11 Y.A. Gems We Grew Up On

Young Adult Books is the most beloved genre, from budding teens to grown ups, everyone likes a piece of this cake. And cake it is! With an easy narrative and a racy pace it makes us all fall for it hook, line and sinker. For me, this genre will always be reminiscent of the years spent at my boarding school. Bursting with the typical teen hormones, involved in girl gangs and bubbling with crushes, the age that singularly defined Y.A.

Here's a list of the 11 most memorable books that pop to my mind as I say Y.A.!

1. Sidney Sheldon

Let's just say, Sidney Sheldon's books were a wake up call for all emotions suppressed until then. Love, betrayal, drama, murderous plots and a trillion dollar bounty, this was the 'IT' novel at hostel. Everyone wanted a slice of Sidney and you literally had to get in line for him!

2. The Twilight Series

How much ever fun we made of the movies and even the books, you cannot deny it wasn't addictive. Stephenie Meyer's style of writing was an instant hook-up. The mysterious town of Forks grabs you from the get go, throw in some vampires and a couple of werewolves fighting over a human girl and you have got your formula to a seller!

3. Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot gave us the beloved Princess Diaries and enjoyable though the books were, there were others which were more entertaining. 'Size 12 Is Not Fat' was my favorite, with an unconventional female lead and a dark plot the book was every bit worth the read. I could settle down right now with a bag of chips and read it all over again.

4. Percy Jackson

More than anything else, Percy Jackson taught us all about Greek mythology. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Medusa and the rest of the God Tribe became household names, not to mention Percy and his fantastical adventures which held us throughout the series.

5. Troy

I fell in love with Adele Geras' take on the war of Troy, told through the eyes of two sisters who serve in the royal household. The book is an epic rendition of the war through a common folk's point of view, albeit fused with love, passion and heartbreaking sadness. It will remain my favorite telling of the tale of Troy.

6. Artemis Fowl

While the majority were gung ho for Percy Jackson, I favored Artemis Fowl's sci-fi world. Artemis and his loyal coterie - Butler and Holly Short had the most technologically advanced adventures. Although, in reality I root for mythology and have no love for science, this was one book where the geekiness gave me a real kick.

7. Linda Goodman

This does not strictly fall under the Y.A. genre, yet I can't help but think fondly of it as a part of our blossoming teen years. The 'Love Signs' book would travel hand to hand in the hostel and girls would cloister around, reading expectantly to see if their signs matched with those of their love interests. Oh, the devotion and sincerity with which we hung on to Linda's predictions, sweet memories...

9. Chetan Bhagat

Indian Y.A. genre has in a way gained traction because of good old Chetan Bhagat. Diss him all you want, but his books have a simple nonchalance about them that is so relatable to the typical Indian. I loved his 5 Point someone, One Night at a Call Centre and 2 States. Easy reads with a good dose of desi humor!

10. Anne Frank: The diary of a young girl

Not your mainstream Y.A. novel, nonetheless, one that we read at roughly the same age as Anne when she penned her diary. The diary was a fresh insight into how a teen felt and behaved like any other, even though she was in the most desperate of circumstances. Ultimately, it showed that to prevail and be normal, when the world has upended, is what being human is.

11. The Fault in our Stars

Augustus Waters...that's all I can say. What a weirdly gallant and reassuringly charming character. His funny and intellectual conversations with Hazel are what make up 90% of the book, at times you almost forget that they are terminal cancer patients, And to learn that this heartwarming book has been made into an Indian film with the late Sushant Singh Rajput as Augustus Waters! Makes me feel tragically happy, just like the story.

While writing this blog I discovered the titles of many new Y.A. books that look absolutely juicy. India too has been making way for the Young Adult genre, with Ravinder Singh, Durjoy Datta, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and others carving solid ground. This is one genre that will remain popular forever.