Is There a Book That Shaped You as A YA?

[Bridgetbruso99]

For me, it was definitely The Babysitter's Club. I know they like to put it in the Children's category but it touched on some major issues and the spin off California Diaries series that follows Dawn after she moved back to California really did. I've never stopped reading the BSC. They are as real to me as real friends and if I didn't have them I would miss them terribly. The specific BSC book that changed me was Mary Anne's Makeover bc she had a really strict dad and I had really strict parents. Mary Anne was allowed to do things that even I wasn't.

[lili_bug]

For me, the book that shaped me as a young adult would have to be The Throne of Glass series by Sara J Maas. The way she wrote the series in the sense that you got to grow up and develop with all the characters. The main protagonist wasn't a saint yet her hardships were still relatable, the way she dealt with her emotions. Overall it was an amazing series and I learned attributes from the characters.

[HanElizabeth397]

For me it was A Court of Thorns and Roses. The series was fantastic & I loved the mental health discussions

[Hiruni Hansika]

I guess it was Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I really loved how amazing the characters of this book were. And I loved a lot of ideas of the author. For an example no one's problem is bigger than someone else's. Also that we choose what we are going to become eventhough we might face the same problems.

[Julia Jackson 2]

Some of the first YA books I read were "The Magic Tree House" series or "The Series of Unfortunate Events" and I loved those immensely. These books are what started my love for reading. But oddly enough, the one that shaped me was "Twilight" by Stephanie Myers. From the first chapter, I was hooked for life. It shaped everything I read, watched, and listened to from then on. Because of "Twilight" the supernatural world was believable and tangible. It has steered my to where I am now in what I believe and think. Especially in what I read and watch.

[Karishma Sivnath]

There were so many but the book series that resonates with my soul is the breathing series by Rebecca Donavan (Reason to Breath, Barely Breathing & Out of Breath). I thoroughly enjoyed reading these and I tend to reread them every few months for a little walk down memory lane.

[Kiran Kanwar]

For me too it would be Hunger Games. Katniss was very inspiring for me and I wanted to be strong like her. After that, I have developed an interest in reading books on women by women.

[Reader Chavez]

I would have to say, Harry Potter. It was the first series I read and the reason I started reading so much. It definitely developed my love for books.

[Priyankaaa18]

For me it is either ACOTAR series or After series.

[Amanda Dobson]

As an avid reader at a young age I was reading everything in my age group. But one book stuck out to me in grade 8 and then when I was in college for Early Childhood Educator I revisited the book. It was called CHILDREN OF THE RIVER by LINDA CREW. It is about a young girl separated from her family as the fled to America as refugees. From there she meets a boy whose father is a dr. As a result she helps the father who decided to go to her native homeland to help as a dr without borders. It ends with her having a budding relationship with his son and the father finding some of her family. The topic was a very serious one but was well written for a young adult. It is one that I recommend when asked and I have since read it many times.

[Pocoyo]

My favourite book definitely shaped me into the person I am today. Looking for Alaska by John Green taught me so much about appreciating the things we have when we have it and not taking life for granted. It also taught me a lot about the importance and value of good friends.

[readlikejess]

Probably, The Fault in our Stars by John Green. By the time the book came out, or was really popular because of the movie, I was really invested in reading teen romance and YAs. So when I the time I read it, it got me really emotional. And the story was unexpected. It was the first novel that got me really feeling something.

[ErisDecember]

For me, I think it was Stolen by Lucy Christopher. It's still, to this day, my favourite book. There was something about this book that just moved me to the deepest core and that made me realize that not everything is as just as good or just as bad as we might think it is. It made me question my perspective of things and of what people do.

[Loniya Chabili Mubanga]

There's a book called Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens. It talked about a victim of abuse and how she had trouble with coping, she self-harmed, got depressed and suffered so much. It's very triggering and I don't think I can reread it, but reading it 7 years ago shaped who I chose to become. I wanted to be a fighter just like the main character, to speak up for myself, to heal and to never let anyone silence me. Although what happened to her was far more gruesome than anything I have ever gone through, I admire her bravery and related to her depression.

[CheyRed]

Definitely the book False Memory by Dean Koontz. It really started my interest in thriller/mystery books. It was also one of the first thrillers I read where you knew who the villain was pretty much as soon as you started the book. May not be exactly what you meant by "shaping" but it definitely got me interested in different ways of thinking as a reader/writer, different genres as well as seeing the different ways a writer can go about the thriller/mystery genre without it being the same old horror cliches or whodunits.