Happy Friday! When I decided to start doing Friday Favorites I knew this list was going to be one of the first few that I did. Diverse characters in YA books are hard to find and it’s frustrating. So I knew immediately that I had to recommend some of my favorites for anyone else out there feeling how I am. So, in no particular order, here are my top ten favorite books featuring diverse characters;
1. The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk
I was never originally planning on reading this book, but I’m so glad that I did. It’s a story that follows three characters through their own personal battles of grief. It’s sad and full of such interesting characters who drive the story. Autumn is an artist, she’s Asian and she loses her best friend. Logan is angsty, careless, gay and he loses his ex-boy friend who he is still very hung up on to suicide. Shay is African American, strong and loses her twin sister. All three of them have such an interesting story that all ties together in a musical way; the local band. This story was well written and had me crying a million times (then again I cry over everything). BUT it is very sad and very far from a fluffy fun contemporary.
2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
If you honestly told me that you hadn’t heard or read The Hate U Give I would be shocked because this book is EVERYWHERE… and for good reason. This story features Starr Carter and her story after witnessing a white police officer shoot and kill her friend. This story is a powerhouse full of emotion that explores interesting dynamics and Starr’s balance between her two worlds. This book is a must read for anyone interested in YA books that I will shamelessly tell you about until you read it yourself. Oh, and I couldn’t not mention all the times The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is mentioned or referenced. That alone is enough of a reason to read the book.
3. Warcross by Marie Lu
Everything about Warcross is brilliant. The story, the world, the characters are all amazing. The world is video game based with the population obsessed with virtual reality, including our protagonist Emika. Emika is Chinese and has by far the coolest appearance of any book character. She has rainbow hair and a sleeve of tattoos, how amazing is that? A lot of the book takes place in Japan which is where Emika travels to be part of the massive Warcross tournament, which she gets invited to after accidentally glitching herself into the opening ceremony. Woops. The world is fascinating and will keep you turning every page until the very end.
4. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Since this book as started becoming massive after it’s Netflix adaptation, I’ve become that the “I liked it before it was popular!” type of person. This book has special place in my heart, since it introduced me to contemporary. The story follows Lara Jean Covey, a Korean-American teen girl who writes love letters to her crushes when she stops liking them. One day her letters get sent out and she has to deal with the consequences. I loved the family dynamic in the books and it was a story that breezed by. Not to mention how amazing Peter Kavinsky is just like most of the characters in the book are. The story also has a baking element and such a sweet bond between sisters.
5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
This book has to be one of my all time favorites. Which is a big deal since I can never make up my mind about favorite books. This story follows six misfits who attempt a dangerous heist. But it’s so much more than that. It’s an unlikely squad with an interesting dynamic that always had me laughing, holding my breath when characters performed dangerous stunts and crying while reading character backstories. This book kept me more intrigued than most YA fantasy books do and I think a huge part of that was the characters. The main six are; Kaz (the “heartless” leader), Nina (the heartrender), Matthias (Mr. Grumpy Pants), Wylan (the sweetest marshmellow to exist), Inej (the wraith), and Jesper (the sharpshooter).
6. Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Unlike most, the first book I actually read from Marissa Meyer was Renegades. I had no idea how I would feel about this book, but it’s been one of my favorite reads of 2018. The story follows a world divided by two sides; Renegades and Anarchists. Nova is an Anarchist full of hate for the Renegades who goes undercover as a Renegade and meets someone has her questioning everything; Adrian. Adrian is a Renegade with a secret identity, and powers he keeps to himself. The twist being that despite their friendship their superhero/villain personas are enemies. The tension in this book is so good and had me wanted to scream. It was packed full of action and despite it being 500+ pages it was easy to fly through.
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This story is one of the staples of YA books, it’s everywhere. I originally read this trilogy a few years back and it’s what got me into YA books. The Hunger Games was my gateway book that led to my love of books today. This story follows a dystonian world where every year there is a national Hunger Games where teenagers fight to the death until only one person survives. This book is gripping, a little disturbing and more than anything it makes you think. This story was fundamental to me learning to love reading and to think about the world, this book is a must read for everybody.
8. Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund – Broka
I feel like I’m always throwing this book into people’s faces because it’s just such an amazing story. I love contemporary books and this one found the perfect balance between being fluffy and being serious. This story follows 17 year old Megan who finds herself in living the same relationship story over and over. After she stops dating a guy the next person he meets is his true love. At this point Megan has accepted this and rather than throwing a pity party she’s busy planning her next fling and thinking about directing. To fulfill her dream college’s acting requirement she must be in a production, so she auditions for a tiny role in her schools production of Romeo and Juliet only to be casted as Juliet herself. This hilarious and charming debut is so sweet and has extremely well written character development that I could spew about for hours.
9. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
This amazing mystery thriller is easily one of my all time favorite books, which is a little abnormal for me since books in this genre have never been my thing. But I adored this book! It’s a mystery surrounding a cast of characters who witness there classmate, Simon, die during detention. With these new circumstances new realtionships form, some fall apart and everyone is trying to figure it out; which of the four witnesses was really the killer? Was it Bronwyn the brains, Cooper the athlete, Addy the popular girl or Nate the outsider? This story is amazing, fast paced and perfect for anyone even you’re not a massive fan of this type of book!
10. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer
I can’t believe that it took me so long to finally pick up TLC. It’s such a massive series that I put off reading because I’m not a fan of sci-fi… and I don’t know! I just never thought I would pick it up. But I’m so glad I did because this series is one of the best I have ever read. It’s full of adventure, a variety of characters who I adore, and a story that had me flipping through all four books in around a week and a half. If you haven’t picked up these books, you will love them when you do. The characters alone make this series worth the read. Personally my favorite character is Winter, the princess from Luna. She’s incredibly kind and has such a unique story!
Leave a Reply