Last week's Writing post looked at Lauren Myracle's Shine, a YA novel with a turbulent history: First a prominent critic attacked the book for its unflinching look at hate crimes in small communities, then it was nominated for a National Book Award, and then the nomination was revealed to be the result of a clerical error. When you get past all those ups and downs, though, you're still left with a powerful story about a young girl's struggle to make sense of her emotional pain and the truth her relentless questions uncover.

Shine is one of several recent novels that, while intended primarily for teens, have a lot to recommend them to adult readers as well. Here's a look at some other Character Approved YA stories with crossover appeal.

[Image: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers]