Books

8 of the Best Young Adult Novels For Grownups

Composition books have replaced beach balls in the center aisle of CVS. Yep, it's crazy: September is arriving, and soon enough the streets will be filled yellow schools buses. Whether you’re feeling nostalgic about the smell of notebook paper or want to squeeze in one last easy beach read for the summer, here are our favorite Young Adult novels that appeal to readers of all ages.

by Heba Hasan

Composition books have replaced beach balls in the center aisle of CVS. Yep, it's crazy: September is arriving, and soon enough the streets will be filled yellow schools buses. Whether you’re feeling nostalgic about the smell of notebook paper or want to squeeze in one last easy beach read for the summer, here are our favorite Young Adult novels that appeal to readers of all ages.

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'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green

John Green is no stranger to writing compelling YA novels that appeal to adults. His debut novel, Looking for Alaska, is another favorite among grownups. But The Fault in Our Stars is his most brilliant work yet. Taking on the story of Hazel, a teenager who has terminal cancer, Green seamlessly slips into an adolescent’s frame of mind, filling the story with humor, heartbreak and first loves that is believable for all ages.

'Stargirl' by Jerry Spinelli

One of our favorite Manic Pixie Dream Girl depictions in literature, Stargirl is the girl you wish you could have been friends with in high school. A tale of the beauty of being different and the courage that being in love gives you, Stargirl is the perfect feel good book when you want to celebrate nonconformity.

'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' 
by Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie’s best-selling novel follows the story of Junior, a boy suffering from health problems and a talented cartoonist. Transferring from his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to an all-white school, Junior encounters a host of problems. Covering the fraught relationship between poverty stricken reservations and white communities, Alexie writes about a topic that is unfortunately not talked about enough. Yet through the eyes of Junior, the story is told with a beautiful resilience.

'Go Ask Alice' by Anonymous

Continuing to intrigue readers because of its anonymous nature, Go Ask Alice is written in diary form by a troubled young girl. Covering topics such as sex, drugs, and rape in the 1960s, the book is an interesting read not just for its content but also as a piece of history that has endured and resonated with readers for more than 40 years.

'Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
' by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Two outsiders meet and their lives change — and here unfolds a story that deals with family issues, Mexican-American identity, and homosexuality. At its heart, though, the novel is a poetic rumination on how love can help you become the person you always wanted to be.

'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

Set in Germany during World War II, the novel tells the story of foster girl Liesel Meminger. As a way to escape the harsh realities that surround her, Liesel starts stealing books and voraciously consumes them to slip into another life. Her new habit lands her in some tricky situations. And in case you’re wondering, the story is narrated by Death, which adds even more interest to this already-smart novel.

'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros

Author Sandra Cisneros does not waste a word in this novel. Comprised of nonlinear vignettes, Cisneros meticulous and careful prose draws the reader into the life of Esperanza. A fantastic piece of diaspora literature, Esperanza shows us how wanting things is not fruitless or frivolous but rather a way to dream, a way to ask questions about ethnic identity, and a way decide what type of person we want to be.

'Eleanor & Park'
 By Rainbow Rowell

Author John Green sums up this novel perfectly when he states, “Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.” In this novel you fall in love. You fall in love with Park who is Korean and too gay to have a girlfriend, you fall in love with Eleanor who is too fat and unpopular to have a boyfriend, and you fall in love with Rowell’s observational and electrifying writing that tells the story of two people facing the world and all of its obstacles together.

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