Meet These 7 Nice YAs From the Midwest
The midwest usually conjures up images of farms and county fairs and all things wholesome and good. It’s been called the heartland, it’s been called the breadbasket, it’s been called a wonderful place where cheese is pretty much its own food group and the puppy chow flows freely. But more important for our purposes, it’s also fertile ground for YA authors who’ve used the area to explore themes of family values, identity, and small-town innocence. So if you find yourself wanting to visit the midwest—or perhaps just read a book about your home—reach for one of these 7 heartland-set stories.
Wisconson: Dairy Queen, by Catherine Murdock
Super charming D.J. is a 15-year-old—which we all know is already a tough age—who has had one too many scoops of lousy stacked onto her life sundae. When her dad is injured, she has to take over the family’s small Wisconsin dairy farm, working with jerky football player Brian. While the two start to bond over farm chores and a mutual love for football, D.J. begins to find her voice, and, more importantly, she begins to use it. The dairy farm setting and spot-on Midwestern accents add to an already hilarious and touching story. It’ll make you laugh. It’ll make you cry. But it might not make you want to milk any cows.
Nebraska: Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
Set in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1986, Eleanor & Park is a novel that perfectly captures small-town life and family dependence, all while exploring a quirky romance that’s both touching and heartbreaking. Full of 80s pop culture and off-the-charts swoon, it’s the story of two teens, one half-Korean boy and one misfit, redheaded girl, who find themselves caught up in an unlikely relationship after they’re stuck sitting next to each other on the bus. The two start out sharing comics, then their connection blooms into something more, as they discover the highs and lows of first love and battle to make it work. There are terrible moments and funny moments and sexy moments and everything in between.
Minnesota: Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater
In this supernatural romance, the werewolves are turned by the cold—and luckily for us, there’s plenty of that to go around in Minnesota. Grace has always watched a certain wolf—her wolf—from a distance, but when the wolf winds up wounded and falls down at Grace’s doorstop, she finds him in his human form. Sam and Grace’s relationship deepens—but this just might be Sam’s last year as a human. As the temperatures start to drop, the two race to find a cure, so he won’t be stuck as a werewolf forever. With a romance that’s swoony-perfect and a unique take on werewolves, this book provides some warmth on those long winter nights.
Ohio: Beginner’s Luck, by Laura Pederson
This charming read features all the quirk and delight you could want from a small town in Ohio. Hallie is a gifted gambler thanks to a natural talent with numbers, but she’s bored to death at school and tired of her chaotic seven-child family. She dreams of leaving the small-town life behind and moving to Vegas, vowing to make money doing yard work for the eccentric Stockton family. While in their employment, she’s exposed to a variety of oddballs and eccentrics living under their roof, gaining a different sort of education on the ways of the world. Full of memorable characters and dreams of more, this is a quirky little novel that questions the value of normal.
Iowa: Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith
The world may be ending thanks to an army of praying mantises, but it’s not all dark in this smart and witty book set in a small Iowa town. Austin Szerba plays the role of historian as he chronicles the end of the world after accidentally unleashing six-foot-tall praying mantises who attempt to take over the Earth. But Austin doesn’t just have the end of the world to worry about—he’s also dealing with questions about his sexuality. Full of raging teenage hormones and big ideas about military science, this interesting history of apocalypse-by-bugs will not disappoint.
Indiana: The Fault in our Stars, by John Green
This heartbreaking and touching and romantic story is basically everything. Hazel has a terminal diagnosis when she meets the ever-charming Augustus at a support group for kids with cancer. As the two bond, both of their lives are changed for the better. Their destined-to-end-too-soon romance is both uplifting and sad, full of profound questions and true love. A top-notch movie adaption came out last year, and in a neat twist, John Green used mostly real places in Indiana for his locations, so you can actually visit them if you’re so inclined.
Illinois: Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
This is a tale of unlikely romance between two teens, one from the north side of Chicago and one from the south, who couldn’t be more different. Brittany is a beautiful white teen whose life is seemingly “perfect,” and Alex is a Mexican gang member with violent tendencies. Despite their differences, their lives collide when they’re forced to partner with each other in chemistry lab. After Alex makes a bet that he can lure Brittany into his life, their relationship begins to evolve, as they discover the real people behind the manufactured personas. Told in alternating perspectives between Alex and Brittany, Perfect Chemistry is a romance that hits all the right notes of sexy angst.