Glastonbury Tor, Glastonbury (England).

Young Adult Contemporary Recommendations

What is it? YA Contemporary novels are what is often described as “Realistic Fiction.” Except for young adults—that is, teens. These feature a world, that for all intents and purposes, is our own and usually takes place in the present, but occasionally jumps back a decade or two (but not much more than that.)

This list is best if you just want those feel good, mindless reads that just leave you feeling good inside. There’s not gonna be any literary masterpieces here but I read purely for enjoyment. I would consider most of these books I liked to read on the toilet, to put it simply, and honestly I’ll probably just have a whole library in the bathroom of my future house.

**personal favorites

Sarah Dessen Novels** (simple, light, and easy to read coming-of-age love stories / I have a whole separate post dedicated to her)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before** Trilogy by Jenny Han: Fake dating is one of my all time favorite tropes in fanfiction/dramas and this is the YA book that does it the best because it takes inspiration from KDramas. The movies are good in bringing the story to life, but I really just feel like the books are better. I don’t really care for Jenny Han’s other books that much but TATB is just such a staple in YA contemporary. Also bonus points for Asian representation. (It was actually just supposed to be a duology but she spoiled us with a third book)

My Life Next Door** by Huntley Fitzpatrick: This that slow burn, friends to lovers, fuzzy feelings type of book. It’s got Sarah Dessen vibes and that’s always a plus in my book. I really liked how mature the characters were in this and like not frustrating (rare in teenage stories). It was funny, characters were developed beyond the main love story, and was just totally feel good. It’s YA contemporary at its best. It gets kinda dramatic towards the end similar to how a fluffy KDrama likes to throw in a random plot twist for dramatic tension at the end but that’s okay. I’m down for it.

Little Blue Envelopes Duology** by Maureen Johnson: Okay so you either like both books, like one book way more than the other, or dislike both. For me while I liked both, I enjoyed the second book (The Last Little Blue Envelope) WAY MORE. If you read it, y’all will probably figure out why but these are just fun travel around Europe books. It’s like a big old scavenger hunt across Europe and somehow that just makes it all better. I never reread the first book, but I’ve read the second book multiple times.

Ruby Oliver Series (4 Books) by E. Lockhart: This is one of those series that gets better as the series goes on, so even if you’re not totally into The Boyfriend List, it’s pretty worth it to keep going if you’re looking for something funny and filled with A LOT of boys. Ruby is flawed, interesting, has anxiety and frequent panic attacks, was abandoned by all her friends and cheated on by her boyfriend and you can’t help but feel bad for her but also cringe internally at all her trials. The therapy sessions are hilarious, the footnotes are great, and overall just a good time. I did read this in high school though so my tastes might have changed but I just remember really liking these enough to buy the whole series (Also all the books are super short and easy to get through)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: Opposite of all the feel good, fun books on this list is We Were Liars. The plot twist is A1 and even though I didn’t personally connect with any of the characters, it was fascinating to read. It’s on the more serious side but is so well done and I find myself recommending this book to people when I don’t wanna share with them that I have the literary taste of a high schooler.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I read this in middle school and I think it partly inspired me to take French in high school. It was just such a sweet romance and you can’t really be mad at this book because it’s so wholesome and genuine. It’s just a book that makes you love love and also really makes you wanna go to boarding school in Paris. There’s two companion novels (Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After) but they don’t really hold a candle to the original.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson: Okay if you ask me what I specifically remember from this book, I can’t tell you a damn thing. That might be because I read most of it sitting in a Barnes and Noble but I remember having a good time with it. I’m also biased because I love weddings and the chaos of them and this book just captures it. I heard her other book Since You’ve Been Gone is better, but I’ve just never gotten around to it.

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale: I was that kid in school that spent a lot of time in the library scoping the shelves for good YA and I picked this one up at random and it pleasantly surprised me. The plot twist was hella juicy and it was basically a Makjang KDrama (overly dramatic plot points). Like this shit was wild and like I don’t even know if it was actually good or if my high school self just got sucked into the craziness of it all. I’m putting it on the list anyways.

Flat Out Love by Jessica Park: This is another contemporary that has a big plot twist reveal towards the end. It’s one of those books that makes you fall in love with love but it also doesn’t miss out on the angst. It incorporates emails, social media, and texting without being cringe and I just remember it being a good book.

Perfect You and Something Maybe** by Elizabeth Scott: I have no strong reasoning for recommending these books outside of that I really really liked them when I read them back in the day. They were on the short side so I was always rereading them. I think it’s a trend with my contemporary recs in that I randomly found them at the public library and devoured them. I ended up loving them enough to actually buy them. I think what made them stand out was that they were funny and simple and just the right amount of spice to keep you enticed.

Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo: KPop Star meets a cute tabloid reporter (WHO IS ALSO ASIAN) and sparks fly. Objectively, this should not be good. Subjectively, I greatly enjoyed it.

Kasie West Books: I don’t really know how she does it but this lady churns out books like a madman. Most of them are not great, and they’re really just a minor step above Wattpad but I figured I’d give her a shoutout just for the sheer number of mindless reads she puts out. If you gotta read her, the books I would suggest are On the Fence, The Distance Between Us, and P.S. I Like You.

To Read List:

Parachutes by Kelly Yang

15 notes View Post