March 31, 2016

Peach Picks: 5 YA Contemporary Recs

March 31, 2016
Ina Hattenhauer, Hallo Heute

YA contemporary is one of my favorite genres, and I've devoured a good share of YA contemporary books over the years.  In no particular order, here are five YA contemporary books I particularly hold near and dear to my heart.


I'll Give You the Sun
by Jandy Nelson


The very first time I picked up this book, I couldn't get into it.  I closed the cover and set it aside for some time.

The second time I picked up this book, I LOVED IT.  With a cast of quirky, lovable characters and a complex, interwoven storyline, you'll want to pick up this book.

There's a reason why I'll Give You the Sun won the 2015 Printz Award.


Jellicoe Road
by Melina Marchetta


If someone asked me what my all-time favorite book was, I'd probably respond with a resounding, "Jellicoe Road!"

As was the case with I'll Give You the Sun, it took me a few chapters to really get into Jellicoe Road.  I think it was around page 100 that everything started to pick up.

Part ghost-story, mystery, romance, and just good 'ol YA contemporary, Jellicoe Road will leave a lasting impression on every reader.


The Sky Is Everywhere
by Jandy Nelson (Yes, again!)


As you can tell, there's a trend here.  Jandy Nelson, that is! I think she's successfully taken the title of my favorite author.

Like Jandy Nelson's other novel, this book is complete with:

A) A beautiful cover
B) Quirky, memorable characters
C) Jandy Nelson's beautiful writing

If you liked I'll Give You the Sun, you're bound to love this one.

Made You Up
by Francesca Zappia


The praise doesn't lie about this next book: Francesca Zappia's debut, Made You Up. Five stars/peaches all the way and totally one of the best books of 2015.

Although this book deals with mental illness, Zappia's story is unlike any I've read before.

I found this book to be both sentimental and unforgettable.



Second Chance Summer
by Morgan Matson


My love for this book is beyond words. Talk about heartwarming and beautiful. I adore Morgan Matson books, and Second Chance Summer is no exception.

This story strangely brings about some sense of nostalgia for summer days gone by and lazy afternoons spent by the lake (even though I've never experienced the "lake house life" myself).

Matson managed to make her characters truly come alive.


I hope you take one (or more) of my suggestions to heart and check out these YA contemporary books!

What are your favorite YA contemporary books?

author image

Julia Anne

I'm a teen with a refined taste for good books and great writing, currently living in Honolulu, HI. I'm a reader. A dreamer. And an aspirant writer. One day I have hopes to travel the world, but for now, I'll settle with venturing through the written works I read.

8 comments :

  1. I loved both of Jandy Nelson's books! They're so artsy and inspiring, and she has such a unique writing style.

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  2. I read I'll Give You the Sun around this time last year, and I absolutely adored it too! The cover is so beautiful - I think I could look at it all day long! I haven't read Made You Up yet, but I really want to. The cover for this one is so beautiful too, and my sister owns it. I should get to it soon! Second Chance Summer looks brilliant too, though I DNFed Since You've Been Gone, so I'm a bit wary to pick it up.

    Thank you for these recommendations! I hope to pick up some of these soon ☺
    Denise | The Bibliolater

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  3. Great recs! I really enjoyed I'll Give You the Sun. Love the colorful cover too. :)

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  4. I like all your picks especially "I Made You Up", it seemed the most appealing to me out of them all! xD Hm.. I would recommend North to Beautiful or if you haven't read yet Anna and the French Kiss! They're both amazing books, and I hope you look them up! Great Post Julia!

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  5. AHH. I absolutely loved I'll Give You the Sun and Made You Up too! They're both amazing books. :) Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous recommendations! ♥

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  6. I've had so many of these on my TBR! I love Morgan Matson's Since You've been Gone but I have to check out Second Chance Summer! I really enjoyed I'll give you the sun! These are some great recommendations!

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  7. @ Paper Boulevard
    Have you read Matson's Since You've Been gone? Because it is good! I would totally recommend it to you. I haven't read the books of the rest of the authors you featured. Maybe it's not yet the time for me to get hold of those books tho I had interests in them few months back. Great picks tho! <3

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  8. I haven't read any of these, but will add them to my TBR now. I do like Morgan Matson's writing, though, so I think Second Chance Summer will be first on my list.

    Sophie @ Sophie Reads YA

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