. It starts to become obvious that Keir might be lying, and not only to the reader but to himself as well.
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
A controversial one this. Regan’s brother Liam struggles with the person he is during the day. Like the moon, Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only comes out at night. This book is an amazing step forward in YA literature. Although you get a feeling for what the book is about by reading the back copy, sadly you don’t start to get the full spectrum of what this actually means until you reach the end of chapter one. Well worth a read this.
My thanks go to Furrowfield School. I spoke to somebody there during my research on this blog about the most loved young-adult books right now and they gave me some fantastic book suggestions to consider.
