Back to school, kids! I remember how excited I was when I was growing up to prepare for the back-to-school mayhem. The clothes shopping, picking out a cool backpack, going to office supply stores, and making sure all my folders matched my notebooks. Of course, as the years went on, the excitement began to die down and preparing to return to school became more of an anxiety-inducing experience. Harder classes, not fitting in, lunch at the end of the table, doing nothing after school but homework. You know, typical high school woes. I often think, wow, I’m so glad I’ll never have to be a high schooler again. Other times, I think, wow, my “problems” sure were easier then. What better way to reminisce on being a teenager than delving into some fast-paced, dramatic, rich Young Adult literature? Whether you peaked in high school or were a bookworm nerd like I was, these recommendations will transport you back to gross hot lunches, forgetting your locker combination, getting dress-coded in the hallway, failing a test…

A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong (graphic novel)

A Map to the Sun follows a young Ren and Luna at the end of their beautiful summer getting to know each other, until Luna moves away. Years later, in high school, Ren struggles with bad grades, trying to focus on basketball, problems at home, and the general anxieties of high school. When Luna returns to Ren’s school suddenly and joins the basketball team, Ren is faced with understanding who she is and what matters most to her. This novel weaves together the lives of five players on the team through basketball and dynamic friendships. Writing aside, it is one of my favorite graphic novels because of the visuals. The graphics are beautifully illustrated with a vibrant pink, yellow, and orange color-scheme.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 

What sets The Poet X apart from many YA novels is the fact that it is written in verse. What better way to tell the story of Xiomara, a high school student who discovers slam poetry and realizes she can use it as a way to stand out instead of hiding the backdrop of her neighborhood in Harlem. Xiomara quickly realizes poetry is the perfect outlet for expressing all her feelings, desires, and frustrations, but also fears her mother finding out about the things she writes about. Despite her wish to keep her art a secret from her mother, Xiomara feels the pull to be heard and to share her voice. For those who love the musical quality of writing, this prose/verse book is for you.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenez 

This is a beautifully written, fast-paced YA novel. Although told only from the perspective of Ari, you truly get a deep and introspective dive into both him and Dante. Ari and Dante are seemingly opposite—their interests, their families, their lives—but when they meet for the first time at the local pool and Dante offers to teach Ari to swim, their inseparable friendship begins.

It is a heartwarming and occasionally sad story about these teens’ self-discovery and coming into their identities, experiencing traumas and growing together. It is the book I needed to read when I was a teenager.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Perhaps you’ll recognize the name Angie Thomas from her best-selling novel-turned-film, The Hate U Give.  In this novel, we meet Bri, a high schooler who knows who she wants to be: a rapper. Hoping to follow in her late father’s footsteps, Bri wants to be the hip-hop legend he would have been. Her dreams are stifled by her reputation at school and financial troubles at home. Although Bri originally goes viral for the wrong reasons, she vows to stop at nothing to follow her dreams, no matter the odds.