9 British YA Novels You Might Have Missed
Seek them out, because they’re good!
The UK’s YA scene is thriving, but not all of that fiction makes it over to the U.S. in an official capacity. And when it does, it doesn’t always get the attention and marketing dollars it deserves. So you might not have seen these around. But have a hunt for them online — Blackwells.com is the best place to buy British books if you’re not in the UK.
I AM THUNDER BY MUHAMMAD KHAN
Muzna wants to be a writer; her parents won’t hear of it, wanting her to be a doctor instead. In a new South London school, she struggles with bullies, prejudice, and racism, along with teenage angst of all kinds, until Arif takes an interest in her. But Arif brings his own trouble…
MAKE MORE NOISE BY VARIOUS
This collection of short stories by some of the Britain’s top YA writers honour the history of women’s suffrage. Plus, “£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Camfed, an international charity which tackles poverty and inequality by supporting women’s education in the developing world.”
GOODBYE, PERFECT BY SARA BARNARD
This book has its main character asking what she should do when her best friends falls in love with someone she really shouldn’t…
THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF OKAY BY LAURA STEVEN
This books tells the story of Izzy, slut-shamed and trolled after explicit pictures of her with a politician’s son come out. “A hilarious, groundbreaking young adult novel for anyone who’s ever called themselves a feminist…and anyone who hasn’t,” says the publisher’s description.
THE GIRL IN THE BROKEN MIRROR BY SAVITA KALHAN
When Jay has to move in with her aunt and uncle, she finds herself forced to abide by strict conservative Indian customs and forbidden from hanging out with many of her friends. But that’s only the beginning of her nightmare.
MY BOX-SHAPED HEART BY RACHAEL LUCAS
Holly loves swimming. When she’s swimming, she’s not the girl whose mum is a hoarder. She’s not the girl picked on at school. As for Ed, swimming is an escape route too, from this new life now that his mum has left his dad and the bottom has fallen out of his world. What happens when the two of them meet?
RUN, RIOT BY NIKESH SHUKLA
This novel might be the UK’s answer to The Hate U Give. “When teenagers Hari and Jamal film the police shooting an unarmed young man from their estate, they find themselves hunted by the very people who should be protecting them. But as they go on the run, the teenagers discover that the truth behind the shooting goes so much deeper, with terrible personal consequences for them all.”
THEATRICAL BY MAGGIE HARCOURT
Maggie Harcourt’s novel Unconventional was one of my top reads of 2017, and I loved talking to her for a my podcast and nerding out with her about various aspects of fandom. Here, she sets her story behind the scenes of a theatre company, involving an intern with a famous costume designer for a mum, a moody Hollywood star, and his hot young understudy.
MY HEART GOES BANG BY KERIS STAINTON
After loving last year’s book by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison, Freshers, I’m all about uni-set novels, and this one sound like fun — a group of second-year friends stumble on an article which lists men they should date before they’re 21, and decide to complete the challenge before they graduate. Throw in a secret from their first year that comes out, and you’ve got the makings of a very interesting story…
This post first appeared on Book Riot. When you click on one of my links and buy the book, I get a few affiliate pennies, which helps support my work. Thanks for doing that!
