12 YA BOOKS YOU CAN RELATE TO AT ANY AGE

Because if you can make it through High School, well, you can make it through anything.

1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Published in 1954, this tale of the brutal and savage behavior amongst a group of stranded children is a great microcosm of modern society and the inner struggle of the human condition.

“We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?”

2. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

This timeless YA classic from 1974 begs to ask the questions I still ask myself everyday.

“Do I dare disturb the universe? Yes, I do, I do. I think. Jerry suddenly understood the poster- the solitary man on the beach standing upright and alone and unafraid, poised at the moment of making himself heard and known in the world, the universe.”

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry

While a lot of these books are about pain and suffering, The Giver reminds us that the world would be a lot worse without it.

“The community of the Giver had achieved at such great price. A community without danger or pain. But also, a community without music, color or art. And books.”

4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Published in 1960, before the coinage of the term “YA Lit,” if this book doesn’t reach you, well, you might need to double check to see if you have a soul.

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

5. Go Ask Alice Anonymous

While it is debated whether this is an actual diary of a teenage girl or not, the emotions, themes, and tone certainly are real, and we can understand them at any age.

“We get pissed off when someone tells us what to do, but we don’t know what to do unless some fat bastard tells us.”

6. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

This novel about troubled protagonist Melinda teaches us a very valuable lesson, that Art class was by far the best class in high school. Oh, also, about standing up for yourself.

“When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.”

7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

It is a book about what most young adults in school dream about doing to books…but wait, maybe rebelling against the government seems more appealing.

“Our civilization is flinging itself to pieces. Stand back from the centrifuge.”

8. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This quirky and innovative novel teaches us more than we possibly will ever need to know, which is good to know.

“We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!”

9. The Fault in our Stars by John Green

This heart wrenching and powerful novel can be summed up fairly nicely with this quote;

“Without pain, how could we know joy?' This is an old argument in the field of thinking about suffering and its stupidity and lack of sophistication could be plumbed for centuries but suffice it to say that the existence of broccoli does not, in any way, affect the taste of chocolate.”

10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

15 year old Charlie writes anonymous letters full of provocative thought we feel deep into our golden years.

“So this is life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that can be.”

11. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

Okay, the movie is awesome, but yes the book is that much better. Soda pop, Pony boy, need I say more?

“It’s okay. We aren’t in the same class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch the sunset too.”

12. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Salinger’s masterpiece, it perfectly captures the voice and emotions of an unstable teenager while arguably becoming more and more captivating the older we are when we read it.

“That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can.”