YA Roundup

This week's new release YA shelf at my local library-- I have already read several of these and many are on my TBR

I can easily say that YA is my favorite genre. I loved it as a teenager and devoured anything from Meg Cabot, Ann Brashares, and Sarah Dessen, as well as any "beach read" romance paperback I could find and trade with my sister. At some point someone said it was "juvenile" that I continued reading it outside of my teen years. I was annoyed and a bit affronted, but mostly ignored her. However, for a while after I read strictly contemporary fiction mainly because I loved reading what everyone else was reading and discussing all the buzzy books-- and if I'm honest with myself, I think her comment nagged subconsciously at me every time I reached for books at the bookstore or the library.

A few summers ago I picked up a book that I fell deeply in love with and I felt instantly pulled back into my favorite genre. Every week following I zipped right to the YA section of the library to stock up on titles that struck any one of my fancies. Now I go back and forth between YA and...anything else. Sometimes I read one YA then one of another genre, but more often than not I read 3-4 YA picks in a row before taking a break and switching to something completely different. That's the great thing about young adult writing, though; the variety it offers can tide me over for days, weeks, or months at a time!

If you've gotten this far, you probably either love YA, too, or you fully understand now my affinity for the genre. I briefly touched on my reasons for still reading and enjoying YA as an adult in my previous post, but generally I read it because I love to feel deeply and hear thoughtful commentary on life and its complexities from young minds. I have always worked with children and in schools and being surrounded by the points of view of those younger than myself is refreshing and keeps things in perspective. I someday want to write a novel and I could easily see the genre being young adult or children's' fiction. I immerse myself in YA because I've been there and I've experienced it and I have a strange desire to revisit those feelings through literature; I also immerse myself in YA because the stories are important to tell, especially the ones coming out today. I want to share some of my recent favorites from the genre. I'll also offer a few already on my TBR shelf and sequels or series next's that I'm anticipating.

In order of (roughly) when I read them, please enjoy my list of Stephtacular YA Reads:

Gabi, A Girl In Pieces by Isabel Quintero: This is the book that reawakened my appetite for YA. And not just YA; well-crafted, poignant YA with diverse characters and storylines. I feel like these kinds of stories have become more popular lately and I am here for all of them! I do enjoy a good romantic plotline from time to time, but I also need depth of character, interesting backstory, and intelligent discussion of young adult life, including but not limited to the exploration of mental health, sexuality, and identity.
Personal commentary aside, I adored this novel. Witty, snarky, and heartfelt, Gabi, A Girl In Pieces pulled me in and didn't let go until the very end. I love a book that won't allow me to put it down until I have leeched every drop of emotion from it. Bonus: poetry in this one! As someone with a creative writing degree, I am always pleasantly surprised when an author uses poetry as a device / character hobby.

I won't go into detail about my other favorites, but Gabi required a backstory and some praise-- I gifted it to someone recently who had never heard of it and I am always glad to share one that may be new to a fellow reader.

Other favorites as follows:

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Simon v. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Dumplin by Julie Murphy
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
A World Without You by Beth Revis
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Caraval by Stephanie Garber (anxiously awaiting the sequel!)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (yes, I got a John on here! I was severely underwhelmed by TFIOS, which is a shame because I find John incredibly delightful and intellectual, but this one resonated with me. I also count Paper Towns as an all-time favorite, although I may have to reread it just to make sure it holds up years later)
Love Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe by Heather Smith
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano (anticipating sequel on this one as well!)
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (potential retrospective review forthcoming)
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X R Pan
I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin (see previous post for review)
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sanchez

(You can definitely see what types of books I gravitate towards with this list-- I have included a few fantasy series in this list, but overall that's not the part of the genre I spend most of my time reading, although I have been extending myself into that realm lately and hope to add more of those to my favorites list)

Disclaimer: Every book on my favorites list necessitates some form of trigger warning. I do not know what triggers are personal for everyone, but generally these subjects are triggering in some way or another, specifically in the areas of mental health, death, and sexual violence and/or misconduct. Please read at your own risk with your own experience in mind!


Some YA I'm looking forward reading (whether they're currently unreleased or I haven't made my way to them yet) include:
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
Ship It by Britta Lundin
Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (!!!)

Do you like YA? Are you a teen or an adult? What do you love about YA? Do you feel the need to "defend" your love for YA to others? What have been your favorites? Have you read any of these? Lots of questions...feel free to engage with ANY of them!