Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

Reality check moment: When Naila thought she was on a normal family vacation in Pakistan but her parents actually took her there to marry her off.

What makes it great: Aisha Saeed is one of the first people to tackle the issue of forced marriages in YA, and she explores how it affects everyone involved, not only Naila. There are no villains here, just complicated people trying to hold on to tradition in a changing world.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Reality check moment: When everything Cody knew about her best friend’s suicide implodes because of one encrypted computer file.

What makes it great: Gayle Forman has said that I Was Here is a book about a suicide the way that If I Stay is a book about a car crash–i.e. only incidentally. The true core of I Was Here is the struggle to understand the people we love and make peace with who they are, who we are in the face of loss and uncertainty.

Still Waters by Ash Parsons

Reality check moment: When Jason finds a questionable way to fund his escape with his sister from his abusive father.

What makes it great: Still Waters brings to mind a classic YA favorite, The Outsidersby S.E. Hinton. It’s an intense, gritty thriller that explores the dark relationship between poverty and privilege, and shows what lengths one boy will go to protect his family.

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Reality check moment: When 16-year-old Mim hops a bus from Jackson, MS to Ohio, braving a 1,000 mile journey alone to find her missing mother.

What makes it great: Mosquitoland takes us on a road trip through the South, as well a road trip through the brain of Mim Malone, who is definitely not okay. You’ll have to read to find out why. Note: the feels in this book are industrial strength.

First There Was Forever by Juliana Romano

Reality check moment: when Lima makes an irreversible decision that alters her relationship with her best friend forever.

What makes it great: First There Was Forever beautifully and authentically deals with something that has happened to all of us at one time or another: when a friendship we thought unbreakable changes.

The Truth Commission by Susan Juby

Reality check moment: when out of all the biggest secrets Normandy uncovers, the most eye-opening is actually within her own home.

What makes it great: You will not be able to get enough of this book’s voice. It’s funny, witty, original, and ultimately plunges into your heart with truth.

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Reality check moment: when a boy Gwen considers a mistake reappears for the summer and forces her to question everything she’s been trying to escape.

What makes it great: The romance in this book will give your summer reading some edge: it’s a deep, sometimes dark look at identity, boundaries, regret, and passion set against a gorgeous beachside summer.