Realistic Fiction for YA readers

Today’s genre is one of my personal favorites: realistic. Realistic fiction represents things that commonly happen in life, things that could happen to you. They’re not particularly chicklit, though they are similar, and might have a little romance, but they are probably more about friends and family and school and life more than anything. There are actually many books on my list that I will share with you today, more than any genre I’ve done before. Maybe because realistic fiction is one of the biggest genres out there, or maybe because I have read a lot of it, and couldn’t choose between my many favorites. Whatever the case, today’s list is going to be long, which in my opinion is a great way to end this book recommendation series. Yep, this is the last one. 😢 Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! 

RECOMMENDED REALISTIC FICTION:

• Wonder- This book is a moving story by RJ Palacio about a boy who has a facial difference that sets him apart from others.  His name is Auggie, and he still has to go to middle school and deal with bullies and face family and friend troubles. You will cry, and laugh as you travel with Auggie through his adventure called middle school. There is also a really good movie based on it. 

• Counting by 7’s- Willow Chance is claimed to be a twelve year old genius due to her love of diagnosing medical conditions and nature and counting by 7s. It is that that keeps her from connecting to anyone other than her adoptive parents. But when both parents die in a car crash, Willow is on her own in the big world. But she manages to push through her grief, she continues to live. Her journey to find a home is a joy and moving story to read. This book is written by Holly Goldberg Sloan, who is the author of another great realistic book called Short, which is about a girl named Julia, who is short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, she learns to measure herself not by her height, but by how much she has grown inside, where it counts.

• Books by Donna Cooner- Donna Cooner is one of my favorite realistic fiction authors. I love her relatable books about life and technology and friends and love. My favorites are Screenshot, Can’t Look Away, and Fake. Screenshot is about a girl named Skye. When her best friend posts an embarrassing video of Skye online, she thinks it’s over when Asha deletes it. Until she gets an anonymous message from a person who threatens to share the video, she knows it’s far from over. This book, and many other by Donna Cooner, center around technology and the consequences of social media.

• Everything, Everything- This book also has a movie made from it. Everything Everything is about a girl named Madeline, who is allergic to the world. Yes, the world. It’s a disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. Madeline can never leave her sterile house, never feel the grass beneath her feet, never go to school, never fall in love. That is, until she meets Olly, her new neighbor. Olly is different. Instead of treating her with caution, she learns about the world through him. He shows her how to live, a thing she never thought she would do. Now Madeline knows, she is falling for Olly. More importantly, she knows it’s going to be a disaster. This book is really, really good. I loved everything about it. The end, the romance, the characters, the writing by Nicola Yoon. Seriously, I’d recommend this book to anyone. It is amazing.

• Focused and Braced- Both of these books are written by Alyson Gerber, and both are about girls who are different from everyone else. In focused we meet Clea who can’t control her thoughts and realizes she has ADHD. She has to focus, but her ADHD is starting to control her life, and Clea doesn’t like the way it’s going. Braced is about Rachel, aspiring soccer star. But when her doctor declares the curve in her spine has gotten worse, and now she needs to wear a brace, Rachel must relearn everything. How to play soccer, put on clothes, fit in, but most importantly, she must learn how to love herself.

• Greetings from the Witness Protection- This book is definitely in my top 10!! (I know I say that a lot but it’s true lol) I love this story by Jake Burt and you will too if you give it a try. It’s about foster girl Nicki Demere who is placed with a family in the witness protection program. The witness protection program is a program designed to help family’s blend in. And that’s just what Nicki’s new family needs to do. You see, they are on the run from the nation’s most notorious criminals. Now Nicki needs to protect them, but to do so she’ll have to dodge hitmen, and cyber bullies. Hiding in plain sight isn’t going to be as easy as she thought… I like this book because it is unique and original and the concept is really intriguing to me. This book is really engaging and readers won't be able to put it down. (I know I couldn’t)

• The Truth About Jellyfish- Susie is convinced that when her best friend died due to drowning, it was because of a jellyfish sting. And she’s determined to prove her theory, even if it means isolating herself and gaining a bunch of disbelieving and disappointed looks. Even if it means traveling the world-alone. Suzies journey explores the concepts of grief, life, death, sadness, love, and wonder, and will provide a moving story for readers on their own personal journey.

• Out of My Mind- This book by Sharon M. Draper is stunning. It really kept me wondering and I definitely feel like I went on this journey alongside the main character, Melody, who is not like most people. She can’t walk, or talk, but she has a photographic memory. She is smarter than most adults and her classmates, who think she is mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody will not be defined by her disease, otherwise known as cerebral palsy. Somehow, she will find a way to let everyone know it. Melody is determined. This book is amazing and it really opened my eyes. I never knew such a thing was possible. This book is so passionate and amazing, all readers will enjoy.

• Freak the Mighty- All his life, Max had been called stupid, dumb, slow. Especially with his body growing faster than his mind could keep up with. People were afraid of him, so Max became isolated, he learned how to be alone. Until Freak came along. Freak was different too. He had a little body, but a big brain. Maybe that’s why he and Max got along so well. Together they became good friends, together they were Freak the Mighty. Written by Rodman Philbrick, this book is a moving story about friendship above all else. It will make you cry and laugh as you read this story about two different people, connected in a world that should have pushed them apart. 

Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through my book recommendation series. This post is the last one out of it, so I really hope it inspired you to try a realistic book. This series was so fun to write, and I loved selecting books out of all the genres that have brought me joy and will bring to you as well. Maybe by the end of this you have become a reader. (If you weren’t already) Maybe you were inspired to branch out and try something new. Or maybe you just read about a really good book (there were quite a few in this post) and want to read it. Whatever the case, thanks so much for reading these recommendations, there will be more to come in the future! I’ll be posting some more blog stuff next week, so I’ll you guys soon, bye! 😘