If you are a
regular to my lovely little blog you will probably know that I like teen
romantic fiction. A lot. Instead of going to wild parties like most teenagers
in this country do, I love to curl up on a Friday night with a mug of hot
chocolate, a cosy blanket, a box of tissues close to hand and a good bit of
chick-lit in my lap. I’ve read an awful lot of romance fiction in my time and I
thought that, what with my experience and all, I’d give you a little idea of
what to look out for! So, without further ado, here is my top 5 favourite Teen
Romances!
5. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal
Snogging by Louise Rennison
Okay, so it may not be the most
mature love story out there but it’s still has a warm spot in both my library
and my heart. Written as if it were the diary of fourteen year old Georgia
Nicolson, ‘Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging’ was the first romance novel
that I ever read. I must have been about ten or eleven when I first stole this off
of my older sister’s shelf. I was curious as to the contents of a book with the
word ‘thong’ on the front cover. I snuck off to my room and read it in secret.
It was the funniest book I had ever read. Georgia’s crazy antics and
randomnosity had me giggling wildly and though I did not much care for love
interest, Robbie, at the time, I still told all the girls in my class at school
about it. ‘Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging’ is a book that refuses to
take itself seriously
and that is exactly why it has earned its spot on this
list.
4. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
When I first read it, I was addicted
to this book like crack cocaine. For the day it took to get through it, getting
me to do anything was about as easy as trying to walk through a thick brick
wall. ‘The Boyfriend List’ follows Ruby
Oliver as, throughout the course of 11 ‘shrink’ appointments, she explores 15
important relationships (not all of which are romantic) that she has had with
guys throughout her life. The stories are interesting and well-paced and the
narrative is hilarious. This is a romance novel that for once does not actually
promote the importance of love, but promotes self-confidence and friendship
instead – strange, I know, but it completely works! Start reading it and I
promise, you’ll be done before the day is out.
3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Or any
Rainbow Rowell really)
Would this really be a reliable list
if Rainbow Rowell wasn’t on here somewhere?
Just thinking about ‘Fangirl’ and its colourful array of characters
(particularly tall and lovely, Levi) makes me sigh and drift off into a Rowell
induced dream. One of the main reasons I think I loved this book so much was
because of its unusual set-up. We all know the story of the cute
under-appreciated girl desperately trying to get her high-school crush to
notice her, but never before have I heard the tale of one awkward twin, trying
to run a successful fan-fiction page and refusing to adapt to her new life at
college (University to us Brits)! The difficult changes that happen at college
are rarely addressed in teen romance fiction and I absolutely loved ‘Fangirl’
for being one of the first to do so! The whole story was just
lovely from start
to finish. With quirky characters
and beautiful illustrations, ‘Fangirl’ is
definitely one to look out for!
2. 10 Things We Shouldn’t Have Done
by Sarah Mlynowski
I have read this book every single
summer for about three years now and it never fails to amaze me. ’10 Things We
Shouldn’t Have Done’ is the most unpredictable piece of romantic fiction I have
ever read. I found myself laughing with glee at some of the cleverer plot
twists. The story follows sixteen year old April as she and her friend Vi spend
a year secretly living on their own together while their parents are out of
town. Of course, as expected, they abuse this newly-found freedom and after a
few wild parties and a washing machine disaster find themselves in a good bit of
trouble. Hot-tubs, kittens and drunken mermaid impressions are just three of
the 10 things I absolutely loved about this book. 1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Oo gosh. My heart still aches a
little bit from the brilliance of this one. As regulars to this blog will know,
‘Anna and the French Kiss’ has been one of my favourite books for a very long
time. It actually has a whole other blog post to itself – and rightfully so.
‘Anna and the French Kiss’, in my opinion, is the perfect teen romance novel.
It has everything you could possibly ask for: a beautiful Parisian setting, a
charming romantic interest, and most importantly, a whole lot of nearly-kisses,
almost-kisses, not-quite kisses and finally, French kisses. There has never, in all of Waterstones teen section,
been a more indulgently romantic novel. It destroyed me emotionally and left my
crying on my bed. It really is that good. I may have written this list just so
that this book could reign supreme.
So, join me now, let us raise our
metaphorical wine glasses in
celebration and give a toast: To ‘Anna and the
French Kiss’!
