As fall semester ends and I finish up one of the best courses I have ever taken, I've been compelled to take a real hard look at young adult literature, something I had grown out of in the past four or so years. In my Young Adult Literature course, we covered fifteen different YA pieces of literature and here are my top four.
1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Now, I first read Speak when I was eight years old, and I had read it a few times after that before it started to hit too close to home and I put it down. The story follows Melinda, almost in a diary-like narrative, as she goes through her freshman year of high-school after being raped that summer, by a senior at her school, and losing all of her friends. Melinda's wit doesn't let the book get too depressing and it's an easy read.
2. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
The novel focuses on a set of twins, Jude and Noah. It's a really interesting set-up; the chapters go back and forth in point-of-views, with us receiving Noah's when he is thirteen years old, and then jumping three years into the future for Jude's perspective. I won't get too into it, but it's a story about how after tragedy, we all mourn differently but what matters is we come back together and love one another (at least that's what I got from it, partially).
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Now, as I'm writing this, I'm only on page 276 of Cashore's novel and I can't read any further because I'll spoil it for my classmates during my book report on it. All I'll say is that if you love fantasy and/or anti-heroine's like I do, this is definitely for you. 
4. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
The only graphic novel I had read before this was Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel and I hated it (not even sorry about it). You can say it turned me off from graphic novels, but Anya's Ghost has helped to change my mind, somewhat. The novel focuses on Anya ad her new best friend, a ghost, named Emily. It's not all that it's cracked up to be, like Casper would make us believe, but it's a fantastic, quick read. A theme throughout is identity; Anya is Russian and tries so, so hard to get away from her heritage.
If you're like me and love to read novels that you can relate to and can see yourself in, these might be for you! There's tragedy, identity struggles, sexual assault, manipulation and much, much more in these four novels. Give them a chance and let me know what you think if you do!
*Disclaimer: These are my top four favorite YA novels from this class. The Twilight Saga will always be number one in my heart. That is all.
