YA for Grown-Ups

It’s no secret that I love me some YA. {YA = Young Adult, and it refers to young adult literature…as in, books written for young adults. It’s nothing weird, I swear.} Not all YA books are created equal, though. Some are amazing…bonafide pieces of fine literature. Others, while fast and captivating reads, probably won’t be winning any literary awards, if you know what I mean. And still others are better left to the young adults they were written for in the first place.

There are a few YA books that I’ve read and loved, and these I am going to share with you here. These YA book recommendations will get you started if you need something new to read!

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1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games is amazing. It’s well-written and will make you think, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s also got a strong female lead that you will want to root for from the very beginning. I love me some Katniss Everdeen, and I think you will, too. This book has turned into a well-deserved empire. I’m a huge fan of the movies and have added this to my “Read Again” list, and I completely recommend this entire series.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth – I almost left this book off the list because, like Twilight, I think the subsequent books in the series leave something to be desired. But Divergent is a super-fun read and I raced through the entire series. I also enjoyed the movie (you can read my Divergent movie review here). 

3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – This is the first in a dystopian trilogy, and it’s probably my favorite book (and series) on this list. It starts off slow. You’ve got to give it a few chapters, but trust me on this one…stick with it. It is *so* worth it. I don’t usually get melty about teen romances, but this book just kind of did me in. :::SIGH::: Action-packed and full of fleshed-out characters you will learn to love, the love story is icing on the cake. I WANT MORE of this series.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – This book is a little off-base from what I would normally read. It’s about a teenager with cancer and her friends with cancer. But I think it will surprise you. Surprisingly light-hearted and full of wit (why was I never that witty or mature as a teenager?), this book tackles something serious with a sense of humor and a lot of charm. The movie, which you’ll want to see after you read the book, is true to the story. I think you’ll like this one.

5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – OK. Let me just say that I totally understand that these are not literary masterpieces. We all know Bella is whiny and the author uses the word “marble” waaaaaay too many times when describing Edward’s alabaster skin (she uses that one too often, too). This is the first in a series of four books, and the last book left me wanting (and not in a good way. At all). BUT. For whatever reason? I devoured the first three books. Sometimes I just want to read a fun story, and I took the first three books for what they are – fun, easy, and hard-to-put-down. If you haven’t read them, I’d say it’s worth giving Twilight a try.

Here are some more book posts I think you might like:

• The time I met Diana Gabaldon
• A couple of memoirs I liked, and a book about cleaning
• Several more YA mini reviews (including one book you SHOULDN’T read)
• Five books I love that span all genres
• Five book you won’t want to put down

This is just the beginning of this list. Please…tell me what I need to read next! I know you guys have had some great book suggestions before…please leave your YA book favorites in the comments so I can start reading!

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