Young adults experience much more than it seems on the surface. I feel as if many young adult novels shy away from the fact that young adults experience heavy topics such as suicide, depression, drugs, and sex. Due to this, many teens have an altered or false few of these important, and quite common topics. There are a few books out there, however, that give a genuine impression on these heavy topics. These are just two of the books that can help teens with understanding of these topics, while also telling great and entertaining stories.
1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Description: The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
Goodreads rating: 4.21/5
Quote: "We accept the love we think we deserve."
Why You Should Read It: This novel is different than any other coming of age novel that I have read. It brings in the grit on teenage life- something that most young adult authors are afraid of doing- and it tackles these topics on a truer level, showing what topics like love, sex, drugs, and really mean. It's about a character finding himself among theses hard situations and decisions.
2. All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven
Description: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
Goodreads rating: 4.19/5
Quote: “The great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody.”
Why You Should Read It: This book is SO GOOD. It will make you cry, laugh, and swoon all in the matter of a few pages. Just as a warning; this book deals with topics of suicide and depression so if you are triggered by that, maybe try a different novel. But the way Niven approaches these topics is different than anything I've ever read. It increased my understanding of mental health and can help you believe that other people feel the way you do at times of sadness or depression.
