Being a teenager is not easy, and it never was. Teens have to learn so much about the world in a short period of time—the transition between childhood and adulthood—and sometimes all at once. This year’s young adult stories had us looking at familiar things—like summer camps and chess—and challenging the status quo in a new way. We loved along with our characters for the first time, and lived their first big mistakes too, which, in the end, made everyone into a better person. That’s the beauty of being young and impressionable—you can make yourself over and over again.
