6 YA Romance Books That Changed My Mind About YA
I need Netflix to turn these books into movies immediately.
I didn’t start reading young adult books as an adult until a couple of years ago, which is surprising considering I devour YA TV shows and movies (Never Have I Ever and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before are two of my favorites). I’m still pretty selective about the ones I read, but now that I’ve dipped my toes into the genre, I can see what I’ve been missing out on. What I incorrectly assumed would be juvenile plots and cringey characters can actually be emotionally engaging stories, introspective points of views, and heartwarmingly optimistic outlooks. As much as I love adult contemporary romance, I can admit that they just don’t quite capture that earnestly hopeful lens that coming-of-age stories do so well. It’s comforting to enjoy as an adult — to feel like YA stories exist in an insulated bubble that can’t be touched by complex and tangible adult responsibilities. They’re almost escapist in that way. Here are six of my favorites to get lost in.
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
The vibe: uplifting, nostalgic
This story is an ode to the summer of our youths; that in-between time when you can shed the debilitating self-consciousness, the expectations and judgments of your peers, and maybe learn to embrace your true self. I really enjoyed the structure of this story — each chapter is a “dare” presented to the painfully shy MC by her best friend that she must accomplish. Doing these pushes her to challenge herself, and her self-confidence (and circle of friends) grows by the chapter. The details Morgan weaves into her storytelling are so unique and all come together so vividly in the world she creates. The kiss scene especially made me giddy with how downright cinematic it is.
It’s the summer between junior and senior year of high school and the main character’s best friend and her family have vanished. After a week of no answers, she receives a letter in the form of a list of dares. Thinking that accomplishing them will bring her closer to finding her friend, she sets out to cross them off one-by-one — even the scary ones like kissing a stranger and going skinny-dipping. As the summer progresses and she slowly completes each task, she begins to form surprising new friendships and discover first love in unexpected places. Two minor things: the MMC does spend the majority of the book in a relationship, and there are some things left unresolved by the end (I’m finding that to be a running theme with YA novels — perhaps purposefully? To make the point that not everything in life is perfectly resolved when you’re 17 years old?), but neither of these took away from my enjoyment of the book.
The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther
The vibe: breezy, playful
This was a recommendation in my round-up of travel romances and still remains one of my favorites for how utterly fun it is. The true definition of a feel-good beach read that’s light and easy, but still with a sprinkling of emotional depth. The way this book is written is more in line with what I’d consider an adult romance, but since the heroine is 18 years old, I’d say it counts as YA.
In the story, the main character is headed to Martha’s Vineyard the summer after her high school graduation for her cousin’s wedding — and her big family’s annual game of high-stakes assassin. She meets a groomsman and they decide to team up to take down the other players. I think having the story revolve around one week-long game is what makes this book so unique — it’s the catalyst for her to form connections, reevaluate family dynamics, and address her emotions.
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
The vibe: swoony
Take The Queen’s Gambit, Gen Z-ify it (I’m someone who enjoys all the pop culture references), add in a down-bad love interest, and you get this book. Ali has implied this is her favorite work in her oeuvre and while it doesn’t hold my number one Ali spot, it is one that I’ve rated five stars. I attribute a large majority of that to the hero — and the things. he. says. Just like all of Ali’s other books, he falls first, but unlike all of her other books, he’s not trying to hide it from the heroine behind cryptic responses. No, he’s very obvious about it. Swoon! I finished this book in a single sitting and immediately wanted more.
She’s a chess prodigy who hasn’t played in four years. He’s the reigning world chess champion. When she inadvertently beats him at a tournament, she’s suddenly thrust into the spotlight and back into the game she left behind years ago. As she continues to best every player she comes across, she’s forced to contend with her love-hate relationship with chess — and her growing feelings for the opponent she can’t stop thinking about.
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
The vibe: cute, charming
The hype that exists around this novel is intense, and I can finally understand why. What an endearing story of blossoming first love! I don’t tend to enjoy books that take place in a day, but this is so well-executed that the plot doesn’t feel lacking in any way. There’s a scavenger hunt the characters are playing that propels the plot forward — it has them working toward a shared goal and acts as a catalyst for them to understand each other on a deeper level, so when they go from enemies to friends to more in 24 hours, it actually feels believable and you want to root for them. The plot takes them all over Seattle as they let their guard down and share their hopes and fears and slowly start to build trust. In a way, the book is also a love story to the city itself. If this ever gets turned into a movie, it would be so adorable.
The story takes place on the last day of high school as a graduating senior hopes to secure her valedictorian title and finally leave behind the bitter academic rivalry she’s been embroiled in for the last four years. So when she doesn’t make valedictorian and her nemesis does, a new plan forms: take him down in the high-stakes scavenger hunt that all the seniors play as a farewell tradition. But when it becomes clear the only way either of them can survive is by teaming up, she slowly learns that the boy she thought she hated maybe isn’t so bad after all.
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
The vibe: sweet
I think out of all the books on this list, this one skews the most youthful in tone in the sense that not only does it take place in high school during the school year, but also that the main character actually acts like a 16 year old who gives little thought to the consequences of her actions. If you can look past that, it’s a fun and delightful story of two classmates getting to know each other as they impulsively skip class and run around the city. The MMC in here is so quietly caring and thoughtful — I wish I had met someone like him when I was in high school ha.
It’s Valentine’s Day and a high school girl is having the worst day ever. Until the next day, when she wakes up and discovers she has to relive the previous day all over again. Stuck in a time loop and free from the repercussions of her actions, she decides to stop living the day everyone expects her to live and try something completely new — including forming a connection with the last classmate she expected to.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The vibe: quirky, character-driven
This is the second book I’ve read from Rainbow, and wow can she write. Consider this a bonus rec since even though there is a love interest, the romance takes a back seat in favor of the main character’s personal journey. But once the love story really kicks in, it’s so painfully sweet. Character-driven stories aren’t for everyone, but I happen to really enjoy them. A lot of contemporary romance plots can feel formulaic, so I like the unpredictability of more passive plots in which the characters don’t really “do” anything — it’s all about the character growth, dialogue, and art of storytelling. And Rainbow is especially adept at crafting all three. I laughed, I cried, and I somehow became as equally invested in the main character’s fanfic as I was in her own story. For being nearly 500 pages, I finished it in two days (it goes by quickly because of all the dialogue) — and I’d go as far as to say it might be my favorite book out of this entire list. My only wish is that it didn’t end so abruptly!
A painfully introverted girl is headed to college with her extroverted twin sister who wants absolutely nothing to do with her. Lonely and despondent, she shuts herself in her dorm room and focuses on what she does best: updating her fanfic story based on the beloved fantasy book series that defined her childhood. As the school year progresses, things don’t necessarily get better, but her roommate and her roommate’s charming best friend make her want to try.
If you liked this post, I would so appreciate it if you could give it a like! This helps other readers discover my content.