Adulting can be hard. With so many things vying for our attention, pulling us in different directions and maybe even taking us off the path we had planned for ourselves, we can find ourselves wondering how we got here.

We might even find ourselves yearning for an earlier time in our lives where we could rethink our decisions or tell our younger selves to think different, be differently, do differently because we have a perspective we did not have then.

That’s what reading young adult books can bring. They remind us of earlier times where decisions seemed insurmountable, where friends and pop culture felt all-encompassing and the challenges we were going through felt dire.

Reading these books as an adult can literally touch a part of our earlier selves. We might reflect, we might laugh, we might cry, we might sympathize, we might question, we might ponder and we might even heal.

Plus, if we make the effort to read books where these young adults face different circumstances and challenges that we did, we can rethink the way the world works for everyone else, too.

Because the truth is this: We are all still making decisions based on our inner child’s experiences and reading young adult books give us the chance to reconnect to who we were and yes, impact who we are now.

So, here are ten young adult titles I think every adult should read:

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done, but her talent for cooking must be set free.

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

Freya, Harun and Nathaniel are three teenagers who converge in an unexpected way under a bridge in New York City. They each have lost their way, but develop an unexpected friendship that fuels each of them to love themselves enough to keep going. Together.

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

Amal Shahid has been wrongfully incarcerated at sixteen years old. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention, but one never makes his way out. When Simon is found dead, the others become suspects and secrets are slowly revealed.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in. After she witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover, but it may tear up her world in the process.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Caught in the middle of a conflicted family, dealing with friends that have become enemies and enduring a horrifying experience alone, Melinda struggles to find her worth. But with the help of art and a budding belief in herself, she slowly finds her chance to speak.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Pepper and Jack are in a public Twitter war over Jack’s grandmother’s iconic grilled cheese recipe. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life.

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

The prequel to We Were Liars introduces readers to the Sinclair family and all of their secrets, secrets that ultimately haunt the family on their private Massachusetts island for decades to come.

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped in her life and in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert. But she’ll be gone after twenty -seven days if Stevie gets her wish to end her life.

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

The book is told in ten chapters, from the perspective of ten different groups of children, across ten blocks of a city as they walk home from school. It offers heartfelt glimpses into the realities that might go unseen, yet celebrates the beauty of family, friendship and connection.

These titles are sure to connect you to an earlier time in your life and help you re-evaluate what life is like now.

Tell me: What are your favorite young adult books to read? Share them in the comments below!