5 YA Books That We Need Made Into Movies ASAP
YA novels and teen movies are a huge commodity on their own. Join them together and you get cultural phenomena. Think Harry Potter, Twilight and even more recently, 13 Reasons Why and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.
There are a lot of YA books being adapted into movies and TV Shows, but we think that Hollywood has missed out on a few gems.
Here are some of the YA books we need made into movies. Right. Now.
Yes, there is a movie and a TV show based off of the original series, The Mortal Instruments, but we want to make a strong case for The Infernal Devices becoming a movie ASAP because the series is just incredible.
The Infernal Devices series is set in the fascinating and magical world of Shadowhunters that Cassandra Clare has created, but this time it’s set in Victorian London, meaning fans of historical fiction are going to love it. The story does kinda follow the usual trope of girl (in this case Tessa) discovering that there’s this whole mystical, dark side of the world. And yes there’s a bit of a love triangle, but surprisingly it doesn’t become the whole story. The story has a huge mystery woven between the three books that will keep you hooked.
Honestly, this would make the most insanely amazing TV show!
Another historical YA book that needs to be turned into a movie is The Luxe. Imagine if Gossip Girl crossed with Downton Abbey and was set in 1899 New York City– then you’ve got The Luxe. Balls, ballgowns, royalty, scandal, forbidden love…these books had it all.
There was talk of it being made into a young Moulin Rouge type movie with a music-driven story, but so far there have been no further movie developments. Come on, Hollywood. Make. It. Happen.
Another great and slightly underrated YA series, is Red Queen.
We can see this holding the same place as The Hunger Games, which is interesting as our internet sleuthing has told us that Effie Trinket, aka Elizabeth Banks, was in talks to direct and produce the project.
Red Queen is set in a dystopian world similar to The Hunger Games, but throw in a bit of royalty and scandal.
Irish author Louise O’Neill’s debut novel chilled us to our core and we’ve been patiently awaiting it hitting the big screen since we first read it back in 2014.
The book is set in a dystopian future where women are genetically engineered strictly depending on how many boys are given birth to that year and can only be one of three options; a companion (wife until the age of 40 when they are terminated), concubine or a nun/teacher in the School where ALL girls are deposited.
The good news is that it was optioned as a movie, but as of right now it’s still in development. Can someone casually send Only Ever Yours to Reese Witherspoon ASAP?
We’re going to cheat a little bit and throw in another one of Louise O’Neill’s books, Asking For It.
Set in a small Irish village this gripping novel does not pull any punches as eighteen year old Emma, a queen bee in her social circle, goes to a party one night that changes her life forever. The effect of alcohol, drugs and resulting social media in a present day where equanimity among the sexes still remains a theoretical idea, sees Emma weather her own prejudices as well as those of the people around her.
Asking For It was a difficult and consuming read but a really important one. A movie adaptation would definitely start a lot of important conversations.
Which YA books would you like to see be made into movies?