A nor’easter is coming! That means being trapped in the house, and I’m sure you’re excited for the quality time with your family (not). If you need an escape, grab one of these books and sprint for your bedroom!

Nineteen Minutes – Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes is a fictitious novel written about a school shooting in a small town in New Hampshire. Picoult easily addresses an issue that hits close to home in a dignified way, and even keeps the reader guessing along the way. You won’t be able to put it down because you’ll always have more questions, and the twist ending will surely throw you for a loop. This is because Picoult effortlessly develops an intricate plot using multiple perspectives. Told from the eyes of Alex Cormier, the judge sitting in on the case, her daughter Jamie, who doesn’t remember what happened, Lacy Houghton, the mother of the shooter, and Peter Houghton, the shooter, Nineteen Minutes is a realistically heart-wrenching story that is worth reading.

According to Cassidy Meenan ‘17, Nineteen Minutes is a novel that “really puts things into perspective for the reader, especially with all of the school shootings that have been occurring recently. It provides insight to a tragedy that most people don’t understand in an eloquent manner, and keeps the reader engaged throughout the entire story.”

Divergent – Veronica Roth

If you know anyone that reads young adult fiction, chances are they’ve told you to read Divergent. Dubbed the “new Hunger Games” and attracting a similar audience, Roth’s dystopian society is separated into five factions that are dedicated to a specific virtue: intelligence, kindness, peacefulness, selflessness, and bravery. On her sixteenth birthday, Beatrice Prior chooses Dauntless, which emulates bravery; then she has to face a grueling initiation where she completely transforms, by getting a few tattoos and changing her name to Tris. But Tris has a secret, she’s divergent, and that secret could cost her life. As she discovers conflict in her seemingly perfect society, she comes to realize that being divergent might be her greatest asset. Last but certainly not least, Tris’s love interest! How could I forget the love interest in a young adult novel? Tris falls in love with a guarded Dauntless leader, Four. But don’t let the romance be a turn off, the bulk of the novel is back to back action sequences. If you’re looking for a pulse-raising page -turner, grab a copy of Divergent.

Thomas Carraturo ‘16 never wanted the book to end! He says, “I like it because it was one of those books that I got adrenaline from, and that never happens.”

Delirium – Lauren Oliver

What if love didn’t exist? Well in Lauren Oliver’s dystopian society, “deliria” (aka love) is a disease, and at 18 every person has surgery in order to cure it. This cure turns them into emotionless robots who cannot feel anything, and the main character Lena is a few months away from her surgery. She has total faith in the cure and is ready to become numb to the world, until she sees a mysterious boy who unleashes a herd of cattle in the middle of her test. Romantic right? This mysterious boy is Alex an Invalid (someone over 18 that has not been cured) and a part of the rebellion against the totalitarian government. Suddenly Lena is falling for him, fast. Their love story is simply heartwarming, but in a society that fears love, how long will it last?

According to Madison Schettler ‘17, Delirium is intriguing because “of society’s view of love. It made the relationships presented all the more interesting and rebellious, which enhanced the overall society. There was a satisfying balance of romance and action.”

If you’re looking for an excuse to avoid pestering siblings or just for a riveting read, try one of these stellar young adult novels.