How Many of These YA Books Have You Read?
Young Adult — or YA — fiction is an impressively rich genre of literature. Offering everything from heartfelt coming-of-age stories and depictions of identity formation to educational tales and captivating fantasy novels, YA is both broad and deep in its reach.
Often given a bad rep for being ‘juvenile’ in nature, this is not the case at all. Although intended for younger audiences in its themes, its language can be just as poetic, imaginative, and impressive as works of fiction for adults.
In this blog, we shine a light on the capabilities of YA books, making a case that everyone — not just teens — should read this genre as it has much to offer. How many YA books have you read?
Why should you read young adult fiction?
From healing your inner child to reducing stress, there are multiple reasons why adults should read YA fiction well beyond their teenage years.
For a start, YA books are typically easy to read and foster a faster-paced style of reading that is usually more rewarding. This can be excellent for those stuck in a reading slump. If you’re struggling with reading, and it feels like drawing blood from a stone, a dip into a young adult book can reinvigorate your love for reading.
Another benefit to YA books, fiction especially, is their ability to encourage imaginative thinking. Some of the strongest themes in YA centre around fantasy, escapism, and surrealism. So, for adults looking to escape the stresses of their 9-5 and get out of their heads for a bit, YA can help.
Young adult books can also help readers fall back in love with — or gain confidence in — reading by providing more plot-focused, action and feelings-heavy storylines without challenging language. For some people, the way a book is written can be a massive blocker to enjoying its plot and characters. Remove this factor and use simpler, but still rich, language and everyone wins!
How many YA books have you read?
If you like the sound of young adults writing and want to dip your toe in, use the list of best YA titles below for some inspiration. Alternatively, if you’re a seasoned YA pro, see how you fare against our top YA reads list.
We’ve taken titles from the canon, old classics, and from more modern writing, so, regardless of whether you once were or still are a young adult, there’ll be plenty for you to choose from here. Also, to make it easy for you to choose where to start, we’ve expanded on a few of our favourites, giving a brief synopsis.
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green (2012)
The Book Thief, Maku Zusak (2005)
Perhaps the most popular example of a YA piece of fiction that has gone on to achieve a place in the literary hall of fame, Zusak’s novel has quickly become a modern classic — and for good reason too. Set in Nazi Germany in the Second World War, this story details the life of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl. Uniquely narrated by Death, the narrative centres around themes such as the power of knowledge at a time when books were to be burned, cast against a powerful turbulent background of wartime persecution, fear, and conflict.
Lord of the Flies, William Golding (1954)
Divergent, Veronica Roth (2011)
Homecoming, Cynthia Voigt (1981)
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Jenny Han (2014)
Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas (2017)
An important piece of essential fiction, Thomas’ book works hard to introduce younger readers to challenging concepts such as police brutality and prejudice through impressive narrative storytelling. However, although intended for younger audiences, The Hate U Give is just as powerful in its statements for adults or older individuals. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this novel details the struggles of privilege, dishonesty, and — most powerfully — justice.
Trigger warning: this book contains mention of shootings and police brutality.
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (2008)
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (1960)
The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger (1951)
Looking For Alaska, John Green (2005)
We Were Liars, E. Lockhart (2014)
This stunning story will leave you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A psychological horror in terms of its genre, this book follows four friends (‘The Liars’) as they navigate growing up, falling in love, and — most harrowingly — making mistakes. Bringing questions of privilege, family, and deception in line with one another in a disorientingly bright narrative, this book makes for the perfect suspenseful read for adults of any age, asking readers – regardless of life phase or background — to confront some pretty fundamental home truths.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky (1999)
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery (1908)
Are you There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Judy Blume (1970)
So, how many of these have you read? Even just from this selection of titles, we hope that you begin to see the richness of YA as a genre more. From the Second World War to prejudice, some important topics are covered by these stories, making them important pieces of fiction for people of any age.
Keen to read further?
Whether you prefer to read YA, thrillers, crime, or biography, Victoria Freudenheim has an impressive collection of book reviews to get you inspired. So, head over to our Latest Reviews or Top Rated sections for some inspiration. And, to keep up with all the latest reading news, be sure to follow the Victoria Freudenheim blog.
