The 37 best young adult books we ever read
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Many of us look back on the "young adult" years of our life and remember both broad brush strokes of volatile feelings and now-inconsequential details of school politics and heartbreak.
The rush of hormones thrown in haphazardly doesn’t do much for lending clarity, either.
It also happens to be the stage of life where you are most out of place, (not quite a kid, not really an adult), which can leave a lot of people feeling lost.
But since it’s a stage of life characterized by equal angst and vague boredom (remember when you couldn’t drive yet, but could still be grounded?), books held an added importance. They could create a new world, lend you better understanding of the one you were in, or make you laugh out loud.
And while we might have all believed we were the only people in our awkward ninth grade class to feel like a square peg in a round hole, the wonderful thing is that the older you get, the more you realize every single person went through the same thing. And the same books that made you feel less alone, that you connected with so fully, are likewise the things that a complete stranger might have felt and been glad for during the same precarious time. It comes as a nice surprise as a full-fledged adult to connect with another person that way.
Keeping that in mind, I decided to ask the staff at Business Insider to share their favorite Young Adult books, plus their reasons why. It was fun to feel a delayed sense of communion over the things that made us laugh, think creatively, or gave us a place to belong in a vulnerable time.
Below you'll find 37 of the best books we read as young adults:
"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
I was assigned to read The Glass Castle in high school and it's a huge part of why I love reading (and writing) non-fiction today. Jeannette Walls actually came and spoke to our class and she was incredibly inspiring. I'm excited to see the movie! — Graham Rapier
This was likely the most impactful book I have ever read. It taught me over and over again that each person has inalienable worth. In a complicated family, the child-parent dynamic is flipped, and we are able to see all the black and white complexities of grown adults through family history and the stalwart love of children. I found it so beautiful that through the right eyes, and the right voice, each reader could experience adversity and unwavering love and beauty simultaneously. It's a testament to some bonds being truly unconditional. I'll keep a paperback of this always. — Mara Leighton
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"When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" by Geroge Carlin
It was all over the place and hilarious. I loved this book because it discussed topics that typically wouldn't be shared with teenagers. It gave you the feeling that you could participate in a conversation outside the "kids table" at holiday parties. — Taylor Broderick
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"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card
Before it was turned into a movie, (which was great in some scenes, painful in others) Ender's Game was an absolutely amazing book. Centered around child prodigies turned into soldiers by the world government in order to combat an alien threat, the book is exceedingly intelligent. It works for any age group and you'll take more out of it each time you read it.
Though it may be phrased as series, the first one stands alone on top of the pile. If you love the world and are disappointed by the Ender sequels, try the Bean series, they're on par with Ender's Game. — Spencer Lambert
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