Young Adult Recommendations
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
This heart-breaking book follows the story of Stella and Will, two teenagers who are both battling against the disease Cystic Fibrosis. They meet in hospital and instantly form a connection but there is one problem: they are not allowed to touch. Stella must keep herself away from anything or anyone who could possibly cause her infection whilst she waits for her lung transplant and Will is exactly the kind of trouble that she knows she should stay away from- both in his character and in the fact that if he so much as breathes on Stella, they could both die. Six feet apart. That’s the rule. But suddenly six feet seems like some kind of cruel punishment rather than something to keep them safe, so they make the decision to take the situation into their own hands and steal back an extra foot. Would five feet really be so dangerous?. This book is perfect for fans of The Fault in Our Stars as it has a similar touching and heart-tugging tale. I loved Five Feet Apart, both for its characters, who were so vivid that they almost seemed real and for the fact that it really makes you think about life and is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.
One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus
This murder mystery is perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and This Lie Will Kill You. It is centred around the lives of four high school students who enter detention as perfectly ordinary teenagers and leave having witnessed the haunting murder of their classmate, Simon, but nobody knows who did it. What they do know is that the next day, Simon was planning on posting one dreadful secret for each of the four teenagers on a public social media, therefore making them the prime suspects. They each want to protect their darkest secrets, but would they go as far as murder to do this? I thought it was particularly clever how Karen McManus based her four characters on typical high school stereotypes: the brain, the beauty, the criminal and the jock but then forced them together through the plot of the book until they formed a tight-knit alliance, determined to prove their collective innocence. But as they start to doubt everyone around them and one another, can their newfound friendship be kept? I did not want to put this book down, it is a real page-turner and the plot-twist at the end left me speechless, I would definitely recommend it for anyone who’s looking for a fast-paced, thrilling book.
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
This book is set in Madrid in 1957 and it shines a light on the Spanish experience under the Fascist dictator Francisco Franco. It really educated me about a part of history we are never really taught in school and I also found the storyline very touching. Eighteen year old Daniel arrives in Madrid with his rich, oil tycoon Father and his Mother who is looking to rediscover the country where she grew up. Daniel’s passion for photography leads him to meet all kinds of extraordinary people and reveals the harsher reality of Madrid behind the shiny perfection of the Castellana Hilton hotel where they are staying. Here at the hotel he meets Ana, a young and beautiful maid whose family have been deeply affected by the civil war and whose various relatives all have fascinating intertwining stories which help to map out the story of Spain to Daniel as his desire to show the truth to the world gradually grows. Ana and Daniel fall in love with one another but their relationship is strictly forbidden by both society and their vastly different families. But the end of a summer full of revelations and heart-wrenching truths, will Daniel be able to return to a life of duty and wealth in America with this newfound knowledge weighing on his shoulders? This story is fast-paced, with short chapters switching between different perspectives, but I really loved the character development and fascinating twists and turns in this book and it taught me a lot about a fascinating side of history.
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
If you’re into dystopian fiction, this book was very clever and really got me hooked. Celestine North lives a seemingly perfect life in a world where perfection is valued above all else and even the tiniest mistake or slipup can have you found flawed. Flawed people are the outcasts of society, looked down upon and discrimated against because of the horrifying brand on their skin which represents the supposed crime they have committed. Being found flawed is Celestine’s biggest fear. Then one day she slips up when trying to help a man and makes a life-changing mistake which could make her worst nightmares come true, she could be found flawed and forced to live with the shame for the rest of her life. This book was very clever and raises questions about perfection and the moral boundaries of society by presenting an extreme, dystopian version of our world. It is written by the bestselling author of P.S I Love You and I think anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games or Divergent would definitely enjoy this.
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans
This book is the perfect easy-read romance book to take on holiday and relax with. Before her Mother died, Lina made a promise to fulfill her wish that Lina would go to Italy and visit the father she has never met. Despite her desire to honour her Mother’s last wishes, this is the last thing Lina wants to do. But when she arrives in Tuscany, an old friend of her Mother’s gives her the diary kept by Lina’s Mum during the summer she spent studying abroad in Italy. Suddenly, Lina is discovering a magical world of hidden bakeries, art and secret romances along with her new Italian-American friend Ren. But can they uncover the mysteries surrounding Lina’s father and her Mum’s mystery lover? And what will this do to their newfound friendship? This story will make you feel as though you are surrounded by the beautiful Tuscan countryside and is a perfect page-turner which makes you desperately want to learn more about the character development of Lina as she uncovers hidden truths about herself, her mother and her father.
6. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
I have to admit that I found the writing style quite unusual on this book but the plot was fascinating and I did find that at the end I was really moved. This tells the story of the beautiful, privileged Sinclair family, who spend each summer on a private island, a place of secrets and shadows where the seemingly perfect family gradually unravel and begin to fall apart behind the scenes. The four cousins and best friends nicknamed the ‘Liars’ try their best to escape from the constant arguments and live their life to the fullest but then something dreadful happens which is never fully explained by the unreliable narrator, adding an element of mystery to the story throughout. It might take some perseverance to get into this book but the ending will make it all worth it, especially if you’re looking for a truly gut-wrenching book that will leave you with tears in your eyes. When I finished this book, I was stunned because it was honestly just so much sadder than I had been expecting. This book is cunning and absolutely gripping, making you want to devour it all in just one day.