Sure you read Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some lesser-known (and some more well-known) YA books you need to try next.
1. Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands #1) by Sarah Fine
Why you need to read it: First off, Lela Santos is one of the most badass heroines of modern literature. Her best friend Nadia kills herself, and she journies to purgatory to save her. Pretty cool, right? Sarah Fine creats a unique underworld for Lela to explore as she searches for Nadia, and the details she includes are like nothing else in YA literature. (The purgatory that Lela goes to is one of many "holding areas" that people go to when they die, and she completes this one with residents readingTwilight esque books and buying rotting food at the grocery store in attempts satisfy themselves in the empty world of purgatroy.)
2. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Why you need to read it: The main character of It's Kind of a Funny Story is Craig Gilner, a teenager under so much pressure to do well in life that he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital. The book lives up to its name, managing to be deeply funny and poignant all at once. Don't be fooled though, It's Kind of a Funny Story is a tough book to read. Ned Vizzini, the author of this semi-autobiographic book, killed himself in 2013 at the age of 32 after a long battle with depression. Beyond being a brilliantly written book, It's Kind of a Funny Story offers a glimpse into the mind of someone in the throes depression and anxiety, making it an important novel not just for those who live with these conditions, but for anyone who wants to better understand the intricacies of mental illness.
3. Forgive me, Leonard Peacock by Mathew Quick
Why you need to read it: Leonard Peacock is going to shoot his best friend and then himself with his grandfather’s gun, or at least that's what he plans to do the day he turns eighteen. Despite how the plot sounds, this novel isn't exploitative of Columbine or any other school shootings. Mathew Quick, who is also the author of The Silver Lining's Playbook, creates an understated portrait of a boy searching for human connection and dealing with the type of tragedy no one should ever have to deal with. The events that lead up to Leonard's decision to kill his best friend will make your jaw drop (and probably make you cry too), and Quick's tight writing style and skill at characterization will make you keep reading until the bitter end.
4. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Why you need to read it: Ready Player One is the breakout YA book of the year (besides We Were Liars, which wasn't included on this list because if you like YA, you've definitely heard of it already). Wade Watts lives in 2044, when the world is so bleak that the only respite is playing the virtual reality game OASIS. When the billionaire creator of OASIS dies, he promises his fortune and the rights to OASIS to whoever can solve the riddles he has set up throughout the game. The eighties nostalgia is strong in this book, as the riddles are grounded in 80s culture, so if you're a fan of Stranger Things, E.T., or The Goonies, this is a must read.
Bonus: The movie adaptation of Ready Player One starring Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke is set for release in 2018.
5. Angelfall by Susan Ee
Why you need to read it: This is one of the few indie YA books that lives up to the online hype. Angelfall (the first of a trilogy) follows Penryn through a world ruled by fallen angels as she fights to rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of Raffe, an angel who's on a mission to get back his wings. Susan Ee writes some of the best romantic tension in YA, but Angelfall is much more about a normal teenage girl who's been forced into an extraordinary situation.
Bonus: You can be Susan Ee's Facebook friend! She accepts friend requests, and she'll occasionally post about the series or scholarship opportunities that she sponsors.
6. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Why you need to read it: This book is the only one on the list with a main character who isn't high school age, but that doesn't mean that it's just a book for kids. The story centers around Auggie, a ten-year-old with a facial abnormality who's been homeschooled his whole life, that is until the start of the book, when he enrolls in school and is confronted with teachers, new friends, and bullies. Wonder deals with the specific issue of living with a visible disability, but Auggie's struggle to fit in is something to which anyone can relate.
Bonus: The film adaptation of Wonder, which will star Julia Roberts as Auggie's mom and Jacob Tremblay (Room), will be release in 2017.
