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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pepperdine chapter.

This past summer, I took a course on Young Adult literature (YA lit.) and through the span of the course, I read approximately 30 novels. 

 

YA lit. gets a bad rap, but I genuinely love it. Because the books are intended for “younger audiences,” it is often assumed that they are inferior to books written with adults in mind. However, I don’t believe that could be any further from the truth. The ever-changing nature of YA books means that they are unbound by genres. They’re also written with a specific audience in mind and are a tool to help adolescents learn about themselves and understand the world. YA lit. can be incredibly formative in teens’ lives, and should get the respect that they deserve. 

 

If you’re looking for some reading to do over winter break, give young adult literature a try. 

 

Some books I enjoyed reading for this course include (but are not limited to):

  • The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0614T9/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UT…

  • We Are Okay, Nina LaCour

https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Okay-Nina-LaCour-ebook/dp/B01K1ATZ36/ref=s…

  • Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell

https://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Park-Rainbow-Rowell-ebook/dp/B008SAZHLQ/r…

  • Dumplin, Julie Murphy

https://www.amazon.com/Dumplin-Julie-Murphy-ebook/dp/B00RLTBO9O/ref=sr_1…

  • To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Series, Jenny Han

https://www.amazon.com/All-Boys-Ive-Loved-Before-ebook/dp/B00DA9PX0A/ref…

  • Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli

https://www.amazon.com/Simon-vs-Homo-Sapiens-Agenda-ebook/dp/B00LSRXJKC/…

  • Ready Player One, Ernest Cline

https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline-ebook/dp/B004J4WKUQ…

  • Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done, Andrea Gonzales & Sophie Houser

https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Code-Gaming-Going-Getting-ebook/dp/B01G1GDA5…

  • The Amazing “True” Story of a Teenage Single Mom, Katherine Arnoldi

https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-True-Story-Teenage-Single/dp/163168034X/r…“True”+Story+of+a+Teenage+Single+Mom&qid=1574993800&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr

  • Tiger Eyes, Judy Blume

https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Eyes-Judy-Blume-ebook/dp/B007I5QOPA/ref=sr_…

 

Hannah Miller

Pepperdine '21

Senior Associate, Integrated Marketing (Activation) at Her Campus Media + former Campus Correspondent at the Her Campus Pepperdine Chapter!
Melissa Locke

Pepperdine '21

This is my senior year of college and I'm a Public Relations major with a Creative Writing outside concentration. I was born and raised in So-Cal and love it so much I couldn't go too far. As much as South California is my home, I adore traveling and learning about other cultures. A Disney fan to the core you can find me watching any of their movies, or breaking my bank account at Disneyland, and if not I'll probably be reading, writing, or enjoying the Malibu climate.