11 Young Adult Novels Paired With Their Perfect Soundtrack
1/12Maybe you're searching for the nostalgia of your youth by revisiting the Wakefield twins and their penchant for California dreaming in Sweet Valley. Perhaps you're looking for a brand new book to pair with your favorite band, because you're ready for some summer reading that will seriously transport you. Whatever your end goal is, it seems like the angst of YA novels was meant to be paired with the perfect soundtrack. Even if you're technically an adult, YA makes for summer reading perfection because it's equal parts dramatic and uplifting – so it requires a soundtrack that balances both emotions in the same way.
Luckily, these 11 songs are Spotify ready when it comes time for your next trip to the bookstore (or even if you're just perusing options for your Kindle). You can even queue them up before you head into the local library's stacks. Prepare to be swept away to high schools around the country that mirror yours in the best possible ways.
2/12The Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal
Soundtrack: Aqua, "Barbie Girl"The Wakefield twins were relatable, in that perfection personified blonde-haired Cali girls who were absolutely gorgeous and had guys fighting over them in every single book ever kind of way. While Elizabeth would definitely fight the Barbie girl label, Jessica would embrace it wholeheartedly, pom-poms in hand.
If you're re-visiting (or meeting!) the twins in the Junior High series, make sure to have some BSB-worthy pop on hand. Catching up with everyone's favorite blonde twins (other than Mary Kate and Ashley, obviously) as they navigate the tricky senior year of high school scene? You'll need something angsty, like Tove Lo (I mean, do you remember Conner McDermott? He was the ultimate bad boy, because no one corrupted squeaky clean Elizabeth Wakefield). If you're joining the twins in college, you'll have to fend for yourself — that's when they became truly blonde and bland.
3/12Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
Soundtrack: Sam Hunt, "Break Up In A Small Town"If you're obsessed with the sass that is Veronica Mars and can't get enough of binge-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there's a new heroine in town. Meet Harper Price, who can fight anyone (human or...not so much). Even better? She does it all without breaking a nail (and in Lilly Pulitzer, to boot). When you discover her magical world, make sure to have super Southern heartthrob Sam Hunt on hand. You won't regret watching a couple of his music videos just to really feel like you've been transported directly to Pine Grove, Alabama.
Forget what you thought you knew about country music – Sam Hunt is definitely not who you expect to see on CMT. He's ultra modern and incredibly emotional when it comes to crafting ballads or singalongs that are perfect for a summertime campfire. His song "Break Up In A Small Town" is especially poignant when it comes to understanding Harper's romantic entanglements (no spoilers, but after reading the first book you'll definitely understand). You'll fall head over cowboy-booted heels for Sam Hunt and for David Stark (Harper's potential beau), who's the ultimate book boyfriend, whether or not you live anywhere near the South.
4/12Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Soundtrack: Rooney, "That Girl Has Love"If you're angsty and aching to escape your small slice of suburbia, Jessica Darling will be your spirit animal in a serious way. Her potent combination of sarcasm and sincerity makes her the ultimate heroine for the digital age — her quotes would do perfectly on Pinterest, and you'll probably be tempted to subtweet all of them immediately at frenemies and not-boyfriends.
You'll fall in love with Jessica Darling, but you'll start actively obsessing over her will-he-or-won't-he be her boyfriend, Marcus Flutie. If you're a serious sucker for bad boys reformed, he's guaranteed to be your ultimate dream dude. His red dreads (they sound gross, but you'll start dreaming about them), former druggie ways, and incredible intelligence make him the perfect guy for high school girls who are completely over wandering around the mall in their tiny town. In diary form, it says everything you ever wanted to say in high school – and even now, Jessica Darling still expresses your darkest days.
5/12Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
Soundtrack: Nick Gilder, "Hot Child in the City"If you were a true GG stan, you were probably horrified when they announced the casting of the TV show, because Jenny was nothing like described, Vanessa Abrams was supposed to be a punk rocker living with her rebellious sister, and Rufus Humphrey was definitely not supposed to be one of the most handsome characters on the show. Before Leighton Meester embodied Blair Waldorf and became a spirit animal for Type-A preppies everywhere, she existed on paper, where she was even more neurotic and controlling.
GG was the perfect introduction for naive nuggets into the debauchery of the big city. Once you actually visited New York, you realized that not everywhere is Upper East Side elegant, but that didn't stop you from forcing your friends to take your photograph on the Met steps, yogurt in hand and headband on your perfect blow out. While Gossip Girl the show had an incredible soundtrack that you could easily pair with the book, there's nothing like a throwback worthy song that will make you actually think you woke up on the UES.
