As my last summer before college starts to wind down, I think about all the different things that have made me the person I am, and one of the things that comes to mind is books. As a reader, every book that I read changes me in a different way. There are a few books that have stood out to me more than others as stories that all girls should read as adolescents.
"My Sister’s Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
Thirteen-year-old Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. She was conceived as a bone marrow match for her older sister, Kate, and has gone through countless numbers of surgeries and blood transfusions in order to aid Kate in her fight against leukemia. In the midst of all the hospital visits, Anna is trying to figure out who she is, and in the process, makes a decision that might tear her family apart.
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
Although the book revolves around a male protagonist, many teenage girls can relate to the themes present in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Written through letters, readers follow protagonist Charlie’s freshman year of high school, where he tries to juggle family life, adjusting to a new school, and dealing with events from his past with the help of a teacher and some new friends.
"In the Unlikely Event" by Judy Blume
Set in the early 1950s, Judy Blume’s "In the Unlikely Event" revolves around three generations of family, friends, and strangers in Elizabeth, New Jersey, who are all connected together through multiple tragedies one winter.
"Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
In the aftermath of World War II, sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania to go to New York for three days. Simultaneously in love with and repelled by the world he lives in, Holden tries to find himself and figure out the motives behind the actions of the people around him.
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak
Especially special for lovers of historical fiction, The Book Thief revolves around Liesel’s life in a German foster home during World War II. After Liesel's foster father teaches her how to read, she shares her stolen books with her neighbors and a Jewish man living in her basement in the midst of bombing raids.
"Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Two weeks after Hannah Baker kills herself, Clay Jenson finds a package on his doorstep. Inside he finds several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah, telling Clay that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life — and he is one of them. The book follows Clay as he travels to different areas of his town with Hannah’s voice guiding him.
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
From the point of view of Nick Carroway, Fitzgerald’s classic novel follows the wealthy Jay Gatsby as he tries to win back the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan, in order to achieve the classic “American Dream,” proving that the past cannot be returned.
"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Throughout her memoir, Walls recounts her childhood as the second oldest of four children to an alcoholic father and an artist mother. Starting when she was a small child and lasting until her later teenage years, Walls tells the story of her impoverished childhood, where she and her siblings were forced to clothe, feed, and fend for themselves, even from a young age.
"No Matter the Wreckage" by Sarah Kay
Though not a novel, "No Matter the Wreckage" is a set of poems written by Sarah Kay throughout her later years of high school, college, and entering adulthood. Kay uses her poetry to navigate through nostalgia, family, adulthood, and love.
