50 Quotes from Young Adult Books

Books are able to transport us to any place and any time. We get to meet different people and visit new places, from the comfort of our own couch. From fantasy to realistic fiction, there’s a genre that fits your reading preference. 

Young Adult books focus on characters who are 12-18, but over half of the readers of this genre are older. According to GoodReads.com, 65% of readers on their site mark their favorite genre as young adult.

Some of the quotes that come from YA books are memorable and relatable for any reader. A favorite quote from a book can be words you live by or ones that left an impression on you. 

As an avid reader, I will be talking about some of my favorite YA quotes and books.

In this Article...

• Inspirational Quotes
• Short Quotes
• Sad Quotes
• Romantic Quotes
• Friendship Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

You shouldn't overlook inspirational quotes from YA books. The characters in YA books are always learning and growing throughout their story. The lessons that they learn through experiences leave the reader with meaningful words. These words can inspire you and allow you to take a look at your own journey. 

No matter where you are in life, your favorite characters are able to put what you feel into words.

• “Drive anywhere and everywhere, even when there’s nowhere to go. (Note: There’s always somewhere to go.)” – Jennifer Niven, All the Bright Places
• “When you know that something is finite, it makes it that much more meaningful.” – Tillie Cole, A Thousand Boy Kisses
• “Stories can make someone immortal as long as someone else is willing to listen.” – Adam Silvera, The Both Die at the End
• Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” – Anna Brashares, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
• “You’re stronger than you believe. Don’t let your fear own you. Own Yourself.”  – Michelle Hodkin, The Evolution of Mara Dyer
• “I don't know who I am right now. But I know who I'm not. And I like that.” – Amber Smith, The Way I Used to Be
• “We don't ever leave that old world behind. We just create a new one.” – Jennifer Niven, Holding Up the Universe 
• “Depends on how badly you want it. It's worth whatever you're willing to pay for it.” – Katja Millay, The Sea of Tranquillity 
• “To be human is hard enough. Don’t make it harder for yourself.” – Michelle Quach, Not Here to Be Liked 
• “I’ve given this boy the messiest parts of me, and he’s done nothing but convince me he’ll be careful with them.” – Kasie West, Places We’ve Never Been

My favorite book from this section is The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. This book is part of a trilogy that I could not put down. It’s a mix of fantasy and paranormal but it’s also a romance. It may seem like a weird mix, but it works well for this series.

Short Quotes

A quote doesn’t have to be long to hold meaning. Short quotes can serve as reminders or even thought-provoking questions. You can write them down or place them inside a sentimental locket. 

Short quotes from YA books can come from any genre. You can also interpret them in different ways. The context they have in the story may be different from your life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t relate

• “Life is a gift. Don't forget to live it.”  –  Nicola Yoon, Everything, Everything
• “You loo​​k best when you’re you.” – Lynn Painter, Better Than the Movies
• “What fun is it playing by other people's rules?” – Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Inheritance Games
• “You always have a choice.” – Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
• “Hope is a pocket of possibility. I'm holding it in my hand.” – Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me
• “I always wanted stories to be real, so I started writing my own.” – Maureen Johnson, Truly Devious 
• “How can a person even know who they are if they don't know what they want?” – Emma Lord, Tweet Cute 
• “Dreams are only dreams until you wake up and make them real.” – Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story 
• “Fear doesn’t shut you down, it wakes you up.” – Veronica Roth, Divergent
• “Broken isn’t the same as unfixable." – Marissa Meyer, Winter

My favorite book from this section is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. This book is a fan favorite, and rightly so. Wes and Liz are likable characters who start out as enemies but don’t end the book that way. This book is guaranteed to make you laugh and maybe even cry.

Sad Quotes

Everybody loves a good sad quote. Maybe you need a good cry or a reminder that you aren’t alone. Even though YA books are about characters in high school, they still deal with heavy topics. 

Sad YA book quotes are full of emotion that can pull on anyone’s heartstrings. These quotes can be a way to grieve or remind yourself that everyone has a broken heart at some point in their life. There definitely is one for every situation. 

