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To All the Boys! Paper Towns! Seventeen of our favorite YA books and how to watch their film adaptations
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
On Jan. 10, teens (and former teens) everywhere rejoiced when it was announced that Judy Blume’s 1970 classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is being adapted into a film. Abby Ryder Fortson stars as the titular 11-year-old who is “going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school,” according to a synopsis, after her family picks up and moves from New York City. Rachel McAdams will star as Margaret’s mom Barbara, Kathy Bates as Margaret’s grandma Sylvia and Benny Safdie as Margaret’s Dad. How to watch: The movie is set to hit theaters on April 28
The Sun Is Also a Star
This 2019 film based on th ebook by Nicola Yoon tells the story of Natasha, played by Yara Shahidi, who falls in love with Charles Melton’s Daniel in a single day after he saves her life on a New York City street — despite declaring she doesn’t believe in love in the first place. While the story is certainly one of romance, the leads are facing challenges in their personal lives: Daniel is conflicted about his parents’ dreams for him and how they compare to his own, while Natasha is fighting against her family’s impending deportation to Jamaica.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
In the first adaptation of Jenny Han’s three-part series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before tells the story of what happens when one girl’s secret childhood love letters are mailed out. That’s right, the letters Lara Jean, played by Lana Condor, once wrote are mailed to multiple boys from her past including her sister’s now ex-boyfriend, Josh, and classmate Peter. After being embarrassingly confronted by Peter, played by Noah Centineo, the two come up with a plan to A. make Peter’s ex-girlfriend jealous and B. throw Josh off any scent of Lara Jean’s affection. What follows is a fake-turned-real relationship and over an hour-and-a-half of adorable, sometimes cringe-worthy, moments.
The Hate U Give
In 2018’s The Hate U Give, based on Angie Thomas’ novel by the same name, high schooler Starr witnesses her childhood friend, Khalil, get shot and killed by police during a traffic stop. Starr, who feels pulled between her wealthy, mostly-White prep school and her own community, is played by Amandla Stenberg, and she shares her journey of grief and how she rallies to fight for justice for Khalil.
