Hello my bookish friends, today’s post is inspired by Heartstopper. With the new season out and the hype and love around it, the comment I keep seeing or reading is ‘I wish I had this book/series when I was younger’. So I thought I would do a few posts, from standalone books to book series (which will include Heartstopper no doubt).
So as an adult reading Young Adult and some Children’s books, it got me thinking about the books I wished I had when I was younger. Young Adult books wasn’t a category when I was a young adult. I think for me, Twilight kicked off it off. Since then and as a School Librarian Teen and YA books have got so much bigger, better and more inclusive. They really are capturing the reader.
I would love to know what yours would be. Let me know in the comments. So without further ado here are my book recommendations…
Top 5 Must Read Standalone YA Books I wished I had when I was younger
The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting by Holly Bourne
I know this is the second time I have listed this book in the last few posts, but it’s a book that I absolutely loved but I knew the reason why it had such a profound impact on me was because I knew I wish I had this when I was in secondary school. Holly Bourne doesn’t conform to the norm of contemporary YA, hers are real and that why I loved it. She is the Queen of YA in my eyes and this particular book was about being who you are, questioning your own life and your own manifesto to life and happiness as well. This for me was the first book that made me cry, and feel all the emotions in one book.
Influential by Amara Sage
This book prepares you for life on social media. I for one wasn’t on many platforms when I was younger it wasn’t the norm like it is now. But it gives a glimpse at a life, we don’t know much about and almost shows you the reality of it. Amara Sage writes with such honest rawness, at times it’s hard to read. Working in a school or even as a bookstagrammer we focus far too much on what looks good that we don’t see what is happening behind the photo. We don’t see anything that’s unfiltered andInfluential is exactly that an unfiltered awareness of life as an influencer.
Something Certain Maybe by Sarah Barnard
This book is is about the relationships more specifically between a mum and her daughter. This had me glazey eyed throughout the book with Rosie’s relationship with her mum. Oh my, did that pull at the heart strings. Their relationship very much reminded me of mine with my mum. It’s just Rosie and her mum, their bond is unbreakable. It made the book for me rather special and undeniable it was the reason why I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
Sweetfreak by Sophie McKenzie
This was another book that I read about 5 years ago, which is more of a younger audience. What I loved about this book was the important topics that it addresses, the awareness of cyber bullying through how dark social media can be and also toxic friendships. Working in a school, the constant picking at each other or where apps and smartphones have never been more the rave. I’m very aware of this, But outside of school we have no control over it, these can ruin people lives, their friendships it can lead them to do such nasty things.
Wonder Woman – Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
You probably think this is an odd one out but when writing this post, but I remember loving this. Bringing the comic book world in a written novel. Capturing the origin story as a young Diana Prince and seeing a different aspect of Wonder Woman. She is an iconic character, I would say she’s my favourite female superhero, empowering and inspiring young girls and this book captured that. I felt it was about how she became Diana Prince to the mortal world and really focused on who she is, owning who she wants to be, being true to herself and who ultimately wants to become.
This is a great post! It’s been so interesting watching the evolution of YA over the years. We didn’t call it ‘YA’ when I was growing up, but I was lucky to have access to some really excellent Australian books about teenagers when I was one. But the scope of the genre today is incredible! Teens have no excuse not to read, there really is something out there for everyone.
Thank you! As a secondary school librarian I’m so happy and proud by how many books there is for my students and how incredibly inclusive and amazing they all are.