Reading Teen Lit

by Ghenet Myrthil published in Reading

Of all the books I read in a given year, I’d estimate 90% of it is young adult literature (YA). This hasn’t always been the case. In fact, I only started reading it a few years ago, when I was well past my teen years. The truth is, YA wasn’t very popular when I was a teen. It existed, but the selection wasn’t nearly as diverse as it is today. Instead of filling an entire corner of a bookstore, the section would consist of a few small shelves.

In a teen literature class that Gabriela and I took while getting our MFA, we learned that this category didn’t actually boom until 2003 when, after the success of Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak in 1999, publishers realized just how much teens flocked to these types of stories. It’s continued to gain popularity ever since.

It’s easy to see why. These stories portray emotions and experiences that all readers—whether you’re the intended age group or not—can relate to. These days, you can find YA books in all genres, from literary and contemporary, to paranormal and fantasy. If you’re new to teen lit, here’s a list (broken up by genre) that I’m sure will make you fall in love with the category too.

Happy reading!

YA Classics

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Contemporary/Realistic

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Dystopian

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins*
Divergent by Veronica Roth*
The Giver by Lois Lowry*
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi*

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor*
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare*
Graceling by Kristin Cashore*
Across the Universe by Beth Revis*
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater*
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White*

Historical Fiction

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson*
Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Since I attended Book Expo America last week, I thought I’d also share the most buzzed-about YA books coming out this fall. Keep a lookout for these!

Skylark by Meagan Spooner* (out in August 2012)
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang* (out in September 2012)
Crewel by Gennifer Albin* (out in October 2012)
Skinny by Donna Cooner (out in October 2012)
Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller & Zach Stentz (out in November 2012)

 

*These titles are the first in a series.

The above titles have been pinned on the DIY MFA Teen Lit Master Class Pin Board, so check it out for links and more info on these books!

Ghenet Myrthil is a young adult writer with an MFA in Writing for Children from The New School. She’s currently seeking representation for her first novel. You can find her blogging at www.ghenetmyrthil.com and tweeting @ghenet.


 

 

 

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  • http://avajae.blogspot.com Ava Jae

    Great recommendations! I’ll have to take a look at the ones I haven’t already read. :)

  • Rebecca Burke

    This is really a quality list. I used to teach Writing for Young Adults at Iowa State U. years ago and taught some of them, eg., Catcher in the Rye, The Giver, and The Outsiders. It doesn’t get better than these, although of course we could add and add. Are there any books with Latina protagonists here? Not to turn it into a diversity witchhunt, just wondering. Given the growing population of Latinas in this country, I do think it important to find good books for all readers, ones that occasionally figure someone like them inside–just sayin’.! Thanks for putting this together; I’m going to save it as well.

  • http://Katy_wsu@hotmail.com Katy Upperman

    I’ve read most of these and totally vouche for their excellence. GRACLING and THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE are among my very favorites. Awesome recommendations, Ghenet!

  • http://www.bookechoes.com Connie B. Dowell

    Nice list. Rebecca, I know of a great recent release that might be along the lines of what you are looking for, though the story is not set in the U.S.: The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind by Meg Medina.

  • http://youngaspiringwriter.blogspot.com/ Chihuahua0

    I’m reading Thirteen Reasons Why right now, although progress is a little slow. Darn you e-books and my slow writing productivity. Oh, and Team Fortress 2.

    In any case, while I read all of the Dystopian category and there are plenty of other books on the list I have on my bookshelf, I’m bookmarking this for future reference.

  • http://www.crystalschubert.com Crystal Schubert

    So many excellent picks! Good list!

  • Sophia Richardson

    Unsurprising, but so many of these books are awesome!

  • http://www.ginacarey.com/ Gina

    Such a great starter list! There wasn’t this much YA when I was growing up, so I guess I’m making up for lost time :)

  • http://www.ghenetmyrthil.com Ghenet Myrthil

    I’m so glad you all like the list! :)

  • http://www.meaganspooner.com Meagan Spooner

    Wow, what a wonderful list–we share a lot of the same must-reads in these genres! THE GIVER is one of my all-time favorite books in the world. I think I’d add Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan, to the contemporary category. And add The Golden Compass to the classics! (Or the fantasy, whichever.)

    And you rock to have added the buzz books from this year! It’s an absolute honor to have my book up there with so many amazing, amazing examples of great YA books.

  • http://margoberendsen.blogspot.com Margo Berendsen

    Great list!!! So excited that I’ve read at least half of them. Esp. glad to see that Feed made your list. Though I’ve read some historical fiction, I wasn’t familiar with any on your list. I would say A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly is my favorite historical YA fiction.