5 Books That Shaped Me as a YA Writer | Sara Biren

This month is all about books… I chose to write about five books that shaped me as a YA writer—a tall order. I’m grateful for so many authors and their books that inspired me early on in my journey. When I started writing young adult novels, I was already well on my way as a writer; I’d been writing since the third grade, went to grad school for creative writing, and had several short stories published in literary journals. One of my grad school professors told me I had a “voice” for YA, so in 2006, I started reading novels more recently published than my beloved Beverly Cleary and Maud Hart Lovelace books. These five books made a lasting impression and helped shape me as a young adult author.

I Can Do This

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt, 2006. I recall standing at a display table at Barnes & Noble, a birthday gift card burning a hole in my pocket, and being completely drawn to the cover and jacket copy. I devoured this book and thought to myself, “I can do this.”

Team Jeremiah

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, 2009. I was Team Conrad before being Team Conrad was cool. Is it cool? Or are there more people on Team Jeremiah? I haven’t watched the show, so I have no idea. I just know that I loved the “Summer” books pretty hard.

A+ Book Boyfriend

Forget You by Jennifer Echols, 2010. I’ve read this book more times than any of the others on the list. There’s something about the story and the characters that completely sucked me in, sort of like the current that wants to drag Zoey under in the opening chapter. And Doug is an A+ book boyfriend.

Comp Title

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, 2009. I used this book about grief and love and navigating tragedy as one of my comp titles when I queried The Last Thing You Said.

Writing Style

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski, 2011. I remember reading this one during a “YA Book a Day” vacation challenge in August of that year. Here’s what I wrote about it: “I was immediately drawn to the storyline and the writing style. I found myself saying—often—I could have written that exact sentence.”



Have you read any of these?