Many fans of the Young Adult fiction genre would be better described as “adult” than “young” – this writer included. It forms the basis for a strangely controversial debate: should adults be ashamed of shopping in what is, technically, the children’s book section?
Some have dismissed adult consumers of YA fiction as lazy, unrefined readers who would be better served searching for more layered, literary reads. But YA novels have plenty of alluring qualities. They are, it’s true, written with teenagers in mind. But why would that be a bad thing?
Teenagers can be demanding readers who yearn for poetic writing and moving plots. To read a YA novel is to read about people figuring out their place in the world, building their sense of self, falling in love, making and breaking friendships – all things so many adults struggle with at some point in their later years.
Where do you start, then? Thanks to the ongoing push to make the publishing industry more inclusive, YA literature is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in someone else’s perspective. The list below contains stories about gender identity (Luna, Symptoms of Being Human), racial tensions (The Hate U Give), mental health issues (All the Bright Places, Girl in Pieces), and loss (Hold Still, History is All You Left Me, The Fault in Our Stars).
While the selected novels tackle a wide range of themes, they have one common trait: they are all wise beyond their years.
Click through the gallery below to browse of selection of YA books for all ages:
