10 Best Urban Young Adult Books Illustrating City Buzz
The pavement hums underfoot, and the murmur of the city echoes through the air as you crack open one of these carefully curated urban YA novels. They are the epitome of city life, each page thrumming with the vibrant energy of busy streets, towering skyscrapers and a diverse cast of characters whose lives are as brightly colored and interwoven as the graffiti on a subway wall. These books capture the essence of growing up in the city with all its challenges, triumphs, heartbreaks, and victories. They understand how the city is a living, breathing entity, a backdrop that’s not just a setting, but a character in its own right. Bursting with evocative imagery, punchy dialogue, and narratives that are as labyrinthine as a city's layout, these novels evoke shared moments of laughter, tears, and the simple enjoyment of a warm bagel from a street-side vendor. Navigate through the chaos, revel in the anonymity, and appreciate the gritty beauty hidden in the corners of metropolitan areas. So, plug in your headphones, drown out the world and lose yourself in the city buzz these books masterfully depict - it’s high time to hit these city streets. From hidden alleyways to panoramic rooftops, adventure awaits. Buckle up, reader, and welcome to the concrete jungle.
『Eleanor & Park』
Eleanor is a new girl in town, and she feels very alone. Wearing mis-matched clothes, having red hair and a mad home life, she certainly stands out in a crowd. Then she takes a seat on the bus next to Park. Park is a quiet, cautious and, in Eleanor's eyes, fantastically cool. Park has figured out that flying under the radar is the best way to get by. Gradually with late-night conversations and songs, Eleanor and Park fall in love...
Author | Rainbow Rowell |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Orion Publishing |
Release Date | Jul 01, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
『Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda』
Now a major motion picture: Love, Simon, starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford! This edition includes new Simon and Blue emails, a behind-the-scenes scrapbook from the Love, Simon movie set, and Becky Albertalli in conversation with fellow authors Adam Silvera and Angie Thomas. William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist "A remarkable gift of a novel."—Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle "I am so in love with this book."—Nina LaCour, author of Hold Still "Feels timelessly, effortlessly now."—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever "The best kind of love story."—Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met. Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli. Plus don't miss Yes No Maybe So, Becky Albertalli's and Aisha Saeed's heartwarming and hilarious new novel, coming in 2020!
Author | Becky Albertalli |
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Price | $13.49 |
Publisher | Harper Collins |
Release Date | Apr 07, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
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Price | unknown |
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Release Date | |
Source | Google Books |
『The Rest of Us Just Live Here』
Six starred reviews! A bold and irreverent YA novel that powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable, The Rest of Just Live Here is from novelist Patrick Ness, author of the Carnegie Medal- and Kate Greenaway Medal-winning A Monster Calls and the critically acclaimed Chaos Walking trilogy. What if you aren't the Chosen One? The one who's supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you're like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week's end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions. ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults * Cooperative Children’s Book Center CCBC Choice * Michael Printz Award shortlist * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * VOYA Perfect Ten * NYPL Top Ten Best Books of the Year for Teens * Chicago Public Library Best Teen Books of the Year * Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books * ABC Best Books for Children * Bank Street Best Books List
Author | Patrick Ness |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Oct 06, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Stars Beneath Our Feet』
"The right story at the right time. . . . It’s not just a narrative; it’s an experience. It’s the novel we’ve been waiting for." —The New York Times A boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death in this outstanding debut novel that celebrates community and creativity. ** WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING–JOHN STEPTOE AWARD FOR NEW TALENT! ** SIX STARRED REVIEWS! It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward. His path isn’t clear—and the pressure to join a “crew,” as his brother did, is always there. When Lolly and his friend are beaten up and robbed, joining a crew almost seems like the safe choice. But building a fantastical Lego city at the community center provides Lolly with an escape—and an unexpected bridge back to the world. David Barclay Moore paints a powerful portrait of a boy teetering on the edge—of