Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Because you rightfully have been recommended an incredible list of recent (and wonderful) bestsellers as well as many (deservedly) classics, I dare you to go out on a limb and read a young adult novel called Stargirl. It’s YA! It’s short, quick—you have nothing to lose! It’s a coming of age story about being your own person, staying true to yourself, kindness, and how that impacts the people around you.

I read it in my youth and every few years I read it again. It’s a treasure.

Update: I have not seen (and didn’t know) there was a movie but I also dare you NOT to watch that because there’s no way it will be better than whatever you come up with in your head.