The ‘darkness’ of contemporary young adult fiction is often commented upon, without acknowledging that many teens actually do have difficult lives. It’s also worth noting that realistic optimism is a hallmark of YA fiction, exploring the strength and resilience of young people (without necessarily delivering Hollywood endings.)

Here are some of our favourite gritty reads for teens, all of which happen to be written by Australian authors.

This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield

Sixteen-year-old Nate McKee has a lot of worries on his mind: his violent dad’s treatment towards his partner Nance and their toddler twins, his mouthy best friend Merrick, a lack of personal space, school work, the future of the planet. To survive, he’s learnt to be invisible, but when the local youth centre, YouthWorks -– a haven from his chaotic family life –- is threatened with closure, he’s forced to stop waiting for things to be different, and take action instead, managing to find hope in the face of apathy.

Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard

Three sixteen-year-old boys living in the small Western Australian town of Geraldton struggle to be themselves in Holden Sheppard’s debut novel. Charlie is a hardcore punk-rocker, Hammer is a footy jock working towards the AFL draft, and Zeke is a shy over-achiever from a traditional Italian family. All three are coming to terms with their homosexuality in a place where it is not out in the open, and the threat of violence and ostracism is all too real. Invisible Boys doesn’t shy away from the very real pain and trauma associated with being young and gay in rural Australia, but it also allows for hope and the possibilities of defiance, self-acceptance and escape.

Shauna’s Great Expectations by Kathleen Loughnan

Shauna is a final year student on an Indigenous scholarship at Oakholme College, a prestigious Sydney girls’ boarding school. She has her sights firmly set on her future; she wants to be the first member of her family to go to university and go on a Paris trip with her friends. So when Shauna finds out that she’s fallen pregnant, she is devastated. Having already endured years of racism at school, and determined not to accept defeat, Shauna forges ahead with the difficult path of combining her pregnancy and her educational goals, learning to rely on family, friends, community and her own inner strength.

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox

Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth -– Biz -– takes great comfort in seeing and talking to her father who died ten years ago, but she also knows to keep this a secret from her mum, her best friend Grace and others in her life. When a shock incident makes her father disappear, Biz drops out of school, becoming increasingly isolated and struggling to keep in touch with reality. There is no quick path out of depression, panic attacks, hallucinations and dissociation, but as Biz enters clinical treatment, grows closer to new friend Jasper, and explores photography with Jasper’s grandmother Sylvia, she slowly comes back to earth. This empathetic Australian debut explores inter-generational mental illness with great sensitivity.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

Year Eleven student Anna Chiu takes on huge responsibilities for her younger siblings Lily and Michael when her mum retreats into her bedroom for months at a time, and her father buries himself in running his restaurant. After Anna convinces her dad to let her work in the restaurant in the school holidays, her world expands and she gets involved with the new delivery boy, Rory. Flush with first love and the exhilaration of working as part of the Jade Palace team, Anna’s happiness is rocked when her mum’s mental health becomes worse than ever. Anna is forced to evolve, having difficult conversations that bring her family closer together, and allowing her own feelings and vulnerabilities to show through.

Leanne Hall is a children’s and YA specialist at Readings Kids. She also writes books for children and young adults.