30 Of Your Favorite Contemporary YA Books
This Riot Recommendation is sponsored by Bang by Barry Lyga.
One shot ruined his life. Another one could end it.
From New York Times bestselling author Barry Lyga comes a heartbreaking novel about living with your worst mistake. For fans of This Is Where It Ends, Bang is as true and as relevant as tomorrow’s headlines, the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed.
Let’s talk about the here and now of YA, where the struggles are real(istic) and modern. The genre can be lighthearted, dark, powerful, joyful. Maybe even all of the above. We asked you to share your favorite contemporary YA books, and you responded. Here are 30 of your favorites!
Boys Don’t Knit (in Public) by T.S. Easton
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Perks of Being a Wallfower by Stephen Chbosky
The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertali
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han
You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
Winger by Andrew Smith
Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Everlost by Neal Shusterman
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
Challenger Deep by Neal and Brendan Shusterman
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Looking for Alaska by John Green
