What we read: Ten YA titles to add to your reading list
Generally speaking, YA books are written for and marketed to teens between the ages of 13 to 18. I overlooked them for a long time, thinking that I was too old and therefore couldn’t relate to a teen protagonist. I was wrong and haven’t looked back since discovering YA fiction about five years ago, thanks to a bookseller friend.
There are many genres to choose from so while it’s common for most YA books to focus on the challenges of being an adolescent, the world in which the characters deal with their struggles can be as make-believe or as real as the author chooses. This allows for several interesting formats that will appeal to adult readers still under the impression that all YA novels take place in a high school setting. Graphic novels, for example, are extremely popular in the YA universe and are also a great option for crime-fiction fans, as well as science fiction and fantasy readers.
If you’re thinking about taking the plunge with YA literature, or if you’re already familiar with the format but looking for new titles, here are some engaged reading recommendations that may be of interest to you.
Sawkill Girls (Claire Legrand)
Let’s start with my most recent YA read, which mixes horror with supernatural elements. Our three protagonists, who share the narrative, are Marion, the new girl in town who is awkward and a bit of an old soul, Zoey, daughter of the local police sheriff, mourning the mysterious disappearance of her friend Thora and recently broken up from her boyfriend, and Val, the local queen bee who turns out to be much more than that by the end of the novel.
The three girls must join forces, initially against their wishes, and unleash their previously unknown powers to fight the demon that lives on Sawkill Rock and kills young girls on the island, gaining more power with each kill. On top of exposing and subverting patriarchy’s firm grip on society, Sawkill Girls features fantastic LGBTQ+ representation and portrays the first asexual relationship that I’ve come across, with sensitivity and honesty.
Monstress (Marjorie M. Liu. Illustrator Sana Takeda)
Recently added to my TBR list as I attempt to incorporate more graphic novels into my reading. Teen protagonist Maika Halfwolf lives in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia with an art deco-inflected aesthetic. Maika is living with the trauma of war and discovers that she shares an inexplicable link with a powerful monster who comes from another world. Monstress shows how women can be once freed from having to be a likable character, a trait we see time and time again within literature. (Six-part series)
Clap When You Land (Elizabeth Acevedo)
This recently released novel from bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo should be on your summer reading list. And if this is the first time that you’re reading the name “Elizabeth Acevedo” please go and check out The Poet X or With The Fire On High from your local library.
In Clap When You Land, Camino Rios lives in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira Rios lives in New York. They don’t know each other but it transpires that they share the same father, a fact that only comes to light following his tragic death in an airplane accident on his way to visit Camino for the summer. This dual-narrative novel in verse format explores the girls’ grief over the loss of their father and the bittersweet discovery of each other and their new relationship.
The Silence of Bones (June Hur)
Seol is a sixteen-year-old orphan living in Joseon (Korea) in the 1800s. Bound to the police (thanks ancient curse) Seol finds herself on a new case, helping a young inspector to investigate the politically motivated murder of a noblewoman.
Seol and the inspector become close but their friendship is challenged when he turns out to be the prime suspect in the murder case they’re working on. This leaves Seol having to figure out who she can trust while solving the crime and working against a culture that prefers obedience over curiosity. A nail-biting debut from June Hur, which will be followed by The Forest of Stolen Girls in April 2021.
The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney (Okechukwu Nzelu)
Nnenna Maloney is a typical teenager looking to discover and connect with her Igbo-Nigerian culture. But her close relationship with her mother, Joanie, changes as soon as Nnenna starts asking questions about her father’s identity.
The Private Joys follows Nnenna trying to figure out her identity while not knowing everything about where she comes from. Set in present-day Manchester, Nnenna is accompanied by her friends who are asking themselves similar questions about race, gender, class, and family ties. For readers who appreciate funny and heart-warming writing.
Running (Natalia Sylvester)
Fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz starts to see her father in a new light when he decides to run for president, following a successful political career. New tensions arise within the Ruiz family, not helped by the vicious scrutiny of the media, as Mari comes to terms with the fact that her father is not the political hero she previously thought him to be. This is a thoughtful novel about being a young person who wakes up to the world and has to learn to stand up and speak out - even if the whole country happens to be watching.
Run, Riot (Nikesh Shukla)
Police brutality and gentrification are at the heart of this powerful crime thriller, which sees a group of young London teens taking a stand for both themselves and their community.
Teenagers Hari and Jamal film an unarmed youth from their estate being beaten by police, then find themselves on the run from the very people who should be protecting them. They join forces with Hari’s twin sister, Taran, and Jamal’s girlfriend, Anna, to go on the run and figure out the cause of the shooting. As the murky truth eventually becomes clearer, they must all face up to the terrible personal consequences that await them or remain silent.
Pet (Akwaeke Emezi)
Teen protagonist Jam is a transgender girl who also happens to be deaf. She lives with her parents in the town of Lucille, where evil “monsters”(sexual abusers) have been rooted out by “angel” members of the community. While learning about her town’s painful past, Jam unintentionally brings to life a supernatural creature featured in one of her mother’s paintings, whom she decides to humorously call Pet. Communicating via telepathic means, Pet reveals to Jam that they are there to hunt a monster who was not found in the first revolution...
Akwaeke Emezi is a phenomenal writer, in my opinion, choosing to show a positive portrayal of a transgender teen who is fully supported and loved by their parents and community. Jam is at an age where she has to learn that many adults can close their eyes to what is happening right in front of them, which allows terrible things to keep happening. The supernatural presence of Pet is seamlessly integrated into this slim book that makes many astute observations about what adults choose to see and to believe.
Akata Witch (Nnedi Okorafor)
This is my next YA read for August, which I came across while researching Children of Blood and Bone for The FBC Paris’ July session. Akata Witch introduces us to twelve year old Sunny, born in New York but now living in Aba, Nigeria. On top of feeling lost in her surroundings, Sunny is also albino and struggles with the heat in Aba, as well as being the target of school bullies. Life starts looking better as soon as she meets Orlu and Chichi, who introduce Sunny to the magical world of the Leopard People. Together, they start the youngest ever Oha Coven and are tasked with the mission of finding Black Hat Otokoto, an evil man who is known for kidnapping and maiming children.
As well as writing books, for which she has won several notable awards and garnered the admiration of Neil Gaiman and Ursula Le Guin, Nnedi is currently writing a series for Marvel based on Shuri, better known as Black Panther’s younger sister.
The Island at The End of Everything (Kiran Millwood Hargrave)
My first Kiran Millwood Hargrave was The Mercies earlier this year so I’m looking forward to discovering her YA work, starting with The Island, shortlisted for the 2018 Jhalak Prize.
Ami and her mother live peacefully together on a beautiful island. Island life is all that Ami has ever known but the arrival of a government official Mr. Zamora threatens to change her life for the worse. Separated from her mother and taken to an orphanage far away, Ami meets a honey-eyed girl who will help her get back home - and so the real adventure begins as Ami must race against the clock to be reunited with her mother.
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