Young adult books delve into important topics and themes that are around the lives of young adults all the time. This list explores books that entertain and rangefrom topics about speaking up about the injustice in society, to the mystery alluring books that will keep you captivated.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

A New York’s times best seller, this book was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. This story follows a young black teenage girl separated by the rich white side and the poor drug riddled black side of the world. Starr goes to a white elite school she attends, with a perfect white boyfriend and a group of friends to keep her happy. Her life drastically changes when her childhood friend Khalil is murdered by a white police officer on a night out. Through her trauma, and the unfairness of the situation Starr must decide to stand up and face this systematic violent racism or keep quiet for the sake of her family and friends.

A stunning debut by Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give was originally a short story that Thomas wrote in reaction to the police murder of a young black man Oscar Grant. The book though fictional, explores the trauma, the racism, the brutality and injustice of what happens only too often in reality.

Thomas offers an emotionally complex story riddled with strong characters, a story that can help educate people and teach the readers the importance of standing up for what’s right.

All the bright places by Jennifer Niven

This YA novel considers the themes of mental health, how to move past grief and self-discovery. Focusing on two high schools Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, as they go on a journey about their own personal traumas. While Violet deals with the death of her older sister, Finch undergoes a battle with his own mental health.

This heartfelt love story portrays the mental health issues one can face, and how this can impact a loving relationship. The novel’s effort to portray mental health issues is beautifully done and can directly speak to readers who suffer from the same problems. Empathy, love and grief are all important emotions that are explored by Niven with compassion and care going towards the topics of mental illness.

The story and journey the characters go on will leave you with emotions that linger on even after you’ve read the final page, making this book a must read for young adult fans.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

John Green aptly writes another stunning book featuring young teenagers and the adventurous journeys they go on to learn some very important lessons about the themes of grief, love, and loss. Following Miles “Pudge” Halter who moves to Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama from Florida. He seeks what he remembers from the poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” In his journey to find this, he meets a group of misfits, but most of all the one girl who steals his heart Alaska Young, the rebellious, mysterious and beautiful girl who he quickly becomes infatuated with.

While Alaska seems perfect on the outside, Pudge quickly figures out she has her own demons to battle. This book explores what it means to fall in love so quickly, the adventures of life one undergoes with a band of friends who quickly become apart of their life and the realistic nature of the book will have readers turning page after page until you find what happens in the end.

A must-read YA book by well known author John Green, this book has won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

A New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller and winner of The British Book Awards’ Children’s Book of the Year 2020, this book is the first part in a three-part trilogy.

Set in fictional town Little Kilton, it follows the story of Andy Bell murdered 5 years ago by her boyfriend Sal Singh. But when teenager Pipa Fitz Ambi decides to investigate this for her project, she finds out that there is more to the case than meets the eye. As, she starts to discover the secrets surrounding the case and the people in town, she starts to get messages, warnings from someone for her to stop. But Pipa isn’t one to back down once she gets started, but will she be able to reveal everything and keep herself intact at the end?

A must-read YA book that will have you hooked into the story from the very first page. A perfect book to read if you’re going through a read slump. The characters, the mystery and the well written emotional descriptions is enough to keep you on your toes.

House of Hollowby Krystal Sutherland

An epic fairytale that will have you wishing you had read it sooner. Following three sisters, Grey, Viv and Iris, who disappeared without a trace 10 years ago. However, they return unscathed, 31 days later, transformed. From black hair to blonde hair and blue eyes to a deathly black, most interesting of all a half moon scar at the base of their throats.

When Grey, the older sister goes missing again, it’s up to the younger sisters Iris and Viv to find her. On this journey they may just find out what really happened to them when they went missing.

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