Spring time means quite a few things: graduation parties, more sunshine, growing plants, allergies and awesome movies coming our way. And because Hollywood lacks originality, this means a lot of popular books are becoming films. And hey, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, there are some great books out there that could totally rock as movies.
Earlier this month awesome author Rainbow Rowell announced that her book “Eleanor & Park” is going to become a movie. In case you haven’t read this awesome book yet, it’s a YA darling and centers on two misfit teenagers who live in 1980s Omaha and share a love of music and comics and then later fall in love with each other. Entertainment Weekly
This is great news for fans and people who enjoy movies. Sure, film adaptations can be downright awful (Blood & Chocolate, the book is amazing. The movie? Not so much.) . But sometimes the film can lend a level of excitement or interest that the book simply can’t. And hey, if a writer gets additional fans because of a movie, that’s a good thing.
Sure recent adaptations of popular YA novels were financially disappointing, (Vampire Academy, and Beautiful Creatures) (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304914904579435523118422150?KEYWORDS=YA+movie+adaptations&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304914904579435523118422150.html%3FKEYWORDS%3DYA%2Bmovie%2Badaptations) but that shouldn’t discourage movie studios from adapting other novels. The YA genre is a goldmine of witty, engaging characters and interesting stories. Here are just a handful of novels that deserve faithful movie adaptations.

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10. “Jason and Kyra” by Dana Davidson

Much like “Eleanor & Park” this also features a charming story about two teenagers falling in love. Kyra is a smarty-pants AP student and Jason is a popular high school basketball player. Sparks fly when the two are assigned to work on a project together. Unlike a lot of YA books this one has primarily black characters and discusses race and beauty culture in a refreshing way.
Is the story a bit cliché and done? Totally. Does it mean it’s unworthy of a movie adaptation? Nope, this one could be a lot of fun on the big screen. Someone call Tyler Perry and make this happen.


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9. “Bittersweet” by Sarah Ockler

Ex-figure skater and current cupcake baker Hudson doesn’t believe in second chances. Instead of pursuing her dreams she works in her newly single mom’s diner. But then one day she skates on a frozen lake (it’s northern New York, it happens there) and a cute boy from school spots her. Seeing her awesome skating skills he enlists her help training the school’s hockey team.
It may seem like “Bittersweet” is set up to be a cute YA romance, but it’s more than that. It’s more of a coming of age story where Hudson learns to deal with both success and disappointment. The secondary characters are also engaging and a lot of fun. How could it not be fun with hockey and cupcakes? HOW?

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8. “Heist Society” by Ally Carter

You think your family is difficult? Try growing up in a family of elite art thieves. Kat Bishop wants no part of it anymore. She tries to lead a normal, lawful life, but then is kicked out of school and pulled back into it. Her father is the only suspect in an art heist that involves a powerful mobster. In order to clear her father, she has to assemble a top group of thieves and steal back the mobster’s paintings.
A bit convoluted? Sure, but the European locations and Kat’s wacky relatives would be a welcome sight at the movies. And it would be refreshing to have a teen anti-heroine on the big screen rather than the cookie cutter protagonists that have recently dominated the silver screen.

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7. “Godless” by Pete Hautman

Can’t subscribe to a faith? Invent your own! That’s what Jason Bock does. He centers his new faith on water towers and recruits his friends to join in his religious shenanigans. Unfortunately, creating a religion is a lot easier than controlling it, tensions rise and dangerous situations abound.
Admittedly, this would be a hard sell because of the religious aspects of the story. That said, it’s witty, engaging and interesting novel. This is another coming of age tale, but it’s one that’s odd and isn’t heard all that often.

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6. “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher

Imagine dealing with a classmate’s shocking suicide. Then imagine you receive a package in the mail from the deceased classmate blaming you and 12 other people for her demise. The package is several cassette tapes where Hannah, the deceased classmate, explains why she killed herself. Clay, the listener, follows her through her last few days across town in a single night.
This is probably the most depressing and morbid book on the list here, but it’s an incredibly powerful story and could easily be marketed as a thriller. More importantly, this book is about the dangers of slut shaming teenage girls – a lesson many of us could stand to learn. *Cough* Steubenville! *cough*

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5. “Cleopatra’s Moon” by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Cleopatra is one of the most famous women in all of history. But this really isn’t about her – it’s about her daughter’s life in Rome after Emperor Augustus conquers Egypt. The book, like a lot of YA stories, is full of angst, glitz and glamour, but this one is all cool and ancient. It’s a compelling riches-to-rags story that will keep audiences on their toes.
This story is heartbreakingly beautiful and stunning. Cleopatra Selene is a plucky, determined and relatable heroine who just happens to royal – which is a welcome character change.


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4. “Wither” by Lauren DeStefano

Dystopian fiction is all the rage right now, but “Wither” is a starkly different. Instead of an oppressive, totalitarian government, the world is a chaotic, anarchic mess following the devastating effects of a disease. Young people only live to 25, if male or 20, if female. Enter 16-year-old Rhine, who’s kidnapped and sold into marriage, with two other girls. Her father-in-law is a mad scientist who’s hell bent on finding the cure and may or may not be storing corpses in the mansion’s basement.
Rhine is desperate to escape her forced marriage and reach her twin brother. The secondary characters, especially Rhine’s sister wives are captivating. The cool, artificial technology would be stunning on the big screen.

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3. “House of the Scorpion” by Nancy Farmer

More dystopian fiction here, but “House of the Scorpion” has more sci-fi elements to it. Matt is the clone of a powerful drug lord known as El Patron. Matt is considered a monster by many because he’s a clone. As Matt learns about his existence and El Patron’s intentions for him, he runs away. The book is another coming-of-age tale, but this one also explores what it means to be a human.
This is a dark and haunting story that would translate well to the big screen. Matt is a smart and strong-willed character and the characters around him tend to be a bit shady. Also, fans of “Breaking Bad” would probably dig this.

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2. “Cinder” by Marissa Mayer

Cinderella is a cyborg in a dystopian sci-fi future. Need I say more?


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1. “Beauty Queens” by Libba Bray

The 50 contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pageant crash land on a desert island. Author Libba Bray delivered a hilarious, scathing satire of beauty culture and it’s a damn shame it’s not a movie yet.
I’m a big fan of Bray’s and Beauty Queens is probably the best suited for a movie. It’s a standalone (unlike the Gemma Doyle Trilogy and the Diviners Series) and it’s not too weird (unlike Going Bovine). More importantly it’s an ensemble cast complete with people of color, a transwoman and sexy pirates.
Yes, pirates. Think Mean Girls on the beach.