young adults

THE SHELF / Young-adult mysteries to add to your reading list

Everyone, except Pippa, believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andie Bell, five years ago. Before he could be charged, Salil was found in the woods, apparently having committed suicide.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: Mental health issues in young-adult books

Young-adult books have recently been doing an exceptionally valuable job of incorporating mental health issues into their stories. Following is a list of books that represent various aspects of mental health issues and how people deal with them. 

Book Review: Nonfiction / The latest from John Green: The American man’s anthropocene reviewed

If you are familiar with John Green, you might already know of the immense popularity of the New York Times bestselling author, widely popular for his YA fiction, and often dismissed by critics for the same reason.

Won-Pyung Sohn’s ‘Almond’: A story of loveable monsters

Won-Pyung Sohn’s Almond (HarperVia, 2021), translated to English by Sandy Josun Lee, is a mesmerizing novel that captures the heart of a reader indelibly. Fifteen-year-old Yunjae cannot feel emotions due to alexithymia and is deemed a monster by others. Feelings such as love and empathy are mere words to him. At the age of six he sees a child gang-beaten to death by other children. More than a decade later, he watches a man stab his grandmother and hammer his mother into a comatose state, without batting an eyelid. At school he is tormented and at home, he becomes aware of an ever-growing void due to the absence of a loving family, but nothing can penetrate his heart. His lonely days pass in nonchalance until one day an unusual request from a stranger ends up connecting him with another...

BOOK REVIEW: YA FICTION / 'Your Heart, My Sky': A timely YA novel-in-verse about the 1990s Cuban “Special Period”

Early in July of this year, thousands of Cubans took to the streets, pushed over the course of the pandemic to a breaking point by a persistent, two-year-long shortage of medicine and—most importantly—food. Cuban protesters marched and shouted for an end to the Communist regime, which has lasted over six decades.

FROM PAGES TO PIXELS / A guide to Netflix’s young-adult book adaptations

The past one year has inclined our lives towards a virtual medium as we work from home and attend classes online. Subsequently, binge-watching shows and films has become the premier mode of relaxing for many. For readers who cannot take out the time to sit with a book, their adaptations—particularly of young adult stories—can be a welcome solution.    

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / The teenage life of a Bangladeshi-American in Tashie Bhuiyan’s ‘Counting Down with You’

Karina’s experiences are conveyed with compassion, emphasising the real issues of gender inequality in South Asian communities. The fact that parents continue to force their dreams on children instead of letting them pursue their own speaks volumes about the family dynamics existing in our households. Karina is seen to experiment with various ways of coping with anxiety instead of seeking professional help. Her experiences represent the glaring lack of mental health care in our community, even beyond national borders. That being said, the techniques Karina employs could be a helpful resource for readers suffering from similar issues. 

How Kiki’s Delivery Service Relates to Every Young Creative

The perfect allegory for young creatives trying to make it on their own.

October 31, 2021
October 31, 2021

Young-adult mysteries to add to your reading list

Everyone, except Pippa, believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andie Bell, five years ago. Before he could be charged, Salil was found in the woods, apparently having committed suicide.

October 10, 2021
October 10, 2021

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: Mental health issues in young-adult books

Young-adult books have recently been doing an exceptionally valuable job of incorporating mental health issues into their stories. Following is a list of books that represent various aspects of mental health issues and how people deal with them. 

October 7, 2021
October 7, 2021

The latest from John Green: The American man’s anthropocene reviewed

If you are familiar with John Green, you might already know of the immense popularity of the New York Times bestselling author, widely popular for his YA fiction, and often dismissed by critics for the same reason.

August 18, 2021
August 18, 2021

Won-Pyung Sohn’s ‘Almond’: A story of loveable monsters

Won-Pyung Sohn’s Almond (HarperVia, 2021), translated to English by Sandy Josun Lee, is a mesmerizing novel that captures the heart of a reader indelibly. Fifteen-year-old Yunjae cannot feel emotions due to alexithymia and is deemed a monster by others. Feelings such as love and empathy are mere words to him. At the age of six he sees a child gang-beaten to death by other children. More than a decade later, he watches a man stab his grandmother and hammer his mother into a comatose state, without batting an eyelid. At school he is tormented and at home, he becomes aware of an ever-growing void due to the absence of a loving family, but nothing can penetrate his heart. His lonely days pass in nonchalance until one day an unusual request from a stranger ends up connecting him with another...

August 12, 2021
August 12, 2021

'Your Heart, My Sky': A timely YA novel-in-verse about the 1990s Cuban “Special Period”

Early in July of this year, thousands of Cubans took to the streets, pushed over the course of the pandemic to a breaking point by a persistent, two-year-long shortage of medicine and—most importantly—food. Cuban protesters marched and shouted for an end to the Communist regime, which has lasted over six decades.

July 26, 2021
July 26, 2021

A guide to Netflix’s young-adult book adaptations

The past one year has inclined our lives towards a virtual medium as we work from home and attend classes online. Subsequently, binge-watching shows and films has become the premier mode of relaxing for many. For readers who cannot take out the time to sit with a book, their adaptations—particularly of young adult stories—can be a welcome solution.    

July 24, 2021
July 24, 2021

The teenage life of a Bangladeshi-American in Tashie Bhuiyan’s ‘Counting Down with You’

Karina’s experiences are conveyed with compassion, emphasising the real issues of gender inequality in South Asian communities. The fact that parents continue to force their dreams on children instead of letting them pursue their own speaks volumes about the family dynamics existing in our households. Karina is seen to experiment with various ways of coping with anxiety instead of seeking professional help. Her experiences represent the glaring lack of mental health care in our community, even beyond national borders. That being said, the techniques Karina employs could be a helpful resource for readers suffering from similar issues. 

July 17, 2021
July 17, 2021

How Kiki’s Delivery Service Relates to Every Young Creative

The perfect allegory for young creatives trying to make it on their own.

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