There’s a good chance you’ve already read a young adult (YA) novel. The hype started long ago when the Twilight books were adapted for the big screen and continued with the wild success of The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. Others followed and now YA novels and their film counterparts are pretty much mainstream.

I remember when I first wanted to read The Hunger Games, after I found out that two kids I used to babysit were extras in the movie, and I couldn’t find the book at the store. I asked a sales associate and was told it was in the young adult section. I was slightly mortified to be reading a book for teens as an adult. But I loved it! Since going back to school for library science and becoming a youth services librarian,

I have read many more YA novels. Thankfully the stigma is now gone and adults can enjoy the pleasure of reading YA without embarrassment. In fact, some statistics suggest that there are just as many if not more adults reading YA than teens!

Here are a few of my favorite YA books that you might not have heard of or read yet. And of course, we have them all available at the library!

The Selection series by Kiera Cass is set in the future in a country called Illéa where a caste system is in place. The royal family holds a competition in order for Prince Maxon to find his future wife. They select 35 applicants from different castes to compete for his heart and of course much drama ensues over the course of “the selection.” While the premise of this series was not particularly appealing to me, I could not put it down. If you like romance or dystopia (without the violence of The Hunger Games or Divergent), give this one a try.

The best YA book I’ve read this year is Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This is realistic fiction and focuses on Madeline, a teen who has the “bubble” disease (severe combined immunodeficiency). Virtually anything could kill her, so she hasn’t left her house since she was a baby. Until Olly moves in next door and complicates things. Fans of The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park will enjoy this romance with a twist.

Not looking for romance? How about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie? Both hilarious and heartbreaking, it chronicles the life of Junior, a Spokane Indian who leaves the “rez” to attend an all-white public high school. The comics throughout the book, illustrated by Ellen Forney, add to its humor and appeal.

I enjoy historical fiction, particularly novels set in the late 1800s. Two I’ve read recently and enjoyed are Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson and Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee. Both are set during the Gold Rush era in America and feature young female protagonists who set out alone and must keep their identity (and gender) a secret.

My final recommendations are not quite YA and actually fall into the “juvenile fiction” category (written for upper elementary school aged children), but are amazing nonetheless and deserve a mention. Wonder by R.J. Palacio follows Auggie, a boy with a facial deformity, as he conquers fifth grade and has wonderful themes of compassion and acceptance. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate was a recent community read for the students and residents of Saluda. Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and inspired by a true story, the book is about a gorilla named Ivan who lived in a small enclosure in a shopping mall for 27 years. It is a story of friendship and hope and inspirational to all ages.

Jen Pace Dickenson is the Youth Services Librarian at Polk County Public Library. 

For information about the library’s resources, programs, and other services, visit www.polklibrary.org or call (828) 894-8721.

~ Jen Pace Dickenson