adolescence, of grief, of violence—and shows how Lolly’s inventive spirit helps him build a life with firm foundations and open doors. MORE PRAISE FOR THE STARS BENEATH OUR FEET: A New York Times Notable Book A Time Top 10 Children's Books of the Year A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of the Year An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book “A fast and furious read in which we meet some amazing people, people that stay with us. David Barclay Moore is an exciting new voice. We definitely haven’t heard the last of his brilliance.” —Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor and National Book Award–winning of Brown Girl Dreaming “The Stars Beneath Our Feet is about the weight of the world on the back of a child, and the creative tools necessary to alleviate that pressure. I found myself rooting for Lolly, and you will too.” —Jason Reynolds, Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner for As Brave As You
Author | David Barclay Moore |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Yearling |
Release Date | Jan 08, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Sun Is Also a Star』
The #1 New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist from the bestselling author of Everything, Everything will have you falling in love with Natasha and Daniel as they fall in love with each other! 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? *** "Beautifully crafted." --People "A book that is very much about the many factors that affect falling in love, as much as it is about the very act itself. . . . Fans of Yoon’s first novel, Everything Everything, will find much to love—if not, more—in what is easily an even stronger follow up." —Entertainment Weekly "Transcends the limits of YA as a human story about falling in love and seeking out our futures." —POPSUGAR.com
Author | Nicola Yoon |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Ember |
Release Date | Mar 05, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『When Dimple Met Rishi』
The inspiration for the Netflix original series Mismatched! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Everyone is talking about this New York Times bestselling rom-com that Mindy Kaling called “utterly charming!” Eleanor & Park meets Bollywood in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about two Indian-American teens whose parents conspire to arrange their marriage. Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not? Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
Author | Sandhya Menon |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
Release Date | Feb 09, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『XOXO』
Cellistka Jenny se chce dostat na prestižní konzervatoř – a to je její jediný sen. Potom však v karaoke baru v L.A. pozná krásného a záhadného kluka jménem Če-u a prožije s ním jednu kouzelnou noc plnou dobrodružství – než Če-u beze stopy zmizí. O tři měsíce později Jenny s matkou odjíždí do Jižní Korey, aby se tam postaraly o nemocnou babičku. Jaké je její překvapení, když zjistí, že Če-u je studentem stejné konzervatoře, na kterou se chystá nastoupit i ona – a navíc je členem jedné z největších k-popových skupin na světě. Co to znamená? Že má velmi přísný zákaz randění. A Jenny by se taky měla soustředit spíš na své cello! Co všechno bude dvojice ochotná riskovat pro lásku?
Author | Axie Oh |
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Price | $8.18 |
Publisher | Cooboo |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『You Know Me Well』
From the award-winning authors David Levithan and Nina LaCour, the story of a friendship forged over the course of one fateful pride week in San Francisco.
Author | Nina LaCour/David Levithan |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Macmillan |
Release Date | Jun 07, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『More Happy Than Not』
After enduring his father's suicide, his own suicide attempt, broken friendships, and more in the Bronx projects, Aaron Soto, sixteen, is already considering the Leteo Institute's memory-alteration procedure when his new friendship with Thomas turns to unrequited love.
Author | Adam Silvera |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Soho Press |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
In conclusion, there's absolutely no shortage of brilliant urban YA novels out there, and these ten are undoubtedly some of the very best. They're the kind of books that whisk you off to the heart of the city, immersing you in a vibrant, bustling world that's as alive and teeming with energy as any living, breathing character. With their compelling narratives, multifaceted characters, and tangible sense of place, these books don't just give you a glimpse into city life, they make you feel a part of it. They'll make you laugh, make you cry, get your pulse racing, and leave you thinking long after you've turned the last page. So, if you're yet to discover the magic of urban YA, then pick any one of these titles, and get ready for a literary journey like no other. These ten must-reads not only provide an engrossing escape but also a keen reflection of the city's rhythm and pulse. Dive in and savour the city buzz!
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