6/12That Summer by Sarah Dessen
Soundtrack: Halsey, "Hurricane"Sarah Dessen crafts emotional stories that will make you feel all the feelings. Girlfriend knows how to tell an incredible story, and she truly captures the all-consuming pain of first heartbreaks. She writes the perfect book boyfriends, and they all grapple with as many issues as the heroines, making for magical moments. The incredibly underrated Mandy Moore and Trent Ford (swoon) movie How To Deal was based on two of her books, That Summer and Someone Like You, and it still makes me feel some type of way — anyone would, just looking at Trent Ford's perfect hair...and face.
Just like Sarah Dessen's books, Halsey's songs are emotional looks at what being a teenager is really like (not just what people imagine it to be). No one understands and explains the turbulence of first love and the subsequent heartbreak quite like they do.
7/12Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Soundtrack: Rozzi Crane, "Psycho"This was probably the funniest book series in the history of humanity. There's no scientific proof, but if you read one page and manage to keep a straight face, you're probably some kind of robot. The wild world of Georgia will make you want to book an epic vacation to England immediately, just to utilize their slang, which is far superior to ours. Angus is a younger, hipper, funnier version of Bridget Jones.
If you, like Georgia, struggle endlessly with understanding boy toys and their incessant need to say, "See you later," you'll understand why she overanalyzes everything. This painfully funny series was turned into the movie Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, starring the extremely fit Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who's now also famous for marrying someone older than your parents (and his). Angus is chock full of important life lessons, like how to not be wet and slaggy, and that it's okay to be a little bit mad. Rozzi Crane's "Psycho" is the best song to accompany your reading. Like Georgia, she's unafraid of embracing the "crazy girl" label, because she knows there's power in owning your emotions and being a little bit different.
8/12Fearless by Francine Pascal
Soundtrack: Florence + The Machine, "What Kind Of Man"If you read Fearless back in the day, you know that the protagonist, Gaia, was a precursor to Katniss, only without the braid. Gaia was 100% fearless, but she lived in modern-day New York City, not Panem. Unlike Gossip Girl, Gaia doesn't deal with backstabbing biddies and society functions worthy of designer dresses. Instead, she's focused on finding out who killed her father — think Revenge, minus the bougie factor and plus the convoluted story lines that leave you wondering who really can be trusted.
For anyone who felt like middle school was one awkward experience after the next (or anyone currently dreading it daily), Gaia's world offers a perfect escape from your daily routine. She's too busy trying to survive to care about silly things like talking to your crush without giggling uncontrollably and learning how to grind before the next dance. Florence + The Machine's latest album is full of songs that are equal parts angry and uplifting. "What Kind Of Man" is an emotional look at how destructive people can be, which Gaia knew all too well.
9/12The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Soundtrack: Charli XCX, "Break The Rules"Meg Cabot became an ultimate idol when she created Mia Thermopolis, the awkward, albeit astoundingly awesome, main character who had no earthly clue she was secretly royalty. While Rooney seems like the obvious choice because the lead singer starred in the movie, the book series was far more angst-ridden. Instead, read while listening to Charli XCX at top volumes. No one cares less than Charli, which matches Mia's attitude.
Even if The Princess Diaries isn't having an epic third movie, you can still transport yourself into Mia's world (and even into her combat boots), with a little Charli XCX action.
10/12The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Soundtrack: MisterWives, "Vagabond"This book convinced everyone in the world that they may or may not have been secretly stolen as a small child. When you were exceedingly mad at your family over some fight that seems ridiculous in retrospect, the best way to recover was by blaming the supposed kidnapping.
Sure, Janie was kind of cruel to her new/old family, but it's a lot for a girl to take in! Plus, the made-for-TV movie based on all that drama was everything. Finding Carter is basically an updated version if you're not feeling the original, which means that its MisterWives theme song is the ultimate soundtrack when you're reading Cooney's stellar series.
11/12In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Soundtrack: Glass Animals, "Gooey"Before there was the bayou beauty of True Blood and the sparkly vampires of Twilight, there was Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, a 14-year-old author/prodigy crafting twisted stories about otherworldly magic. If you're attempting a career as a Young Adult author, she might make you feel a little less than accomplished, but that doesn't make her prose imperfect.
Atwater-Rhodes wove tales about vampires that were dark and twisty. Her heroines were badass biddies worthy of their own CW TV shows, which is the highest compliment. Glass Animals, a British indie band that's equal parts gruesome and melodic, create the perfect soundtrack to enter her world of deeply disturbed (but incredibly handsome) centuries-old creatures.
12/12Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Soundtrack: Ella Henderson, "Ghost"If you thought you were too old for fairytales, Francesca Lia Block proves otherwise. Her gorgeous stories follow the magical Weetzie Bat around Los Angeles, or "Shangri-L.A." as she calls it. The cast of characters was way before its time when written and completely queered the way you look at the world — you'll want to be best friends with all of them immediately. You'll feel swept away in Weetzie's life, which is equal parts bewitching and beautiful, just like Ella Henderson's music.
