YA Contemporary Fiction
WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Cassie is dead, and it is Lia’s fault. Lia didn’t answer the phone that night when Cassie called. Thirty-three times. But it’s more than that. Whenever Cassie had thought about purging less and gaining weight, Lia had told her to stay strong. Together they would be the skinniest girls in school. Because Lia didn’t want to be alone. But now Cassie is gone, and Lia is seeing her ghost everywhere, sometimes accusing Lia, sometimes encouraging her as she continues to lose weight, while trying to convince her dad and stepmother that she hasn’t fallen back into the habits that sent her to the hospital before. As she struggles to deal with her grief and guilt over Cassie’s death and her own eating disorder, Lia’s life begins to fall apart.
Probably the bleakest of Laurie Halse Anderson’s intense but wonderful contemporary teen novels, Wintergirls is not for the everyone. You may not enjoy this book if you are squeamish or if you fear that a realistic depiction of the interior thoughts of someone with anorexia may trigger unhealthy memories or habits from your past. But if you truly do want to understand what it is like to have anorexia or want to know that you are not alone in your experience with eating disorders, this book is realistic and powerful.
THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY by Laurie Halse Anderson
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Hayley does not remember growing up in the town that she and her father have come back to after so many years. She doesn’t remember her grandmother’s house at all. But there are a lot of things that Hayley chooses to forget, since remembering is usually painful. This will be her senior year of high school and her first year in traditional school since she was twelve, when she and her father hit the road in his semi and he started “homeschooling” her. Hayley is glad that Gracie still remembers her from when they were kids (although she has no memory of Gracie); it is nice to have at least a couple friends when most of the kids at school are mindless zombies. But when Hayley meets Finn and starts falling in “love” (falling in “like?”), it becomes more difficult for her to keep her worlds separate: the world of school, where she makes superficial friends and just barely scrapes by in most classes, and the world at home, where she tries to cope with her father’s alcoholism and wishes she could help him erase the memories that haunt him from the war.
I could not put this book down. Seriously. I skipped choir rehearsal, blew off a Skype date with my fiancé, stayed up half the night, and finished this book in one sitting. It was excellent—another triumph for the brilliant Laurie Halse Anderson. The subject matter is tough—a realistic portrayal of life with an alcoholic family member—but the story is not bleak. Hayley and Finn are great characters; they have their funny moments as they both struggle with family issues and building their own relationship. And ultimately, the story is hopeful. I highly recommend this one!
If you liked The Impossible Knife of Memory, you might like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson , Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
After growing up in a small town in southern Louisiana, Rory is excited to spend her senior year of high school studying abroad in London. It is a big change—living in a new culture with a strange academic system and attending a boarding school where you are stuck living with everyone in your class, whether you like them or not. But Rory gradually finds good friends in Jazza and Jerome, and her life settles into a comfortable rhythm. That is, until Jack the Ripper shows up. The murders occur on the anniversaries of Jack the Ripper’s infamous attacks, and they mimic his style exactly. But no one can see the murderer—not even on camera—except Rory. Now her life is turned upside down as she has to figure out who the Ripper is, how she can see him, and most importantly, whether she and her friends are in danger.
What begins as a simple, realistic fiction about girls at boarding school ends a suspenseful supernatural thriller. Starting about halfway through, I couldn’t put it down! As usual, Maureen Johnson was spot on in her portrayal of teen relationship angst and dorm-life drama. And her descriptions of Rory’s life in England took me back to my days of studying abroad in the UK. This book was right up my alley—a fast-paced, character driven, fantasy-but-almost-sci-fi murder mystery. I highly recommend it to teens who enjoy books in any of these genres!
DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
When Amal makes the decision to wear the hijab full time, she knows that some people will support her–her friends from her old Muslim private school, for example, and even some close friends from her new Catholic school. But from everyone else, she is prepared for the worst: the stares, the ridicule, the assumptions that she is a terrorist or an oppressed woman forced into submission by an anti-feminist culture, etc. What she doesn’t anticipate is the sense of freedom, confidence, and identity that comes from wearing the hijab. As Amal continues to navigate the many stresses of high school–parental pressures, bullying at school, and a crush on a wonderful boy who may or may not share her affections–she learns more about herself, her personal and cultural identity, and the diverse cultural identities of her friends and neighbors.
Amal is a fun, snarky, and genuine narrator who realistically captures the common experiences of the typical teenage girl while also providing a window into a culture that may be unfamiliar to some readers. This book would be a tough sell for boys, but teen girls who enjoy realistic fiction should definitely check this one out!
SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
High school has very defined social rules. Most of them are comical. People divide into cliques that all have absurd dress codes and behavior expectations. Everyone is supposed to be incredibly enthusiastic about the school’s crappy sports teams and the mascot that seems to change every other day. Melinda can see the absurdity of the high school social environment because she is an outsider. She has no clique. She has no friends. The people who used to be her friends will barely even look at her after what happened at the party over the summer. It had been Melinda who called 911, but not because of the drinking. She called because of what happened to her outside, that no one knows about except her and the boy she now thinks of as “It.” Melinda has not told anyone what happened; she doesn’t say much of anything anymore. Her grades are slipping, attempts at friendship failing, and even the desire to have friends seems to be slipping away. Only something about art class still seems compelling to her, though she isn’t much of an artist. As her parents and teachers get increasingly frustrated and concerned, Melinda struggles to navigate the rules of high school and to find a way to express what happened over the summer.
