With it being the day after Christmas, this exhausted mom curled up with a YA novel The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas. (I may have checked it out from the library two months ago and expect a hefty fine upon returning it). Soon after sitting down, the kitten curled up on my lap and proceeded to sleep for a long time while I kept turning the pages.
This book was a perfect YA novel because it addressed a variety of issues--and in a way that was realistic. Grace, the narrator, has autism and struggles with how to communicate with others without a lot of intention in her thinking. Grace often describes what it's like to have the words be in her head, but not be able to spit them out of her mouth.
In addition to Grace's own internal struggle, she also faces the external conflict with popular girls, her family, and an unwelcome guest in her house. When Grace's grandma comes to visit the family feels normal for the first time since Grace's father left to go to an on-location photography shoot. But once Grace's grandma leaves Grace faces problems that are hard for any teen to deal with--and they are even harder for her.
If you love YA novels that are an honest reflection of real issues, then I recommend you read this book.