If you’re browsing a bookstore or website looking for a specific age range, most will skip from young adult straight to adult. But in real life, it’s a big jump from high school age to living on your own, having a full-time job, and paying bills. There’s a lot of growing up and changing that happens. So why is this weird phase of life not reflected in book categories?
The truth is, that age is in books, but for a variety of reasons, a separate category for it never really took off. Still, books featuring protagonists between the ages 18-25 are colloquially referred to as New Adult, and I wish we could see more books officially marketed that way.
Beyond the age of the main character, New Adult books also tackle topics that are a little more mature than YA (young adult) books. Finding who you are after leaving home, figuring out college, starting a career, more serious romantic relationships – these are all markers of a New Adult novel. Since it’s not an official category you’ll find in most bookstores, it can be a little tricky to identify New Adult books, but here are ten of my favorite books that really deserve this label.
FYI – I’m a Bookshop.org affiliate, which means if you use any links in the post to buy the books, I get a small payment at no extra cost to you!
Emergency Contact and Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi
These two books are quintessentially new adult. They both feature main characters who are college aged (either entering college or dropped out of college) and are wrestling with the expectations others have for them, their relationships both romantic, friends, and family, and the weight of responsibilities they now have to balance. It’s a beautiful illustration of learning how to be an adult while you still feel very much like a kid.
Meet Me In Outer Space by Melinda Grace
This adorable romance tells the story of Edie, a sophomore in college who runs into trouble when a professor refuses to accommodate her central auditory processing disorder. Not only is a story about college and finding friends and romance, it’s also disability #OwnVoices.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
When twenty-three-year-old April goes viral overnight, her newfound fame impacts all aspects of her life. I love that this book feels very current – so many people in their twenties right now didn’t grow up with social media, but it’s so ingrained in our lives that we can hardly remember a time before it. It feels very fitting that a New Adult book would also tackle the consequences of social media and internet fame.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo made a name for herself writing YA fantasy novels, but Ninth House steps into a darker and more adult realm. While it was marketed as her adult debut, it fits solidly in New Adult with Alex, a college freshman not only figuring out college life at an Ivy League school, but also a previously hidden magical world. She’s wrestling with the ghosts of her past (literally) and all the good and bad that comes with moving across the country to go to college.
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
This has been one of my favorite books of the year so far. It talks eloquently and cleverly about issues like race and gender, but it also captured so well what it means to be in your older twenties. Emira is twenty-five, and doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. She’s babysitting to make money, but her twenty-sixth birthday is looming which means she’ll be kicked off her parents’ health insurance and she needs a job that can provide benefits. She’s trying to navigate a serious romantic relationship and what career she wants and getting health insurance, plus a racist encounter that sets the whole plot in motion. It’s a lot, and it perfectly captures what growing up today feels like.
The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon
This book is marketed as YA, and I think the characters might technically be 17? But it still feels a lot like New Adult, so I’m counting it. While the book focuses on the romance between Natasha and Daniel, it also tells the story of them grappling with their futures, whether that’s interviewing for college or facing deportation. They’ve both been forced to grow up quickly, and so even though they’re a little young for New Adult, it has fitting themes.
The Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
This fantasy series is set almost completely in a magical world (unlike Ninth House) which can sometimes obscure New Adult themes. Sure, the main characters are in their early twenties, but they’re fighting off a dark and ancient evil, not figure out college classes. Still, beyond the characters’ ages, they’re also wrestling with who they are, with not being happy in their current state and trying to change it, with where they’ve come from. This balancing of internal struggle and external battles is what makes the series so good.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Another one of my favorite books, this romantic comedy follows Alex, the son of the first female president of the United States, and Henry, the Prince of England, as they go from enemies to friends to lovers. Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny, it’s also such a complex exploration of figuring out who you are and what your dreams are. Alex and Henry aren’t just figuring out their sexual identity; they’re also wrestling with what kind of legacy they want to leave. While most of us aren’t quite in that position of power, we can relate to feeling like we don’t want to waste our lives and figuring out how to make meaning of our time here.
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
This book might be the most unapologetically New Adult on the list. The author is also a booktuber, and typically classifies the book as New Adult when talking about it, though it’s still shelved in the YA section. The story follows Shane, who is struggling with figuring out her dreams versus what her parents want for her. She spends most of the book studying abroad, which challenges her in ways she never expected. The book is pitched as contemporary, with a pretty significant magical twist, and it’s a fun romp of a read.
When My Heart Joins the Thousands by A.J. Steiger
This is another book where the protagonists are technically still teenagers, but they both have been forced to grow up faster than most kids. It’s an #OwnVoices book for autism, and the love interest also has a severe physical disability. Even though they’re both seventeen, they’re facing what it means to grow up and how to handle the rest of their life, even as dark moments from their past continue to haunt them.
What are you favorite New Adult books? Have you read any on this list? Let me know in the comments!
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Featured image by Jade Stephens