YA Books Set at College
I went to my college reunion this month at Carleton College. It was great to see friends and be on the campus again, noting both how it stayed the same and how it changed. The return to Carleton made me think about books set during the college years. Here are a few recommendations.
Tam Lim by Pamela Dean (1991)
I went to Carleton in the 1990s, and every reader there was talking about Pamela Dean’s novel Tam Lin. Dean attended Carleton in the 1970s, and her fictional setting of Blackstock College was inspired by her experience. We had a lot of fun identifying Dean’s references. The novel is a retelling of a Scottish ballad; Janet must battle the Queen of Faery for her boyfriend’s soul.
American Panda by Gloria Chao (2018)
Set at MIT, this charming novel depicts Mei’s journey to understand her immigrant family and be understood by them. I loved the tales of MIT’s traditions as well as Chao’s wonderful descriptions of food and dance.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (2013)
Cath is obsessed with the Simon Snow books and spends all her free time writing fan fiction. That hobby was what got her and her sister through their mother’s death. But now they are at college, and everything is changing. Rowell has since written actual Simon Snow books (Carry On, Wayward Son, and Any Way the Wind Blows), so if you are intrigued by the world Cath is immersed in, you can read more!
Check, Please! series by Ngozi Ukazu (started in 2018)
This graphic novel series focuses on a college hockey team. The main character, Eric Bittle or Bitty, is a former figure skater who is gay and loves baking. Great depiction of college sports and an accepting community.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (2019)
Note: This series is Bardugo’s first foray into books for adults, so it won’t be for all teens.
This horror novel is set at Yale, imagining an alternate reality where the secret societies of the college are connected to the occult. It’s a clever premise, and Bardugo creates a suspenseful and scary world. I read this early on in the pandemic when I wasn’t really leaving my house in New Haven, and I enjoyed getting to tour my city on the page. My favorite inside joke is the supernatural explanation for Yorkside Pizza’s longevity.