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YA Books for Adults

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YA novels have exploded in popularity within the last few years. From Hunger Games to The Fault in Our Stars, they cover a range of topics and offer a new look at the teenage years. Though they’re written with  a teenage audience in mind, that doesn’t mean adult readers don’t enjoy them as well. Here are a few of our favorite YA novels that adults should check out.

Realistic:

The Hate U GiveOne of the most anticipated books of the year, it’s a powerful Black Lives Matter story where a teen witnesses her unarmed friend’s murder in the hands of a police officer. If you saw Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely talk about All American Boys while they visited OCLS, this is your next must-read book.

We Were Liars –The less you know about this book, the better. Great for those who like unreliable narrators, and enjoyed The Girl on the Train.

Everything, Everything A beautiful story about a girl allergic to everything, and how far she goes to see the world. Read it before the movie releases this summer!

City of Saints & Thieves – A thriller compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, where a Congo refugee seeks to avenge her mother’s murder.

Unbecoming – A multigenerational tale about a teenage girl, her mom, and her grandmother, and the three secrets they’ve kept that slowly unravel.

American Girls – For those who enjoyed the bestseller The Girls, this is about a young, vulnerable girl new to LA and the threads that connect her to the young, vulnerable Mason girls.
 

Fantasy:

Caraval – Part magic, part artistic, part game for your life, Caraval is perfect for fans of The Night Circus.

An Ember in the Ashes – For fans of Game of Thrones, this dystopian series is just as dark and twisty.

The Wrath and the Dawn – A loose A Thousand and One Nights retelling where a king murders his new wife every night, that is, until one girl dares to try to stop him.
 

Historical:

Salt to the Sea – Covering the real 1945 shipwreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff where 9,400 people died, this powerful novel brings a less discussed, but just as tragic, story to life.

Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case – A novel in verse, about the historical case regarding interracial marriage. 

Alex and Eliza: A Love Story – Who isn’t obsessed with the musical Hamilton? Here’s the new YA historical romance about the courtship of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. 

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Orange County Library System will be closed Sunday, March 31 in observance of Easter. The library system will resume regular business hours on Monday, April 1.