Looking back at books I read over ten years ago has been so fun. I don’t know how long this series will be as it is obviously finite, but I feel like I have enough books I want to talk about to fill at least a few posts.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I think this series is one that a lot of people would agree with me on. At some point in your life, you have debated whether you are team Peeta or Gale and this could come purely from the movies (which I also love). When I say I was obsessed with these books, I’m not being hyperbolic. They were my entire life as a teen and I still love them to this day.
‘Catching Fire’ is definitely my favourite book in the series for many reasons which I can’t really talk about without spoiling the story for those who may not have read it. Let’s just say there are a lot of plot twists that make it the most exciting book for me. Also, I have always been massively team Peeta and he really is the star of this book.
A big reason why I love these books is definitely that the action outweighs the romance, don’t get me wrong I love romance as much as the next person however at times it can get tiring in YA books.
Synopsis: Could you survive on your own in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.
When We Collided by Emery Lord
I didn’t read a lot of contemporaries as a teen, but on the rare occasion that I did, I really enjoyed them. Emery Lord is most likely my favourite contemporary writer. Her writing style really suits me and the way that sensitive topics such as mental health, grief and familial problems are explored in this book is something that I really admire. She is not one to sugarcoat things and her characters are real people suffering from real problems.
Family is a big part of this book and oh how endearing the Daniels family are. A family with six children can be hard to get right however each character is so complex and well-rounded that it’s hard not to love them. Kind-hearted Jonah who is trying to hold his family together after the recent death of his father finds respite from the daily struggles when he meets Vivi. Seventeen and recently diagnosed with bipolar Vivi seamlessly fits into the Daniels family and soon love begins to bloom between her and Jonah.
This book is perfect for people who are looking for a quick read that will really stay with you. I went into this book not knowing just how deep the storyline would be and even with this in mind I would still say that it was one of my favourite standalones.
Synopsis: We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…
Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.
Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.
Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.
In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.
Check out Young Creative Press on all socials
You can also check out my StoryGraph here
Like this post? Why not read this one too: The Best Of: Friends to Lovers Books
The Hunger Games was one of the standout series I read as a teenager for me as well!
[…] Like this post? Why not read this one too: The Best Of: Books That Defined My Teens #2 […]