As April comes to an end, so does National Poetry Month. If you love poetry or want to explore the genre more – young adult verse is an outstanding category to explore. Verse novels use a blend of poetry while confronting sensitive topics that many teens may face, such as racism, sexuality, identity, and assault. Here are six unforgettable must-read young adult novels to add to your list.
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Saleem of the Exonerated Five, tag team to bring a powerful story about a sixteen-year-old boy who is wrongly incarcerated. With spellbinding lyricism, the duo tells a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy maintains his humanity and fights for the truth in a system designed to strip him of both.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Ever since her body grew into curves, Xiomara has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But there’s more she wants to say; Xiomara turns to her leather-bound notebook, where she spills her frustration and passions on the pages. A deep and meaningful novel of an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.
Muted by Tami Charles
Denver, a 17-year-old girl loves every aspect of music, writing and performing, and she dreams of it taking her far away from her tiny White neighborhood. Her dreams appear to be coming true when she finds herself in the most prominent R&B star in the world, Sean ‘Mercury’ Ellis’s orbit. Inspired by true events, Muted is a fearless exploration of the music industry’s dark side, the business of exploitation, how a girl’s dreams can be used against her – and what it takes to fight back.
Chlorine Sky by Mohagony L. Browne
A distinguished coming-of-age story about a young woman who loses a best friend, but finds herself in the process. With gritty and heartbreaking honesty, Mahogany L. Browne delivers a must-read novel about broken promises, fast rumors, and when growing up means growing apart from your best friend.
Every Body Looking by Candace Iloh
Every Body Looking is a heavily autobiographical novel of a young woman’s story as a daughter of an immigrant father and an African-American mother struggling to find her place in America. As Ada heads off for her first year of college, she explores dance and her sexuality while confronting her past family drama.
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen; then, at university, he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing one’s uniqueness.
