10 YA Books That Will Change Your Life

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Anderson’s profound Speak is a true YA must-read. It follows a year in the life of the muted Melinda, who goes silent and falls into a deep depression after being raped at 13, unable to communicate her trauma to family or friends and instead bottling it up until she’s about to burst. Speak is a painfully honest and heartbreakingly real take on rape, depression and post-traumatic stress, and one that many readers will sadly find their experiences reflected in. But in the end, it’s a hopeful book.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Every kid who has ever felt like they didn’t belong will relate to Alexie’s Diary, which chronicles the journey of book-smart but emotionally naïve Arnold as he ventures from the tenuous safety of the Spokane Indian Reservation, the only community he has ever known, to an all-white school far off the res. Alexie tackles poverty, racism, bullying, alcoholism, and other weighty issues, but the book is fast-paced and funny and will keep you flipping pages to see if he ever figures out (and maybe, if we can too) how to balance it all.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews
There’s a reason for everything, right? Not according to Andrews’ Me And Earl, called “the funniest book you’ll ever read about death” for good reason. It centers on everykid Greg Gaines, who plans to rock his senior year by keeping a low profile and making bad mini-movies with his pal Earl. Then life—in the form of mom—intervenes, connecting him with Rachel, a childhood acquaintance who has cancer. Chaos ensues. Heartbreak happens. There’s not really a reason for everything, but man, yeah, this is a funny, poignant book about life, death, and everything that happens in between.

All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
All Rashad wanted was a bag of chips. But he ended up in the hospital, thanks to a pugnacious cop with an agenda, and he’s still trying to figure out what happened. Quinn Collins saw it all go down, but Paul, the cop, is like family. So he can’t really speak up—can he? Timely, intense, and insightful, the all-too-relevant All American Boys—winner of the first We Need Diverse Books Walter Award and a Coretta Scott honor—examines the aftermath of an incident of violence from the perspective of both the victim and a not-so-innocent bystander.

The Sky Is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
Can grief and joy exist in the same space? They can in Nelson’s gorgeous, mournful, and hopeful debut, which follows an emotionally wrecked Lennie as she grapples with life while mourning the sudden loss of her big sister, Bailey, and with love when you least expect it. She finds solace and comfort in the arms of her sister’s boyfriend, Toby, but might find the real thing in bright, bold Joe, whose sparkle could be just what she needs to get through—if she can pull herself together enough to let him in.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Shy and quiet, freshman Charlie expects not to fit in. In fact, he writes all about it in his letters to an unnamed stranger, letters that dwell on a past pain that becomes illuminated through the course of the novel. As Charlie begins to come out of his shell, make friends, and fall in love, he comes to grips with what really happened to him as a child. His journey takes us through the high of all those firsts, and also through the pain of unraveling trauma.

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray
Anything the amazing Libba Bray does has a bit of a trippy vibe to it, but the Printz-winning Going Bovine is definitively the trippiest: it’s that book with the scowling cow and hipster gnome on the cover. Bovine follows wannabe slacker Cameron as he succumbs, slowly, madly, deeply, via vivid, order-giving hallucinations in the form of garden gnomes, dwarves, and a punk angel named Dulcie, to mad cow disease. It’s about life, death, Disney World, fire giants, high school. You know, all the important stuff.

Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
Okay, so I always start my Brown Girl Dreaming recs with the caveats that a) it’s middle grade, b) it’s verse, and c) it’s a memoir. But all that being said, Woodson’s Dreaming—a National Book Award winner and Coretta Scott and Newbery honoree—is a must-read. Her languorous and thoughtful ruminations on her childhood growing up in both the Jim Crow South of the ’60s and rough and tumble ’70s Brooklyn is rhythmic and mesmerizing, full of quiet spirit and insights as a young girl discovers herself as reader, a writer, and so much more.

Dumplin’, by Julie Murphy
Every teen—every human, really—has body issues. And Dolly Parton–obsessed Willowdean “Dumplin'” Dickson, is no exception, although she hardly falls into those stereotypical fat girl tropes. She’s smart, she’s fun, she’s confident—that is, until she starts hooking up with private school kid Bo, who’d rather keep their new whatever-it-is on the down low. It starts messing with her head, so she decides to take control by donning a tiara and entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant, to the shock, delight and/or horror of everyone in Clover City, especially the pageant’s chair, her mama. Bright, bold, and oozing with love, this one is a definite pick-me-up.

More Happy Than Not, by Adam Silvera
Silvera’s stunning debut centers on Bronx teen Aaron Soto, who’s shattered after his father’s recent suicide. It’s messing with his head and wreaking havoc on his relationships with his mother, his girlfriend, his friends. The only one getting him through is his new pal Thomas—and that just might be the problem. So he decides to explore the option of having his memory altered by the Leteo Institute, hoping it will make things easier. But you can’t really change who you are, can you? More Happy is an unflinching but ultimately hopeful examination of depression.