Hello and happy Sunday. We have come to the end of this three-part series, and I don’t know why but I delayed this last post for weeks. There was something about listing and writing about books I’ve read a while ago that was annoying me, for some reason. Anyway, if you want some more context as to what this series is about and the other books I’ve listed, you can click here for part one and here for part two.

The other day when I was writing my review of two Kasie West books, I came to the realization that I’m no longer looking at YA as a reader, but I’m actually positioning myself as what I am, an adult who works with teenagers and who would like to recommend books to my students. I think that is an interesting shift, and one that I am enjoying. Keep this in mind as I tell you about the books in this post.

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

This is the kind of book that will destroy you. This is the kind of book that will give you a headache from crying so much because it deals with a type of grief that nobody expects. Our main character has lost his best friends in a car accident, which was most likely caused by a text message he sent, or at least that is what he’s convinced of- that he killed his best friends. This is not a fun or a happy book, but it is full of lessons every teenager should learn.

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

This is one of those seemingly lighthearted books that is pretty deep in reality and makes you question the things you claim to like and the way you’ve constructed your identity. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that our main character is obsessed with surfing, but she has to spend her summer away from the ocean. There, she meets Lincoln (and yes, I remember his name and not the main character’s because he was the perfect love interest), who introduces her to skateboarding. It’s amazing. You should read it.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King

If you want to read a book that is not particularly cute and fun and quirky, but you don’t want something that will destroy you like Goodbye Days, read this book. It also deals with the loss of a best friend, or a former best friend, and it features Vera, who is by all means an unlikable main character. You’re not going to read anything like this book and I think this is an amazing read for a teenager who thinks they’ve seen it all in terms of YA literature.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Yes, this is another book that deals with grief, the loss of a parent in tragic circumstances to be precise. Yes, it will destroy you, but while it does that, you’ll be reading about an amazing quest and the preservation of someone’s memory and you’ll get a glimpse into the mind of a brilliant nine-year-old, and you’ll love all of it and thank me for this recommendation.