The gift of YA is that we adults were teens once \u2014 and we can relate. The best books are meaty enough for an adult to enjoy, full of believable characters and stories that pull you right along and set in worlds that teens might want to inhabit. They make perfect fodder for the long days we have now as many of us are home with our families.<\/p>\n
But reading YA isn\u2019t just about escapism. As a parent of a teen, I\u2019ve often found that I need to come at a subject sideways in order to spark conversation. (Head-on, it\u2019s bound to be two sentences or less: \u201cHoney, what do you think about X?\u201d \u201c<\/em>Okay, mom.\u201d<\/em>) But we can talk about love and betrayal \u2014 or even heftier topics \u2014 by talking through the finer points of a good book. While you don\u2019t have to start an official in-house book club with your teen, you certainly could.<\/p>\n Tuck into these 12 engrossing YA books that span across genres \u2014 first love, historical fiction, dystopian fantasy \u2014 and appeal to adults and teens alike (even if it is just to escape).<\/p>\n no no 9781984812223 Frankly in Love <\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/598579\/frankly-in-love-by-david-yoon\/9781984812223?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by David Yoon <\/p>\n This YA rom-com tackles fake dating, first love, and family expectations with humor and heart. To keep his Korean parents from finding out that he\u2019s dating a white girl, Frank strikes up a fake relationship with a family friend. But it doesn\u2019t take long before Frank feels confused about who he is, what he wants, and which girl he loves.<\/p>\n 9780593202876 How It All Blew Up <\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/625445\/how-it-all-blew-up-by-arvin-ahmadi\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Arvin Ahmadi <\/p>\n When Amir comes out to his traditional Iranian family, things quickly go downhill. To escape the drama and find a place where he can be himself, Amir heads to Rome for the summer. There, he discovers freedom and acceptance with a new group of friends. Told in alternating timelines, this heartwarming story about family, identity, and romance is perfect for summer.<\/p>\n 9780525552963 Darius the Great Is Not Okay <\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/573023\/darius-the-great-is-not-okay-by-adib-khorram\/9780525552963?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Adib Khorram <\/p>\n Darius feels like he doesn\u2019t fit in anywhere, and going to Iran won\u2019t help that. But once he\u2019s there, he meets Sohrab, and the two teenage boys become inseparable. This hopeful story celebrates the power of friendship and its ability to change a person\u2019s life. It\u2019s a fantastic read for anyone who ever felt like they don\u2019t belong.<\/p>\n 9780593375297 Together, Apart <\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/669632\/together-apart-by-erin-a-craig-auriane-desombre-erin-hahn-bill-konigsberg-rachael-lippincott-brittney-morris-sajni-patel-and-natasha-preston-jennifer-yen\/9780593375297?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Erin A Craig, Auriane Desombre, Erin Hahn, Bill Konigsberg, Rachael Lippincott, Brittney Morris, Sajni Patel, Natasha Preston, and Jennifer Yen <\/p>\n The pandemic was brutal for everyone, but the lockdown hit teens especially hard. This collection of short romantic stories set during that time is perfect for young people who still feel the effects. From delivery boys to young entrepreneurs, readers will find hopeful and uplifting stories about teens who found love under bizarre and stressful conditions. <\/p>\n 9780525578253 Color Me In <\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/565269\/color-me-in-by-natasha-diaz\/9780525578253?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Natasha D\u00edaz <\/p>\n If you\u2019re in the mood for a YA novel that will make you laugh, cry, and think, this is an excellent book to read with your teen. When her parents split up, Nevaeh reconnects with her mother\u2019s side of the family. But her new life presents many challenges she has never faced before, including racism, prejudice, and religious intolerance. As the girl who always does what she\u2019s told, Nevaeh will have to find her voice to figure out where she fits.<\/p>\n 9781984831958 House of Salt and Sorrows<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/599579\/house-of-salt-and-sorrows-by-erin-a-craig\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Erin A. Craig <\/p>\n Sisterhood, mystery, magic, and ancient curses collide in this spine-chilling fairy tale retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses<\/i>. With four of her older sisters dead, Annaleigh is determined to find out who (or what) has been killing them. Eerie visions haunt her days, and lavish balls occupy her nights as she hunts for a way to break her family\u2019s curse.