Young Adult Books

A few months ago, I compiled a post of Children's Books highlighting my top eight children's novels. Now, I decided to do the same for Young Adult books (but there are seven on this list). (Harry Potter will be excluded from this list, as it was not put on the Children's list - a harry potter appreciation post will come in the near future!) (*note - boys might not like 3 - 7 because they're aimed at girl readers)

1) The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. A great dystopian trilogy  about America in the future where two tributes are sent from 12 districts to fight to the death. The last tribute standing receives a grand prize for his or her district. It is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen. If you haven't read these yet, GO READ!

2) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - narrated by Death, "This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul." It is the story of Liesel, a foster girl living outside of Munich who finds a desire for books. "It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery..."

3) Sold by Patricia McCormick - about Lakshmi, a 13-year-old girl who is sold into prostitution by her stepfather. Written entirely in vignettes, her story is one that you will never forget. Although fiction, prostitution in India is a huge problem; the Human Rights Watch says there are approximatley 15 million prostitutes in India (source)

4) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. A classic coming-of-age tale about a young girl from an Irish-American family growing up in Brooklyn in the early 20th century. A true American classic, there isn't much to describe about this - it's a story of family, perseverance, growing up, and life.



5) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - a novel about Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide. She recorded 13 tapes, each about a different person, that she says are the reasons for her death. Clay, the book's main character, who had a crush on Hannah, listens to them. Heartbreaking and sad, Asher's novel focuses on one of the leading causes of death.

6) My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult. A harrowing novel about the struggles of a family with a daughter who has cancer, it is a true Jodi Picoult novel - a moral dilemma, an unexpected death, a romance, a trial, etc. I don't usually like Picoult's novels because of their predictability but I did like this novel a lot.

7) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. The narrator, Lily, is a white girl growing up in the deep south with her abusive father (her mother died when she was young). She runs away with her black housekeeper to discover more about her mother, and in doing so, she discovers who she is.

Notable mentions: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner Trilogy, Book 1) by James Dashner, A Corner Of The Universe by Ann M. Martin, Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras by Scott Westerfeld, Impulse by Ellen Hopkins, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: The Complete Collection by Ann Brashares.