One of the most important things to remember about books is that they are for everyone. Yeah sure, they may have “intended audiences,” and some may not be appropriate for younger crowds, but there is no reason for someone to say “I am too old to read that.” People have to be pretty closed-minded to believe that they can outgrow books.
Of course, as you grow it may be more difficult to relate to books intended for a particular age group, but that does not diminish the books values or abilities for them to teach you something. With that idea in mind, I have come up with five Young Adult books that everyone, no matter how old they may feel, should read.
1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This book follows fifteen-year-old Lina as she navigates the often unspoken about events that took place in Lithuania in 1941. Forced out of her home, separated from her family, and forced to work in a labor camp in Siberia, Lina’s story, albeit fiction, sheds light on a very real history in a tragically beautiful way.
2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles, a series of four novels as well as two shorter companion books, reimagines and brings together many of the fairy tales with which we grew up. It follows Cinder, a cyborg, as she navigates a steampunk-esque China. Her already complicated life is made more difficult when a devastating sickness begins to overrun the population, and she unmasks a terrible secret. Complete with characters easily parallelled with the classic ones we love, The Lunar Chronicles is a great way for anyone to revisit classic tales in a new way.
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Book Thief, with its unique narrator, tells the story of Liesel Meminger in Munich, Germany during World War II. Full of rebellions, big and small, this book, like Between Shades of Gray, makes fiction out of nonfiction events, but in doing so, shares a story that everyone should make time to experience for themselves.
4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
This book, with its long-winded title, is told from the perspective of an autistic boy who decides he must solve the mystery of who murdered his neighbor's dog. His unique perspective and his brilliant brain give readers a chance to see the world in a way that many of us can’t. The viewpoint presented is one that may just help us understand one another a little bit better.
5. The Unwind Trilogy by Neal Shusterman
Another series, The Unwind Trilogy, is set on the premise that the solution to the debate of pro-life vs. pro-choice is that all babies must be born and raised until they are thirteen. Once a child hits thirteen, however, parents can decide to have their child “unwound.” That is to say; parents can opt to have all of their child’s organs harvested so that their life does not technically come to an end. The trilogy follows a group of teens who, for one reason or another, face being “unwound.” While clearly a book that makes a political statement, it offers readers a chance to think on one of the most prominent issues in contemporary society.
I have never been able to grasp why someone might think that they are too old to read a particular book, and I hope that this list encourages some people to step outside of their designated age group. There is a lot to learn from all books if you only dare open the covers.