<\/p>\n 9781984849113 Nicola Yoon 2-Book Bundle: Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/600461\/nicola-yoon-boxed-set-by-nicola-yoon\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Nicola Yoon <\/p>\n Everything Everything<\/i> is the first YA book I shared with my daughter. We didn\u2019t read it at the exact same time, but one after the other \u2013 closely enough that we could discuss plot points or characters in a casual way. She thought I was cool for liking it; I thought she was cool for chatting with me about it. That\u2019s about as good as it gets with a teen. Everything Everything<\/i> is a love story, but the pieces my teen and I talked about were not just about love \u2014 it was a parent\u2019s desire to protect a child, an 18-year-old\u2019s need for freedom. I imagine reading it today, weeks into a pandemic that has us shut away inside from everyone but our immediate family, and how we might see the disorder that defines the main character’s entire life \u2014 “bubble baby disease” \u2014 in a new light. <\/p>\n If you love Everything, Everything<\/i>, be sure to check out The Sun Is Also a Star<\/i>. <\/p>\n 9780142425763 I\u2019ll Give You the Sun<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/306095\/ill-give-you-the-sun-by-jandy-nelson\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Jandy Nelson <\/p>\n I\u2019ll Give You the Sun<\/i> is the story of Jude and Noah, fraternal twins who at 13 are the best of friends, but by 16 are estranged. The story is deftly told from alternating perspectives \u2014 shy, loner Noah, from age 13; bold, beautiful Jude, from the vantage point of age 16, after the tragedy that tears them apart. As much as the story is about grief, it\u2019s also about art. \u201cThe book celebrates art\u2019s capacity to heal, but it also shows us how we excavate meaning from the art we cherish, and how we find reflections of ourselves within it,\u201d wrote Lauren Oliver in her review in The New York Times<\/i><\/a>. Nelson\u2019s first book, The Sky is Everywhere<\/i><\/a>, is also an equally good read.<\/p>\n 9780142422076 Legend<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/309223\/legend-by-marie-lu\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Marie Lu <\/p>\n Not every YA book needs a capital-M message to appeal to both parents and teens. Sometimes, a good ol\u2019 dystopian romp through not-so-far-in-the-future Los Angeles is enough. In Legend<\/i>, June and Day, both 15, are from opposite sides of what\u2019s left of the United States: June is an educated elite from the ruling Republic, Day is a Robin Hood-like rebel from the slums. The story may feel familiar \u2014 part Hunger Games<\/i>, part Les Miserables<\/i><\/a> \u2014 but the writing feels fresh. The first in the Legend<\/i> trilogy<\/a>, this is a gripping series that will compel you and your teen to have a discourse about class.<\/p>\n 9781984836502 If I Stay<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/304635\/if-i-stay-by-gayle-forman\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Gayle Forman <\/p>\n In If I Stay<\/i>, the protagonist, Mia, a promising young cellist, is caught between life and death \u2014 and has to choose. Her parents died in the same car accident that has left her in a coma. As she hovers in an out-of-body in-between place, we learn about who and what she\u2019s already lost and what she would leave behind. It\u2019s a thought-provoking, compelling book that can spark truly meaningful conversation. What in your life would you say is worth living for?<\/p>\n 9781524714680 One of Us Is Lying<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/548793\/one-of-us-is-lying-by-karen-m-mcmanus\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Karen M. McManus <\/p>\n A murder mystery, YA-style. Gen X adults will appreciate the allusions to The Breakfast Club<\/i>, as five teens from five different social circles end up in detention. But only four of those teens make it out of detention alive. The student who dies \u2014 Simon \u2014 ran a gossip app called About That, and apparently, he knew enough devastating secrets to make any one of the others a viable suspect. Like any good mystery, One of Us Is Lying<\/i> keeps you guessing and offers good fodder for discussions about stereotypes, secrets, and gossip. <\/p>\n 9781595145161 The Future of Us<\/i> https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/310064\/the-future-of-us-by-jay-asher\/?ref=PRH06C9ECE222&aid=randohouseinc22957-20&linkid=PRH06C9ECE222 by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler <\/p>\n