Exploring Diversity in Modern Young Adult Literature

I used to read about white warrior women like Katniss and Tris, but now I have Inej Ghafa and the Assassin Esha to look up to.

Page after page, book after book, I’d keep reading to find a connection, any relation I could to the female protagonists in the dozens of books I read each week. I was starved, deprived of seeing my race, my culture, represented in the books I scarfed down as a child and as a growing teenager. 

In the books where the character’s race was not explicitly stated, I would turn them into Desi leads (throwback to the Tumblr days of a Desi-fancasted Harry Potter). In the books where there were some diverse characters, they would be thrown in there by white authors and publishers to meet a “diversity quota”. The characters were there to crack a few jokes instead of saving the world like their white, heroic counterparts. 

Growing up, I struggled to find myself, or any semblance of myself, an immigrant, in the fantasy and fiction novels I read. Now, to make up for it, I gobble down as much of the latest diverse Young Adult (YA) literature as I possibly can. 

If you’re like me and looking for some diverse reads to fill up a hole created by hundreds of years of white protagonists, here is a list to get you started (although I might be biased as most of these feature Desi leads): 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 

Six thieves and gifted hoodlums come together to pull off multiple heists while trying to overcome their own battles and traumas. This book takes place in an Amsterdam-esque city and follows the past and present traumas of six teenagers. 

✰✰Diversity Rating✰✰: 5/5

Different races, disabilities, backgrounds, and so much banter! Bardugo includes diversity that expands beyond skin color, which is what makes this story so beautiful. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fsix-of-crows-leigh-bardugo%2F1120964159&psig=AOvVaw2p2k3QAIHYEWzM7vqkZ9Qf&ust=1644537281084000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCKj9z_fo8_UCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE 

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

A recreation of the Arabian Nights with a YA twist on things. Heartbreak,

love triangles, desert fights galore. The aesthetics of this book make it even more of an interesting read, and it’s getting turned into a show soon!

✰✰Diversity Rating✰✰: 3.5/5

My Desi protagonist-deprived younger self would have given it a 10/10, but 

the main diverse factor is in the Middle-Eastern inspired characters and world. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWrath-Dawn-Book-ebook%2Fdp%2FB01MQKMN1R&psig=AOvVaw0AMeb04PUSQzwRvq2KWKkZ&ust=1644537333778000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLCB5JDp8_UCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

Inspired by Hindu mythology, this tale follows the epic enemies-to-lovers romance that every Bollywood historic piece has. Better than that, keep reading the rest of the books in this series to find more diversity in its characters and be in awe as the female lead warrior strikes down her enemies. 

✰✰Diversity Rating✰✰: 4/5

Similar to the second book on this list, the characters are of one race split by domestic issues, but the acceptance of differences and the representation of sexuality in ancient Indian times are treated honorably. Seeing a female-Indian-warrior-badass grace my pages gave me chills. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTiger-at-Midnight-Swati-Teerdhala%2Fdp%2F0062869213&psig=AOvVaw1dO62LUI8jAApCbGRfLL6j&ust=1644537357205000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCOD9r6Dp8_UCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood

A coming-of-age romance story with all the truths of South Asian family expectations, religious and immigrational turmoil for a first-generation Asian-American, and just really good, sarcastic commentary meant to make you stop and think, “Wow, the main character is stupid sometimes but why are you so right!?” 

✰✰Diversity Rating✰✰: 4.5/5

I LOVED this book. It had everything for me: political discourse, romance, true character development, even the mention of South Indian foods that I never see represented in writing. There was cultural diversity, in-depth religious explanations, and so much quality. I loved it. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMore-Than-Just-Pretty-Face%2Fdp%2F0316492353&psig=AOvVaw2_qHPP-WAvVw-HTn_ktWfM&ust=1644537385367000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCJCW26np8_UCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This novel follows the different lives of different people during WW2and shows how divine intervention, or maybe coincidence, or maybe fate, changes lives in an instant and forever. Marie-Laure is a blind French girl who escapes a war-ridden Paris to live with her reclusive uncle Etienne who is a war Veteran. 

✰✰Diversity Rating✰✰: 4/5 

This was a book that introduced me to blind characters in YA. I loved following the different narratives of the different characters, all with their own motivations and different backgrounds. Seeing it all come together inthe end felt magical, even with the war-torn setting of WW2 Europe. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.simonandschuster.com%2Fbooks%2FAll-the-Light-We-Cannot-See%2FAnthony-Doerr%2F9781501173219&psig=AOvVaw0cemla2yV8fLnGeqHCTfVx&ust=1644537412324000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCPiwgbfp8_UCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Being able to see yourself in a character is a magical experience, but the point of diverse books in YA should be to teach each other about our different cultures, mythologies, and experiences. I hope you get to enjoy some of these books as much as I did!

P.S. Some of these books are getting turned into shows as we read, so keep your eyes open!