12 books in the young adult genre that will captivate both teenagers and adults
Miscellaneous / / September 10, 2023
A drama about a school shooting, a novel about abusive female friendships, fantasy and more.
Literature in the young adult genre is designed for teenagers - those very “young adults”. The main characters in the books are also teenagers, and the plots deal with topics that are vital for young people - most often these are stories of growing up, first love and various age-related difficulties. But adults also show interest in young adult - in order to rethink some moments of their lives and feel nostalgic about their youth. We have collected books that everyone will enjoy.
1. "Oliver Loving" by Stefan Block
Oliver Loving is an ordinary teenager: he is in high school, falls in love with his classmate, writes poetry and makes plans for the future. But everything changes on November 15: a former student bursts into the school ball with a weapon in his hands. schools Hector Espina starts the shooting.
Oliver is wounded and falls into a coma. The usual life of his family collapses: the mother does not leave her son’s bed, and the father begins to drink. Everyone forgets about Oliver's younger brother Charlie, who now more than ever needs parental support and care. This is a beautiful and poignant book about growing up, losses, difficult relationships with parents and the ability to cope with grief.
The book will be of interest to those who have read "Columbine" Dave Cullen, "Good night, Andy!" Rhianon Naveen and "The perks of Being a Wallflower» Stephen Chbosky.
Buy a book2. "The Liar" by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
The main character Nofar is 17 years old. She, like many teenagers, dreams of finding cool friends or falling in love. But so far she has only managed to get a summer job in a cafe. On one of the last days of August, a man, Avishai Milner, comes to see her: a once famous singer, whom few people now remember.
Avishai is angry, so he inadvertently offends Nofar, who runs out into the street in upset feelings. Avishai realizes that he is to blame, catches up with her and wants to apologize, but the unexpected happens: Nofar declares to everyone present that he wanted to rape her. Why was this stupid unconscious lie necessary? Nofar herself doesn’t really understand it yet. But her action will greatly change the fates of all the heroes of this story.
The book will appeal to fans of novels by Sally Rooney and Eshkol Nevo, as well as those who have read "American style marriage» Tayari Jones and is interested in psychology.
Buy a book3. Normal People, Sally Rooney
Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan are classmates. But, as often happens, they belong to different worlds and social strata. Everyone loves Connell at school, he is a typical handsome guy and the star of the local football team, while Marianne is his complete opposite. She spends her time studying and reading books.
The guys meet not only in class: Connell’s mother works as a cleaner in the house of the Sheridans, very wealthy people. One day, the teenagers start talking to each other in the kitchen - Connell is waiting for his mother to be free - and this awkward and sudden conversation brings them closer.
The book will help the reader know yourself and those around you, will make you think about human relationships and what normality is. Many people often ask themselves these questions in adolescence, but it also happens that you can look for answers to them all your life.
If you've read The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, "Harvard Square" by Andre Aciman, "Clara and the Sun» Kazuo Ishiguro, books by Mikita Franko, then you will probably like Sally Rooney.
Buy a book4. Snowflake, Louise Nealon
This is the story of eighteen-year-old Debbie White, who lives on a farm with her mother and uncle. Debbie's world is special: she knows nothing about the rhythm of big cities, she is accustomed only to nature and her own strange family. Her mother Maeve believes she has the gift of prophetic dreams, and her uncle Billy lives in a trailer behind the house and likes to drink.
Debbie is trusting naive and very kind. Her everyday life is quite monotonous. Everything changes when a girl enters Trinity College, one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. Debbie plunges into an unfamiliar world with completely new people and rules. Will Debbie cope with the upcoming difficulties and what awaits her ahead is told on the pages of the book.
“Snowflake” will appeal to those who love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Americanha.”After a quarrel"Anna Todd, "The mysterious murder of a dog at night"Mark Haddon and the life-affirming prose of Fredrik Backman.
Buy a book5. “Nora, or Burn, Oslo, Burn”, Johanna Fried
The main character of the book, Yuhanna, finds herself in a difficult situation: her boyfriend Emil is secretly communicating with his ex, a beauty and a social media star. How can you not be jealous? Here is Yukhanna and jealous. He begins to constantly compare himself with her and create scandals for Emil. In addition to the emotional pain of the narrator, physical pain is added - Nora’s endometriosis worsens due to nervousness. "Nora" is not only a story about jealousy, but also about the courage to overcome one's internal barriers.
The atmosphere of the book is reminiscent of "Ugly love" Colin Hoover, "Deal"Elle Kennedy or "Season of poisoned fruits» Vera Bogdanova.
Buy a book6. "Eliza and Beatrice. The story of a friendship", Silvia Avallone
"Elisa and Beatrice" is a story about two friends. Their acquaintance begins with a daring prank: as teenagers, they steal jeans from a local store. The girls are completely different from each other, but they are united by loneliness. Elisa is an introvert from a problematic family, while Beatrice's life, on the contrary, seems ideal. The girls' communication looks strange: of course, the friends value each other, but jealousy, competition and the thirst for power is also present in their relationship.
Friendship ends after 6 years. Eliza, already an adult, still cannot forget about Beatrice. Every day she sees her posts on social networks and asks herself the question: what happened between them? The novel perfectly shows the story of one person's dependence on another, the story of submission, rivalry and growing up.
The book will appeal to those who have read "Fried green tomatoes at the Polustanok cafe" Fannie Flagg, "Servant" Kathryn Stockett, "Pretty Little Liars" Sarah Shepard, "The girls here are all so cute"Lori Flynn and, of course, fans of Elena Ferrante's work.
Buy a book7. "I Was Born for This" by Alice Osman
The main character of the book, Angel, loves the Ark, the most popular boy band in Great Britain. She sits in communities dedicated to the group and finds friends there. Angel's biggest dream in life is to see her idols live, and she is looking forward to the concert. But suddenly he is faced with a sobering reality: the lead singer of “Ark” Jimmy turns out to be completely different from what Angel imagined him to be.
After disappointment comes a crisis: a girl thinks about her place in the world and tries to separate real life from the life of the fandom. This is a story about eternal questions, friendship and finding yourself.
This book pairs well with Alice Osman's other novels, as well as with Cathy O'Neill's fascinating Tea Dragon trilogy.
8. “The end of the world is coming”, Mikita Franko
This is a story about eleven-year-old Oliver, who, by the way, chose his name himself - in honor of one of the heroes of Dickens's novel. Oliver lives in an orphanage and is interested in everything that should interest an eleven-year-old boy. The greatest desire in his life is to be cured of HIV infection and find his own family.
The fulfillment of his second wish seems very close and real: he is already waiting for his future adoptive parents, but suddenly an announcement is made on TV. end of the world. The book raises important social topics and very well conveys the thoughts and experiences of a child.
Mikita Franko's realistic and lively prose will be of interest to Salinger lovers. From more modern books you can read “Muon neutrino flying through our hearts"by Anastasia Evstyukhina and a collection of stories by young writers "Invisible Voices".
Buy a book9. Yes, No, Maybe, Becky Albertalli, Aisha Said
Jamie Goldberg volunteers for the summer break at the campaign headquarters of a local Senate candidate. The guy likes to be useful and participate in the social life of society, but excessive modesty and shyness prevent him from communicating with strangers.
Everything changes when they meet Maya, who appears at their headquarters. She is bored: the summer, which should have been the best of her life, turns out to be the worst - all plans have been ruined, and she has to spend the holidays campaigning people paired with a strange guy. But the closer the vote gets, the more complicated the relationship between the volunteers becomes, including between Jamie and Maya.
The book raises important social issues, tells the story of two young people growing up, and allows you to think about responsibility for your own actions and the ability to change your beliefs. It will appeal to those who have read "Younger brother"Corey Doctorow and "Swimming section for solo drinkers» Sashi Karina.
10. "Snake's Nest" by Alexi Zentner
Jessup is an ordinary high school student who wants to graduate quickly, get a sports scholarship and go to college. He loves his family very much and tries his best to help his mother make ends meet, so he works part-time at a local movie theater.
With the appearance of his stepfather, a bright streak begins in his life: he finds the male support that he so lacked, a sense of home and his favorite hobby - football. Jessup's stepfather supports him in everything, however, he also becomes the main one the cause of trouble teenager The kids from school begin to look at the already not very popular Jessup even more closely. He is used to ignoring attacks, but shortly before graduation there is an accident, and if anyone finds out about it, he will have to say goodbye to his dreams of the future. What secret is his family hiding?
The book will appeal to those who have read “Snowflake” by Louise Nealon, “Oliver Loving” by Stefan Block, “Death Playlist: Romance"Michelle Falkoff and "Against the Wick" by Stéphane Servan.
Buy a book11. "Summer Brother", Jaap Robben
A coming-of-age novel about a teenager who is forced to care for his disabled brother. And about love that can take root in the most unexpected places.
Brian's family is far from ideal. He lives with his father in a remote trailer park, and his older brother lives in an institution for the mentally retarded. The father, tempted by a substantial compensation, agrees to take his sick son home, but all his worries entrusts on Brian. How to take care of a person if you don’t know what he needs?
"The Summer Brother" is a deceptively simple story about life on the periphery. The book clearly conveys a child's worldview and truthfully talks about the lives of people with disabilities. It will appeal to those who have read Checkmate by Ali Hazelwood, If He Stayed by Laura Nowlin, Meteorites by Andrea Maggi and Amnesia by Natalie Somers.
Buy a book12. “Preparators”, Jana Lett
For a long time, the country of Kjertania has been covered by the Cold, in which it is not possible survive neither people nor animals - only strange beasts, snithirs, living on two layers of reality at the same time. Hunting for them, the main industry on which life on the continent depends, is carried out by preparators - people endowed with a special gift that allows them to go out into the Cold. Snithir body parts are used everywhere: in the creation of trains and planes, or medicines and luxury goods, and in providing cities with heat.
The main characters of the book, Sorta, Misse and Unelm, leave the outskirts of Kyertania and go to the capital to master the craft of preparators. Finding themselves in the thick of intrigue and adventure, they grow up, fall in love and make difficult decisions.
The book will appeal to those who have already read “The World from the Holes” by Jana Lett, “Christopher Kleen and Two Kings"Alexandra Richter and "Storm and storm» Leigh Bardugo.
Buy a bookEven more interesting books📚
- 9 Books Based on Incredible True Stories
- 12 books that will appeal to lovers of secrets and mysticism
- 8 popular science comics about how the world works