Books can be a great escape from a not-so-great day, something to do for fun, or if you are bored out of your mind over winter break. While there are tons of great books at there worth giving a read, here are my top five suggestions:

Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen
On the outside Regan Flay has almost everything. Under her control-freak senator mother’s eye, she has nearly achieved high school perfection—member of the cheer team, student council, honor society. That is until her private text messages are leaked and posted around for the whole school to see. Alone and without a friend, Regan begins to lose herself and crumble under her mother’s pressure to be the perfect daughter. Life Unaware is a gut-wrenching novel that keeps the reader on edge as Regan goes on a quest to discover who she really is—not who the public thinks she is. Cole Gibsen’s latest novel tells the epic story of a girl who is able to discover her true self despite the odds being stacked completely against her.

Fangirl By Rainbow Rowell
Fangirl follows the story of introvert Cath’s first year of college. Cath is forced to deal with a now-distant sister and father who claims he does not need her to take care of him. Not only this but Cath also has to figure out how to grow up, out of her fan fiction writing tendencies. The issue with this is that Cath is unsure whether or not she is ready to outgrow her fangirl ways. Rainbow Rowell’s novel is relatable as Cath ventures outside of her comfort zone trying to discover herself apart from her family.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
While the cult-classic has now been made into a movie, the book is totally worth reading with the almost-poetic way it is written. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is heart-breaking, honest and hilarious all at once making it unique. The book follows around socially awkward Charlie as he experiences high school in all of its glory. As he ventures into adulthood Charlie is caught between living in the moment and running from the moment. This best-selling novel is guaranteed to make you cry, laugh and cry again.

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
Impulse is definitely one of the darker stories on this list. Ellen Hopkin’s novel follows around three mentally disturbed teenagers as they get treatment and a second chance at life. It is an emotional roller coaster as you watch the characters try to figure out what exactly is the stem of their problems and fix them. The free verse poems help you connect to the characters as they experience the ups and downs of trying to get better. Impulse does a very good job at breaking the reader’s heart and healing it all at once with encouraging words from characters who have reached rock bottom but still have high hopes.

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff
The story starts post-party, post-fight, when fifteen year old Sam finds his best friend of nearly a decade, Hayden, overdosed in his bedroom. The only thing Sam is left with is a flash drive with music on it—music that supposedly tells the story of Hayden’s downfall. The only problem is that Sam has no idea what any of the songs are supposed to mean, left alone to piece together the remaining bits of Hayden’s life. Part mystery, part love story, and part coming-of-age tale, Michelle Falkoff’s Playlist for the Dead is an honest and heart-breaking story about loss, rage, and what if feels like to outgrow a friendship that’s always defined you—as well as the struggle to redefine yourself.