6 Endearing Young Adult Books I Still Enjoy

Despite being in my 30s, I am a big reader of young adult fiction. As a teen and throughout college, I was hooked on young adult novels, especially when Divergent appeared on the scene, and when Twilight came out, I didn’t think I could find anything better. But, of course, as we get older, our tastes change. However, there are still a few YA novels I enjoy. If you’ve read any of these, let me know what you thought of them!

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

This book really sneaked up on me. I randomly bought it a few years ago, having never heard of the author. But as I read it, I really fell in love with the characters, and loved how the author wrote it.

You might like this book if you are a fan of quirky characters and like to read about love stories between friends. Most of the setting in this book takes place in a bookstore, so I’m sure you will love it if you love cozy, small bookstores run by families.

Here is its description:

This is a love story.
It’s the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets.
It’s the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea.
Now, she’s back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal and looking for the future in the books people love, and the words they leave behind.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

I’ve been a fan of Sarah Dessen since I was in middle school. The Truth About Forever is my favorite book of hers. It’s a coming-of-age novel with a little bit of romance mixed in.

Here is its description:

Macy’s summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development. But Macy’s plans don’t anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or … Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn’t fit Macy’s life at all–so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So … happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before? Sarah Dessen delivers a page-turning novel that carries readers on a roller coaster of denial, grief, comfort, and love as we watch a broken but resilient girl pick up the pieces of her life and fit them back together.

I will say Wes is one of my favorite of Dessen’s characters. I love all of her characters, but he is probably the most prominent in my mind out of all the love interests she includes in her books.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

I watched the movie before I read this book, but both the book and the film were very well done. I loved the movie and thought the main cast featuring Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson were absolutely adorable together. I’m also a big supporter of anything featuring an interracial couple, since my husband and I are interracial.

Here is its description:

What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. 

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world.I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. 

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Everything, Everything will make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. It’s an innovative,  inspiring, and heartbreakingly romantic debut novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more. 

Nicola Yoon also is coming out with a new book called Instructions for Dancing that I am ecstatic to read! It’s my selection for my June Book of the Month.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

This is another book by Yoon that was made into a film, although I haven’t seen the movie adaptation. I actually liked this book more than Everything Everything, but both are really cute books. This book also features an interracial couple.

Here is its description:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? 

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

This is in my top three favorites of Dessen’s books. If you like books about coming-of-age, family, and love, you’ll like this one. It has some heavy themes and is not as light of a read as some of Dessen’s other books.

Here is its description:

To find the truth you’ve got to be willing to hear it. When she’s modeling, Annabel is the picture of perfection.
But her real life is far from perfect. Fortunately, she’s got Owen. He’s intense, music-obsessed, and dedicated to always telling the truth. And most of all, he’s determined to make Annabel happy. . .

This description doesn’t even begin to cover what this book is about. It actually gets into some serious problems, but I appreciated how Dessen wrote it in a seamless manner without making the book feel forced considering its subject matter. That’s all I’ll say since I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

Onto the final book!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

OK, so if you haven’t read this book, where were you in 2014??? The film adaptation of the same name featuring Shailene Woodley (Divergent) came out that year and absolutely made me cry.

Here is its description:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

From John Green, #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and Turtles All the Way Down, The Fault in Our Stars is insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw. It brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you thought of them!