This month, Charlotte Griffiths enters the vivid worlds of young adult fiction
Words by Charlotte Griffiths
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Sixteen-year-old Bree is getting a taste of life at the University of North Carolina on an early-access programme for gifted students: it has only been three months since her mother’s death but – encouraged by her heartbroken father – she’s pushing on towards the future she deserves.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
On the first night at college, she and her friend Alice are caught sneaking out to a party, which is very out of character for these studious teenagers. She’s assigned an older student called Nick to oversee the rest of her experience and keep her on track, but when he inexplicably draws out a sword and slays a demon, she begins to get the sense that it’s not just her time at college that’s going to be different – her entire life will never be the same again.
Bree is thrown into a secret world ruled by Arthurian legend, where magic and monsters are all too real and her fellow students carry the burden of ancestral legacy on their young shoulders. But despite the Welsh history that controls this society, it’s still the American Deep South; as a young black woman navigating a predominantly white community, Bree finds herself confronting racist prejudice at all corners – and she can’t stop thinking that this hidden world is associated with her mother’s untimely death.
This is the first instalment of a superb fantasy series where young wizards and knights wrestle with centuries-old expectations on top of the many challenges of modern adolescence. The worldbuilding is exceptional, effortlessly weaving ancient British legend with black culture, and you’ll be rooting for Bree as she discovers the truth about her past – and decides whether she wants the future that lies before her.
Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley
Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley
This excellent debut is a sweet-and-sour, friends-to-lovers queer romance that’s gentle, yet also gripping from the very first page.
Libby’s boyfriend Dan is universally loved – but he now lies in a coma, following a motorcycle accident which happened on the same night that a grainy video of Libby kissing another boy went viral among the young people of Chipping Hollow. Now, the only person who’ll even acknowledge Libby is the new girl Neha, who’s just moved to the sleepy village to live with her aunt. But as Libby’s memories of that night slowly begin to return, and Neha’s feelings for her new friend become something more than friendship, it’s clear that life will only get more complicated before it gets better – whether or not Dan wakes up.
The book is packed with beautifully visual moments of detail: rustling bags of sugar-dusted hot doughnuts on Bonfire Night, Libby’s brilliant red curls and light brown freckles, damp school jumpers after Libby and Neha get caught in a downpour. It’s evocative writing that transports you straight into the kitchen, sitting beside Neha as she bakes her way through an emotional crisis.
Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
This special ten-year anniversary edition of Am I Normal Yet? celebrates a whole decade since Holly Bourne’s first outing with her beloved creations: the three girls who form The Spinster Club.
Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
This novel is where we first meet teenager Evie, slowly rebuilding after a breakdown: her debilitating, cleanliness-focused OCD and anxiety wrestled under control thanks to medication and therapy sessions. She’s just started at a new sixth form, which gives her a real chance to reinvent herself. Her desperation to ‘be normal’ leads Evie to come off her meds – all she has to do now is keep her family happy, stay on top of her coursework, navigate teen life and keep her condition hidden from her new, brilliantly feminist girlfriends Amber and Lottie. After all, they couldn’t possibly be friends with someone as ‘crazy’ as Evie, right?
Relationships of all kinds are what Bourne writes best. Lifelong friendships, sibling rivalries, parental guilt, burgeoning romances: it’s all expertly captured on the page. The intense, relatable writing will send you right back to awkward adolescence: bewilderingly unpredictable and frustrating boys, uncomfortable dinner halls and the joyful ferocity of young female friendship. But the heartbreaking passages depicting Evie’s battles with her OCD are most deeply affecting.
Now printed with fresh covers, and a foreword from undisputed queen of YA Jacqueline Wilson, this special edition is one to gift to lovers of Holly Bourne’s work, or a neat way to introduce a new generation of teens to this funny, informative and reassuring writer.
Fact over fiction
Top picks for young adults who prefer a non-fiction read
Rewild: Can Nature Heal Our World? by Ben Martynoga and illustrated by Moose Allain
Another brilliant, exploded encyclopaedia, with facts and figures compellingly displayed. This edition celebrates nature’s part in our lives; great for young environmentalists.
Talk To Me by Munroe Bergdorf
How do you make a real difference in the world? Activist, model and author Munroe Bergdorf returns with a guide for young people looking to find the cause that ‘lights them up’. It’s packed with tools and insights for making lasting, impactful change.
A Greater Goal by Elizabeth Rusch
An eye-opening read for anyone still celebrating the Lionesses’ legendary win, this documents the US women’s national soccer team’s struggle for fair treatment and equal pay. The injustice and sexism will make you throw the book at the wall in outrage.
Check out August’s Book Club and these holiday essentials