Melinda is a wonderful narrator. Her observations about the high school world are snarky and 100% accurate. You may not expect to laugh at a book with as heavy subject matter as this one, but Speak is about more than just rape. This incredibly well-written and nuanced novel will be accessible to anyone who is or has ever been in high school, and Melinda’s journey toward finding her voice is a powerful one. The subject matter is heavy (though not graphic) and may be upsetting to some readers, so use your judgment. But this is one of my favorites–possibly because Melinda and I have a very similar sense of humor and reaction to high school.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Hazel does not particularly enjoy support group. It consists of sitting in a church with a bunch of other teenagers with cancer of various kinds at various stages, all in the process of dying–even those in remission. All humans are in the process of dying, after all. But it is at support group that she first meets Augustus Waters, an incredibly attractive guy with an unrelenting wit and an affinity for metaphorical cigarettes. Their friendship forms quickly around conversations about nuances of language, action movies, video games, and in particular a somewhat philosophical novel by a reclusive author. Peter Van Houten’s novel has had a profound influence on Hazel and her worldview, but there is one problem. It ends mid-sentence with the main character’s death. Not a very satisfying conclusion. As Hazel tries to balance her feelings for Augustus with her reluctance to begin a relationship that must inevitably soon end with her death, Augustus tries to track down Van Houten to find out how the novel ends.
The Fault in Our Stars is at once hilarious and heartbreaking. Through an exploration of love, family, hope, disappointment, and loss, John Green captures the infinite beauty, tragedy, and potential of finite human life. Hazel and Augustus are witty, intelligent, imperfect, and so utterly human that I could not help but fall in love with them. Although it is heart-wrenching, I would not call this book depressing. In fact, I would describe it as uplifting, a reminder that the transience of human life does not diminish its beauty or its meaningfulness. Thank you for this book, John Green. It is truly a masterpiece.
If you liked The Fault in Our Stars, you might like The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
AMERICAN BORN CHINESE by Gene Luen Yang
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
The monkey king masters the disciplines of kung-fu but cannot earn the respect of the gods because he wears no shoes. Jin Wang moves from China to America and tries to adjust to the new culture while dealing with the prejudices–not all of them ill-intentioned–of his classmates. Danny lives in a world similar to a sitcom where his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee constantly embarrasses him with his unusual behavior.
Yang weaves these three stories together to highlight the challenges of moving to a new culture and struggling to develop one’s identity as an individual. The graphic novel earned him the Printz Award in 2007. It may seem disjointed at first, but it comes together in the end. It will probably appeal most to teenagers, especially high schoolers.
LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
In sixteen years of life, nothing interesting has ever happened to Miles Halter. When he leaves his home in Florida to attend boarding school in Alabama, he hopes that something remarkable will happen. But he never could have imagined anything as remarkable as Alaska Young. Alaska is beautiful, funny, reckless, and charismatic; Miles is drawn to her instantly, and finds himself in awe of the girl-goddess. But through their friendship, adventures, and late-night pranks, Miles begins to discover that there is more to Alaska than meets the eye. When tragedy strikes their lives, Miles will be forced to question everything he has assumed about Alaska, the world, and his own life as he tries to come to terms with his grief.
I have extolled the virtues of John Green’s YA novels in the past, and I will continue to do so here. He approaches realistic and difficult subject matter with a snarky sense of humor and a touch of philosophy that makes his characters believable and enjoyable to read about. Looking for Alaska won the Printz Award, and fully deserved it. I highly recommend this book, especially to high school and college-age readers. Audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton!
AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Most people have a “type.” “Types” are often superficial, based on a few physical characteristics, or a particular type of personality. Former child prodigy Colin Singleton’s type is linguistic: girls with the name “Katherine.” He has dated and been dumped by nineteen of them. And Katherine XIX truly broke his heart.
Colin and his friend Hassan decide that a roadtrip is just what Colin needs to forget his troubles and his Katherines. They wind up in a rural town which is like a different world from their Chicago homes. They also meet Lindsay, a girl their age who challenges all of Colin’s preconceived notions about the type of person who reads “Celebrity Living” magazine. As Colin and Hassan join Lindsay in interviewing the locals about their personal histories and participating in local cultural activities (like hunting wild Satanic pigs), Colin tries to analyze his love life the only way he knows how: mathematically. Who knows; if he gets this particular Theorem right, he might be able to predict the future, or maybe find a way to get K-19 back.
(If you like John Green, check out the vlog he keeps with his brother, Hank: http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers.)
PAPER TOWNS by John Green
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Quentin grew up next door to Margo Roth Spiegleman–the girl of everyone’s dreams. One night, near the end of their senior year of high school, Margo shows up at his bedroom window dressed like a ninja and takes him on an adventure around the town to exact revenge on her cheating boyfriend and various other offenders. The next morning, Margo has disappeared, and Quentin and his best friends, Ben and Radar, begin a quest to find her. Along the way, he discovers the real “Margo” behind the super-human image that he and the rest of the school have attached to her. He discovers her human fears and insecurities and her human flaws. He also discovers a new confidence in himself along the way.
This book is hilarious and poignant, with a wonderful mix of witty, bathroom, and slapstick humor. The intended audience is high school age teens, but it resonates with many adults as well.
Additionally, if you are not familiar with John Green and you are a nerd, you should check out the Vlogbrothers on Youtube (John and his brother, Hank) who post several times weekly on a variety of nerdy topics. Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers. To all of you nerdfighters out there, DFTBA.
- ← Previous
- 1
- …
- 8
- 9
Susan the Librarian 