I've listed my favorite novels before, but it's been awhile and things have changed. So, I want to share them again. Also, I wanted to share why I picked them. These books are not only my favorites, but they changed me. They made a huge impact, and I will never forget them.
Starting from the bottom...
6). Something Like Summer by Jay Bell
This book slaughtered my soul. I have so many feels I can't even register them. This is by far one of the best M/M coming of age love stories I've ever read! It was so powerful! And it spans over an entire decade! Jay Bell is amazing!
Here's my reaction video : https://youtu.be/rD0XAD6if3I
5). Panic by Lauren Oliver
This book was incredible! Lauren Oliver's writing is beautiful. I've fallen in love with the way she tells a story. She always pulls me in from the first page. I am a huge fan of Before I Fall, and her newest novel Vanishing Girls is definitely a top 10 for me, but Panic did something the others didn't. The story is unique and enticing. I wanted more but got just enough! I've never read anything like this before. The concept was awesome! And Lauren told me herself that she's writing the screenplay for the movie! I'm super duper excited!
4). Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
This book. THIS BOOK.
I am in love with this book and everything to do with it. Morgan Matson has written a summertime masterpiece. This is the ultimate feel good book. The plot was perfectly paced with just enough anticipation. Seeking out everything on the list was just as nerve-wracking and exciting for me as it was for Emily! And Frank Porter? Man. Love him. Framily = I ship it so hard. Great character development. Fun and quirky writing. The friendship between these characters, especially Sloane and Emily, is so strong! Reading this reminded me how important friendship is. It reminded me of a relationship I used to have with my best friend when we were younger. It was definitely a trip down memory lane.
3). The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I struggled at first to relate to this book. I wasn't sure what the narrator was going through or why he acted and spoke the way he did. I agreed with most people, thinking he was mentally handicapped. This would have explained a lot to me. By the end when everything was finally pulled together, it made so much sense and I was amazed. I didn't see it coming. Books like this are complicated for a reason. They're meant to make you think about things you normally don't think about. They give greater meanings to thinks you normally find insignificant. I think this book should be considered a classic. It has made an enormous impact on more than one generation. And also, the movie is the best adaptation I've ever seen.
2). Looking for Alaska by John Green
This book is a great example of what a true young adult novel is. I loved every second of it. Books like this are what make you believe what the characters believe. I am in search for "a great perhaps" because of Miles. Life is so much bigger than we think. Everything we do is so important, and John Green's writing is the closest thing to enlightenment I can find. Thank you.
1). I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
I couldn't write this earlier. I was too full of emotion to even fathom what I would write down. I finished reading I'll Give You the Sun at 1 o'clock this morning, and it was the most beautiful work of literature I think I've ever read.
Mind you, I've read some pretty amazing books. I've got a list of favorites, and I'm pretty this just bumped everything back down a spot, taking number one.
It's not just the fact that the characters were so well developed. It's not just the fact that the story is being told at two different times yet somehow are parallel. It makes no difference that the amount of detail that went into the artwork and the passion blew my very mind. It's not even the idea that Jandy Nelson has created something within me that I don't think I can ever extinguish.
The pure fact of it is, I loved it.
I want to stress how much this book affected me. There are some books, when I read them, that I thoroughly enjoy. I think about them right after I'm finished, thinking it'll stick with me forever, but they never do. This book. I have no doubt in my mind that it has changed me. The two main characters are artists, and as I was reading, I couldn't help but think that this book was a piece of art in itself.
I'm not going to go into the spoilery bits, because I'll Give You the Sun is one of those books you are better off knowing nothing about. I will say this: I was moved the most by the relationship Noah and Jude shared. It might be because they are twins, but I feel like Jandy Nelson represented that bond so perfectly between a brother and sister. More so. And the ending? Let's just say: everyone has secrets.
Please, please, please go read this godsend of a book! I am begging you!
P.S. If there's an artist out there that can recreate at least half of the pieces mentioned in Noah's head, please do it. I need to see it.
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