10 Best YA Growing-up Story Books That Depict the Troubles of Adolescence!
Hey, growing up can be tough, right? One minute you're a kid, next you're expected to navigate friendships, relationships, high-school dramas, whilst figuring yourself out in the midst of it all - Yikes! It's no wonder adolescence is the cornerstone of countless YA novels. These books capture our hearts because we can relate to those raw, confusing, and exciting times. If you're teetering on the brim of adolescence or are deep in the throes of teenage angst, here's our top 10 list of Young Adult novels that perfectly depict those tumultuous years.
Our selection explores every nook and cranny of teenage life, blending drama with humor, heartache with joy, and of course, a touch of romance. They paint a vivid picture of teenage hopes, fears, identity crises, and span across various genres from reality-biting contemporary fiction to fantasy, revealing that adolescence isn't just a human thing, but exists in magical realms too!
So buckle up! Brace yourself for an emotional rollercoaster ride that will yank your heartstrings, make you laugh until your sides ache, scoff with indignation, and shed a tear or two. It's time to face the angst-ridden beast known as teenage life through the vibrant lens of YA literature!
『Looking for Alaska』
The award-winning, genre-defining debut from John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and The Fault in Our Stars Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award • A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist • A New York Times Bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller • NPR’s Top Ten Best-Ever Teen Novels • TIME magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time • A PBS Great American Read Selection • Millions of copies sold! First drink. First prank. First friend. First love. Last words. Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words—and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet François Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked #1 bestselling author John Green’s arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction. Newly updated edition includes a brand-new Readers' Guide featuring a Q&A with author John Green
Author | John Green |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Sep 24, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (National Book Award Winner)』
A New York Times bestseller—over one million copies sold! A National Book Award winner A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. With a forward by Markus Zusak, interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney, and black-and-white interior art throughout, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.
Author | Sherman Alexie |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Release Date | Jan 10, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
『Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe』
Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.
Author | Benjamin Alire Sáenz |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
『It's Kind of a Funny Story』
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.
Author | Ned Vizzini |
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Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | Disney Electronic Content |
Release Date | Sep 25, 2010 |
Source | Google Books |
『Mosquitoland』
"First published in the United States of America by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2015"--Title page verso.
Author | David Arnold |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Speak |
Release Date | Mar 01, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
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Price | unknown |
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Source | Google Books |
『The Poet X』
“Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice.” —Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation “An incredibly potent debut.” —Jason Reynolds, author of the National Book Award Finalist Ghost “Acevedo has amplified the voices of girls en el barrio who are equal parts goddess, saint, warrior, and hero.” —Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing #ownvoices novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth. Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems. Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.
Author | Elizabeth Acevedo |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | HarperTeen |
Release Date | Mar 06, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Solitaire』
The amazing novel that introduced Nick and Charlie from HEARTSTOPPER -- and the unforgettable Tori Spring. Tori Spring isn't sure how to be happy again. Then she meets Michael Holden, and they try to unmask the mysterious Solitaire (and survive high school) in Alice Oseman's stunning, unflinchinghonest debut novel, which first introduced her fan-favorite Heartstopper characters Nick and Charlie.
Author | Alice Oseman |
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Price | $12.99 |
Publisher | Scholastic Inc. |
Release Date | May 02, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock』
In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was--that I couldn't stick around--and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault. Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol. Maybe one day he'll believe that being different is okay, important even. But not today.
Author | Matthew Quick |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
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 |
Alright folks, that wraps up my recommended list of 10 amazing coming-of-age stories! Each one of these YA novels and comics showcase characters that tackle the challenges, heartbreaks, and the triumphs that come hand-in-hand with the awkward journey that is adolescence. Filled with relatable situations, complex characters, and transformative storylines, these novels are essential reads for anyone looking to understand and empathize with the bittersweet turbulence of growing up. They are an absolute celebration of individuality, vulnerability, resilience, and the beautiful chaos of youthful existence. With a diverse range of themes from love and friendship, identity discovery, dealing with loss, standing up to bullies, to overcoming societal pressures, there's bound to be a story in this list that resonates deeply with everyone. So, whether you are a teen yourself navigating your own journey, or are someone trying to understand the ups and downs faced by teens, each one of these books offers insights that are sure to leave you enlightened. Here's to falling into these pages and emerging enriched! Happy reading!
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