Summer break is fast approaching and with that comes the possibility of having a little bit of more spare time. No matter what your plans are for summer, a book is always a good accompaniment. Here are three of the most relatable I have read and thought they were worth sharing.
1. Holding Up The Universe, Jennifer Niven
This book has two storylines that eventually connect and become one. One is about Jack, who has an inability to recognize faces, and is going through some crappy times, and the other one is about Libby, a girl who was the Fattest Teen in America and her struggles to incorporate into society and have people see her for who she is and not who she was. After an incident, they meet and become friends. Their friendship deepens after many shared mishaps due to Libby being the only one who knows about Jack’s problem and they really relate to one another because, they just want to be seen for who they truly are. Not having to live up to other’s expectations and not being seen as a spectacle because of your weight. Who doesn’t want that as well?
2. Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen
This is a coming of age story that is all about friendship and falling in love with the wrong person. Halley and Scarlett are best friends and they are just regular teenagers enjoying their summer–that is, until Scarlett finds out she’s pregnant with her late boyfriend’s baby and Halley falls in love with local bad boy, Macon. This book is my personal favorite because it is all about being there for your friends and realising that sometimes it’s not that you’re good enough for a person, it’s that they’re not good enough for you.
3. Paper Towns, John Green
This book has already been made to a movie, but if you haven’t read it I strongly recommend you do so, the movie does not make it any justice at all. This story is about Quentin, a guy who falls in love with his next-door neighbor, Margo. She’s quite mysterious and disappears, leaving him clues to find her. He goes on to look for her and doesn’t quite find what he’s looking for. This novel is about falling in love with idealized images of people and how we imagine them to be something more than just human.