You probably have read a lot of books that centers on teenage life, high school, and coming of age. They are, in fact, among the best works that provide a light and satisfying read. Young adult fiction is the genre that houses these heartwarming and eye-opener stories. It is the category that contains books intended for people age 12-18 years old. But it cannot be denied that even adults are still drawn into YA fiction, perhaps it is because of the remarkable tales and realizations that these works give.
It is already a known fact that the common themes tackled by young adult books are about self-discovery, adventure, love, and more. However, these stories contain deeper and heavier issues that need to be focused on by the readers. Issues of domestic abuse, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, mental health condition, etc. are among the widely featured by YA books. So make your fall season experience worthwhile by reading young adult fiction novels! If you are looking for suggestions, listed below are the must-read ones in this genre.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
One of the best reads in 2017 and even until today is the book by Angelie Thomas titled The Hate U Give. It is her debut novel that paved the way for her literary career. The cover artist of the book is Debra Cartwright while the publisher is Balzer + Bray.
The story is all about the life of a 16-year-old black lady named Starr Carter. She doesn’t come from a well-off family, and they lived in a poor neighborhood. However, she managed to get into a prestigious private school where most students are white. The spice to the story didn’t end on that, because Starr will become an important figure in one of the hot cases in their area. She will become a star witness on the murder of Khalil, here childhood friend who was killed by a white policeman. The question is, would Starr be bold enough to stand up and reveal the truth or would she let fear takeover her?
Playing Hurt by Gerald “Jerry” Nardella
In September of 2018, the self-publishing company Readersmagnet LLC published the book Playing Hurt by Nardella, Gerald. It is a young adult fiction book that centers on the love triangle of teenagers Brian, Deanie, and Bill. The story is definitely one of the typical but captivating football-cheerleader love stories with a hint of violence due to its twists.
The football player Brian is on his senior year. Instead of enjoying the glory days of his sports journey, he got injured. He cannot quit because there’s no one that can sub him according to their coach. Hence, he became worried about his future and his lovely cheerleader girlfriend Deanie. Their relationship is going well not until the girl’s ex-lover came to town, forces Deanie to have an intercourse, and made her pregnant. Brian uncovered the truth and it was the most devastating thing that happened in his life. When Bill came back to town, Brian wants to have his revenge. He beat Bill, but the tables have turned because Bill got his gun and shot Brian in the arm. It was one hell of a fight, but Deanie came along and shot Bill in the chest. Deanie, later on, birthed her child in the summer that has eyes that were like Bill’s. Brian decided to enlist in the military with a heavy and broken heart.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
One of the most popular YA fiction books, Looking for Alaska, was authored by John Green. It was published in 2005 by Dutton Juvenile with Nolan Gadient as its cover artist. The book is inspired by Green’s experiences when he was in Indian Springs School; hence, the characters and plot were based on real people and events.
Furthermore, the book follows the story of Miles Halter who is about to embark on a journey to a boarding school. He desires to go there in order to search for the “Great Perhaps.” He then met Chip Martin, whom he refers to as The Colonel, and a fine young woman named Alaska Young. Miles fell in love with Alaska but they didn’t get the chance to progress their friendship, because she unfortunately died. And that’s when Miles began to get stressed, devastated, and frustrated, because he didn’t get to say goodbye and even know what her last words were.
Trina’s Travel 