The best books for young adults and teens

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Many can relate to the wonderful feeling of finishing a great book. A great book can teach you things, support realizations, and even change your life. As we are growing up, we can all remember the books that shaped who we became.  A New Chapter, a bookstore located in Greenville, is the perfect place to pick out your next read. Owner Margo Roberts has compiled a list of five unforgettable books that every young adult and teen should read: 

1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – In 2015, Leigh Bardugo debuted a duology that’s part heist thriller, part fantasy epic, part revenge saga and part bittersweet teen romance. The story opens in the notorious slums of Ketterdam, where 17-year-old Kaz “Dirtyhands” Brekker has a reputation as a criminal prodigy willing to do any job. Naturally, a near-impossible mission arises, leading Kaz to team up with acrobat-spy Inej, sharpshooter Jesper, engineer Wylan, Grisha healer Nina and former Grisha-hunter Matthias in the hopes of earning a life-changing fortune. Bardugo delves into the gray area between heroes and villains that’s often left unexplored in young-adult fantasy stories. 
2. “The Great Alone” by Kristen Hannah – The Great Alone is packed with rapturous descriptions of Alaskan scenery, which are the most reliably alluring part of it. The book’s main character, Leni Allbright, is the daughter of a beautiful hippie mother, Cora, and a father, Ernt, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. A war buddy of Ernt’s has left him a cabin and some land in Alaska. The Allbrights pile in their Volkswagen bus and go off seeking a new adventure. Many adults can see themselves through the eyes of Leni, describing the situations in home and community; PTSD, alcoholism, nightmares and violence are thematic mature content.
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak –  In this book, we see that the death itself is narrating the story as it follows a girl, ‘Liesel Meminger’, during world war 2 in Germany. Liesel has lost her brother and steals her very first book during the journey toward her foster parents. She and her foster father share a very special bond; he teaches her to read and she uses this reading ability in the shelter during the bombing raids to calm them. It is not wrong to say that this story is like an emotional rollercoaster which certainly makes your heart beat faster at some point and makes you close the book and have a good cry.
4. The Finisher by David Baldacci – The Finisher is a fantastical, awe-inspiring, action-packed adventure that will pull the reader into the Vega Jane’s Wormwood and hold the reader captivated, enthralled and experiencing a range of emotions that surely will have him hooked, like a greedy fish on a line. The characters are enchanting, immediately from the savage spit-fire Vega to her perfect complement of a best bud, the docile, dependable Delph. A supporting cast of Wugs that, on the one hand, seem a simple-minded crew….more “sheeple” than “people” in that the general consensus is not to question The Council. Seemingly, the Wugs were content to plod through each Light and Night accepting the nebulous answers to rather pointed questions, and most certainly, never dreaming of leaving the safe haven of Wormwood. Our Vega is not to be so quickly satisfied. Though her questions clearly place her in harm’s way, her undeniable will for the good of many easily overrides any nerves she feels. Her actions convey empathy, kindness, loyalty and selflessness; all admirable yet apparently elusive traits. 
5. The Bellmaker by Brian Jacques’ – Brian Jacques’ epic series is a medieval fantasy adventure of leaping, dancing, and talking animals. These mythological animals demonstrate the concepts of good and evil and the virtues of bravery, kindness and loyalty. Margo’s favorite volume is the Bellmaker, it’s markedly different than the others in his series. In this one, he diverges away from his classic formula which keeps you guessing right up until the last battle. Searat Blaggut is one of the best villains Jacques’ has ever created in terms of his complex morality.

It has been four years since owner Margo Roberts walked into the bookstore, previously named “The Book Nook”, where the previous owner asked if she wanted to buy a bookstore. Since then, she has invested her heart and soul into creating the best-used bookstore that she could have ever imagined. Her love of reading that started as a child stemmed into a love of sharing books.

There is so much to choose from at A New Chapter, as Roberts notes, “We have a vision to see our bookstore as a place the community can come to rely on. Our extensive 100,000 volumes of new and used literature have something sure to please. If I don’t have what you want, I will order it for you. We’ve added an entire room full of Christian literature, Bibles, and Bible study material. We are also DaySpring® and Lifeway® affiliates so that we can be your store for Lifeway® curriculum and all Bible study needs. Come, have a lazy day, drink a cup of coffee or tea, relax on any of our comfy chairs or the large enveloping couch and read away the hours. Follow the sun as it courses through the large 6′ windows, or enjoy the breeze in the 5,000 square foot plaza we are currently renovating. We won’t mind if you enjoy the chirping of our three fluffy feathered parakeets or watch our miniature chicken scratch and peck away in our 13x6x8 foot aviary. We will book any of our special rooms for your event, and we plan on expanding our Author Meet & Greets, as well as hosting classes. You really should come to see for yourself — you won’t be disappointed.” 

A New Chapter bookstore is open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and from 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday. They are located at 111 Taylor Plaza Dr in Greenville and can be reached by phone at 903-454-9199.