7 Book Series That Got Me Through High School

This could potentially be considered a "Get To Know Me Better Than You Ever Wanted To" article so jump on this rollercoaster with me, friends. If you are interested in real reviews of any of these books/series, please let me know! (WARNING: there are a few spoilers in here).

Everyone's high school experience is different; for some it is the best four years of their lives, but for others (myself) it was about angst, self-love, and discovering what I wanted in life. I am what many would call an "escapist"; reading has always provided me an opportunity to put my own thoughts and problems on the back burner. Here you will find a list of books that I not only loved, but taught me something about myself.

1. The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

Starting off with a classic dystopian novel, of course. Out of all the books on this list, I feel that this series defines my high school self the most. I read it right before entering my freshman year and became obsessed with being as much like Tris Prior as possible. It was easy to find myself in her; she's a short, blonde haired, blue eyed girl with a hunger for more from life and an interest in danger. It has always been easier for me to immerse myself in a novel if I can see myself in the main character (which is why representation in novels is INCREDIBLY important because not everyone can find themselves as easily as I can in a book). I was dealing with a lot when I read this series and it toughened me up-- at least it gave me the courage to PRETEND I was tough, and that was exactly what I needed. These books are all about bravery-- something I have always craved above everything else. I was small, anxious, lonely, and Divergent picked me up by my bootstraps and told me to "rub some dirt in it". I even (and this is something very few people know about me) used to draw 3 little birds on my collarbone with liquid eyeliner every time I knew I needed a touch of bravery to get me through the day. Embarrassing, maybe, but it helped. Divergent gave me the courage to walk through each day thinking that I could be a badass too.

2. Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan

Potentially more common for a younger crowd, I've actually been reading Rick Riordan's books from middle school all the way to post-college. This series, though, I finished in middle school. However, it inspired what I consider to be the best choice I EVER made in high school-- taking Latin. If you hadn't already discovered that I'm a nerd, here it is in plain sight. I've loved Greek mythology forever and will continue to love it forever, so I had assumed my Latin class would be chalk full of it. I had definitely overestimated that, but I did find myself surrounded by a group of extremely weird, brilliant, and beautifully artistic people. Much like this book series, I was surrounded by a diverse group of people who probably didn't share much of the same interests, but fate or what-have-you brought us together. I spent my lunches and hours after school in the latin classroom with my friends and teachers. It was the first time I found a refuge OUTSIDE of books, perhaps because it reminded me so much of the PJ & the Olympians series-- obviously not because of monster fighting or heroic quests, but because of our safe space filled with stories and magic (much like Camp Halfblood).

3. Hush Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick

I've gotta be honest about this one, I'm not sure I specifically learned anything about myself or made any life-changing decisions because of it, BUT, it is still, to this day, one of my favorite romance novels of all time. I re-read the series recently to see if I had only enjoyed it because I was young and had never been in a real relationship before, but I was happily surprised to find that it is STILL a great read. It's adventurous, beautiful, sexy, and honestly terrifies me a bit every time (a strange man in a ski mask jumping on your car at night!? Is there anything scarier?). It was one of the first times I had experienced a relationship without actually being part of the relationship-- something I'm sure all romance readers can understand.

4. The Testing Series by Joelle Charbonneau

This was yet another series where I felt like I had found myself in the main character; Cia is spunky, kind, and ambitious. This book reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games, at least in the first novel. As you can tell, I have always been very into post-apocalyptic/futuristic dystopian novels. I feel as though loving characters like Tris Prior and Katniss Everdeen, I began to look at being tough and deadly as the only way to get respect. What I admired (and still admire) about this series is that Cia always tries her hardest to do what is right. Even when what is right goes against her survival instincts. Not to say that the aforementioned women weren't good people, I just think that this book opened my eyes to a different type of female lead; one who is soft and whose strength and bravery comes from her love for others. I don't know that I can honestly say I let this shine through my high school personality, but I do think it affected who I wanted to be in college.

5. The Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman

I have to start this by saying I have yet to finish this series. Not all of the books were out when I first started reading, and sometimes years go by between books and you forget things. I'm not totally sure that that's my excuse, though... To be honest, this is a heavy book to read. It's based around a huge topic of discussion and my opinions on that topic have vastly changed throughout the years (so I think a re-read would behoove me). I do know that this novel was crazy and terrifying and inspiring and heartbreaking all at once. There are so many perspectives to look at and I think I avoided it because I was afraid of it ending; to me it doesn't seem like something that could ever end. I tend to procrastinate on things that are important to me, because I have an issue with grieving books. I've always felt that finishing a good book is like going through a horrible break up-- it's all I can think about so I look back through all of my favorite moments for weeks until I find another book to help me move on. At one point in time, when I as auditioning for colleges, I stated that my dream role would be playing Risa in a film adaptation of this book. It was important to me in high school because it was gritty and honest in a way I hadn't experienced before.

6. Looking For Alaska by John Green

I expect that most people were expecting at least one or two John Green novels on my list. It's true, I can't avoid them, especially because I was in high school during their prime time in the spotlight. This might not have made it on my list if the Hulu version hadn't come out recently, jogging my memories of it (I highly recommend that adaptation, by the way!). As a teenager, I had fortunately never experienced much loss. This was one of my first experiences of it-- the suddenness, the confusion, the devastation, the terrifying question of "how will I ever move on from this?". I remember being completely blindsided by Alaska's death, as I had known nothing about the book before reading it. It was raw, ugly, and spoke openly about what losing someone feels like. I don't know that it necessarily prepared me, but at least it showed me the honesty of it in an easier to swallow way. I remember finishing this book at 2am in a hotel in NYC. I didn't sleep for the rest of the night because my mind was still processing everything.

7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

I know I said this list was in no particular order but at least for this series, I was lying. This is my favorite series ever written and I think Stiefvater is a genius. I am actually currently re-reading these books and falling in love all over again. I have never read books like these before; books that make you feel known. My high school graduation cap read "Trees in your eyes... Stars in your heart" and my college graduation cap read "The trees speak Latin". To say this book has been deep in my heart for years would be an understatement. One read through and you know for sure that magic is real. It was what I needed to get me through each mundane day--reading these books felt like keeping a secret; everyone else was living their normal lives while I spent my time with my head and my heart in these pages. Each character is so beautifully crafted that I think I've found myself in every one of them. I learned that your flaws are the most honest bits of who you are, and that I'm not the only person searching for "something more".