19 Young Adult Books Everyone Should Read, No Matter Their Age

We're all young at heart.

We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which young adult novels they'd recommend to anyone, regardless of their age. Here's what they said...

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1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Instagram: @eveee_reads

"It's a beautifully, tragically relevant book for young adults and adults alike. Unarmed, 16-year-old Khalil is fatally shot by a police officer, and his friend Starr, who is with him at the time, deals with the aftermath and the struggles of feeling like a second-class citizen her own country. It's very engaging, and when I finished the book, I felt that I had learned something important." – lealouise92

Get it on Amazon

2. I'll Give You The Sun and The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Instagram: @muna.reads

"Her books are so beautifully written, I couldn't pick between the two. Her characters are relatable she deals with topics like grief, sexuality, family, and coming to terms with who you are. Read her books. You will not regret it. I wish she would write more!" – Talor Madison Carr, Facebook

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3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Instagram: @awillsxo

"It affected me emotionally more than any other book has in years. It's beautifully quirky, with life lessons that are both nostalgic and currently relevant. I recommend it to everyone that asks me for a book recommendation." – Katie Erickson, Facebook

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4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Instagram: @fantasybooksrus

"It's about a Latino boy who doesn't know his place in the world and discovers it in a truly beautiful way. As an LGBT Latinx teen it meant the world to me when I read it and changed a lot in my world. It helped in accepting who I was and I fell in love with its beautiful characters." – Ariana Durazo

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5. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Instagram: @ambivertauthor

" I've read it annually since I was 14, which is about 12 years now. It's a beautiful, slightly eerie story set in the early 20th century about a girl who craves and seeks a career and education, despite familial and societal pressure to become a wife and caretaker, against the backdrop of a real-life murder. It's as poignant as ever, definitely changed my life, and set me on a path of self-care and feminism." – WaitingWinterlong

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6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Instagram: @thebooklyclub

"It's about a young Native American boy who deals with health issues due to being born with hydrocephaly, and is a budding comic book artist. He ends up going to a high school in the wealthier part of his town where he is the only Native American (besides the school mascot). It's mostly about him overcoming his struggles. Heads up: There's mentions of alcohol, drugs, death, and slurs." – kyl0r3n

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7. The His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman

Instagram: @i_darkle_i_tinct

"The main character, Lyra, is charming, and the adventures are captivating. The books ask a lot of philosophical questions about the nature of the universe and of ourselves. It's good reading for any age, and I get more out of it every time I re-read the series." – corellianne

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8. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

Instagram: @livingliterarily

"It was one of my favourite YA books growing up, and still is to this day. It covers love, death, friendship, and does so in an eloquent way that doesn't feel like the rehashing of the same story you read in every other book." – yoolivia

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9. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Instagram: @karasbooks

"It tackles the issue of being transgender in middle school and finally accepting who you really are. Some people accepted Grayson, some didn't." – GypsyScribe

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10. The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater

Instagram: @madrigueradepalabras

"It's a beautiful series about the way age, socioeconomics, gender, race, and a world of other factors complicate the relationships we have with the people we love. It mixes fantasy and historical fiction with some hints of horror to tell the story of four teenagers on a quest to find the tomb of an ancient Welsh King. They have to work with psychics and a magical forest and ghosts and cars, it’s just amazing. It lifts my heart no matter how many times I read it." – laurenm49c03e8dd

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11. The Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Instagram: @thxboywthebooks

"It's amazingly well written and it's a one-off, so you don't have to worry about a whole series. It follows a genderfluid person named Riley and their struggles being genderfluid and having anxiety. The book is immensely captivating – I'm not going to lie, it made me cry. I've read it through 3 times in the year and a half it's been out and it's gotten better each time." – doesthiswork

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12. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Instagram: @andreea_citeste

"It should be required reading in life. I've read it for myself and with students several times and the story itself has moved me to tears, but it truly is a wonder to see the empathy the kids learned from the novel. An absolute must read." – kelseyann2

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13. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Instagram: @katieanskilibrary

"Hands down my favourite book ever. It's one of those books that straddles that strange line between modern YA and what we think is children's literature. The writing is simple enough a younger reader can understand and, other than swearing and content that generally comes with the setting of WWII Germany, it's fine for some younger readers." – racheld4f0592870

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14. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Instagram: @maret.reads

"A story about a rich and distinguished family and a group of four friends who spend their summer at a private island where everything is not what it seems to be. Full of complex characters and mystery, that will suck you in from the first page. Both the adults and the teenagers are struggling with darkness within their own selves. The ending will definitely shock you and keep you wondering why you didn't figure things out sooner. A must read." – Kainat Ahsan

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15. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Instagram: @literary_wanderer

"The premise may seem corny at first, but the excellent characterisation and lovely prose will pull you in. It grapples with some very deep and intense themes, and creates a fantasy world that manages to feel both familiar and truly unique." – thesixthstation

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16. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Instagram: @itsyalitfamblog

"Beauty Queens is the answer to that 'Lord of the Flies but with women' movie – it was one of the first super-intersectional feminist novels I read in high school, and it holds up." – Julianna CL, Facebook

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17. Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Instagram: @kathymuri

"World War II historical fiction written with astounding poignancy and poetry. This is a pair of books that will never leave my bookshelf." – Katherine Handcock, Facebook

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18. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Instagram: @pagesofspring

"I finally got around to reading these recently and now I won't stop talking about them to anyone who'll listen. You'll love Six of Crows for its fast-paced plot, but more so for its characters – the representation in these novels is seriously incredible, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy despite the fact that it's about a band of criminals. The only bad thing about these books is that there's only two of them." – Ellie Bate

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19. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Instagram: @kuehlerbookstop

"A beautiful, completely gut-wrenching story about three friends in a small town looking toward their futures and how they will both escape their past and stay in touch in the future. I love this book so damn much." – Jennifer Torkkola, Facebook

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