• “You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.” – John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
• “We have more story than time to tell it - but I suppose that's true for all of us.” – Courtney Summers, Sadie
• “Stay I whisper to him. Stay in the car. Stay in this moment. But of course he never does.” – Laura Nowlin, If He Had Been With Me
• “Some walks you have to take alone.” – Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay 
• “Grief is forever. It doesn't go away; it becomes part of you, step for step, breath for breath.” – Jandy Nelson, The Sky is Everywhere 
• “Everyone's got something. Some people are just better actors than others.” – Tamara Ireland Stone, Every Last Word
• “That's how hearts get broken, you know. When you believe in promises.” – Kathleen Glasgow, Girl in Pieces
• “Too many kind hearts turn cold every day.” – Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights 
• “For some reason, sadness in music eases the sadness in my soul.” – Colleen Hoover, Regretting You
• “I know so many last words. But I will never know hers.” – John Green, Looking for Alaska

My favorite book from this section is If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. When I first read this book, I finished it in under 24 hours. It takes a lot to make me cry, but this book did it. The ending is one that I will never forget and wasn’t prepared for – even though I knew it was coming. Don’t read this book if you’re looking for a light-hearted romance book.

Romantic Quotes

Everyone remembers the feeling of their first crush or relationship. All the emotions and endless nights talking about them with your close friends. Many YA books are based around this memorable ( and usually stressful!) of falling in love for the first time.

Romantic quotes from YA are all about the highs and lows of love. Something that everyone can remember feeling at some point. These quotes may take you back to the good old days, so be prepared for nostalgia. 

• “Because half less of a bad thing meant there was room for half good.” - A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson
• “But the you who you are tonight is the same you I was in love with yesterday, the same you I’ll be in love with tomorrow.” – Gayle Forman, If I Stay
• “I just want to stay wrapped around him for as long as possible, fighting sleep and forgetting about the rest of the world.” – Karen McManus, One of Us Is Lying
• “Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They are in each other all along.” – Emma Scott, Full Tilt 
• “I’ve given this boy the messiest parts of me, and he’s done nothing but convince me he’ll be careful with them.” – Rachel Soloman, Today, Tonight, Tomorrow
• “I never stopped loving you. Even when I tried desperately to forget you, I couldn't.” – Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry
• “Because I was right. For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And we’re finally home.” Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss
• “And in her smile I see something more beautiful than the stars.” – Beth Revis, Across the Universe
• “We all just want to love who we want to love.” – David Yoon, Frankly in Love 
• “I think the two of them are the real deal. She‘s still the one he wants. She‘ll probably always be the one he wants” – Karen McManus, One of Us Is Next

My favorite book from this section is One Of Us is Lying by Karen McManus. I went into this book thinking that it was a thriller. And it is. But it’s known for the fan-favorite relationship between two of the main characters - Nate and Bronwyn. It’s your typical good girl x bad boy trope, but there’s just something different about them. This is the perfect book to read if you love thriller plots with romance subplots.

Friendship Quotes

Found family trope is one of the most popular for a reason. There’s nothing better than having a close group of friends who understand you and always have your back. 

YA quotes about friendship are a reminder of how important our best friends are. No matter if you’re 13 or 30, you’re always going to need someone beside you. These kinds of quotes serve as a reminder that having close friends is one of the most important things in life.

• “Best friends are important. They're the closest thing to a sister you'll ever have.” – Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty
• "Great passions grow into monsters in the dark of the mind; but if you share them with loving friends they remain human, they can be endured.” – Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage
• "Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story." – Jandy Nelson, I’ll Give You the Sun
• “They say friends are the family you choose” – S.K. Ali, Love From A to Z
• “A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets.” – Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall
• “It’s nice to sit with someone and not have to think about what to say next.” – Julie Buxbaum, What to Say Next 
• “Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.” – Sarah Dessen, Someone Like You 
• "We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• “Maybe what matters is not so much the path as who walks beside you.” – Stacey Lee, Under a Painted Sky 
• ‘The beautiful thing about best friends? They can tell when you don’t wanna talk, and they don’t push it.” – Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give

My favorite book from this section is The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. This is your classic coming-of-age story. There are lessons about friendship laced throughout this entire book (and trilogy). Belly Conklin is a relatable and honest character for any reader. She tells about her summers at Cousins Beach which are full of friends, first loves, and family.

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