Five Favorites- Contemporary

I have a review to write, but at the moment, I'd rather do this. It's nonfiction and I have nothing to snark on so it's less fun to write about. So I decided to write this instead. I've toyed around with the idea of Five Favorites- maybe even being on a Friday- and so this is me tested the idea out. Basically, it's me dedicating a post to five books, fictional couples, characters, etc I love above all others so you guys can get an idea of the things I love as opposed to the things I hate. So it's basically Top Five Wednesday. I never said it was original. I went with Five Favorites because I like alliteration, though the books I hate might end up a list, too. I originally had "fast" in the title, but since I'm pretty long winded I took it out. Not that you care.

So kicking it off, here's my top five contemporary novels, not necessarily in any specific order.

1. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

  So, raise your hand if you've read and loved The Book Thief. Now, raise your hand if you've read anything else by Markus Zusak. Well, you should. I'm honestly surprised how little people have read his other books, especially since many count The Book Thief as their all time favorite book. Frankly, I Am the Messenger is the first reason why I count Markus Zusak as my all time favorite contemporary author (the second is The Underdog omnibus), much to the confusion of those who only know him by The Book Thief. But anyway, I Am the Messenger. This novel is about a rather mundane cab driver, who considers himself the typical working class Aussie, who sucks at cards and sex, is hopelessly in love with his best friend, and has a coffee drinking dog named The Doorman. Until one day, when he catches a bank robber and, shortly afterwards, gets a playing card in the mail with a list of addresses on it. From there, he must improve the lives of those the cards order him to. It's a wonderful, heartbreaking, tear inducing, and yet inspiring story of a ordinary guy who does extraordinary things. And of course it has that wonderful Markus Zusak prose. I loved this book so much that it's impossible not to put it on the top of my YA contemporary list. It truly needs more recognition.

2. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

  Neal Shusterman is another one of my favorite authors ever, but not really for contemporaries. Sure, I liked his magical realism-y Bruiser, but I adore his speculative fiction, especially the Unwind series, which you'll read more about in my SF list. So what is he doing on this list? Well, simply because Challenger Deep is an amazing, amazing read. Seriously, I don't know why this book is so seemingly underground (why all of Neal Shusterman is so underrated, but that's besides the point) because it won the fucking National Book Award in YA ferchristssake. Anyway, it's about a boy who has either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and the dueling realities that come with those types of diseases. On one hand, he's a smart, artistic honors student. On the other, he's on a pirate ship heading towards Marianas Trench, hence the name Challenger Deep. It's a stunningly told story of mental illness from a guy that needs more recognition. If you had to read any YA mental illness books, let it be this one. You won't need any other.

3. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

  For those of you who are more into the lighter, fluffy, contemporary contemporary side of YA contemporaries as opposed to the darker, edgier, realistic fiction side, this entry is likely the only one on the list for you! Graffiti Moon is another Aussie novel, but in a whole different ballpark as I Am the Messenger. This book is basically about a group of boys and girls who, over the course of one night, either fall in love or fall in love again. Mainly though, this is about Ed and Lucy, who have... complicated feelings about one another. Ed is currently pining over his ex girlfriend, even though he broke up with her, and he also lives a double life as a graffiti artist known as Shadow. Lucy hates Ed after a disastrous date the two went on a few years ago. She is, however, in love with Shadow. You can guess where this is going. I have a whole review dedicated to Graffiti Moon, so I'll keep the rest of my thoughts short, but despite all the tropes I hate present, I loved everything about it. Read it if you want to fall in love with a book.

4. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

  I used to love love love Laurie Halse Anderson back when I was first getting back into reading a few years ago. Now, that love has faded dramatically, but despite that my love of Wintergirls has remained, unlike my love for some of her other novels like The Impossible Knife of Memory or Speak, which has dimmed somewhat. In fact, it's grown. Wintergirls is a magically written novel about a girl with an eating disorder who, after the death of a girl who was once her best friend, relapses and ends up going on this kind of self discovery journey. Like a less lame version of that new movie To the Bone, actually, a movie I have a lot of problems with and might eventually write a review for. And unlike To the Bone, this novel doesn't shy away from the darkness of an eating disorder, with graphic descriptions of a girl dying of an esophagus eruption and other pleasant depictions to that nature. It's dark, gritty, and the writing is top notch. However, I admit that this is a total love it or hate it novel, so read at your own risk and only if the subject matter is something that appeals to you or you can handle. Also, this is one of those books I'd sample before you buy it- the writing is also something it seems people either love or hate.

5. The Lies About Truth by Courtney C Stevens

  I suppose this is another summery-sweet contemporary, but frankly I don't know if I've ever thought of it that way given that it's about some pretty heavy things. It's about a girl who was in a bad car accident with her friends, resulting in the death of one of them. Her face is also heavily scarred as a result. It's kind of like Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz in that it's a beach read looking book masquerading as a deep, hard hitting book, and has one of the best portrayals of friendship I've ever come across, even in real life. I loved the unique take on grief, the wonderfully nostalgic-inducing summer scenes, and just the overall loveliness of this novel. It is from a Christian perspective, so if you're one of those people who says that a book feels "preachy" because one of the characters professes a belief in God stay away from this book. But for me, it was wonderful.

What are some of your favorite contemporary novels? Have you read any of these books? What do you think about them? Leave your thoughts below!