Here’s Why You Should Read These YA National Book Award Longlisters Right Now

What Girls Are Made Of, by Elana K. Arnold
Nina is desperate to be loved—by her boyfriend, by the world that surrounds them, and, perhaps most keenly, by her mother, from whom she’s learned everything she knows, for better or (usually) worse. But when she’s on the brink of losing everything, the one thing she wants—that love—is the only thing just out of her grasp. Tackling issues like sex, abortion, death, and absent parents, Arnold’s deft and deceptively simple vignettes paint a vivid portrait of modern girlhood, where we’re relegated to the labels of saint or slut.

Far from the Tree, by Robin Benway
Grace has never quite fit in with her family. A brunette among redheads, she realizes why when she goes in search of her birth mother, and discovers her biological siblings are not quite the right fit, either, even if they may be blood. Tackling adoption, teen pregnancy, foster care, and self-discovery, Far from the Tree is about the family you have, the family you find, and the family you make.

All the Wind in the World, by Samantha Mabry
Mabry’s sophomore effort—after the stunning A Fierce and Subtle Poison—follows the travails of Sarah and James, a pair who fell into a forbidden love while working the fields in the drought-ridden Southwest of the near future, a land where secrets reign and magic can catch you off guard. They hide their romance from the world, knowing that its discovery will mean making a run for their lives. Mabry has established herself as a master of fabulist sleight of hand, and this sophomore effort won’t disappoint.

You Bring the Distant Near, by Mitali Perkins
The bonds that bind the Das clan are strong, but can they survive the pain of immigration and self-discovery? Told by five very different narrators, Perkins’ latest spans four decades and three generations in the lives of a single immigrant family, centering on sisterhood, various forms of feminism, and the tug of war between two often disparate cultures. Lovely and immersive, this saga offers the lilting storytelling we’ve come to expect from stalwart Perkins, the self-proclaimed “auntie” of YA literature.

Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
One minute will make or break the life of fifteen-year-old Will. That’s how long he’s given himself to decide whether he’s going to kill the guy who killed his brother. That’s how long it’ll take him to ride this elevator down and into the future, one that might end right quick. But in those long sixty seconds, he’ll encounter some ghosts who’ll share some truths he missed, who’ll help him choose whether to get revenge in way that puts him right on the path of violence, or perhaps to live and be redeemed. In this heady, fast-paced, and riveting novel, Jason Reynolds again shows he has a way with verse. Profound, punchy, and impactful, this is a novel in verse that elevates the genre.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L. Sanchez
Julia carries the weight of her dead sister on her shoulders. Olga was perfect: poised, gracious, obedient. And Julia is decidedly not. But as she digs into her dead sister’s history, she learns that perhaps she didn’t know Olga as well as she thought she did. And as she falls hard for wealthy Connor and resists the restrictions her grieving and overbearing mom levies on her, the whole family begins to unravel, with her parents deciding that sending Julia back to Mexico might just be the best move. Poignant, rich, and rebellious, this debut marks the launch of a fascinating new voice.

Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder
On the idyllic isle, nine orphan children live in peace and harmony, fending for themselves, creating their own rules, and raising their youngest under the careful tutelage of the “elder,” the oldest child, who once a year is carried off in a green boat during the “Changing,” replaced with a new youngest child so the cycle will continue. When Jinny inherits the title of the eldest, will she abide by the rules she helped put in place, even if she knows things could be better?

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas
Starr Carter’s a good kid, just trying to find her footing as she balances her posh prep school with life in the gang-infested neighborhood she grew up in. But when a traffic stop gone awry ends up in the police officer shooting and killing her childhood friend, Starr must decide if she’ll risk everything she has worked so hard for by speaking out. Caught in the center of the police brutality controversy as the crime’s only witness, she may not have a choice. Casually insightful and startlingly sure-footed, this debut is a must-read—pick it up now, and get ready for the film adaption starring Amandla Stenberg, in theaters in 2019.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, by Rita Williams-Garcia
The blues? They’re in Clayton’s blood. His grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd, is a bluesmen, and Clayton’s all set to join him. All he needs is a song to call his own. But when he loses his grandfather, Clayton’s mother forbids him from playing the blues—and that’s when he decides to run. He heads to New York City, hoping to find Cool Papa’s fellow Bluesmen. But along the way, he learns some mighty hard lessons. Delving deep into family, tradition, grief, and the blues, second time National Book nominee Williams-Garcia’s latest is a slender, tender thing, one that will have you hoping Clayton finds his way.

American Street, by Ibi Zoboi
It’s every immigrant child’s worst nightmare come true: just as she steps foot on American soil, Haitian-born teen Fabiola’s mother is detained by immigration—leaving her motherless in a foreign land. She finds herself in the wilds of Detroit, learning to cope with a new city, a new school, family that’s foreign, and perhaps the bright hope of first love. But just when the American dream is within reach, it slips and shatters, and Fabiola must figure out how to put the pieces back together. Timely in its take on immigration, dreams deferred, and assimilation, Zoboi’s debut is lyrical and incisive.