15 YA Books That Will Make You Feel The Feels

Not just for young adults- these books will break your heart, make you laugh, and stick with you forever!

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Amazon Rating: 4.3/5.0 stars

What's it about?Clay gets home from school one day to find a mysterious package waiting for him. When he opens it, he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. The tapes tell Clay that there are thirteen reeasons why she decided to end her life... and Clay is one of them. To find out why, he has to listen to the tapes and, with Hannah as his guide, he becomes a firsthand witness to her pain and learns the truth about himself that he never wanted to face.

Why should you read it? It's a hauntingly beautiful story that really makes you think about how you interact with the people around you. Your words and actions can have a serious effect on the people around you so you need to be careful and be kind. It's addicting and compelling and absolutely heart-breaking. This NEEDS to be a required reading for every middle-schooler, high-schooler, person in the world.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Charlie is a freshman in high school. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. He is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Why should you read it? This is a book that reaches inside of you and pulls everything to the surface. It's beautiful and painful and so incredibly relatable. This book changes you, if only for a moment, but you are not the same upon completion, and you become more appreciative of life then ever. And if you are like me, it will really make you want to watch Rocky Horror Picture Show.

3. Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

What's it about? Sophie May has a secret. One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and traveling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop. But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world.

Why should you read it? This is one of the most charming and endearing stories I have ever read. It's honest and funny and full of voice. It whisks you away into a gorgeously created world full of dreams and romance and lots and lots of cake. I promise you'll wish you could be Sophie the whole time you read it... because Billy? hot hot hot.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Amazon Rating: 4.8/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Why should you read it? Ummm because everyone is reading it. If you haven't, get on board. But, really, it's beautiful. It's witty and smart and tragic and pretty close to perfect. P.S: I want a man like Agustus Waters, please.

5. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Amazon Rating: 4.6/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth.

Why should you read it? This is a really really heavy book that may not be the easiest for everyone to read, but I promise that it's so worth it. It'll break your heart, make you think, and stick with you for a very very long time. Also, it's banned which makes it pretty freaking cool.

6. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amazon Rating: 4.6/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Why should you read it? All I wanted to do when I closed this book was take a road trip with a cute, charming, fun guy. This is a perfect summer read with an exciting story, lovable characters, and an unexpected sense of depth. It's emotional and funny and totally epic.

7. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Amazon Rating: 3.8/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Why should you read it? This is an extremely unique book full of humor and angst and creativity. It's extremely real and relatable, and is super unique. It's written in the form of a letter and it has PICTURES (which is really super awesome!)

8. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Amazon Rating: 4.4/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol. But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart--obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

Why should you read it? I read this book this book through a constant screen of tears so be prepared for that. I can't even talk about this book without feeling like I'm going to cry. Just read it. Please.

9. Chasing Trains by Mackenzie Herbert

Amazon Rating: 4.6/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Kaitlyn's life has been stuck in neutral- a lonely girl trying her best not to stand out. But by not standing out, she never really fit in. When an impulsive decision leads her to the local wild child and her quirky group of perfectly imperfect friends, she's immersed in a world she never knew existed. In this summer before college, she learns about friendship, falling in love, heartbreak, and how sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith in order to soar. Through unlikely friendships, she'll finally find the spark to chase her dreams and to live life, not just survive it.

Why should you read it? It is, without a doubt, the most real and honest story I have read in a very long time. The emotions, the characters, and the relationships are all so perfectly constructed that you feel like this is your story. And it is, because everyone can find a piece of themselves in this beautiful, tragic, adventurous, and humorous tale of friendship, love, and finding yourself. There's also multiple dreamy young men to fall for. Personally, I'm on team Chris.

10. Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Amazon Rating: 4.2/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty—rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar—pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. It's her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare—or die trying to fight it.

Why should you read it? This is a beautiful and extremely unique story. It takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they almost don't exist. It's pretty disturbing and unsettling at times...but that's good... right?

11. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Amazon Rating: 3.9/5.0 stars.

What's it about? The first few pages are a letter from a publishing firm asking that the secrets of We Were Liars not be given away, but that each reader should take his own interpretation of the novel. Readers are cautioned not to judge, not to tell, not to share. Without giving anything away I can tell you that this is a book about a girl, about friendship, about summer. It's a book about money and a wealthy family. It's a book about values and about pretending. It's a book about LIES, those that we tell others and the ones that we tell ourselves. The LIES that are exposed and also, the hidden lies.

Why should you read it? It's poetic and suspenseful and unlike anything I have ever read before. It's perfectly plotted and will leave you astonished. So many twists and turns, so gut-wrenching, and so beautiful. Read it. Now. And you can thank me later.

12. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Amazon Rating: 4.0/5.0 stars.

What's it about? When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person.

Why should you read it? It's surprising and hilarious and so uplifting. It's completely far fetched but that's what makes it so great! I've heard it described as a combination of You've Got Mail, Notting Hill, and What a Girl Wants and that's the most accurate description in the world.

13. Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Amazon Rating: 4.2/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice. The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick. The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.

Why should you read it? This is one of those books that has the capability of changing your life. It changed mine. It's heartbreaking and mysterious and full of struggle and strong emotions. Is it weird to call a book that's part murder mystery beautiful? Because this one is.

14. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Amazon Rating: 4.4/5.0 stars.

What's it about? Campbell Cooper has never been in love. And if the doctors are right, she'll never have the chance. So when she's told she needs a miracle, her family moves 1,500 miles north to Promise, Maine--a place where amazing, unexplainable events are said to occur--like it or not. And when a mysterious envelope arrives, containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies, she finally learns to believe--in love, in herself, and maybe even in miracles, as improbable as they may seem.

Why should you read it? This book is funny and extremely insightful. It's so inspirational and full of so much hope. The characters are beautifully written and you'll absolutely fall in love with the setting. This is a book will bring you the edge of an emotional cliff and then pull you right back again. It is absolutely magical.

15. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

What's it about? According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Why should you read it? It's a beautifully written novel that is fun and flirty and insightful. It really explores what it means to love someone and to grieve. It teaches you how important it is to make the most out of every single moment this world has to offer.